Dreadful moments always last too long - A Night Lords blog

[Master Umbra]

Hey!

Thank you for your feedback! Actually, it's something that a work colleague mentioned before I showed him the picture, and it's a risk that I am aware of. That is one of the reasons of going for black trim instead of silver. The green hue HAS to be subtle: noticeable enough to transmit eeriness and soft enough to not make people scream "I am Alpharius!" when they see them. That is also another reason to go VIII Legion-theme heavy with these guys: I am hopeful that the gothic and vampiresque elements will be hint enough that these are sneaky guys, but not Alpha Legion at all. I actually got me some Skavenblight Dinge and Dawnstone to toy with Mezgike's scheme. I was thinking in varying a bit: adding more blue mixing it with the highlights and then adding Coelia + Drakenhof. I even toyed with the idea of going dark grey and black, like Hordak from MOTU.

Anyway, here are some outdated and crappy pics of another piece I was working on before I stripped him of paint (it had a glossy finish that annoyed the hell out of me):

The picture is not representative, as it had this subtle green tone I was going for, it's just that it ended too glossy. Besides, I need to step up my game in regards to painting, so I will practice a bit with the old kit first.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Master Umbra

[acrowsperch]

Your conversions are so great! I love the amount of detail you're able to pack into a model when you focus on shoulderpad details, like your Lord with the glaive. Super gothic, super over the top like classic Night Lords.

[Master Umbra]

Thank you for your kind words! I am heavily influenced by Warhammer art from back in the days ^^. Who doesn't, right? Regarding the Lord... let's say that you actually gave me an idea for his pose. Hopefully I will be able to post some pics soon. 

[Master Umbra]

[BadgersinHills]

Cool work. 

[Captain Incompetence]

All your conversions thus far look awesome. It's very inspiring to see what you're making.

I also like the green-blue tone of blue you're trying to achieve. It can look very good if you do it right. However, if you're having problems with the finish of model looking too glossy, you can easily fix this with varnish. I'm personally a big fan of the AK Interactive varnishes.

[KrautScientist]

So, small update, specialy made for @KrautScientist:

You've done an amazing job with that Skullreaper/Wrathmonger helmet and the model you have used it on! In a way, it's a shout out in multiple ways, because this guy could also conceivably be a (former) World Eater. It's also a bittersweet feeling for me because I'd like to get my hands on that particular model from Shadowspear at some point.

It seems like you're on fire regarding your conversions! And the reworked parts are a mostly an improvement -- for instance, the guy with the two swords works a lot better now, with one of his blades longer than the other. I would say the model with the meltagun veers dangerously close towards looking overcluttered, though ;)

As for your Lord, he's really turning into a beast -- again. That shoulder pad is a thing of twisted beauty! Also, I'll have you know that seeing you go to town on that Obsidius model like that has finally tipped me over and made me tackle a conversion using the same model I've been planning for quite a while -- cheers for that!

In any case, keep up the fantastic work! :)

[Naryn]

What a glorious thread. I come back every so often to read through the whole thing for conversion inspiration. Love your work!

[Master Umbra]

[KrautScientist]

Love the latest guy -- that facemask is a fantastic conversion, and I love how massive and threatening he seems due to his pose. I will say this, however: I don't think you should turn every chainsword into a glaive. Sometimes a sword works better for the look and feel of the model!

 

But anyway, fantastic work, once again!

[Captain Incompetence]

 

@Captain Incompetence: Thank you kindly! I can say the same about your sons of the Sunless World! Yeah, I thought about the varnish, but I considered that it was a bad indicator that I didn't like the end result enough. Choosing a good varnish is a battle for the Master Umbra of the future, tho... Will keep in mind your suggestion, thanks a bunch! Do you use satin, matt or gloss?

I tend to use Ultra Matte mostly, but that's because I really like the finish of Scale75 paints. On metallics I tend to use gloss. Satin or regular Matte is what most people would probably go for though.

 

I'm loving the helmet on this guy. I think you did a great job. Looks very bestial and ghoulish. As for weapons, I think it looks fine the way it is, but if you're truly set on replacing it, I'd say it depends a lot on how you want to run the guy. If rule of cool is the only consideration, plasma weaponry always gives that extra element of detail to a finished model I suppose. I probably wouldn't go for anything larger than a bolter though, as I fear it would take away from the overall pose of the model.

[Master Umbra]

Edited September 18, 2020 by Master Umbra

[space wolf]

Really digging that Lord!! Looks Bad to the BONE!

[Master Umbra]

Edited September 26, 2020 by Master Umbra

[BadgersinHills]

Looks good, I do like the Lord's posing. For the heads, I like the cowled head. The skull nose makes it look excellent. I think both bare and helmed heads work! I prefer bare heads but the helmed head is so cool. :) 

[Valkia the Bloody]

Looking great!

As for the glaive, I actually like the long version. It looks well balanced that way.

[Master Umbra]

Edited October 1, 2020 by Master Umbra

[acrowsperch]

These look great! And I see how I inspired you, his pose is really similar to my LatD bodyguards with boltguns....

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the combi-plasmagun.

[KrautScientist]

Another fantastic couple of updates!

 

Let's start with your Lord, because he's clearly the star of the show:

 

•  I love how massive and menacing this guy is, and the armour detail is out of this world. I also think the tweaked pose is a massive improvement.
• The addition of the Atramentar shoulder pad design is a brilliant stroke, hinting at the fact that this guy has some history in the legion, instead of just being any old generic spiky chaos lord ;)
• Regarding the chain-glaive, however, I'd actually suggest losing quite a bit of the shaft. In fact, I think I'd cut off the part marked in red here:

 

The spike/blade at the bottom there just seems like a bridge too far for me, detracting from the model, rather than adding to it. And the part immediately above the red section (the part that you were considering cutting off) actually looks a bit like a counterweight, something I suppose would make a lot of sense for a weapon of this length and weight. Having that as the bottom of the shaft would also make sure the eye is drawn more towards the more interesting parts of the model, instead of a weapon embellishment that really goes nowhere.

• I also have to admit that I am not a huge fan of the combi-weapon. It's a clever bit of bit-splicing, don't get me wrong, but it looks so unwieldy and cumbersome, with a squat profile that seems entirely at odds with the rest of the model that is all about sharp angles and vampire-like elegance and baroqueness. My suggestion would be to either make sure it has a slightly more streamlined, "raptorlike" (for lack of a better word) silhouette. Or you could go another way entirely and have the gun lashed to the model's backpack (not unlike the combi-weapon on the Vrash Tattersoul model) and have the left hand in a pointing or beckoning pose. Maybe give him a clawed/bladed gauntlet for that extra bit of creepiness. I think that would work even better with the general character of the model, and you would still have the gun on the model, so you could really have your cake and eat it, too ;)

 

As for the other two new models, I actually like the cowled head -- the fact that you cannot quite decide what goes on underneath that cowl actually adds to the creepiness. It's maybe not a look I would reproduce on too many models, but it does provide a bit of character if present on one squad member. And of course, that cowl could/should be made from flayed skin -- just sayin'...

 

On the other guy, I get what you're saying about the helmet feeling too wide -- I think I'd still keep the helmet, because its design is pretty cool. But maybe you could still add some cabling above those tusks. I made a quick (and really shoddy) Photoshop mockup to show you what I mean:

 

 

As always, I hope this helps! :)

[Krakendoomcool]

I'm really liking the Lord here. Lots of Nightlords character in there. Love the tilt on the head and the cloak in particular.

 

The homage to one of the only official Nightlords models is nice, with the top loading combi. I wonder if you need the thick plasticard in there. Could be a bit neater without, maybe.

 

Great character altogether. Really enjoy what you're doing.

[BadgersinHills]

I like the pose, I do agree with Kraut that having an open hand would look better than the gun. 

 

The gun is a great bit of converting. :) 

[Brother Pheidias]

Outstanding work, truly!

The one with the tusks give off strong Predator-vibes!

[Master Umbra]

Edited October 27, 2020 by Master Umbra

[Sagentus]

loving how this is coming together, the sculpting and parts you have chosen are shaping up to make this one hell of a figure!!!!!!