A Completely Reasonable Amount of Miniatures

[NotOneStepBack]

Greetings everyone!
I’ve decided to open this thread as a general showcase of my hobby work, both old and new. I’ll be starting with a few earlier projects and then gradually adding more recent ones. I think of this as a long-term hobby log rather than a single army showcase.
I paint a bit of everything: different factions, different systems, different styles. There’s no strict plan here, just an ongoing attempt to improve, experiment, and (occasionally) actually finish models instead of letting them gather dust...
I’ll be kicking things off with T’au, starting with a cadre painted in a desert camouflage scheme, designed for operations on arid worlds, sun-scorched plains and dusty ruins. The idea was to move away from the usual clean, parade-ready look and go for something more practical and battle-worn, as if these units had been deployed in long, grinding campaigns.
The palette focuses on sand, beige and warm brown tones, with a camo pattern meant to feel believable without looking too modern for the T’au aesthetic. Armour panels are kept mostly matte and lightly weathered, less shine, more dust. The bases follow the same theme to better tie the models into their environment.
Future posts will range across various armies and projects, depending on what’s currently on my painting desk. As always, feedback, comments and constructive criticism are very welcome, this thread is as much about sharing as it is about learning.
Thanks for stopping by!

[NotOneStepBack]

And now, moving on from the T’au to something slightly less reasonable.
This is an older project from a few years ago, leaning heavily into a Chaos aesthetic inspired by the Iron Warriors, though it wouldn’t look out of place in a Dark Mechanicum force either.
The core of the model is a daemon prince torso, grafted onto a corrupted Imperial Guard Sentinel lower body. 
The transition between torso and legs was sculpted in green stuff, with the intent of making the fusion look forced and unnatural rather than engineered. The helmet covering the face is also a full green stuff sculpt, in attempt to turning the head into something more symbolic than humanoid.
The paint job follows the same philosophy: muted metallics, dirty steel tones and bruised flesh, with minimal contrast and heavy weathering to keep everything gritty and industrial rather than flashy.
It’s very much in line with how I approached painting at the time: rougher around the edges, but focused on mood over precision.
The result is meant to feel less like a single creature and more like a daemonic war engine, held together by dark rituals and battlefield repairs rather than design.

 

[Alby the Slayer]

Love them.

 

I really like this style and the idea of a long campaign and how this alter the suits aspect.

Is that the base of the old plastic sm dreadnought for the "big mech"(I don't remember the name)?

 

 

[Tallarn Commander]

Yes, you have an admirable, distinct painting and kitbashing style. The Iron Warriors kitbash reminds me of something I would see in a Guillermo del Toro movie. Superb work!

[NotOneStepBack]

@Alby the Slayer 

The “long campaign” idea was exactly what I was aiming for, I like the idea that suits and machines don’t stay pristine for long once they hit the ground. Dust, wear and bad decisions tend to pile up pretty fast.
Good catch on the kitbash question, but no old Dreadnought parts in there: the legs are from an IG Sentinel, heavily repurposed and probably very unhappy about it.
@Tallarn Commander 

And I’ll absolutely take the Guillermo del Toro comparison, I’m pretty sure that’s the highest possible compliment for a Chaos conversion. Glad the Iron Warriors vibe came through!

Speaking of Iron Warriors, the freudian link to the Imperial Fists is immediate... so it felt only right to bring some of them out next. Easily one of my favourite armies, both for the colour scheme and the lore.
For the Fists I’ve always gone for a dirty, worn look. I deliberately broke the “base must contrast the miniature” rule (yellow armour over brown mud) and went for a muddy battlefield base instead. I used acrylics rather than pigments, as I was aiming for a heavy mud effect, not dust.

 

[NotOneStepBack]

From the Imperial Fists, back again to the Iron Warriors.
Some time ago I put together an Iron Warriors Kill Team, and I wanted each miniature to have something distinctive, going deliberately against the (not so) unspoken rule that Iron Warriors should be monotonous, both tactically and aesthetically.
The idea was to give every model its own character while still keeping a cohesive, brutal feel across the team.
The bases were meant to represent a pseudo lava battlefield, similar to what you often see on Chaos Daemons or Salamanders. And while they honestly look better in person than in these slightly blurry photos… looking at them now, I can’t help but think they resemble burnt pizza 

 

[NotOneStepBack]

Hi everyone,

 

I did a test model for the Guardians of the Covenant. I was looking for an official Dark Angels successor scheme that did not use either green or bone-coloured armour.

 

I wanted something based around black, preferably with some gunmetal elements, and eventually came across this Chapter.

 

I painted the test scheme on a cast miniature, although I doubt I will buy another one. The imperfections, along with the amount of work required to clean up and assemble the parts, simply were not worth it.

 

In any case, I think the colour scheme works well for fast painting while still looking good on more detailed models like this one, even though I painted it rather roughly.

 

For the black armour I used Vallejo NATO Black, which has a really nice matte finish. The metallic areas are simply Boltgun Metal washed with Nuln Oil, although I think a 50/50 mix of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade could also work well.

 

I would like to try the scheme on a Kill Team or a small squad. I was thinking about a unit of Terminators with some Dark Angels-themed kitbashing.

 

What do you think? Also, does anyone know where I could find a transfer sheet featuring Guardians of the Covenant iconography?

 

[NotOneStepBack]

[Firedrake Cordova]

I think the colour scheme works well, although I think you probably want to pick the chest eagle out in a different colour for visual interest? There's something that doesn't seem quite "right" when it's the same colour as the rest of the armour (that could just be conditioning from GW's paint schemes, mind)

[W.A.Rorie]

Very nice models and I agree with @Firedrake Cordova, the chest eagle needs to be another color. maybe the gold 

 

[NotOneStepBack]

Hi guys, thanks for all the feedback!

 

You're absolutely right about the Aquila. After checking a few references online, I found that this scheme is supposed to have both the shoulder pads and the Aquila painted black.

 

I did paint the chest Aquila black, but then I tried to highlight it using the same metallic colour as the armour. The end result is exactly what you pointed out: it just looks like the Aquila is the same colour as the armour with a wash of Nuln Oil over it.

 

I might try highlighting it with white instead, although I'm not entirely sure that's the right approach. I've also seen some people paint the Aquila gold on Guardians of the Covenant, but as far as I understand that's more of a rule of cool choice than something that's actually lore-accurate.

 

I guess I just need to come up with a convincing recipe for a black Aquila.

[kabaakaba]

Just highlight it with neutral grey

And ad little dots of white on wing tips and skull forehead. 

If you thin your grey a little bit with water and put 2 layers, with second one only from mid of wing to the tip is would looks nice 

Edited July 22 by kabaakaba

[phandaal]

18 hours ago, NotOneStepBack said:

 

This is great! Guardians of the Covenant are a cool chapter with their metallic scheme. Very interesting and different than the typical Unforgiven. They also are apparently even MORE monastical (it's a real word) than your average Dark Angel, and that is saying something!

 

Another way to get a "highlighted" black over metallic armor is to thin your black down with water and paint it straight onto the chest motif. The paint will naturally flow away from the raised areas, leaving the edges with a thin, clean silver highlight that is still darker than the surrounding metal.

[Firedrake Cordova]

3 hours ago, phandaal said:

Another way to get a "highlighted" black over metallic armor is to thin your black down with water and paint it straight onto the chest motif. The paint will naturally flow away from the raised areas, leaving the edges with a thin, clean silver highlight that is still darker than the surrounding metal.

You could also use one of the Contrast blacks thinned a little with Contrast Medium.  

[NotOneStepBack]

Hi everyone! Here's my second test model. The body is an MkII from the Saturnine box, while the rest is built around a Heavy Bolter.
Because heavy bolters are cool.

I put a bit more effort into this one than the previous test, and adapting the arms and backpack to the MkII body turned out to be quite a challenge. It took a fair amount of cutting, trimming, and fitting before everything came together.

Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out. It may not be grimdark, but it's definitely grim and definitely dark. :D

I also solved the Aquila issue in the most straightforward way possible: this MkII armour doesn't have one!

One thing I'm still looking for is a transfer sheet with Guardians of the Covenant markings. I have a vague memory of seeing them included in one of the newer Dark Angels kits, but I can't remember which one. Does anyone happen to know?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NotOneStepBack]

Here’s my latest display piece: a Saturnine Dreadnought in battered pre-Heresy World Eaters colours.
For this one I wanted to push the contrast between the white-and-blue armour and the sheer brutality of the battlefield. Heavy weathering, chipped armour, grime, heat-stained metal and, obviously, a lot of blood. The idea was to make him look like he has been fighting at point-blank range for hours and simply refuses to stop.
I spent quite a bit more time on the base than I normally would, trying to make it feel like part of the scene rather than just something for the miniature to stand on. I didn’t have much suitable material around, apart from an old Khorne banner left over from some Bloodletters, which donated the symbol and the little skull. For the rest I improvised: ground-up pieces of sprue, texture and grime.
I started the base with a light grey colour and then worked over it with sepia and green washes. I wanted some contrast with the model, but also that dirty look of a battlefield covered in toxic residue and industrial waste.
I also spent a bit of time on the pose. I wanted him to look as if something nearby was still breathing, and he had just turned towards it with that “I’ve got you… and now I’m going straight through you” attitude.
From this point of view the kit is fantastic. There is a surprising amount of freedom when it comes to posing it (the power fist alone is made from five separate pieces) so you can give the model much more character than I initially expected.
For the blood I used the classic Blood for the Blood God Technical paint, mixed in places with a little Nuln Oil to darken it and give some of it that older, partially clotted look rather than having everything appear fresh and glossy.
I’m really happy with how the whole thing came together. Definitely painted as a display piece rather than a gaming model, and probably one of the most enjoyable big models I’ve worked on so far.
Hope you like the result!

 

Blood for the Blood God. >:D 

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

I like how you did the gun barrel and cells/coils