Queen Bee Knight -- Thank you! Please read the new post

[JeffTibbetts]

Alright. Short update for you. Put some time in on decals. Have a look.

This needs another shot of Lahmian Medium to matte it down a bit.

I'll probably pull the crown bit off this one, as the rivet pulled it out of place. Also, I'll trim up the black with paint so the edge doesn't stick out.

Back of the weapon plates both have this. Bonus points if you can tell what's not stock about it. ;)

Back of the Reaper. I really dig this glyph even though I have only a vague sense of what it is. I think they're alternative FW maker's plates.

And here's the real one.

And now, the moment a dozen of you are waiting for...

Her painted shield. I'm fairly happy with it, although some looks pretty sloppy to me. I haven't done any real freehand in ages, so I guess it turned out about as well as I expected. I do think, when it's not zoomed way in, it looks pretty solid on the tabletop. Pretty much exactly what I was shooting for. What do you all think? This was really a community idea, so I'd love to hear from those of you who helped me come up with the idea. Pretty close? Anything you think I should tweak?

While I was at it, I did some other freehand lettering on the breastplate and the chainsword scrolls.

And there you have it. That's it for progress. Still working on metal trim, and I'll mess with the decals a bit soon to weather them up.

[Jolemai]

zomg!

[Commissar Molotov]

The shield is fantastic - and far more grimdark than I thought it would be. Very nicely done.

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks, fellas. Yeah, I really liked the idea of making it less-and-less pinupish as I went on. Basically, it's just the legs. As I said before, I think that one element keeps it really creepy because they seem out of place. In a way, they're very much in place, as they hint at the swagger and the proud nature of the machine spirit's personality, if you will. I have to admit that I really like her bloody hands as well. 

[Son of Carnelian]

Suitably grimdark but with enough hints of the real-world inspiration. You've done a fantastic job with her so far. Can't wait to see her finished!

[slipknotzim]

great job all the way thru.

[Stercus]

Superb work Jeff. Looks like the old girl is almost done.

[Guest]

This thread has been amazing start to finish, but the shield is by far the most spectacular thing so far. Well done. I agree with everything thats been said thus far about it being perfectly grimdark and yet still having enough the pinup aesthetic to be recognizable. Can't wait for the next update.

[RolandTHTG]

Looks Great, especially the pile of skulls the lady is sitting on. 

 

My only question is, are you going to ding up/weather the makers plate on the back of the Queen? It seems really strange that the plate is so pure when the rest of the queen is oiled and dirty. Especially if she's broken away from that forgeworld. 

[HighGothic]

Oh my god... that looks so cool! 

 

Really want to see it assembled now. Each piece looks so good, so the whole thing would just be amazing.

[GhostMalone]

Love it need a close up of that shield though

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks for the votes of support, everybody! Wow. I'm glad you all like it.

 

Looks Great, especially the pile of skulls the lady is sitting on. 

 

My only question is, are you going to ding up/weather the makers plate on the back of the Queen? It seems really strange that the plate is so pure when the rest of the queen is oiled and dirty. Especially if she's broken away from that forgeworld.

 

Oh yeah. Of course. For what it's worth, the Knightly honor code that's imprinted on the pilot's mind gives her a great deal of respect for the machine and where it comes from. Even the institution of the Adeptus Mechanicus itself., even if she doesn't agree with some aspects of their cult. She doesn't really understand the Imperial Cult either, for that matter. What she doesn't like are the AdMech's sycophantic toadies who are always trying to gain an advantage and steal her machine. She considers them debased from their ideals. In that sense, she doesn't want to obscure the Machina Opus or maker's marks. But, of course, war is hell and they get beat up like everything else.

 

@Kurama, that's not close enough? When I do a blog post, you can zoom way in on the pics on my blog. Like, to the point it's embarrassing for me. I haven't posted it on there yet, but check back in a week or two and I'm sure I'll have it on there.

[KrautScientist]

When this is finished, it will probably be the best Imperial Knight model in existence. Seriously. The amount of care you are putting into this boggles the mind!

The decals, as everything on this model, are stellar. I love the shield! The mound of skulls the queen is sitting on is wonderful, especially since it's very painterly and only suggested -- almost Blanchian in its execution. If I have one - very minor - gripe, it's that I think you should try to push the contrast on the skull a bit, in order to make it look more like a painting and slightly less like a pencil drawing that has been coloured in. But that's really only a tiny bit of criticism. I love the way her dress has that bee stripes!

This will be one for the ages. Trust me

EDIT: Oh, and judging by the rundown of the Skitarii decal sheet in WD, that red thing should be a stamp denoting the Forgeworld where the particular machine was created (Mars in this case, obviously).

[JeffTibbetts]

When this is finished, it will probably be the best Imperial Knight model in existence. Seriously. The amount of care you are putting into this boggles the mind!

 

The decals, as everything on this model, are stellar. I love the shield! The mound of skulls the queen is sitting on is wonderful, especially since it's very painterly and only suggested -- almost Blanchian in its execution. If I have one - very minor - gripe, it's that I think you should try to push the contrast on the skull a bit, in order to make it look more like a painting and slightly less like a pencil drawing that has been coloured in. But that's really only a tiny bit of criticism. I love the way her dress has that bee stripes!

 

This will be one for the ages. Trust me ;)

 

EDIT: Oh, and judging by the rundown of the Skitarii decal sheet in WD, that red thing should be a stamp denoting the Forgeworld where the particular machine was created (Mars in this case, obviously).

You flatter me, sir. I've seen some incredible Knights out there (your own is hardly a slouch) and I'll be happy if she's the way I imagined her. She's getting there. I'm glad you liked the pile of skulls. I wanted them to be just as you suggested. Like a freeform painting of twisted skulls. I deliberately didn't print them as part of the decal, and I just sort of let the paint tell me where to go with it. It's another nod to the artistry of her own sacristans. I think you're right about her death's head skull, yeah. I'll probably go in and add a level of shade and maybe another layer of white to define the temple ridge. Thanks for pointing it out. That's what I was fishing for.

 

EDIT of my own: I knew the red one was a Maker's Plate. It's the yellow triangle I wasn't sure about.

[deathspectersgt7]

WELL DONE!!!! carry on .

[Teetengee]

The shield is gorgeous, and just the right mix of things. However, and it feels like sacrilege to suggest it, perhaps it should be more weathered, as it is almost certainly going to get hit at some point.


EDIT: Don't touch it yet, assemble her first, or at least dry fit, then decide if it needs more weathering, and build up slowly, it is too beautiful to risk destroying that hard free hand work.

[JeffTibbetts]

Haha. Thanks for saying it, but I don't think I'm going to weather it any more than this. Might be hard to tell in the pic but there are chips around the edges. You can see the 3 bullet holes and a couple scratches. Of anything, I think this would be one spot the crew would try to fix up right away. Heck, I bet she carries her paints and brushes in one of those pouches under the right shoulder pad. Right?

[Teetengee]

Haha. Thanks for saying it, but I don't think I'm going to weather it any more than this. Might be hard to tell in the pic but there are chips around the edges. You can see the 3 bullet holes and a couple scratches. Of anything, I think this would be one spot the crew would try to fix up right away. Heck, I bet she carries her paints and brushes in one of those pouches under the right shoulder pad. Right?

I see the weathering you have done, I am just worried that it will seem to clean next to the rest, but as I said, wait andmake the call later, just something to keep in mind.

I am so excited to see the queen completed.

[GhostMalone]

Will do brother got to say I'm beyond impressed at your level of commitment to this

[ninjasuperspy]

Phenomenal. This whole project is just mind-blowing.

[Battybattybats]

Magnificent.

Tilting plate art is especially so.

I couldn't find an explanation for the large yellow decals in a quick flick back through my Imperial Knight Companion though i note the similar M to the makers plates. Some of the decal explanations are a bit.... vague. I notice that similar decals are also on the Skitarii decal sheet, marked in the White Dwarf as Hazard Markings, and i'm glad to see that the symbol the Imperial Knight Companion describes as the Skitarii Alliance campaign marking (red inverted triangle with black lightning bolt) is on the Skitarii decal sheet as it was one i wanted from the separate Knight sheet i missed out on.

I may go back and add one to Quod Erat Demonstrandum, maybe the mars Maker Plate too as i'd been 'maybe'-ing that one when i was decal-ing it though i'm still not sure if it'd be too busy with the stripes. Assuming of course the Skitarii sheets don't all sell out before i can get my hands on it.

[JeffTibbetts]

Ah, thanks for looking, mate. I'm not sure how much I like the idea of a hazard marking on a giant chainsword that's clearly hazardous, but it fit the space and I liked it. Dang it. 

 

I was sorely tempted to get the AdMech decal sheet, but honestly I just don't know if I'd use more than a few of them. Part of me wishes I had held out, as I think I'd prefer a smaller Maker's Plate but now that it's on her, I like the one she's got. 

 

It's a cool decal sheet, for sure, but I doubt I'll ever have the cash to do an AdMech army, much as I'd like to. 

[W.M.Painted]

Nice progress, I have been following this thread for a while, amazing stuff, simply inspiring.

The weathering looks superb, combined with details such as the red liquid in the gun, that is what makes it stand apart.

[geektom]

wow! I am gobsmacked, Jeff! Incredible stuff. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks for all the responses. You guys are all too kind. It always warms my heart a little when I post after a short reprieve and people are so excited to see her getting closer.