Friday 29 March 2019

Terrain is everything - Sanctum Imperialis

With every intention to finish of my Dark Shroud I was then tempted to put some effort into my Sanctum Imperialis while my magnetising efforts cured. I'd finished building it in September 2018 and that was a distraction from my Hierophant. I'd also dropped this part like a hot potato when I came to paint the Warplock Bornze on all the buttresses and doors. But with time to fill I finished all the bronze off and in some areas mixed a replacement with some craft acrylics - bronze+metallic black+brown.


I then shadow washed it with a mix of Burnt Umber+Black art acrylics. You can also see I stippled on som vermilion in places - a mistake, as a drybrush would have acheived better results. I also washed the bronze in places and it looks so awesome and yet I'll cover that all up with extra highlights. I don't know why I can't leave well enough alone?


The side walls will be drybrushed with vermilion next.


The taller structure and at this stage this is about as grimdark as I've possibly ever got. I need to remember this for a future project as I know I can't stop here and need to do my usual highlights. But this is just so much more realistic than I normally do and my Honored Imperium statue is what I'm heading for. This means I'll be verdigri'ing all the bronze, the doors will be less so and all the red needs highlighting.


I'll be possibly be picking out the scrolls as parchment and the lenses in the lanterns.


The doors will be the same brassy bronze I usually do, while all the vertical support will be well green! This is because the doors are polished while the structure is just weathered.


And this little corner piece. I don'tknow whether to create some broken stained glass panels for the windows, it might be nice as I've nothing much else to attempt them on.


And here we are with the highlights and they're much yellower than anticipated. I might glaze this with Bloodletter to see if it brings back the redness.


I might have goe a little overboard on it, I'm pining for the lost grimdark as I've gone down my over-staurated reds & yellows.


How does it compare? I'm not even sure if the Verdigris is the right thing to do now.


I desperately want to do something much greener and I love how the statue turned out but as much as I miss the red Sanctum of 3 highlights ago I also love this grungey version


The dark bronze is just rich and most of is is going to be covered up, which will at least help where I've caught the metal with my drybrushing.


The other question is do I keep those gothic finials as solid bronze, or paint each facet as encased red glass? I'm thinking glass because it'll look cool.


Perhaps the solution is I need more buildings so I can explore these variations...


Monday 25 March 2019

Genestealer Cult Graffiti

Back in January, before the Genestealer Cult release/'Day of Ascension'  you may recall the Warhammer Community Facebook post about the Genestealer Cult Graffiti.


Well it transpired that it was in Manchester [where I work] and I immediately recognised the area and visited it as my own pilgrimage to meet this 3-armed Emperor.


I took some pictures but promplty forgot to share them on the blog, though probably did on twitter. It was amazing to see Chris Howker's work first hand [even if it had been defaced and repaired the day before].


It was quite the experience, even if the weather was a bit grim.


But an amazing piece and still in-situ and pristine in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Thomas  Street.


Alongside the Kellermorph are some equally filthy furry Xenos, which I believe are Flerken.


And these skelebob creatures that might have been done by Jay Sharples Art.


Teh full mural.



And this heresy - burn it! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Friday 22 March 2019

Warhammer Underworlds Shadespire Garrek's Reavers - TO DONE!

Garrek's Reavers - TO DONE! There was a point with these where I had no idea where I was going with them.


Luckily I had my Imperial Knights to focus on and with no real reason to be painting them the end result and the decisions needed to get there were broadly irrelevant.


Which is a wonderful learning experience -you have freedom to explore with no expectations and no targets to meet.


Although it helped I wasn't trying to follow a style it was a slight hindrance in that I had those questions about soft fabrics and wrappings.


So I'd definitely recommend doing something purely frivolous if you can fit it in amongst 'must do' tasks.


And as a palate [or even palette] cleanser it's also helpful in setting up your next project. It gives you renewed purpose having explored new territory.


Good old Garrek, he's a beast of a model in fact. As a sculpt it's really quite clever how subtly he's elevated to the leader status


The hair was almost by accident that I used purple to shade it. In fact I used it on the skin and all the armour plates. I'm not even sure if it's apparent but I felt like it was tying it all together.


I should have got a close-up of the decapitated head, it was one of the last things I did and really rough but came out quite cool - clearly newly severed.


Now, the scars... I'd had them all red but they looked too understated so I went purple on them and maybe they've gone too far the other way.


Possibly a couple of more washes, even a black might have made them less cartoonish but I wanted something else and that's what I got...



This guy's brand looks more like and open wound - the Tamiya Clear Red X-27 really came into it's own on these.


And just adding the gloss varnish on his helm I felt was a nice touch.


Come at me bro! Some black wash was added to the Tamiya Clear Red X-27 blood to make it darker. it also makes it matt, so you have to offset that with another dab of Tamiya Clear Red X-27, or gloss varnish.


A touch of blood from the spines rupturing out of his back - little touches just add more drama to the mmodel.


I don;t know why but I think this is my favourite of all the reavers. Maybe it;s because I think he looks like Willem Defoe?




The white background pics.





Individual character shots






And the Big Teal Stamp of Approval for giggles.