How to paint Black Legion cult specific troops?

[Kaldoth]

Hey all, I'm in a bit of an inspiration block as far as painting goes and I was wondering if the demented brain housing group that is the Chaos subforum could lend me some assistance.  I've got a buttload of old boxes of cult specific troops that I want to paint in my free time, but I have no idea how to paint them.  I've got a buddy of mine that has a fairly sizable BL force, but needs some Noise Marines and Plague Marines to use in games.  Me being out of the gaming side of the hobby, I've got no problem painting and lending him my minis, but I just don't know how to paint up the cult specific troops and keep them Black Legion-y.  I've thought of painting just the helmets a different color, or one shoulderpad, but it just doesn't seem like its enough. Especially considering Noise Marines are all about some audacious colors, how do I make them "pop" while keeping in tradition with the muted black and gold of the BL?  At the same hand, going too overboard with the deity-specific colors might make them look like they belong to EC or DG.  Any advice? Or inspiration you've found? 

 

Cheers,

 

-Kal

Edited July 3, 2017 by Kaldoth

[Sception]

Well, I can't speak to your fears of looking like other legions, but I will say that with a dull, somber overall scheme like that of the black legion, a very small amount of spot color goes a long way, while too much color, and in particular too many different colors, very quickly becomes garish.

 

I learned this the hard way early on in my chaos career when my initial worry about black being too dull led me to use too many spot colors and tumble straight into that garish zone, losing the overall effect.

 

Some examples from this time period:

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z142/Malisteen/Black%20Legion/TermNew1.jpg

To be clear, I'm not calling these terrible or anything, but blue power weapons, green plasma coils, red eyes, & purple soft armor all together was just too much.

 

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z142/Malisteen/Black%20Legion/Mojo.jpg

Mojo was probably the worst I still have pictures of, being a slightly earlier model so a bit less good painting skills, plus having even more colors, and that painful speckled pattern that was supposed to be 'urban camo' to represent infiltration under the 3.5 codex

 

Since then I've improved improved the scheme by dramatically cutting the number of spot colors:

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z142/Malisteen/Black%20Legion/Warband03_zps143c6462.jpg

 

Plasma Coils, Power Weapons, & Eyes all in the same red/orange, top knots in a similar yellow, kept the purple soft armor, but using much less saturated purple-greys rather than the more distracting vibrant lich purple of the old scheme

 

 

The chosen have a bunch of extra cloth and bone - but those are in neutral brown & khaki tones - and lots of extra fleshy daemonic mutations, but those mostly stick to the purple tones that are already part of the warband scheme

 

My current(ish) stuff gives a decent example of a 'warm' black legion scheme - not only the yellow-orange spot colors but also the top edge highlight on the black is actually a purple grey, same as the top highlight on the soft armor & daemonic flesh.  Even the basing reflects that warmer tone, with warm brownish undertones to the rocks and ruddy rusted red metalics.

 

In contrast, check out Subtle Discord's stuff for a 'cool' black legion scheme:

 

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j332/SubtleDiscord/WIP%20Thread%20Photos/Block_One_02.jpg

 

Blue top knots, plasma coils, and eye lenses, ice-blue edge highlight on the black armor, and again even the rocky bases are painted with cool bluish tones.  I'd argue the green horns on that one guy are an odd choice, but otherwise an extremely good looking force recognizably in the same legion scheme as my own army, and yet with a completely different feel.

 

Which is the point I've been getting around to, in an unnecessarily slow and round about fashion.  Because the core elements of the Black Legion color scheme - flat black armor w/ metalic trim - is so stark, so minimalist and somber - just a very little bit of spot color goes a long long way to giving different forces, or different units within the same force in your case, a completely different feel.

 

I recommend coming up with a single painting method for the armor (including the soft armor, which I would paint either black, silver, or grey to go with different choices of spot color), and then four different bright, stark, spot colors, one for each god, to paint the eyes, top knots, power weapons, plasma coils / piping on special weapons, lenses, etc.  I'd go with bright green for nurgle, red-orange for khorne, bright blue for tzeentch, and bright violet for slaanesh, but that's just me.  Vary a little between what type of detail you're painting, like for nurgle power swords and eyes might be a glowing, almost ectoplasmic green while top knots and cloths would be duller, but still within the same general hues.

 

You might make the power armor on the nurgle and khorne stuff a little dirtier - heavier wash on the metalics, less sharp edge highlights on the black - while the slaanesh and tzeentch stuff is a bit more tidy and trim, and you might vary the exact choice of grey for your edge highlights - cooler for blue & green spot color, warmer for red and pink/purple... or maybe not.  Overally, though, yeah, same black armor, same silver and/or gold trim, but varying the choice of a single bright spot color to reflect the different alignments.

 

As for Noise Marines and the preference for garish colors, I'd personally still keep their armor black, and stick to a single glowing neon purple or pink spot color.  Maybe use the silver and gold that are already part of the Black Legion color scheme to trace some designs on the armor or helmets, taking inspiration from the aesthetics of Kiss, or of Death Metal bands.

 

Edit: actually, you might want to leave a fifth spot color for undivided, which might complicate things... general idea should still be doable, though.  maybe purple for undivided & pink for slaanesh?  Or maybe bright orange-yellow for undivided, and a darker blood red for khorne?  I don't know.

Edited June 14, 2017 by malisteen

[Midnightmare]

Everytime I see your Chosen, Mal, they make me weep tears of (evil) joy. Great looking squad :tu:

 

I echo the above statements, too many colours takes away from the 'black' theme. I also couldn't see the Warmaster tolerating too many garish colours away from his Legions Black/Gold - after all it is supposed to be a symbol of casting off previous lives in unison of one purpose.

 

I would also check out Thamiers' brilliant 'Balefire Legion' thread as he uses a very simple palette of colours but all his cult troops are instantly recognisable - http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/278434-let-the-galaxy-burn-balefire-legion-40k-again/

[Sception]

I forgot about that thread!  It really is incredibly inspiring, the conversion and painting work are both just amazing.  And it gives an even better example of how just a little bit of just one vibrant spot color goes a long, long way with an otherwise very dour Black Legion color scheme.

[Kizzdougs]

I'd probably paint them in the regular Black Legion scheme, but with the shoulder pads and maybe the helmets painted in the cult colours. God specific icons and mutations would be great too, but I feel that one of the most symbolic actions of joining the Black Legion is 'taking the black.' 

 

 

Something like this...

 

http://www.warhammerdigital.com/Images/Product/AlternativeBL/xlarge/BLPROCESSED-IMG_1829.jpg

 

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee48/SL-PN/Other/image_zps291ef3ce.jpg

 

 

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l522/kizzdougs/DSCN3135_zps22ec063d.jpg

 

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l522/kizzdougs/DSCN3132_zps5ece19b3.jpg

 

Hope this helps :)

[Lukash_]

Yep, almost like the Deathwatch "one pauldron" thing.

[Kaldoth]

Thanks for the replies y'all! I painted up my first BL Noise Marine today. I took the "less is more" advice and I like the way he turned out. I still might repaint the amp black, but I have two more Blastmaster marines to paint so I'll see how they look as a group. The lighting is crap and makes the highlights look waaaaay more chalky than they already are, and I know the shading in the grille of the amp looks like crap :P but C&C appreciated!

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/Kaldoth/0619172113c.jpg

 

Also, if one of them *happened* to be sticking his tongue out and throwing up the devil horns, what color would his tongue be? I was thinking a gloss black against the purple flesh-tone, but open to suggestions!

Edited June 20, 2017 by Kaldoth

[Midnightmare]

That 'rocks' :P really cool work I wholeheartedly approve; imho looks how a proper Black Legion noise marine should :tu:

 

As for a tongue, you are right on the money with a glossy black one.

[Sception]

Looks good, and I love the guitar!

 

I think you could risk going a bit brighter on the purple's highlights, sticking to few spot colors outside the basic black scheme is a good idea, but it's allowed for those colors to pop.  It's when you have several popping colors that the scheme gets overwhelmed.

 

I'd go for a pink on the tongue.  Close enough in hue to the purple to not mess the overall effect, and it would actually stand out & be seen.  By all means try the black tongue first, you're going to be undercoating black anyway, but then set it on the table and stand on the other side of the table and look at it, and decide if the black tongue looks good or, as I fear it might, if it just kind of disappears and looks like a hole in the face or unpainted bit.

[Panzer]

Thanks for the replies y'all! I painted up my first BL Noise Marine today. I took the "less is more" advice and I like the way he turned out. I still might repaint the amp black, but I have two more Blastmaster marines to paint so I'll see how they look as a group. The lighting is crap and makes the highlights look waaaaay more chalky than they already are, and I know the shading in the grille of the amp looks like crap but C&C appreciated!

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/Kaldoth/0619172113c.jpg

 

Also, if one of them *happened* to be sticking his tongue out and throwing up the devil horns, what color would his tongue be? I was thinking a gloss black against the purple flesh-tone, but open to suggestions!

Looks pretty much perfect imo. I'm using the same guitars. :D

I'd keep the amp in purple.

[Joe]

Where's the head from for that Noise Marine?

 

Also, I thought it's rather amusing that the Sons of the Cyclops use the pre-Heresy Eye of Horus inside the pre-Heresy Thousand Sons legion badge. I suppose you could try alternating it with the post-Heresy iconography as well.

[Kaldoth]

Where's the head from for that Noise Marine?

Its from the Bedlam Fraternity helmet pack by Kromlech :) I ordered them a long time ago but I think they're still in production. I used a mix of bits from spellcrow, puppetswar, and kromlech when I built my noise marines. Ill try to get another one of these blastmaster guys done in the next few days. Currently in the middle of a move so hobby time is limited. Cheers for the replies all!

[Petitioner's City]

Have you seen the cover to ADB's upcoming Black Legion?

 

 

I am like 

[Kaldoth]

So, I finally got some time to sit down and paint. These bassist is done, and the lead guitarist is just waiting for weapons and the amp. I was going to go with black guitars all around to keep the scheme muted, but a buddy of mine who is going through a rough time saw these on my workbench and asked if I would mind painting up the bass player's guitar the same shade of blue as his old one.  It does look a bit out of place with all the dull colors, but I like the way the blue itself turned out. Plus I put on my big boy undies and tried my hand at wet blending the body into the neck, and the result actually turned out okay, which was a first for me. Yay painting skill milestones! Again, for whatever reason my camera makes the highlights look a bit stark and chalky in some places and nonexistent in others, but it is what it is.  Considering I've gone ahead and painted this guy's guitar bright blue, any votes for color on the lead guitarist's weapon?  I was thinking maybe a bright green or bright pink. I'll be repainting the first guy's guitar another color too. Figured I might as well make the wacky colored guitars a theme C&C appreciated!

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/Kaldoth/0628172251a_1.jpg

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/Kaldoth/0628172252a.jpg

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/Kaldoth/0628172253a_1.jpg

 

On a side note, does anyone have a recommendation for an online photo hosting website? I've used the same photobucket account for years, but it's become so overrun with ads I cant take it anymore 

 

Cheers!

 

-Kal

Edited June 29, 2017 by Kaldoth