Space Wolves Wolfwing

[miasma]

Hi,

I'm currently painting a small Wolfwing army. I recently finished Ragnar, but didn't made any photos (worked a bit on the face and the bolt pistol as well as finished the base).

My slightly "old" pictures from yesterday:

I think I'll change the red "eagle" into bright yellow / bleached bone colors just like the storm bolter and the shoulders on my next figures. I'm not sure if I should rechange some parts of the stormbolter (and the bolt pistol of ragnar) into metal colors?

I'll buy a cheap kind of photo lamp to make better photos the next time.

greetings,
Johannes

 

[exilesjjb]

these look very nice you have all the right ellements there maybe to push these up to the next level you could look at blending the highlights in a bit so the transition from base colour to edge highlight is smooth.

 

[William.Malice]

Nice start

Your definitely off to a good start. I like how you've kept the bases simple, sometimes little things like that can get out of control and really detract from the piece. I do have to agree with exiles, blending the highlights will will help the armor a bit. However, I do enjoy the darker "Space wolf grey" armor.

 

[miasma]

Thank you, great you like it

I think it wouldn't be a big problem to blend the highlights in better, because I used Space Wolves Grey to get a smooth highlight (and to get a brighter grey), though I need to apply a bit more watered space wolves grey to the edges I think... they are highlighted with 2:1 space wolves grey : shadow grey then pure space wolves grey and a very thin line of 1:1 space wolves grey : skull white.

I'd like to get a really outstanding table top army (haven't played since 10 years or so and went back to the hobby at about one year ago (but I'm somehow very lacy :-/).

What do you think about the storm bolter? Should I repaint it with metal colors on most parts or do you think it's okay? And what about the "eagles" on the breats? I have painted one with the same bright yellow colors as on the shoulder pads and the storm bolter and I think it maybe would be a better color scheme -- not as colorful as it is now

Thanks for your kind words Regarding the bases, I'm not really sure if I like them, I also ordered some space hulk bases.

greetings,
Johannes

 

[cheelfy]

Not bad guys but as said before you have to blend the highlights a bit more. I also think you should add more contrast on Ragnar's face cause bit looks like there's only one colour on it. The bolter is nice like this so I don't think you need to repaint it with metal colours.
For the eagles I think you could paint it another colour to add mor contrast in the mini. Your bases are nice but I think you could decorate them a bit more, maybe by adding snow on them.

 

[miasma]

Yes I think I have problems painting faces... I followed the WD master class article for this space wolve wolfguard, but well, I have had to repaint the eyes more than one time and I don't like his left eye with the scar. And I think I have added too much color not only in the recresses on each layer... well, let's see what I can do...

I smoothed the highlights on quiet some parts, but I think one doesn't see it that much

New pictures:

I think the highlights on the "storm cannon" guy need more work as well as on Ragnar (I haven't smoothed the highlights on ragnar but repainted the face a little bit, but it's still quit the same Maybe I have to reapply some whashes... and these damn eyes )

I definately need to do something about my bad pictures, the colors are definately too dark

Regarding the bases, yeah I have this Warhammer 40k base blabla set from GW, but I somehow always add only one detail. I've also added some snow, but not too much, I don't like these snow bases, but I would like these small kind of cliffs.

greetings,
Johannes

 

[miasma]

Ok worked on the blending once more (especially on the legs and the 2 shoulderpads which aren't kind of yellow), but sadly no new pictures. I definately need a photo lamp or so, because the weather is so bad and the pictures always turn out too dark

I enhanced brightness and contrast but still bad pictures... maybe a little bit better, but well (and it doesn't show my latest blending enhancements on the legs from about half an hour ago) but hopefully still better than before especially on the arms and left shoulderpads, "hips" (and the back and top which you can't see ;-)) and so on.

 

[miasma]

I think blending with an airbrush creates much smoother surfaces:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=146242

It's simply amazing

What do you think? Besides, would you use "bigger" brushes for blending? I used to use a 4 zero brush, but one can see the lines on my newest termie, so I think I'll have to use something "bigger" ;-) Do you have any advice on blending highlights smoothly? I used more Space wolves grey to the edges (but also very thin).

 

[cheelfy]

I don't know for the airbrush as I've never used any. For blending, I use a standard, a detail and a fine detail brush from GW. To blend smoothly, you have to dilute a lot your paint, it'll help you having a good result.

 

[BPI]

Hi Miasma, a 0000 brush is too small for painting the armour. Small amounts of paint on a 1 or 2 is far more appropriate. Paint thinned so that when applied the tones of the coat below show through, if you're getting full coverage it's still a little thick. I have huge trouble keeping the paint moist between pallette & mini with a 0, how did you not drive yourself nuts Don't be afraid to run a fine highlight of white on top of the SWGrey just on a few spots to bring out the full depth of the shading.

Don't highlight all the way to SWGrey on areas just because they're raised if they're also in shadow (or you need to suggest that they are). The one with the red helmet, his right knee. The highlight circles the full kneepad, try knocking back the colour on the bottom edge & a touch of white on the peak of the top. I reckon it'll help to sell the stepping forward motion of the character.

That chap with the red banner poles, was his face miscast or is it just the photo angle, he looks syphillitic!

Cheers, B.

 

[miasma]

Jep, I dillute my paint a lot, but maybe I'll use a bigger brush when painting in the direction of the edges. Thank you. But still, airbrush blending looks amazing, especially on tanks and I also have no experience in using airbrushing techniques.

But this guy has an excellent technique I think and it seems it's amazingly fast.

 

[miasma]

Hi BPI,

what do you mean with the one with the red helmet? I mean I tried to highlight the top of the kneepad and to shade the bottom a bit (but I still applied a line of 2:1 space wolves : shadow grey to the bottom). My main color is shadow grey, but I tried to get a brighter color with applying a very thinned layer of space wolves grey all over and blended it towards the edges with more space wolves grey applied but still with a lot of water and thin.

my highlights are:

1. 2:1 space wolves grey - shadow grey
2. space wolves grey
3. 1:1 space wolves grey - skull white

but after the second step I usually tried to blend the highlights (well, I actually blended a second time after the 3rd step to get a better blending and reapplied the 3. step on some areas).

But thanks, I'll use bigger brushes the next time for blending and the finer brushes for the highlights ;-)

Thanks for all the great suggestions, I really appreciate your comments

 

[BPI]

Hi Miasma. My thinking was that as he's stepping forward the lower edge of the pad is bent back & the upper edge is forward, so the bottom should be a little darker. I've savaged your image a little...

...the 2 areas look to be the same colour to me. I'm a bit rough on this myself but the gist is to move away from full edge highlighting everywhere there's an edge & try to work in the zenithal lighting concept!

I'll pause & let others chip in, I don't feel I'm explaing this too well plus I may need to be corrected & Space Marines are hardly my forte

Airbrush. Don't use one myself. I begrudge having to get up to clean out my water pot, let alone having to wash loads of fiddly parts after every colour! Threads I've read on the subject seem to say yes for tanks but not really for little men (basecoating, light direction guide, but they can be achieved with spraypaint for less cost & effort).

Cheers, B.

 

[miasma]

Oh okay, I know what you mean, but it's not the bottom of his knee, it's the top of his legs ;-) maybe this shouldn't be highlighted?

 

[Prophecy07]

BPI, that figure is Ragnar, and he is a notoriously terrible sculpt. Most people I know who run him model him themselves with the Space Wolf pack box.

It's your army, Miasma, but if you're running Wolfwing (i.e., Logan Grimnar's wolf guard), how is Ragnar fitting in there? He has his own Great Company to lead...

 

[BPI]

Cheers Proph :good: B.

 

[miasma]

Well, I like Ragnar (rules wise) ;-) I think you can field Ragnar within a wolfwing? Haven't played since 10 years or so (and it was the 2nd edition -- but okay I've got the rules book and the codex, haha) ;-)

I hopefully can use almost every character I like (just like in a deathwing and it's inner circle)? Well then I field Ragnar and a few of his wolf guard fluff wise and logan with some of his great company? ;-) Yeah I somehow thought the sculpture isn't that bad, but the more I look at him I don't like it anymore. Maybe I'll build Ragnar sometime with this wolf guard model in servo armour which looks like wolverine (and is a great sculpture I think) and add arms out of the pack box which I also own. I would have to get rid of the head I think, which isn't that easy on "metal" figures?

I just ordered this model because I really like it, but I think I'll paint a version without convert it and the other one will become ragnar sometime

 

[Prophecy07]

Like I said, your army. And yes, rules-wise you can use him. Having a dual-Great Company strike force is also a perfectly acceptable (though rather unconventional fluff-wise) way around the "Ragnar in a Wolfwing" issue as well.

No offense meant, I was just asking.

 

[miasma]

Yeah, but maybe I'll also use grey hunter squads sometime, but well, I like a small elite force and I started collecting space wolves because I always liked the look of terminators (played Eldar before ;-)) and the color schema. The only thing, which bothers me is that fluff- and games wise I wouldn't use special characters too much and usually would use them in bigger games like apocalypse, because I think a special character like Logan Grimnar wouldn't appear against a small Chaos, Tyranid, Tau or whatever force.

Haha, I think I'll also collect some deathwing termies, because I also like the color scheme (and I ordered some space hulk like bases) and I especially like these comic like figures from this guy (german messageboard): http://www.gw-fanworld.net/showthread.php?t=113520

 

[Prophecy07]

Some nice looking DA in there. Always kind of wanted to do a Deathwing. That was, until Logan and his WG showed up.

BPI, found the Ragnar I was looking for. This guy was made from the new space wolf sprue, some creative cutting and a bit of modelling putty by a guy named DV8 on the B&CS forums:

I don't think the old sculpt for him has been changed in 7 years... Great character, terrible model.