Golden Demon Entry, Do I Even Stand A Chance?

[KingofEdoras]

This is my second, or third, or fourth post on this website and will probably be posting many more progress pics omy Golden Demon entry, named Assault on Black Reach, it is a diorama, and I still have about 2 months of more work to do on it until Gamesday comes around, I have done quite a bit of work on it already, as only the space marine captain is about 70% completed, but still need to do more, to get that truely Golden Demon standard, I really don\'t expect to win anything, but getting to the second round would be nice. My main questions are; Do you think I stand a chance with this, and what else would you recommend adding or changing to the diorama? Let me know what you think, as I would really appreciate it, and keep up the great work on the minis you guys have posted on this site. =) ps. I have attached pics of my work in progress for you to see and judge.

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[Pipeline]

the worst that can happen is you dont win,

my only advice is that if this is going to be entered as a diorama, you\'re going to have to find a good way to tuck those bases into the piece

figs in dioramas are generally fixed to the landscape to really sell the story

 

[Witzkatz]

Hello!

I\'m quite new to painting and have bought the AoBR set myself a few weeks ago. I\'m not painting good enough to be able to do any real critique to your paintjob, I like it

A few things, anyhow: Even in the big pics I can see mould lines on the gun barrels of the dreadnought multimelta and the waaaghboss\' shoota. I would go and try and remove those lines (and whereelse there are this obvious) and maybe you could use some kind of needle to drill out the gun barrels. In my opinion, this makes a gun look much better.

Another thing that made me ponder a bit: You want to enter this in diorama category but orks and marines have a very different kind of base, of which both kinds are different to the diorama base? I\'m not sure if base consistency is a must in diorama category, but I think this way they don\'t really look like they belong together.:redface:

However, I really like what you have done to your captain, with the nice blending on the power sword and the shading and highlighting on armour and loincloth. Bit more work there and maybe this guy could win a Golden Demon himself! You got idea on what to write on his banner?

Keep up the good work!
Witzkatz

 

[Joek]

I think as Pipeline mentioned - the worst that can happen is you don\'t win. Definitely enter - if nothing else it can immediately show you where you\'ve got to improve, and what things seem to \'work\' for the winning entries.

I think the main bit of advice I could give you - especially when it comes to dioramas is working out how all the players \'fit\' into what sort of story you\'re trying to tell. The very best dioramas clearly tell a story (no matter how simple), and you can almost follow the piece all the way around and see new bits and pieces.

I think what you\'ve got at the moment is more a collection of nicely painted figures without a clear idea of what is going on between them. I like the stone base you\'ve got, but I then don\'t quite understand the bases you\'ve put on your figures - I assume it\'s some sort of Ultramarine base and forecourt, but where\'s the huge rock that the SM is standing on come from? Similarly, you\'ve got a bit of shrubbery on the Dread\'s base - again, if you\'re using that big base, then why put the greenery there?

You asked in the header whether youstand a chance at winning. I wouldn\'t even worry about that. I\'ve never painted for the express purpose of a competition, more to paint up something I like and gives ME a challenge. It was far more enjoyable entering the stuff, looking at my competition for the categories and thinking how much I\'d need to pick up the game to get better for next time. It\'s when you least expect it, that something will happen!

 

[JesterzUSMC]

You\'ve painting is crisp and clean, and your basecoats look pretty even.
If you want to make at least the first cut, I have some suggestions.

Details!Details!Details!Details!

Absolutely NO mold lines, and drill the barrels of bolters and pistols etc.

Now that you\'ve got some very nice even base coats, try shading them and highlighting them.

Nice and clean painting though. Great start!

 

[diddy lemon1]

try for it if your going anyway, the worst that can happen is you dont win. IF ths happens no biggie! just ask other painters for advice on how to improve and try again next year

 

[KingofEdoras]

Golden Demon Entry

Thank you for all your helpful comments and advice, I really just want to enter for the experience, just like you guys said, whats the worst that could happen?

Anyways, the models will be taken off their bases once they are finished, I just like to have them on their bases to make painting easier. And as for a story to the whole diorama, I got nothing:redface:! I really am just aiming to show how the Assault on Black Reach boxed set has a lot of variety and has some really nice plastic models in my opinion. I think I will still try to come up with a story for the diorama, maybe pick up a 40k novel and read it.

 

[Witzkatz]

It\'s a shame the Black Reach models don\'t got the flexibility to make different poses...I just got the idea of the dreadnought trying to pick the deffkopta out of the air with its Fist when the thing speeds past...

 

[skeeve]

Originally posted by Witzkatz
It\'s a shame the Black Reach models don\'t got the flexibility to make different poses...I just got the idea of the dreadnought trying to pick the deffkopta out of the air with its Fist when the thing speeds past...

All black reach is plastic and as such easily convertable.

 

[skeeve]

Originally posted by KingofEdoras
lly appreciate it, and keep up the great work on the minis you guys have posted on this site. =) ps. I have attached pics of my work in progress for you to see and judge.

Concentrate on VERY smooth blendings (especially if it is Chicago we are talking about)
If it is diorama then you really need to think about your base and overall presentation. Why \"U\" and orks? If it is \"U\" on the floor then it must be inside some ultramarine compound. what orks are doing there? Did they storm it? then it is way too clean - I assume they didn\'t just walk in there without a fight. Why captain is on the Huge rock in the middle of a paved plaza?

 

[Kester]

Winning isn\'t the point. Look on it as a learning opportunity. I don\'t know about GD in the States, but over here there are usually some of the studio painters around. If you don\'t make the first cut, collect your mini, take it over to one of the studio painters and ask how to make it better. You will get some good advice.
I know that this is, at the moment a work in progress so you may already intend to do this and haven\'t got around to it yet... You really have to kick up the highlights. The models need to really \"POP\".
Good luck at GD

Kes

 

[Matt Cexwish]

the worst that can happen is you dont win,

Well, You display a poor imagination right there...^_^... And a strange attitude towards Miniature Competition Painting...

\"The worst\" would be that he doesn´t attend the Competition at all, that´s true... But he should attend it in order to Improve and to Meet other painters... To help him improve, have a great time and to get inspiration for New Projects... That´s it...

It´s nothing to lose a competition, it´s everything to understand, what´s really important... And Resin Statuettes are not what makes the World / Humankind / the Artist go Round...

 

[Dragonsreach]

Wel there is a lot of kind advice being shown on this thread, but no-one has actually given you the strongest advice.

STOP!

If you want to make a diorama work, reduce the number of models.
Both the Ork DeffCopta and the Dreadnaught are large and overpower the individual figures especially on a small display base size.

Think about why the Orks and Ultras would be fighting over a cobbled base with an Ultra\'s logo. If needed reduce the figures to the Orks and just the Ultra Captain.

As it stands the base is slightly bland and without great interest to support the figures, ie a touch of rubble here & there, damage Shell holes etc..

Plan out on a sheet of paper how you would like the figures to be placed and then put the figures on and jockey them about until they look \"Right\".
Then push yuorself to work on making the paint jobs the best you\'ve ever done, take your highlights up to almost shiney white points.


You haven\'t said which GD you are aiming at going to? UK or over in the \'States?

 

[KingofEdoras]

I plan to enter the Chicago gamesday, and I will surely revise my diorama idea, and I might redo the base.
Thanks a bunch everybody!

 

[Pipeline]

Originally posted by Matt Cexwish

the worst that can happen is you dont win,

Well, You display a poor imagination right there...^_^... And a strange attitude towards Miniature Competition Painting...

jeez...didnt think i needed to spell it all out, but alas

please read my initial statement as follows:

The worst that can happen if you actually attend Games Day, on July 25, 2009 at the Stephens Convention Center in lovely Rosemont, Illinois, US, and submit an entry in the Golden Daemon painting competition is that you dont win.

 

[KingofEdoras]

Golden Demon Entry Updated!!!

I made some changes to the base, like some of you recommended, and am trying to add a story to the whole theme of the diorama. I\'m still working on painting the minis, mostly the captain, as he will be my main mini in the diorama. Anyways, the base will still have some more details added to it and the space marines will be converted and painted and then taken off their bases, then finally I will be able to sleep. Let me know what you think, whether good or bad.
Oh, and I\'ve added some pictures of the new base, and if your wondering, the sm in the middle of the base is most likely where the Space Marine Captain will likely be located.

 

[majestic0110]

The base is already looking much, much better! Keep up the good work KingofEdoras! One thing though, maybe you have too many miniatures on the base ? Might it be better to put in some more terrain features ? Computer consoles ? A Blast Door ? Maybe even a destroyed vehicle? What I think might be very cool is a statue of a Space marine ! Just a suggestion mind!

 

[KingofEdoras]

Yeah, I\'m planning to add a fountain with a space marine statue on top of it, but maybe that would be too much, Removing more miniatures would allow me to have more space for scenery, but I feel that it might be too empty.

 

[Meph]

Well, it\'s actually a bit empty as it is now, some extra detail would breathe some life into it too. Also just posing the mini\'s on top with their bases is a no-go for diorama\'s me thinks, either have specific cutouts to lower the feet to the level of the cobble stones or remove the mini\'s from their bases.
Any extra detail that will help to sell the story would be nice too. some casualties, spent ammunition shells, a broken statue... Anything that would elevate it from \'just some mini\'s standing in front of each other\'.

 

[BPI]

Hi there, the base looks to me as though it was constructed from 3 sections of brick effect. There are \"mortar\" lines running from top to bottom on either side of the Ultra Marine logo. Might it be possible for you to fill/remove areas of paving to break up those lines and better get the effect of a congruent floor space? Not that I would, going back to parts I\'ve decided are finished always hurts
BPI