Inquisitor/Grey Knight Kill Team Warband (Blanchitsuish)

[GuitaRasmus]

Thanks, guys.

I was at our local gaming club, Emperors Pride, last with Johan, and feeling a sudden urge to start painting the warband, I took a deep breath and grabbed my brushes.

I had already decided that I was going to try out zenithal priming (read more about this technique here ), and started out by priming Dmitrij.

From there on I started splashing paint on him, very thing glaze-like layers of paint, washes and inks. It was a very complicated process, much more than it needed to be, because I had basically no idea what I was doing (I still don't). His armour has also gotten some edge highlighting, to sharpen up the edges.

I like the result so far, but to be honest, I struggle with painting to a really high standard. I can do good tabletop quality pretty well, but exhibition grade painting sort of eludes me, and I'm a bit annoyed by it. Oh well, I'll just have to keep practicing.

I deliberately kept him in very cool, muted colours - I'm trying to get some of the feel of John Blanches paintings and palette. Of course, he still needs some detail work, and his back-banner-thingy done:





Let me know what you think.

[deathspectersgt7]

Nice.

[alejandrinus]

Wow simply spectacular, top notch work GuitaRasmus

[Olis]

He certainly has a Blanche-esque mood about him. I like it. :tu:

[Forté]

I like the result so far, but to be honest, I struggle with painting to a really high standard. I can do good tabletop quality pretty well, but exhibition grade painting sort of eludes me, and I'm a bit annoyed by it. Oh well, I'll just have to keep practicing.

I want to slap you so hard right now! Your painting standard is higher than most I see from commission painters and so called 'pro' painters.

 

If you're looking at glazing techniques (which is what you described), have a look at Massive Voodoo for their tutorials. And stop being so hard on yourself. You're painting is amazing.

[GuitaRasmus]

I appreciate the kind words, but I really do feel frustrated. My ambition is to get closer to the quality of painters like Bohun and C'tan, and while I know that they're world class painters, it frustrates me to no end, that even though I do my best, I'm still way off the mark.

[sockwithaticket]

Assuming you're right about your inadequacies (and, mate, I'm with Forte; there are popular commission painters out there who aren't even half as good), you need to go back to some good old fashioned cliches : they're not better than you, they're just further along in their journey. You said it yourself - keep practicing, that's the only way to improve. Skills like painting are a journey of incremental and continuous upward progression, At the same time there'll always be someone better than you at something, if you let that frustrate you it can suck the enjoyment out of anything. Ambition is great, but you have to allow yourself tyo enjoy your current capabilities, too. For any deficiencies you might see it's still better than majority of the work in the WIP forum (no offence to anyone, I incude myself in that).

Just keep on keepin' on, we want to see more and to throw compliments at you.

[Darth Mustard]

good start
it takes time and practice to these guys´ level
knowledge of the painting technics is important
Forte´s right have a look at the Voodoo´s blog some of the colors they use and combinaisons are surprising but give a great result
I recommend checking at the Spiky Rats and Stockholm Warpaint these guys produce some of my favorite work
Remember also that some of them do unique piece not armies or warband
I spent once a few hours with Jeremy Bonamant Teboul, his brush technic was very quick (practice) but he would also layer and layer and layer and layer just a small red shield that look good to me on the first ... layer ... and then he explain the color theory to me and what painting technic worked for him. So no wonder they can produce these pieces, they have technics and knowledge and experience. hey make living out of it. So they had the good contrasting shade color where others stop
We all wish we could produce a master piece in 2 mn but it is impossible.
Keep faith and practice. Take your time.
You say you´re not a painter but suddenly there is a urge to paint.
I see hope for you.
Just pace yourself the same way to built your fantastic models
Remember the first conversion you made, how long ago ? and look what you can do and how quickly now
your technics are good.
Give yourself a break

said the guy who hasn´t painted in a decade and is scare of screwing his first models

[Forté]

Don't forget though that for them a high quality piece has many hours put into each area. And they likely paint for most of the day. Their standard is crazy and a lot of that is practice. The longer you paint for (and I mean continued, not in years) the more your muscles get used to brush strokes and control. The tools help too. Highest quality brushes and paints, wet pallets, mediums, lighting, and company too. All go to improve things too.

 

I know it can be frustrating but the quality you put out is amazing and consistent too. Just keep at it.

[MagicMan]

I think you're doing just great, Guita.

 

I seem to remember you saying you get frustrated halfway through painting a bunch of something and move onto something else. I'd guess that the only thing holding you back is time. I'm like that, i start painting a model and so i try and get it out quickly. I cant be bothered to sit there for hours doing ten highlight stages, and thats what the pros do. They spend alot of time, and take their time.

 

You're obviously a skilled painter, so its probably just lack of focus thats ''holding you back'' and thats no bad thing, really.

[Aqui]

Possibly the best looking model I've seen on B+C in a long time (and there are a lot of awesome stuff posted this year)

I realise that you may feel your painting falls short, but honestly, it's such a lovely model, especially the gold on his shoulder. It has the look of tarnish at the edges and a shininess towards the centre, which is both subtle and very realistic

[Stormborn]

To steel a phrase from the faithful at the ECW Arean on the corner of Swanson & Ritner HOLY CUSS!

 

I have to agree with Aquilanus that is possibly the best miniature I've seen this year, can't wait to see the rest.

[GuitaRasmus]

Thanks for all the helpful and kind words. I think Magicman and Forte put the head on the nail - I'm probably just not patient enough. I've never been. I'll have to keep practicing, and checking out tutorials, etc.

 

I got a good long night of painting done tonight, and I managed to finish Dmitrij and started on the little sister:

 

 

 

 

Even though I had my initial doubts, I ended up quite happy with him. It's quite a departure from what I usually do (I only used white for mixing into colours for highlighting for example), but I like the look, and he has the right sense of menace.

 

Sister:

 

 

 

What haircolour should she have?

[SpecialIssue]

Very very cool. Captures the very essence of the Dark Millennium.

[PassionFruit Power]

she should have black/dark brown, her skin is light so dark hair would really stand out

amazing painting though so don't doubt yourself :)

[Forté]

End of the day, if you're really not happy with them I'll gladly re-home them ;)

 

The thing with your models is they are already outstanding before you even put primer on them. The amount of character you add with your kit bashing style is mind melting. Take the sister for example. Add a face and that scary weapon and wow. Then you paint it to crazy standards too. And with the speed you do. It's no wonder people follow your threads. Just to see what you do next. It's what makes the hobby exciting.

 

And it may sound strange but I like the sister's hair the colour it is.

[gaurdian31]

I agree with forte, the hair looks really good as is.

[Forté]

I agree with forte, the hair looks really good as is.

Only thing with it is I'm fairly sure that's just primer.

[Stormborn]

The hair looks good as it is and I think it could be that all the horror she has ssen as a member of an inquistorial warband has turned it that way.

 

Given the light skin I'd like to see black hair with a hint of blue or purple in it to give her a goth vibe.

[Olis]

Green. I vote green. Go for a real cyber-punky look. ;)

[Aqui]

Until I read about the hair colour question, I thought that that was the colour you'd decided upon. I like it, a lot However, if you want to give her a contrasting colour, how about making her a red head (as in Jean Grey, Amy Pond kind of red )

I especially love the pose and choice of weapon. Aside from the fact that her face is covered (and thereby quite menacing), if you saw her charging you, you'd have to ask yourself:

What the HELL is that?

And then:

How the HELL did she get it?

Would you want to find out? I wouldn't!

[Stormborn]

Looks quite a bit like the auto axe from Fallout 3.

[ElDuderino]

Wow. That repentia is gorgeous, amongst other things.

 

You need to stop making new threads though, I might miss something:) better add that blog to my rss feed

[ElectricPaladin]

Holy.

 

Freaking.

 

Moly.

 

Say, can you give me any advice on the leather wrapping for the hammer haft? I've got a librarian dreadnought holding an axe on my work table, and adding some texture to the haft would improve it.

[Xavier Targhost]

Sweet as hell dude! :D love that inquisitor mate! and your models are an insperation without a doubt!
As for the sisters hair ? Id say platinum blond? to have that cool yet pale and creapy style?

:D