DuskRaider's 40K Nurgle - An Experiment in Flesh and Machine

[DuskRaider]

OH HO HO, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?

 

Yeah, so I'm done with the FW Great Unclean One. I was on the fence about repainting this guy, I had originally done him almost a decade ago and I loved how he turned out. Unfortunately, he didn't match my current Nurgle scheme at all and I couldn't justify keeping him as is, sooo...

 

The one thing I've noticed is that my Nurgle flesh scheme seems to desaturate when applied to resin. I think it's due to the material being more porous, but I'm not sure. He still turned out pretty decent, and it was cool doing a Great Unclean One in a completely different design idea than the new one. I have yet to customize the other weapons options for him, but I'll start in that soon. Anyone know what size chain I would use for the flail? I intend on using real chain.

 

Here you go, my pestiluant peers... enjoy!

 

[Pearson73]

They look great, absolutely disgusting, but great.

[DuskRaider]

This dude made the front page of Imgur, haha

[Guest]

*Leans over* HURK Fantastic job... I just had dinner dangit.

[Sgt. Blank]

As others have said, amazing work! Nurgle daemons sometimes look silly due to the smiles but these look suitably terrifying.

[chamberlainskeksil]

Thanks guys! I think Rotigus here is my favorite model I've painted so far, even more so than the Death Lord himself. As far as the flesh recipe, I'll list it but be aware I do intend to make a step - by - step tutorial with pictures soon... I may pick up one of the new Plaguebearer Heralds for the occasion. Anyhow, it's as follows:

 

Poor photograph of some pox walkers I did inspired by your method:

 

I've been slowly experimenting with thinned down washes and glazes since I saw your thread for the first time.  So that's a DuskRaider inspired group of pox walkers right there.  I'm going to do a recess shade of sepia rather than do all over, but I probably should just do the diluted one like in your process.

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

Edited February 5, 2018 by chamberlainskeksil

[DuskRaider]

Awesome, I love it!!!

[chamberlainskeksil]

I was given a load of pox walkers and cultists and was really down on how long it was going to take to chew through them all, but damn is the watered down wash method fast.  I finsihed the 10 poxwalkers (other than the final recess shade) in an afternoon.  Reading this thread has definitely helped turn my nurgle army from a annoying chore I had to do to something I'm looking forward to doing.  I'm definitely saving pictures and posts in a document for when I get to my other models.

[DuskRaider]

Well make sure to keep me updated!

[Augustus b'Raass]

Scabeiathrax next to your GUO looks insane! I love how they are almost the same size and now I am convinced to not buy a new GUO. ;) :p

What do you mean with desaturation of the paint? And porousness is gone once you prime, right? 

[DuskRaider]

For some reason it's just not as bright... I'm unsure why, but I noticed it with Mamon as well. Somehow the scheme just... pops... more on plastic models. It's the only reason I can think of. It doesn't seem as noticeable side by side, but I think the wounds are making up for it and bringing more color to the model than it actually has.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Ah rigt - well maybe it's because the resin GUO's skin is a bit rougher than the plastic one?

Also, I noticed you missed a cyst that's protruding/broke through the skin on his back...

Hidden Content

Edited February 5, 2018 by Augustus b'Raass

[DuskRaider]

Yeah, it seems I did... I think you're right about the skin texture too, the models are very different.

 

I would still highly recommend the new GUO model too.

 

By the way, I'm starting my armour tutorial so it should be ready in a week or so... I'm doing all of my Plague Marines at once so maybe slightly longer. I can also say with confidence that after this batch I may take a little break, I'm definitely getting burnt out.

Edited February 5, 2018 by DuskRaider

[DuskRaider]

Update time... 

 

I've finished the Lord of Contagion & Blightlords. I'm... not really sure how I feel about the Lord. The Blightlords turned out decent, nothing crazy or anything. They'll fit in with the rest of them and will give me a total of 11 so far. The Lord, though... I don't know. I don't think I'll ever really meet my expectations with him, but after painting him I still feel unfulfilled. I'm still awaiting my 50mm bases from Dragonforge so this guy along with my Dark Imperium Lord of Contagion & Typhus can fit in with the rest of the army. 

 

Oh well... I guess I'm just happy it's out of the way. Now I'll be focusing on the rest of the Plague Marines and making that tutorial I had promised. I'm not sure how long it'll take, I'm hoping a week from today but don't count on it. Anyhow, here we go:

 

[Augustus b'Raass]

Love your colour scheme, dude. Not a big fan of the Flies symbols on their bellies, but that's not your fault and by doing them in red you sure made the most of them. :tu:

[DuskRaider]

Yeah, the fly symbol on their gut plate is a bit odd, but I decided to continue the theme of red symbolism so... I figure if anything, there's now six Blightlords plus the Lord so perhaps they're his inner circle (totaling the sacred seven). Unfortunately, Blightlords don't have the option for Power or Chainfists, otherwise I'd attempt to make a 40K rendition of my 30K Command Squad (that and there's no real good way to represent them rules wise).

 

I just felt like there would be a more grand finish to what's essentially my main character of my Death Guard, I guess you could say. I guess part of it is that I had little to work with model wise without going and making something from scratch... well, from various other models. I'm still contemplating it. Meh...

 

Edit: OH! I forgot to mention... with the wonderful news that Chaos Cults will actually be covered in Necromunda at the very least through White Dwarf with the possibility of Forge World as well, I'm probably going to start a Nurgle Cult tied to my Death Guard. I'll wait for more information first, hopefully with the ability to dedicate them to a specific God ala INQ28.

Edited February 8, 2018 by DuskRaider

[Charlo]

If I ever need to go "hmm maybe I will do some Death Guard eventually..." I just look at this thread.

 

So bloody good.

[DuskRaider]

Then get crackin man!

[DuskRaider]

Alright, so technically I'm done with the white armour tutorial. However, a lot of folks have been asking about other parts of the paint scheme, so I'm going to continue the tutorial all the way to a finished Marine so all bases are covered. Unfortunately, this means it'll probably be a while longer before I post it all but rest assured it'll be detailed and step by step. Edited February 11, 2018 by DuskRaider

[Chazzmos]

Thank you so much for sharing all of your hard and excellent work, I'm painting up my Death Guard at the moment and there's so much inspiration and tips in what you've shared, so thank you!  I can't wait to see you full tutorial.

 

Quick questions, you posted your flesh tutorial and I was wondering:

1. Is this the same you used for Poxwalkers and GUO?
2. Are the boils similar to the rest of the fllesh, but just based in Averland Sunset?
3. Is the blood on the exposed guts of the GOU just Carroburg Crimson?

 

Thanks!

[DuskRaider]

No problem at all, I'm always happy to help!

 

1. Yup! Pretty much all of my models use the same flesh recipe... the Plaguebearers were a bit of a goof up, but they still turned out decent (although I'm not sure I'll be able to match them with the others' I've recently picked up).

 

2. The boils are much different. I'll include them in the tutorial so you get a visual idea of what I'm doing, but in the meantime they are:

     - Base Averland Sunset

     -Wash Seraphim Sepia

     -50/50 mix Averland Sunset / Pallid Wych Flesh, leaving a visible outer ring of the base Averland

     -whitehead added using Pallid Wych Flesh

     -on some of the larger boils I've added a very diluted coat of Nurgle's Rot to give them a sickly glossy look

     -Also: some of the boils on the models have popped open. For these, I add Nurgling Green on the inside of the boil, then add some Nurgle's Rot effect

 

3. The blood in the wounds is the Blood for the Blood God effect. It's an amazing effect paint, I can't talk it up enough. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by DuskRaider

[DuskRaider]

Well it was a lot more than a week (close to two) but as promised, here's my tutorial. A few things... 

  -I didn't make a tutorial for the simple things such as the cabling, eyes, etc. It's too easy and as it was I have some parts of the tutorial that are only three steps. 

  -I didn't make a flesh tutorial yet... I know everyone was looking forward to it, but the Plague Marines didn't really give me the opportunity to do so and the one arm that's bare just didn't turn out right. Rest assured, I have some 30 Plaguebearers that need to be primed and painted, so once that's done I will make a PROPER flesh tutorial.

  -I still haven't made the brass tutorial. It's wicked easy, only four steps, and I'm not sure anyone was really interested in the first place, and I completely forgot when I started posting these to Imgur, so I'll get around to it in a day or two. 

  -Lastly, the Plague Marines in the photos aren't even finished yet. I rushed to get these steps done first before I even finished them, so I'll probably throw them up (sans bases, still waiting from Dragon Forge) in a day or two.

 

With all of that in mind, let me begin what will probably be quite a lengthy post. I may have to break this into multiple posts. I'm not sure if B&C has an image limit per post.

 

Please keep in mind that these are more guidelines than anything else. Let these be an aid, but I always recommend making it your own. For example, the armour... by changing it only slightly, I was able to take the same recipe and make my Typhus look completely different. The changes? Agrax Earthshade instead of Seraphim Sepia and panel lining with Nuln Oil instead of Agrax. You don't have to go balls to the wall with this if you choose not to, but the way I look at it is... you're probably not going to field too many Plague Marines in your force. People think I'm crazy for running six squads of seven, but I love the unit and I want more of a Legion force. So when doing these, almost think of them as a centerpiece. Take your time, make them look nice because there may not be many on the table but they will be an attention getter. Aaaand we're off!

 

Tutorial One: Armour

We'll start off with the white armour (yes it's white, you subhuman Californian).

 

Step One: Prime model with Corax White

 

Step Two: Wash model with undiluted Seraphim Sepia. Make sure to get all of the areas that will be white

 

Step Three: Starting in the center of each piece of armour, drybrush Ushabti Bone in a swirling motion, moving out toward the edge.

 

Step Four: Wash model again with undiluted Seraphim Sepia

 

Step Five: Repeat Step Three, but focus more on the middle of each plate.

 

Step Six: LIGHTLY drybrush Pallid Wych Flesh in the very center of each plate in a swirling motion. I emphasize lightly because otherwise it will overpower everything else.

 

Step Seven: Panel line each plate in undiluted Agrax Earthshade. In other words, outline each panel so it's darker and focuses your attention on the center of each plate.

 

Tutorial Two: Black

 

Next up is the black. Obviously, this is 100% optional as black isn't normally an addition to the color scheme of the Sons of Barbarus. In any case, some folks had asked for it (here or elsewhere, I can't remember). 

 

Step One: Base plate with Abaddon Black.

 

Step Two: Wash black plate with diluted Windsor and Newton Black India Ink. Be careful with this, it WILL stain the white. I use this because it makes the black much deeper, but does give it a glossy appearance which we will take care of later.

 

Step Three: Drybrush each panel using Vallejo Dark Sea Blue. I added it to the picture so you can see what it is. As with the white, start in the middle with a swirling motion and work your way out to the edges.

 

Step Four: Mix 50/50 Dark Sea Blue with Citadel Administratum Grey and drybrush in a swirling motion, but concentrate a bit more on the center of each plate.

 

Step Five: Mix 75/25 Administratum Grey with Dark Sea Blue, drybrush again in a swirling motion concentrating on the very center of each plate.

 

Step Six: Wash the outer edge with undiluted Nuln Oil. This will eliminate the gloss from the Black India Ink.

 

And there's your black recipe! I'm sure this could work for a variety of other armies, so have at it.

 

Tutorial Three: Metal Trim

There's a lot on these models and this includes (or could) any metal parts on the model you wish to weather. This is obviously for steel, but I'm sure it could be applied to other metal colors if you use your imagination.

 

Step One: Base trim in Leadbelcher

 

Step Two: Wash trim with diluted Nuln Oil

 

Step Three: Wash trim with undiluted Agrax Earthshade. When it comes to this step, you don't have to add it to the entire trim piece, try making it more random.

 

Step Four: Using Runefang Steel, pick out areas of the trim that you want to look highlighted. This could be portions of the rim, rivets, or some sections of the trim.

 

Step Five: Dilute Nihilakh Oxide and add it to crevices and sections of the trim. Again, you don't need to add this to the entire trim piece (you can if you'd like) and you can even add spots of undiluted Oxide in places to make it pop more. Be random.

 

Tutorial Four: Red

 

This is another one that's obviously quite optional as I'm sure many have no intention of using it on their Death Guard. Originally, my Death Guard were going to be all white armour with icons in red as a contrast, but decided to add black afterward... This is a quick tutorial, as some will be in this process.

 

Step One: Base red parts in Khorne Red

 

Step Two: Wash with undiluted Carroburg Crimson

 

Step Three: Drybrush LIGHTLY with Evil Sunz Scarlet in a swirling motion focusing on the center. The key is LIGHTLY, otherwise the Scarlet will definitely overpower the whole thing.

 

[DuskRaider]

As I suspected, I'll have to break it into a few posts...

 

Tutorial Five: Boils

 

Ah yes, the pus filled gifts of Grandfather Nurgle. This is another one I get requests for a lot, so let's dive right into it.

 

Step One: Base boils with Averland Sunset.

 

Step Two: Wash boils with undiluted Seraphim Sepia. It's okay if you get some on the surrounding armour, it gives it a corrupt look.

 

Step Three: Mix 50/50 Averland Sunset and Pallid Wych Flesh. You could even go 75/25 Wych Flesh to Sunset, the yellow will be dominant in the mix. Add this to the boil, focusing more on the center as in the photo.

 

Step Four: Add Pallid Wych Flesh to the center of the boil. This is the white head.

 

Optional: if you'd like to make the boil look particularly gross, add a diluted coat of Nurgle's Rot. This works on larger boils.

 

Tutorial Six: Bone

 

Up next we have the bone and teeth tutorial. Bone would include any horn or antler present on the model. I don't know if I'm satisfied with the end result, but it's how I've been doing it for my Death Guard and Nurgle Daemons so I'm sticking with it.

 

Step One: Base the bone and teeth in Balor Brown.

 

Step Two: Mix 50/50 Balor Brown and Ushabti Bone. When applying this, leave at least 25% of the horn Balor Brown toward the tip while doing the same for the base of the teeth. Reason being you want the tip of the horn darker to represent it being the older horn growth while the lighter part going toward the base is newer growth and thus more of an ivory. The opposite is true for the teeth, you want it darker where the gums are (or would be). This will represent detritus and rotting material being stuck in there.

 

Step Three: Add Ushabti Bone to the base of the bone and the tip of the teeth.

 

Step Four: Wash horns and teeth with undiluted Agrax Earthshade.

 

Step Five: Wash the tip of the horns and base of the teeth with undiluted Windsor and Newton Chestnut Ink.

Tutorial Seven: Tubing & Tentacles

 

This is one I contemplated just not doing, but for completion's sake I'll add it (and folks have asked about the tentacles).

 

Step One: Base all fleshy tubes and tentacles in Army Painter Carnal Pink. I'm sure Citadel has a similar color but I've been using this stuff for years on various armies, so I just stick to it.

 

Step Two: Wash tubes & tentacles with undiluted Carroburg Crimson.

 

Step Three: Add a second wash of undiluted Carroburg Crimson.

 

Step Four: For tubes, add some diluted Blood for the Blood God. This gives it a raw, slick organic look. You can add some undiluted BftBG to various places as well.

 

Step Four (A): For tentacles, wash the top 50% in two coats of undiluted Druchii Violet.

 

Step Five: First, let me apologize for the following pics. They kind of suck, but I worked with what I had. So for this step, paint most of the tentacle you just washed with Violet in Sotek Green.

 

Step Six: Paint around 25% of Sotek Green with Temple Guard Blue.

 

Step Seven: Paint tip of tentacle with Lothern Blue, then wash tentacle a little past the Violet wash with undiluted Drakenhof Nightshade. I didn't actually get a pic of the finished process with the Nightshade wash, but you can just look at one of my completed models to see the end result... I never said I was good at making tutorials.

 

Tutorial Eight: Cloth

 

Another simple and optional tutorial, this one involves the cloth on the various models. I like the idea of black cloth, it invokes the image of a funeral march with the army and black goes with everything. This is pretty similar to my black armour, but with less steps.

 

Step One: Base cloth in Abaddon Black.

 

Step Two: Drybrush cloth with Vallejo Dark Sea Blue. Do this fairly lightly, you just want to hit the raised areas of the cloth.

 

Step Three: Mix 50/50 Vallejo Dark Sea Blue and Administratum Grey. Lightly drybrush raised areas. You can stop here and you'll have a black with a slight highlight or you can do another mix of 75/25 Dark Sea Blue and Administratum Grey for more depth. With my rank and file I end here, but with a centerpiece model like Mortarion or Rotigus, I did the extra step.

 

Tutorial Nine: Rust

 

This will be the last tutorial I post for now, I have a couple more to take photos of... mainly the Brass and eventually the Flesh, which is the most requested but unfortunately didn't work out with the Plague Marines as they have very little flesh exposed.

 

Step One: Base rusted areas in Typhus Corrosion. This not only gives a weathered and dingy coloration, but gives it texture as well.

 

Step Two: heavily dilute Ryza Rust effects paint to almost a water... I mean heavily, if you've dealt with the drybrush effects paint you know how thick it is... and coat the rusted areas with this. You can do one coat and it will give you a slightly orange brown or do two (as in the photo) to give you a much more rusted effect. You could stop here if you'd like or you can move on to the last step.

 

Step Three: Drybrush the rusted areas with Leadbelcher. Go as light or heavy as you'd like with this, but I would suggest for bladed weapons that you go in the direction of the blade.

 

And that's it... for now. I'll get some completed photos of the Marines in these tutorials plus their buddies, then I have to finish up some Tyranids for my friend and THEN I'll move onto the flesh tutorial. I promise! If you have any questions about any of this, don't hesitate to ask and I'll be happy to answer as best I can.

Edited February 26, 2018 by DuskRaider

[Pearson73]

Nice tutorials, thanks for sharing.

[Brother Desultor]

Great tutorials - appreciate the time and effort to put them together.