Skitarii and CultMech WIP - First Dragoon nearly finished

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! As for the light, I wanted something that could work for the entire army. Ranger eyes, various lenses, etc. I think the blue will be the most versatile and I'm trying to avoid red.

[WarriorFish]

I really like the mix of metallics you have going, the extra time it takes is no doubt worth it :tu:

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! I admit I was a bit nervous about it, but it turned out just the way I wanted it to.

[JeffTibbetts]

I finished off some details and took better pics. This is pretty much done except a decal for the unit designation.

And on a white background next. It's shocking how different models can look with a different background...

Not much new, really. Did the base, added a bit of dusting around the feet and cloak with weathering pigments, picked out a few more details on the model itself. I think a whole unit/army to this standard would take a while but would look solid on the tabletop.

[Chaeron]

I really like the dusty blue JeffTibbetts! Have you thought how you might base them yet? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that.

[JeffTibbetts]

Haha! I think I ninja'd you while you were writing that. You can see the base on the latest batch of pics. 

[helterskelter]

It makes me the happiest if chappies seeing you doing admech when I've just picked up a starter box. Inspiration hoooooooooo

[JeffTibbetts]

They're great, man. I do wish there were some better options for varying the poses, but they're so dynamic I understand why they are the way they are. Have you picked some colors yet?

[helterskelter]

I was going to go full steampunk with them, so browns/bronzes, iron details that sort of thing, not sure how that will translate to the dunecrawler though I might see if I can make a wood grain effect on the main armour panels

[Chaeron]

Haha! I think I ninja'd you while you were writing that. You can see the base on the latest batch of pics.

Haha thoroughly ninja'd!

 

I really like the basing - the colour sets it off nicely, and the different coloured lip of the base definitely works. A good choice!

[JeffTibbetts]

 

Haha! I think I ninja'd you while you were writing that. You can see the base on the latest batch of pics.

Haha thoroughly ninja'd!

 

I really like the basing - the colour sets it off nicely, and the different coloured lip of the base definitely works. A good choice!

 

 

Thanks! To be fair, the bases match my marines as they'll be allied, so I didn't really have much choice in this regard. It's rather a low contrast but I prefer that with basing, despite the conventional wisdom. 

 

I was going to go full steampunk with them, so browns/bronzes, iron details that sort of thing, not sure how that will translate to the dunecrawler though I might see if I can make a wood grain effect on the main armour panels

 

That could be interesting. My Onagers will have a lot more of the tan/beige color across the legs, and a lot more visible brass. Almost the entire top will be blue, though, so it'll look a bit like the official GW scheme with a color swap. I think wood panels could look goofy, but I'd encourage you to try. When I was looking at steampunk stuff for inspiration I was struck by how little iron or silver metal I saw anywhere. It's almost all brass and copper, hence my original inspiration for this color scheme. The blue also came from SP stuff, as it makes a great contrast with that over-warm palette. It's interesting because the brass is yellow, the copper is read and the blue is, well, blue. It's the three primary colors, even if they're all skewed. I think that's what secretly makes it work for me. 

[Ovidius Incertus]

I like the scheme, but personally I find the copper, at least in your first photos, a bit too stark.  Like the whole thing, especially the helmet, was just begging for verdigris.  Similarly, I thought maybe some stronger highlights on the gray pressure suit would...suit better.  That might increase the contrast between pants and greatcoat.  Just my two cents.

[JeffTibbetts]

I like the scheme, but personally I find the copper, at least in your first photos, a bit too stark.  Like the whole thing, especially the helmet, was just begging for verdigris.  Similarly, I thought maybe some stronger highlights on the gray pressure suit would...suit better.  That might increase the contrast between pants and greatcoat.  Just my two cents.

 

No, I think you're right in some ways. I want the copper to be free of verdigris, but the brass actually has a tiny bit of green in the shade. I don't want too much for a few reasons, but mostly I don't want it to overpower anything. Some models will get a bit more, but I intend to keep the copper super bright on purpose. Partially, I want to keep a strong distinction between the two major metal finishes. Also, in the fluff copper is basically a sacred metal to them and it's used in a decorative fashion. The brass is still important, but the brass they use is an alloy that's considered a more work-a-day metal. As for the gray, I think you're right and character models will likely get another highlight. I really wanted the gray to just sort of get out of the way in the palette, so it's intentionally drab. It's also dead simple to paint and that's important for this project. 

 

Your intuition is spot on, though. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Had a little time to do a second paint test with an infiltrator. Since I can't leave well enough alone, I also converted the pose to look like he's hurdling over a piece of debris, and added arcs of electricity to his taser. I want to extend this lightning theme across the army so this is sort of proof of concept. I'll show some detailed pics below the main ones since it's hard to take it in focus with the rest of the model.

Here's the model so far. Base is not done, of course.

So as you can see the variation in materials in this model ends up with a fairly different color impression than the Skitarii Vanguard, who had more blue and less brass, and much more copper. The pressure suit is also a much bigger feature of the Sicarian frame as well, so the whole thing is a lot more gray and yellow. This was an important test since different models in the range will end up looking a fair bit different, but thankfully for me it still works.

The pose is another thing entirely. While I am happy with it in the sense that it captures the way Olympic hurdlers actually jump, it looks a bit goofy in no small part because of the strange feet an wacky proportions. I converted another one to a running pose and felt the same way about it. They look awkward as heck. But, you know what? They ALWAYS look weird because they're, well, WEIRD looking. So, I'm not going to sweat it too much.

Now let's have a look at the electricity arcs.

Is that working for you all? What do you think? It's pretty much what I was shooting for, but I'm looking for ways to improve it as well. It's made from tiny copper wires I cut out of an old headphone cord, given a little shape and superglued into place. The extra body on some is just superglue and a little extra paint.

I looked up an awful lot of reference photos, but electricity comes in a bunch of different forms. There's the extra fuzzy kind with little bits shooting out all over, and the much smoother and loopier kind. This is intended to be a happy medium. I want it to look like the lightning is crawling over the surface.

[Vel'Cona]

Cool effect! Was it super time-consuming? If not, you should definitely keep this going on the rest of the unit!

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! Yes, it was a real pain to do but plan to keep doing it anyway. I think I need some plastic tweezers, if nothing else. The metal tweezers I was using were just magnetic enough that the wires wanted to stick to them, so once I got them in place I had to use a toothpick to move them around. I tried using two like tiny chopsticks, but it didn't work. :D 

[helterskelter]

I'm really enjoying that effect! I used something similar on my deredeo, it's an effective addition to your guys scheme

[JeffTibbetts]

Yeah, I think I originally got the idea from you. You used plant roots, right? I couldn't find any that I thought would work. 

 

And thanks, by the way. 

[Battybattybats]

I love the electricity effect, i'd be worried about durability for gaming models but may keep it in mind for a display model or two in the future.

[JeffTibbetts]

It's surprisingly tough, actually. The copper wire is thin, but it's still metal. The superglue and paint just add to that. I'm not really worried about it at all. I'm more concerned with all the other fiddly plastic bits that stick out all over these models. 

[Magos Takatus]

I really like your Infiltrator model. I'm not sure how you did the brass colour but the yellowy green looks pretty unique. The little scuff marks on the helmet are also a nice touch. You've made a good point about how a colour scheme will alter quite a bit between Mechanicus models. My colour scheme is almost the Mars scheme with green instead of red so it should be okay, but it's an important point to consider when starting your initial colour scheme.

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! The brass is pretty easy. Averland Sunset, Nuln Oil, then drybrush and stipple Skullcrusher Brass. Add some Cathonian Camoshade in spots and edge with Brass again in spots where you need it.

[Ovidius Incertus]

The brass and copper on that infiltrator are really successful.  The feet in particular are really good, and I see the vision you had for the color scheme now.  Lookin' good!

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! I think it's interesting the feet 'sell it' to you. I guess it's because the two finishes are right next to each other so you can see the contrast really well? Either way, I'm glad the scheme is successfully translating across the varied models. It was my biggest concern, like one thing would look cool while it didn't work as well on another. That could still happen, since there's SO much variety with all these different models. 

[JeffTibbetts]

I was finally able to do two things that I'd been waiting for: print custom decals for my forge world and finish the conversions on the dragoons and prime them.

I tried to mimic some styles from the Ryza sheet as for dimensions and a couple date stamps. I decided long ago to abbreviate the name in different ways, similar to Ryza and other FWs. Kal'Koplos is pretty long and it translates roughly to 'the brazen gates.' I think KPLS is a natural short version, and could allude to a verbal shorthand form like 'gates' or 'the gates.'

Anyway, I saved plenty of space on the sheet for the much more complex makers' plates and whatnot. I just wanted to get started with these. I printed them out on clear decal paper using an inkjet printer and spray-sealed them with Krylon Crystal Clear gloss. I didn't do a very good job, though.

When I put the first one in the water, it immediately dissolved into this. Oooops. You can see the Vanguard above with his little gloss patch, waiting patiently (and in vain). I had to spray them a second time, much more liberally this time.

And here's the result. I photoshopped out some of the distracting gloss so don't mind the weird blurred bits. The coolest thing is that the second gloss spray still didn't seal them 100%, so the decal naturally took on a distressed appearance with no additional steps required! I was thinking I'd have to do a bit of brush or sponge work to add that so I'm stoked I don't have to. Problem is that will be really hard to deliberately match. Of course, there's no reason it has to match, per se, as some instances will be more or less weathered. I hope I get similar results with the larger decals as well.

Some very astute viewers may have noticed this is a somewhat simplified version of the "K" symbol. The dots are filled and the gently-bracketed serifs were removed. I did this on the very smallest decals to enhance visibility, and it seems a natural adaptation for certain applications. I want to do some smaller ones to put on the helmets of the Infiltrators, but I haven't yet.

Once I hit the whole model with a gloss layer and dull it back down the decal should appear much more natural. It still has a pretty prominent edge on the top and this is a product of being a home-made decal. The backing of normal decals can be thinned with Microsol, but the gloss spray can't, really. Maybe someone out there knows a trick for that? I've never been able to find one.

I was also able to finally get the conversions on the dragoons done enough to spray them as well. I went into photoshop and bumped up the contrast so you can hopefully make out some detail on them. I hope to start airbrushing them very soon.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Bring 'em on.