Mechanist's Plog, Chaos Knights (yes Plural)

[KrautScientist]

@ Andvarr A: Oh, make no mistake, I eventually bought a Super NES as well, because all the really great Squaresoft RPG's were on there, but I was definitely a SEGA kid at heart during the early to mid-90s -- which was often an exercise in frustration and self-loathing, I might add. Ah, good times ;)

 

@ Mechanist: Sorry for the off topic rant -- I am just a huge videogame nerd. If you haven't already, make sure to give Shining Force a try on your phone (the second one is even better but I am not sure whether or not it's readily available). Ahem, sorry, shutting up now ;)

[hushrong]

UNHOLY!

 

Went through your log and WOW. That is definitely a Daemon Knight and its shaping up to be a real killer.

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

I'm heavily debating getting the renegade box set after looking at this...

[Mechanist]

Thanks guys for the comments, sadly unlikely to get anything done as working on the boat tonight to desperately try an get our systems ready to go to sea and have it 48 hour stability test beforehand.

 

Kraut I first rented SF2 from a video store as a lad and spent well over a decade trying to get a copy of it for myself and more importantly the first one so I could play that. 

Then at collage in my late teens someone not only had SF1 and 2 as rom files they had an emulator too leading me into the magical world of emulators. 

 

The having completed SF2 at least a dozen times I've only ever finished the first one once... so guess what I'm playing while watching PCs boot or to kill time while the system is put through its paces by the customer.

 

One day I'll get round to working out how to get the later games to run, oh and dig out the maps I made for finding my way round Shinning in the darkness and complete that. 

[Dragonlover]

Can't wait to see this monster in the flesh.

 

Dragonlover

[KrautScientist]

Looking forward to seeing your next steps on the Knight!

 

Now since the following rant deals with old videogames, I'll be putting it in spoiler tags, so as to not offend anyone or bog down the thread in off topic subjects...

 

@ Mechanist: Haha, that's awesome -- SF2 is easily one of my top five games ever! The first one will seem very clunky if you are playing them in reversed order, but stickwith it -- it arguably has the slightly more coherent art direction of the two, and certainly far better villains! Also make sure to get the hidden characters because they rock! Speaking of Shining & the Darkness, I still own the original cart, and I played through it (albeit on an emulator) a while back, complete with maps I drew on graph paper If your are into emulation, you may want to hunt down Feda:Emblem of Justice. It was made by half of the original Shining Force team, resulting in a very similar (albeit less colourful) art direction and huge similarities in gameplay, while throwing in an interesting morality mechanic. It never came out in the west, but there's an excellent translation patch available today (I completed it with a mangled half-translation in place -- man, that sucked )

Edited June 27, 2016 by KrautScientist

[Andvarr A]

@KrautScientist *looks at old school games...looks at the plastic crack....looks at other nerdy things* your point? LoL

 

@Mechanist a systems bed test is one of those things...just hurry up and get it out the way...the beast machine needs to be finished...plus we... Well me...is an impatient lot hahhah

Edited June 27, 2016 by Andvarr A

[Mechanist]

Ok now I'm getting demands for updates I must be doing something right.

 

 

I found it much worse going first time round as I didn't expect the worse slightly clunkier interface, knowing in advance I'd need to shift stuff round as it doesn't auto pass is easier to mitigate so better to settle in and enjoy.
I missed the flying chopper dude though I'm sure I got him first time. Just getting everyone up to lv 12 so will be using the samurai soon.

Will have to look up Feda definitely.
Did you ever play rings of power, also one of my top faves of all time? Mind more recently FF4 remake port of android is brilliant.

 

[Andvarr A]

Ok now I'm getting demands for updates I must be doing something right.

 

I found it much worse going first time round as I didn't expect the worse slightly clunkier interface, knowing in advance I'd need to shift stuff round as it doesn't auto pass is easier to mitigate so better to settle in and enjoy.

I missed the flying chopper dude though I'm sure I got him first time. Just getting everyone up to lv 12 so will be using the samurai soon.

 

Will have to look up Feda definitely.

Did you ever play rings of power, also one of my top faves of all time? Mind more recently FF4 remake port of android is brilliant.

What do you mean? It's on point!

 

the port is epic, but I've not found justification on the price

[DistroyA]

@Distroy - yup got the basics covered there, I've done LEDs once it's no simple task so looking forward to seeing that, glad I've inspired you and given ideas, the black ruin will be waiting some time for it's Slaneesh knight pondering a lancer if forgeworld release rules for more than just the basic kit. also really hoping for the slaneesh knights from epic as that would be awesome.

 

 

Yeah, I've got my work cut out for me, and that's just for wiring it up, never mind any conversions I end up doing. I'm even thinking of wiring up the custom power scourge I have planned for it (of which will be inspired by the helbrute's power scourge, because tentacles :P ), although that will require a strip of tiny leds methinks. Seeing your custom power plant exhausts, I'm thinking if making some Slaaneshy styled ones. Not sure as to what nature, but I'm sure I can think of something sensual looking for the mech. :)

[Mechanist]

Yeah, I've got my work cut out for me, and that's just for wiring it up, never mind any conversions I end up doing. I'm even thinking of wiring up the custom power scourge I have planned for it (of which will be inspired by the helbrute's power scourge, because tentacles ), although that will require a strip of tiny leds methinks. Seeing your custom power plant exhausts, I'm thinking if making some Slaaneshy styled ones. Not sure as to what nature, but I'm sure I can think of something sensual looking for the mech.

Definitely sounds like it as those are some epic plans. For the scourge you may find fibre optics a much better option, I achieved this with just 4 LEDs and plastic fibres from a cheep decoration http://paintstationforge.blogspot.kr/2014/10/idolised.html#more. One of the best sources of useful materials are hand soap bottle with the little pumps, the valaves often have little glass beads in and the plastic tubes are great for feeding a bunch of fibre through. Then use the bead on the end and it looks like a light instead of a bunch of fibre cabals like on the head lights.

anyway sea trials have finished for now (more to come some things didn't go well "joy of software dev") and last nigh I managed while waiting to put stuff in the washing machine to finish the strands of fleshy bits on the spine.

With that stage done I can begin on the last bulking out stage across the back and sides tonight and tomorrow.

As a side Shining force 1 was completed and I began Feda:Emblem of Justice, very enjoyable so so, now off beck to the boat as I should do some work today having slept though my alarms and just finished my coffe...

[Mechanist]

So today I did end up doing a few hours work, but I made sure some greenstuff went on before heading to the ship after lunch.

Did a few hours and came home with plenty of time to mix up a few more batches of greenstuff one small bit at a time.

Firstly I've just about finished the Gill like vents on the back, a little lop sided or my tastes so I may revisit to touch them up and make them look intentionally asymmetrical maybe with some cables (thinking about it as I type this I'm going to have a different number on each side as that should make it look more intentional with the bottom one on the right side having cable come out to fill it in).

I built it up gently with about thee batches in total, I've also across the batches worked my way down the spine and tidied up the poorly moulded "Spinous process" ie. sticky out bony bits. Lastly I've been working on the ragged flesh remaining on the spinal column it self, helping to hide the last of the dodgy moulding and blend where the muscle stands attach.

all in all I'm happy with the progress, next up will be creating the ragged edge of the wound from top to bottom.

Adding these details and cleaning up the bad moulding has really moved things along. Once the wound is finished it'll be time to look at the transition between beast and machine and that will require some Dremel work.

Also I noticed my gallery now has 53 images of this beast so I've broken the 50 mark on one model. Hopefully there are enough changes to make every one worth while and as always comments welcome.

[JeffTibbetts]

I know people throw the term epic around a lot, but this dude earns the epithet 100%. Amazing to have watched this from your first fledgling steps to where it is now, and knowing more is in store fills me with anticipation. Keep it up, buddy. Keep it up.

[Mechanist]

thanks jeff, I've just been playing with more greenstuff and have made a fair amount of progress. Just need my phone to charge up enough to take a picture and then leave the hell alone for the night in case I ruin anything with fingerprints. 

[Mechanist]

So I promised more pictures, Though at this point they are starting to look all green so it's tougher to see the progress.

I've worked my way along the edge of the wound on the left side adding a ragged finish to the edge including some flaps of flesh folding back.

I'm trying to focus on the different texture and material transitions as I'tt will make painting easier knowing when to stop one colour and move onto the next, I can then blure those lines with technical paints like blood.

I didn't want to move onto the right hand side this time for fear of fingerprints so instead I began working my way down the side.

I've added the skin layer along the bottom and around many of the pipes and begun texturing the flesh leading into the main brazer. There s still some bulking and shaping to do around the brazer which I'll get to tomorrow hopfuly. you may also notice the begginign of fur around the bottom. I want to tie in with the shaggy head so will be having patches of fur throughout.

Since the main body is curing now I've also had a play adding the final detailed layer to the pauldron.

Still a little way to go but maybe one or two more sessions and this will be finished.

So I'm happy with my progress so far and maybe I'll even get a little more in tomorrow night around packing to leave for home.

[Evil Eye]

This is a magnificent looking Knight. That spine is just hideous, in all the right ways.

 

If I had one recommendation, it would be to greenstuff over the eyes of the head. Eyeless things always look creepier. Perhaps give it a smooth noggin like the Hell Knights from the new Doom.

 

[Teetengee]

I'd leave the eyeballs, I think they work better on this beasty than no eyeballs would.

[Andvarr A]

How about a massive scar on one side of the face? Like it lost an eye...or something icky

[Mechanist]

The face plateof the original doner is A stone skull covered in ragged flesh. I'll be painting the stone bit as bone so it will already have a significant amount of skull on show. For this guy the eye holes form an important part of the skull face so not planning on filling then in.

This guy is all about the rage so crazy eyes are also important.

Will definitely think about an blank faced deamon knight for a future god.

[Andvarr A]

A tzeench knight would fit that bill of nasty, faceless yet all seeing

[the Belgian one]

well well ! it's gettin' interesting ! i like the concept of the fleshy spine in the back ! i'll need to make my own version of this ^^ but probably for another chaos god ...

[KrautScientist]

The spine - and, in fact, the entire torso - are looking crazy good! There is so much texture and layered depth there, truly stunning! Just imagining how sick this is all going to look once painted is a fun exercise -- I will say that you are fast approaching the point where it could all become too much, though, so I'd think about considering the spinal area finished, if I were you.

 

I think Squigsquasher is on to a truly interesting idea regarding the concept of an eyeless head: It could be argued that this could be an even better embodiment of senseless (unseeing) rage, and the creature should always have other senses it can rely on, anyway. Seriously, why not just use some modeling putty and make a mock-up of the idea and see if you like it? True enough, I am not a huge fan of the head in the fiirst place, but I think the eyeless face idea, combined with a suitably gross paintjob, could really turn this into something even more outstanding, so I wouldn't dismiss the idea too quickly. My two cents ;)

[Andvarr A]

Well...if you look at the berzerkers from gears of war...their eyes are blind!sewn shut and its ears and smell and hellish rage...but i agree with the kraut...build a test head and see what you think...and maybe chains broken round the neck to show the unbound psychotic rage

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

I cant wait to see the whole thing put together!

[Mechanist]

I did have a play with some greenstuff regarding the eyes but it just didn't fit well with the head and would have needed alot more sculpting to blend and would have lost the skull aspect that I want.

 

Once painted the different textures will show up better so I'm happy with it at the moment. 

 

Did manage a little more last night before packing bags to head hone today.the back spine is finished on the left hand side and it's just the last layer of texture; flesh, skin and fur across the sides to go for the main torso. Then I'll flip and do the right hand side finish. Once completed I need to finish the braziers as they are a little rough at the moment. 

 

Thanks for all the great comments, I'll be offline at a LARP over the weekend (same one my avatar pic is from) so will be quite for a few days. Then progress will have to fit round home life including having access to Total Warhammer. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Mechanist