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Rebooting my Dark Angels


PhDGamer

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Hi All,

I had a short-lived painting thread here a couple of years ago, but my Dark Angels project died because I felt I had bitten off a little more than I could chew at the time. After a bunch of practice, though (especially with the airbrush), I'm ready to have at it again. This may be a slow start as I am working on finishing up a Grey Knights project too, but here's a model I've been working on when I get tired of painting silver:

gallery_44197_10349_459921.jpg

He's the Librarian who will be in charge of a 1,500 point Drop Pod Assault list I have been dreaming up. I'm happy with the overall "feel" of the model, but I'd appreciate any advice on the particulars. He's currently held together by blue tack, so many changes are possible. I also have some big plans for the base--more on that later.

I should give a special mention to Grimm Blade, whose Space Hulk Deathwing thread was the perfect proof of concept for this model. I had been thinking about it, and when I saw that he had done a similar thing successfully, I immediately jumped in and starting shaving the goofy chapter icon off of the giant sword and filling in the groove so I could add a force weapon pattern to the blade.

Thanks for looking,

Ben

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He looks great, love the wires into the hood and the outstretched hand. Smashing job getting the wire segments off the blade and green-stuffing that power bolt!

 

If you do need a psychic hood, cut one off a GK Terminator and see if you can make some portion of it work. The BA Terminator Libby has a Librarian Crux, if you really want to use one.

First off, thanks for all of the replies--it's very motivating. Shubniggurath, there is a gap right now, but it's caused by the blue-tack that is holding the arm onto the body. The arm does have slight fit issues, which I will iron out once it is glued on. I may also stick a cape on to see how he looks. I was thinking about saving that for an Interrogator-Chaplain, though.

I'm hesitant to do more with a psychic hood b/c of the shape of the armor. All of the stock psychic hoods have smooth curves, but the Deathwing Knight armor comes to a point at the top. I could try to put some wires on top of the armor itself, but I'm not sure how good it will look. I also thought about the giant ribbed cables (like Turmiel and the Terminator Librarian have), but I don't actually like the way they look all that much.

Stobz, I'm planning to use the Deathwing Knight shoulder pad for the chapter symbol and one of Deathwing Crux pads for the left arm. I may add little librarian horns if the pad isn't too busy.

More on the model later, though--I've been working on the base. My work on this is heavily inspired by James Wappel, who is something of a fixture in the painting GW models scene. After haunting his blog for a few days, I decided to try my hand at his style of base. First, a few concept sketches:

gallery_44197_10349_625867.jpg

I will probably save the "Castigator" base for an Interrogator-Chaplain, once I give myself a refresher course on human skeletal anatomy and how wings actually work. I think the spacescape chapter symbol is impractical even for an over-the-top base, but could make a nice mural on a diorama someday.

The base as it is now:

gallery_44197_10349_20056.jpg

And a shot of the base with the Librarian (now named Sariel, after my first landlord):

gallery_44197_10349_136657.jpg

This project is turning out to be a blast--after painting white and silver on Purifiers for days, it felt good to get out the green.

I think you're fine without a hood; what you've done is suggestive enough of one.

 

One thing you might like to consider is adding a dark angel icon or something similar to the top of the model. You have two nice clear lines in design of the miniature and I think a little more height might help emphasise the line created by the sword as well as really making him stand out as a character model.

 

Altogether though, it's very nice work indeed.

Excellent conversion, I really like it!

I would definitely try to include the libby horns on the shoulder pad if you can. It is the little details that really add to a good conversion in my opinion. The horns added to the belt's skull for example look really well done. And more than anything else told me I was looking at a librarian conversion.

It may just be the angle of the photo but in the last image the hand holding the sword hilt looks at a funny angle. However the image in your first post doesn't have this problem, is the model glued or just partially blu-tacked together?

 

The base looks great too, I like the other sketches you have planned out for other bases. I find it interesting to see other peoples planning and preparation work as well as their conversion/painting work.

Here's the latest on Epistolary Sariel:

gallery_44197_10349_13922.jpg

I have added a little icon to the top of the model, and I like the result. I didn't want something too big because I like the hunched-over look of the model--makes him more sinister. Thanks to Gillyfish for the suggestion.

Here's a close-up of the Librarian shoulder pad:

gallery_44197_10349_3143.jpg

Everything is now glued except the icon on top and the book at his waist. Farfromsam, the left arm is a Grey Knight terminator arm and hand. I just filled in the place the storm bolter usually goes with green stuff. The elbow guard isn't quite complete either, but the shoulder pad hides it. I also stuck a little wedge of GS between the body and arm. I'm thinking about giving him one of those little shields as well.

On another note, your comment about PhD librarians made me laugh pretty hard: more PhDs is clearly the path to victory. Maybe that book is his doctoral thesis? Also, copy away: if we all share and we all copy, then we all become better painters and modelers.

So, a couple more details and then the painting starts! Unless of course you all find more gaps to fill. But better to take the time now than to stare at it in regret later.

  • 2 weeks later...

Some updated pictures of Epistolary Sariel:

gallery_44197_10349_33426.jpg

gallery_44197_10349_34497.jpg

preliminary shading on the armor, but I'm not done yet. I want to get started on the other parts, though, to make sure the contrast is more or less the same across the whole model. This is a style of painting I really like but am still figuring out, so comments and suggestions are welcome as always.

Looks awesome so far Doc :tu: I'm glad to see someone else that paints as slow as me ;)

 

Are you planning on adding weathering or damage? Your shading is top notch but it needs blacklining or similar, I'm sure that you have already thought of that though :)

 

BS

  • 1 month later...

Work and a new baby have been taking up my hobby time, but things are beginning to settle down. Here is the current state of affairs:

gallery_44197_10349_19390.jpg

Still some work to do on highlights and darkest shadows, as well as some cleaning up of the midtones. You're right, Stobz, the contrast isn't quite there yet, so I will be getting into the deepest shadows soon. The sword is vexing me endlessly--the force weapon pattern still looks weird, and I need to shade the metal. Despite some success with TMM attempts elsewhere, this one is giving me trouble.

In answer to the question about the blue, it's mostly just Caledor Sky, which is a really nice color, and some old Ice Blue as a highlight. Initially I thinned them down and put them on with an airbrush, though for a single model it's hardly worth the time I need to spend cleaning the brush. I just wanted the practice.

Hopefully I can post a final, complete version soon!

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