First 40K attempt, first WIP log...enjoy!

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

After reading here for many months and being greatly impressed by the quality of the work, I have been inspired to return to painting. It has been sometime since picking up a brush and I look forward to rekindling an old love.

To start, I went to my LGS and decided to look at 40K. I ended up with the AOBR set.

Now time to research the fluff. After much consideration, I have decided the following:

Orks = Deathskulls
SM = Fire Lords Variant

Orks: I want to concentrate on conversion and freehand. I can\'t sculpt to save myself, so don\'t expect much there, but I have some fun plans for building on the loota ideas. I also picked up a box of grotz for added fun.
Paint Scheme: I want to take the loota idea to another level. I will of course have the lucky blue colour liberally applied - but they will also feature other trinkets, battle gear and outlandish clothing they may have picked up along the way.
Biggest Challenge Planned: I am converting one of the copters to have a large net suspended from it full of salvaged parts and a little grot hanging on to the net for dear life.

Space Marines: For these guys, I want to concentrate on battle damage and weathering. Well worn, battle weary, scarred and still they fight on.
Paint Scheme: Thanks to a handy online colouring script - I can show you the plan. It is a small variation on the Fire Lords chapter - an offshot branch we\'ll say.

Biggest Challenge Planned:Not sure on this one yet, but most likely something to do with the Dread.

So far I have cleaned and temporarily assembled one of each of the basic troops. I am using \"grey stuff\" so you may not be able to see any converison work very well, but I am told it is a very effective putty. I have also given the unprimed mini a black wash to show you the details I have added. They were cleaned afterwards in preperation for priming.

SM: I started with this guy as he is easier with no true conversion work, just battle damage in the prep stage. I added a variety of gouges, scratches and dents which should come up very well when painted. Sorry for the wash pooling. I got a little overzealous. lol

The Ork boy is taking longer - the vision I have in my head is not working out in grey stuff. But we\'ll see what I can come up with. Better get back to him, may have an update before the end of the night, just depends on how the b&b goes.

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Ork Update

I have no idea how sculpters create such fantastic works when I struggle to get a viable shape with no fingerprint marks out of a little sausage roll of putty. ???

Needless to say, my painting will have to demonstrate more of the idea than the conversion itself, so bear with me.

This guys has a few minor conversions on him, two of which you can\'t see from the angle the images are taken. Once painted I assure you they will be visable.

I liked the pose, but to be more Deathskull related, each Ork has to be carrying/wearing a bit of loot. I wanted to try something realtively easy for the first one, so first I straightened his arm by cutting into the elbow join and repositioning, filling in the gap with putty.

I then removed the gun and cut a base for my piece of salvage metal he is now carrying. I created the base form from a piece of plastic like you get on blister packs and then putty over the top.

Then the painting Gods declared the need for a blood sacrifice. While trying to improvise a tool to create the look of rivets...ie a toothpick trimmed and a hole drilled in the end, I promptly cut deeply into the tip of my thumb to appease them. Blood donated, we moved on.

Now filling gaps isn\'t too hard, but creating a shape from nothing is beyond me. I wanted this guy to be wearing boxer type underpants on top of his pants and a bandana made from an old banner around his neck. Then to tie the two opponents together visually, I have tried to sculpt him a knee joint from one of the Fire Lords which he has strapped on with a bit of leather. You can\'t really see much of these, but hopefully once the colour is applied it will make sense.

Whew! First conversion complete. C&C welcomed.

 

[cassar]

firstly the marine, his battle damage is spot on just enough and more importantly all to scale. the orc emm not sure you have the left arm right cutting organic elements such as the muscles here can be a pain to correct his bicep seems to be missing/badly mutilated to correct this use a small rolled up ball (tiny) of greenstuff/milliput insert on the arm as the bicep and use a tooth pic or modelling tool if you dont have a tooth pic lol to smooth and gently and shape the edges into the upper arm. looking good so far though, im looking forward to watching this project develope as any painting tips are always useful

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Ah, very good point about the bicep. I hadn\'t even considered the anatomy of it all. :redface: I will try this again when I get home tonight. Thanks for pointing that out and I\'m glad you like the marines damage. I am quite liking how that is coming along.

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Basecoat Stage: Space Marine

So these guys have been basecoated tonight and given their first definition washes. For all painting I am using the GW Foundation paint range and washes.

SM: Fire Lord Variant

Colour Usage:
Red: Mechrite Red with washes of Ogryn Flesh, and Badab Black

Yellow: Tausept Ochre with washes of Gryphonne Sepia and Ogryn Flesh/Badab Black mix.

Belt/Pouches: Caltham and Khemri Brown washes with Devlan Mud

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Basecoat Stage: Ork Boy

Then onto our boy. He will get more \"Deathskull Blue\" on him in later stages. The red metal scrap in his hand will be a piece off of a Fire Lord\'s vehicle with part of their emblem on it. High taunt factor.

Colour Usage
Green: Gretchen Green washed with Gryphonne Sepia and Charadon Granite

Lip: Hormagaunt Purple washed with Baal Red

Yellow: Tausept Ochre with washes of Gryphonne Sepia and Ogryn Flesh/Badab Black mix.

Grey: Adeptus Battlegrey washed with Badab Black

Red: Mechrite Red washed with Badab Black

Blue: Mordian Blue washed with Devlan Mud

Various Browns: Caltham Brown, Khemri Brown and Charadon Granite washed with Badab Black

Next Update: Shading

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Okay, I finally have some more time to paint. In preparation for the shading, I took some pictures with lighting directly overhead and processed them in exaggerated contrast to show the highlights and shadows. I think this will be a helpful guide. Does anyone else do that or something similar?

 

[green stuff]

Message original : KitsuneFyreFoxx
Does anyone else do that or something similar?

I\'ve done it to get an idea of how to paint greyscale minis or reflections in water.

For general highlights, it\'s a bit overkill IMO. I think the drawing of the Marine you\'ve got already shows a suitable color gradiant. The rest is a question of practise.

I like how your Ork is coming out. The metal parts could use a bit more contrast, but other than that good job!

 

[Shadzar]

I haven\'t ever tried taking a pic to show me the highlights of a mini before, but do it with many other things. lol

The B&C marine painter has some funny ideas on shading and groups of how things should be colored. The chest eagle in the image itself is dull, but the mini makes it pop with just a little extra shading that the painted can\'t do.

Don\'t even bother with the newer orc painter, it is so stagnant in its beta form it isn\'t really worth testing schemes with.

I think both minis are looking great.

One thing I sometimes do to test the colors and coverage of minis is to look at them under a black light (UV).

For one it supposedly cures acrylic, but this one may not be strong enough for that to help dry the paint and harden it, but it does show some of the colors where you might not see with regular light to know you got them into places.

I might take a few pics of some minis under blacklight just to see how they turn out and compare to the regular pics. See if anything shows up that way to help tell where it needs some more touches to things.

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

Originally posted by green stuff
I like how your Ork is coming out. The metal parts could use a bit more contrast, but other than that good job!

Green stuff: Thanks. This is just a basecoat and first wash.

Shadzar: I don\'t have a black light but I would be interested in the results if you did try an experiment.

 

[KitsuneFyreFoxx]

I now remember why I gave this up years ago. The idea I have in my head and what comes out is nowhere near the same. I realize it is only my first mini in a long time, and I will only get better with practice, but I am not very happy with this at this stage.

Shading has been done and highlighting is started on the yellow. Much smoothing out to do yet. However it is past 1am here and I have work in the morning, so the next stage will have to wait for the weekend.