#DeathGuard #KillTeam Plague Marines - TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer, honest! I know it's been a while but I've changed jobs and had a number of real life situations that have kept me preoccupied. I'll get to those eventually but for now I've a backlog of finished figures to showcase that I need to get through, some progress on others and then when I'm ready I'll share what's up. Until then lets look at my Death Guard.

So, again I had issues with Camera360 with these, I won't need to keep offering the excuse as I've mostly binned it off now. Even the white pics started to get too illustrated with some arbitrary filter. 

It's such a shame as it used to be great. It'd get me the high contrast saturated Fuji Velvia pics here and help make the white background actually white. So I've switched to Ektacam for Velvia pics, although that's far from perfect and using the straight OnePlus camera app for the white pics.

All the Ektacam pics are after the divider below. Not quite as red but as close as I can get to these pics. At least the detail is there, it's never about colour fidelity, that's more for the white background shots. I'm just after rich images for the red background shots 

Anyway, that's the Lord of Contagion

And the Tallyman

I genuinely wasn't sure about the damned verdigris. I had wanted to keep that just for the blessed Dark Angels but there's a bit more variety in it and I really like it in the end, even if it is far from realistic.

The 6 models I did in one go, really chuffed with them.

Here are the shots from Ektacam. It's not built for my later version of Android so it's a bit buggy. However, I managed to get the quality I'm after, some of the vibrancy and if I'm careful some decent pics.

Enjoy the res of the pics.

All the Death Guard.

Joined with the Foetid Bloat Drone.

Here's a GREAT Big RUSTY Stamp of Approval for the lot.

#DeathGuard #KillTeam Plague Marines - session 3

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer Death Guard Kill Team. Technically my #NewYearNewArmy for #ArmiesOnParade. These are from the end of September, when #DreadTober took over all my attention. They're completed now, but at this stage I'd added my Colvin & Co Burnt Umber Art Acrylic to get the grime. Now it was on to moar washes! 

Sepia, Strong, Red, Purple and even Green tone in places. I genuinely didn't think I could get these 6 done at the same time, given the 2 characters were bigger, had details that required different approaches and perhaps deserved a little more attention. But, they were coming along OK and I wasn't hating the process.

Having chosen filthy purple for cloaks and hoods I had to try and replicate my previous effort, which had mostly been by accident.

But it somehow worked really well on the Lord of Contagion. I loved how we got the purples and browns to both be apparent. If I'm honest the rest of it lacks some focus, it all seems to blend together, although I'm not much fan of the helmet, a bare head might have looked cooler, but I don't have anything instead.

Nevermind, it's just for fun. TO DONE! pics next, but I have to take new ones for clarity as the originals are Camera360 illustration effect ones...

#DeathGuard #KillTeam Poxwalkers washes

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer Death Guard Kill Team. Technically my #NewYearNewArmy for #ArmiesOnParade. These are from the end of September, when #DreadTober took over all my attention. They're completed now, but at this stage I was adding some washes. Again, basecoated with AP Skeleton Bone, washed with Vallejo Game Extra Opaque Heavy Red.

These four -  basecoated with AP Skeleton Bone, washed with AP Green Tone Quick Shade.

These four -  basecoated with VGC Stonewall Grey, washed with AP Green Tone Quick Shade.

These four -  basecoated with VGC Stonewall Grey, washed with Vallejo Game Extra Opaque Heavy Red. This would give me a subtle variety among all 16. The one on the far right has also had some highlights on the flesh - 1 thin coat to let some of the underpainting show through.

The next session was even more shading and griming up with some highlights on the skin

That trench coat looking absolutely filthy and disgusting. Camera360 is once again making these images look like illustrations when seen at the right size. It's a cool effect but for these purposes I need clarity not effects.

It's great for making the background white and the Fuji Velvia high contrast film effect but I really need to come up with a better solution.

I had real concerns about these and not keeping the aesthetic from the Marines but I think despite cleaner highlights on the pants they still fit.

And the colours have come out really well too. Using the same highlight on skin means it's just the shading that different.

That way I can see enough to split them into groups, if need be or as one big mass there will be diversity in their finish when all mixed up.

Really pleased with the results, just need to take the TO DONE! pics in a way that doesn't look unnatural.

I enjoy the effect, but it's not what I need for my showcase. So I have to do all the pics again.

Luckily, I've got a few more things to photograph too, so at least I've got some new content to share. Finally finished some long term projects - Adeptus Titanicus I mean you. I can't wait to share them with you, move onto some of the other items on my palette.

#ArmiesOnParade2022 Instore Parade

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been at my local Warhammer store in Liverpool for #ArmiesOnParade I can't recall the last time I was instore for the biggest hobby event in the world but even pre-Covid I was often Parading in absentia. It was more convenient to parade at my work Warhammer but this time I was going to my nearest, just one train journey and the store is literally in the train station. No hoofing board and countless bags across the entirety of Manchester city centre. Anyway, here are the entries, first up a mother and son team.

This is Frank's goblins, everything he did himself, the only entry in the Young Bloods category, which is sad overall but brilliant for him.

For a young kid like that the first time they enter and they win will have been so exciting. He was already full of ideas for next year and planning on coming back on the Sunday for gaming practice too!

Brigette's Saurus Parade, a nice simple board. 

Well thought out though with the darkened area where the Lizardmen are walking just the right size to contain all the figures - well planned.

I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't get the name of the guy who's board this is. We had quite a long chat from the moment I started waiting outside with the rest of the entrants. 

He'd decided last minute to give it a go and I fully support a small display like this and even going to the effort of a little background card.

The great thing about a small board is it forces you to look closer and then you notice things like every single marine has a freehand custom Chapter badge - a cog with 3 scimitars/swords inside, oh and it's on a quartered background. It's difficult enough to paint a decent circle, then to make it a cog and THEN to paint 3 curving swords inside it! Not only could I not do that, I wouldn't even contemplate it

This Nighthaunt display was very deceptive. I think the standard Nighthaunt colour scheme feels somehow 'easy' despite me being unsure I could replicate it. I have quite a few Nighthaunt models I will one day paint, when I can settle on a style and have free time.

Close inspection showed that the scheme was rendered exceptionally well. I think my issue was the colour of the board, it perhaps felt too warm. I think it works in the close-up but the full board seemed odd. I wonder if a grey or dark brown, scattered with autumn leaves might have had a different impact.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was stunning and if I could have voted for a specific category I'd have given it best painted for sure.

I just think the initial vibrancy of the board overwhelms the models... says the man with a bright red board covered in black and grungy dirty brown and orange figures! 😂

I believe it won best overall and I think best Age of Sigmar board, so my opinion is irrelevant anyway as it was well received and rewarded. 

I had never seen those scythe handed wraiths before, which was a surprise.

I had not realised how big that Mortis Engine is. One day, when I have the time I will look forward to painting that thing.

And here's where you can see the level of detail and care shown to the models - clearly some masking has gone into airbrushing the Necromancer's cloak to get that effect. Fascinating result.

And to what I would have voted for best Warhammer 40k Parade - these Orks were awesome.

So many conversions and a great display board.

Absolutely no shame in losing out to this board, as soon as I saw it it felt 'next level' to me'.

I always say boards are optional, but if you are into the competitive side they are necessary and here's one that's bespoke.

It's still probably playable in a gaming sense, if you still use 2'x2' board pieces that is but unless you're also preparing a bespoke display board how can you compete against such awesomeness.

And the painting was excellent too.

Consistent throughout, with loads of weathering and battle damage - a huge amount of effort.

And although one could say that's one technique repeated over, and over again [whereas the Nighthaunt had many different techniques] just look at the attention to detail here. So many conversions, which is another consideration worth recognising and the detail in that standard bearer is awesome. A worthy category winner.

I felt bad about this, because that's my backdrop to the left, that somewhat obscured Adam's Necron civil war display. In my defence I set up first, the store Tau display was already in situ and I didn't want to obscure that, even though it wasn't entered in the comp.  

With hindsight I would have suggested we swap places, or I may consider creating a single edge backdrop in the future. I always do a corner board but I think it may be time to paint one from scratch and have a different arrangement.

Regardless Adam's small display was cool and interesting how he'd chose it as two Necron Courts coming to blows. We had some interesting discussions about the event.

Alongside the Tau display there was another store Parade for these Space Wolves.

Lots of interesting detail and a straightforward layout. 

Maybe that's something I should think about in the future?

Is that the fancy Command Land Raider you can only get from Warhammer World?

And the Tau display.

Again, good use of terrain as everything rises up from front to back.

Tallest models displayed on the platform for added height and presentation. I love these examples as it shows how simple but effective your board can be with a few bits of gaming terrain and just your army.

And in comparison my own display is incredibly busy with limited focal point.

You've seen these pics already, I only share them again here for context alongside the other entries.

Although I am proud of my entry I'm well aware of its flaws. I think next year may be very different and may actually be  a couple of my bloodbowl teams... not sure. OK, that's the AoP coverage for this year. I do have another post I want to write about my overall opinion of the event, from announcement last year to now, but I should probably wait until the online awards stream has been done on the 26th November to give the full insight. Either that or I add my preliminary thoughts and hope it goes some way to capture the entirety of #ArmiesOnParade2022 rather than just the 'best of...'

Talking of capturing more of the hobby, here are some of the Warhammer Liverpool displays. The Genestealer diorama is from a hobby event 'Battle of the base' I think it's called. You buy the large base and are free to model, convert and paint whatever you want in that space - a mini AoP almost. I may well give it a go next year. Also, the Warcry terrain, those trees are amazing and the contrast paint is so effective on the bamboo, just had to take pictures.

 

More pics of the Warcry terrain.

And a pretty awesome Alpha Legion 30k force.

See you next year for #ArmiesOnParade2023