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Xbanditsx WIP projects

75K views 378 replies 38 participants last post by  xbanditsx 
#1 · (Edited)
Page 1: 5 Crimson Fist bolter marines, Khador Juggernaut
Page 2: 5 more Crimson Fist bolter marines, last 4 Crimson Fist bolter marines, Crimson Fist Tactical Squad 1
Page 4: Khador Destroyer, Crimson Fist Tactical Squad 2, Khador Warcaster Kommander Sorscha, Crimson Fist Terminators
Page 5: Khador Man-O-War Demolition Corps, Khador Widowmakers
Page 6: Crimson Fist assault squad sergeant and Captain
Page 7: Crimson Fist assault squad
Page 8: Khador Greylords
Page 9: Crimson Fist Rhino, another Crimson Fist Rhino and a 1000 point army shot
Page 10: Khador Koldun Lord
Page 11: Crimson Fist Scouts
Page 12: Crimson Fist Drop Pod
Page 15: Sons of Orar veteran
Page 17: Five Empire Greatswords
Page 18: Crimson Fist Venerable Dread
Page 19: Empire Captain
Page 20: Wood Elf Alter Noble, Wood Elf Spellsinger
Page 22: Khador Kodiak, Cygnar Journeyman Warcaster, Kell Bailoch
Page 23: Khador Manhunter
Page 25: 5 Crimson Fist Sternguard, The Butcher of Khardov
Page 27: Kommandant Irusk
Page 28: Khador Kodiak
Page 29: Khador Great Bears, Kommander Strakhov
Page 30: Orin Midwinter, Doom Reavers
Page 31: Malifaux Ronin
Page 32: Cygnar Gun Mages and Malifaux Gunslinger
Page 33: Spriggan, Troll Champions and Dire Troll Mauler
Page 34: Madrak Ironhide, Fell Caller, Krielstone Bearers
Page 35: Kayazy and Kriel Warriors, Pyre Troll
Page 36: More Kriel Warriors and Earthborn Dire Troll, Troll Bouncer, Grissel Bloodsong
Page 37: Long Riders, Horthol, Long Rider Champion

With my Wood Elves done, ToP II starting up (for me) and the new codex just released I thought it was time to turn back to the army that got me started in this hobby 14ish years ago, the Space Marines! Over the years I've painted Ultramarines (very, very poorly), Space Wolves (very poorly), and Blood Ravens (poorly) and now I'm going to move on to Crimson Fists.

The idea is that this is the 5th Company, which would be the last battle company to be re-established after the Rynn's World incident. After re-building the 1st - 4th companies, Pedro and crew moved on to the 5th as the fists rebuild. The new company will be a lot of recently promoted battle brothers supervised by veterans from the 1st Company. I like this idea because it allows me to be Troop and Elite heavy, which are my favorite two sections of the codex.

Enough text though, on to the picture!



These are the first half of squad 1. The three in front are painted to the standard and scheme that the whole army will be done to, and the two in the back are the first two testers that I did (that's why they're in the back).

I'm going to assemble the next 5 bolter marines tonight while watching the Red Sox beat up the Angels and start painting them later this week.

Thanks for looking!
 
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#2 ·
I loved your wood elves, can't wait to see more of your work (even though I don't like crimson fists D: ) I am normally not a fan of people not using a different color trim on the borders of shoulder pads, but yours strangely doesn't bother me...so you must be doing something right :)
 
#4 ·
@ spoon - To be fair, the back two were done before you left, so it's only like you're three behind. Either way you should be painting those Blood Angels.

@ kwike - Painting the trim on shoulder pads has always been something I'm terrible at so I was real happy when I found out Crimson Fists leave them blue. I'm glad you liked the elves!
 
#5 ·
Despite my best efforts, minus_t's Ironclad and Sword Knights distracted me. This is the result:





I've had a bunch of Warmachine models sitting on my shelf for a long time, but I managed to be disciplined while getting through my Wood Elves and didn't touch them. Apparently that's all over with. The metals are done and I'm hoping to get some of the red armour plating done tonight. I'm thinking of entering TopII with 500 points of Khador in addition to the 1000 points of Crimson Fists.

Speaking of the Crimson Fists, I haven't forgotten them. These are the next 5 bolter marines I've got lined up. I tried to make them a little more dynamic than the first bunch - some of them were successes.



I hope to have the Juggernaut done in a few days and then get cracking on these marines.
 
#6 ·
After a few focused hours of painting I think this guy is done.







My camera has been misbehaving lately so I apoligize for the poor pictures. This guy taught me two important lessons: painting red is really hard, and I have no idea how to highlight huge curved surfaces.

I'd love any suggestions that anyone has about highlighting things like the armour plates on this model. I sort of made it up as I went along - they don't look horrible but I know they can be better. I know the photos don't really show any highlights at all but I promise they're there.
 
#7 ·
I have some better photos to accompany the final update on my Juggernaut. I was pretty disappointed in the red being so flat so I went and did some more highlighting and tried to shade. I don't think I accomplished much in the way of improvements and I was just getting frustrated so I stopped playing with the red and decided that the best way to make it look better was to distract people from looking at it by adding battle damage!





I think that this side of him (axe side) turned out a lot better than the other side (fist side). The long areas of damage were supposed to be big gouges and scratches from fighting but I think I made them too thick.

I'm calling this guy done even though I'm not happy with how he turned out. I think I learned a lot painting this model and I hope that his Destroyer counterpart will turn out better.
 
#8 ·
Nice to see some more PP!
Even if it is for the agressive motherland, oppressor of Laell...

I've got a few suggestions, if you're interested?
For highlighting the big, flat surfaces there are two things to take into account.
Firstly, in miniature form, you need to concentrate on the edges a little more than is strictly realistic. A bright edge can really make a colour pop. This really isn't easy with red, though, as you need to work with oranges, and I often find this can look a little odd...

Secondly, the light should be hitting a specific section of the plate 'most'.
What I mean by this is: Look at the pics you posted. The red is much brighter on top of each plate. This is because the light is coming from above. When you're painting your jacks, decide on a light direction, and highlight from this point.
The best way to do this is by layering up from a darker basecoat, quickly shaded with a wash. Then work your highlights up by mixing brighter colours into your base, working towards the brightest point.

For Khador red, I'd suggest (using GW paints as a guide):
Basecoat Mechrite Red
Wash 50/50 Devlan Mud/Baal Red
Block in Mechrite Red (ie: cover about 80% of the surface, concentrated on the light areas)
Highlight by mixing in Blood Red, up to pure Blood Red at the zenith (ie: brightest point).
Add a few edge highlights by adding a little orange (or yellow, or Bleached Bone) to Blood Red.


As far as battle damage goes, what you've got is a good start, but looks far too 'artificial' to me.
I do it by:
Painting thin lines of thinned down black over the base coat.
Paint even thinned lines of Boltgun Metal inside the black.
Finally, add a highlight to the bottom of the scratch, by painting a very thin line underneath the boltgun in a brighter version of the surrounding colour (in your case a bright red).
You don't really want to be able to see the black between the boltgun, and the bottom highlight, as this is where the light is catching the scratch in the surface, and tricking the eye into thinking it's a real, 3d scratch into the model, not just paint sitting on top of it.

Hopefully some of that was useful...
Keep up the painterly work, and good luck for the ToP!

-t.
 
#9 ·
Firstly, thanks for all the suggestions. I pretty much make everything up as I go along so it's always good to hear from someone who knows what's going on.

Secondly, I have some questions about things that you said.

You don't really want to be able to see the black between the boltgun, and the bottom highlight, as this is where the light is catching the scratch in the surface, and tricking the eye into thinking it's a real, 3d scratch into the model, not just paint sitting on top of it.
Is there supposed to be black showing at the top of the scratch?

My second question has a picture that I drew to help me explain what I mean. The colors represent different layers, not actual color choices.



Lets assume that these are both the left shoulder pad surface of my jack'. The drawing on the left is how I think light would fall on it from above (your second consideration of highlighting). The highlight is concentrated at the apex of the curve and flows out and down. The drawing on the right is how I would edge highlight something so large (your first consideration of highlighting).

Should I be combining these two into one? Should one take precedence over the other, or be more prominent?

Thanks for taking the time to write up as much as you did, it was really helpful.
 
#10 ·
No worries, s'all good.

The battle damage should end up something like...:

Code:
––––––––
  BLACK
––––––––
 SILVER
––––––––
    RED
––––––––
Basically, what you are representing is light falling into the scratch, and being bounced out.
Light can't fall right at the top of the scratch, as the edge of the original suface itself is stopping it, so it appears to be in shadow (which we over-compensate to black).
Light hitting the middle of the scratch bounces out, showing us the material underneath, in this case metal.
Light hitting the bottom of the scratch will be coming from many different angles, and reflected straight back into your eye (as you have a 'point' on the edge of the line that will catch more angles of light, as it were). This is thus brighter than the surrounding material.

The black, silver, red basically tricks the eye into thinking there is a real scratch, when there isn't.
Sneaky, huh?


As far as the surfaces go, you're bang on.
I would normally mainly use the left image, but spread the 'orange' layers out further than you have there.
Use the right image to show you where the edges are brightest, and incorporate it into your layering, so that you end up with a mix of the two images, but have an end result closer to the image on the left.

Good use of images by the way, makes everything a lot clearer...

-t.
 
#11 ·
I took the day off from work and used it to get these guys done.



And a shot of the group:



These 10 guys, represent half of two tactical squads. I have a veteran, special weapon, heavy weapon, and two more bolters planned for each squad. Coming up next is probably those last 4 bolter marines since I want to get them out of the way.

Thoughts?
 
#13 ·
Unfortunately I was actually sick on my day off, but staying away from work (and painting) helped a ton.

Tonight I built 4 bolter marines, 2 sergeants, and two special weapons (two heavy weapons will get built tonight) to finish off my tactical squads. These two are my favorites:



Why you ask? I tried out something I've been meaning to for a long time - magnets! I can take the gun arm off both of these guys to attach a bolter, flamer, plasma gun, or melta gun!



I was so excited about this that I didn't pay enough attention when I was putting the magnets in and these two guys can't actually swap weapons with each other. I was a little annoyed at this, but then I took their arms on and off again and I forgot all about it.

This gives me a ton of flexibility when building a list. I have lots of spare bolters, flamers, etc. and a ton of extra bolter arms, so if I need a new gun for my squad it's a simple issue of painting up a new arm and gun instead of a whole new model.
 
#15 ·
I used a 1/8 inch drill bit that I held in my hand to make the hole (the magnets have a 1/8 inch diameter). Since there was a lot of plastic surrounding the magnet in the arm I just used super glue but the torso magnet got some green stuff to help fill in the hole. All in all it took me about 5 or 10 minutes to do.
 
#16 ·
These are the last 4 bolter marines for my 1000 point army. The second marine from the right is actually voting in the Presidential Election while the other three keep him company. Everyone* should follow his example and vote tomorrow.



*By everyone I mean anyone who lives in the US and is over 18.
 
#17 ·
*By everyone I mean anyone who lives in the US and is over 18.
Awww man, can't I vote too mister, Pleeeeeease! I promise to be good...

Seriously though as a Brit, well done to you and your countrymen, I wish we had record turnouts here!

And back to 40K.... Good work with the tac marines - I didn't have the patience to put magnets in mine, a decision that I'm sure I'll regret in time to come. I also love your basing, how are you painting the rocks?
 
#18 ·
I'm sure hoping for record numbers today!

The bases are just pieces of cork coasters with some sand around them. The sand gets based Bestial Brown, then drybrushed heavily with Snakebite Leather. The rock gets based with Codex Grey and then the sand and rock get a light drybrush of Bleached Bone. The bright green grass gets added for some contrast.
 
#20 ·
The first tactical squad is done!



I tried out a new photographing technique (the blue to white fade thing) that seems to make most of the colors on my models brighter. Right now I think they're a bit washed out but I'm going to keep playing with it.

The newest members of the team are (from left to right) a plasma cannon, a veteran sergeant with a power sword, and a plasma gunner.



Next month I'll be painting up a melta squad but for now it's all plasma all the time.



I am really happy with the pose on my sergeant; I think he looks sufficiently epic and inspiring. His helmet was a bit of a let down (my Blood Red stopped cooperating) but overall I think he looks pretty good.



Since I was playing with the blue / white background I took another photo of my Juggernaut using it.



What does everyone think?
 
#21 ·
Very good work xbanditsx, if nothing else for doing two ToP projects at once, I'm struggling with just the one!

I do like the pose on the sergeant, you've done a good job and I can imagine him bellowing out commands. Bad luck on the red, it looks a little pink, but that might be the photo, the flash tends to be a bit unforgiving! Either way I think you’ll be fine with it, I find red and white two of the hardest colours to recreate smoothly.

Great work on the Jugger as well, That is an example of some great red coverage.

What is next on your painting table?
 
#23 ·
@soviet - The helmet looking pink is more a function of the picture being really washed out than the actual color. I was doing some experiments with my camera and I still have to iron some things out. Thanks for the comment, and you can swing a ToP no problem!

@spoon - I printed out the blue and white background and used it as my backdrop instead of the usual white piece of paper. You can do a google image search for "blue to white gradient" and get tons of them.

I have a few options for what comes next. There is a veteran sergeant, melta gunner, and multi melta that I have to finish for my second tactical squad, my Captain with a jump pack, and a Khador Destroyer all sitting on my desk right now. I'm leaning towards the Destroyer first and then the tactical marines because I can get them done quickly and be a month ahead with both of my ToP armies.

Thanks for the comments guys, they're always really encouraging!
 
#24 ·
I have some WIP shots of my Khador Destroyer.



The only thing that is done right now is the iron. The bronze is too bright for me and I haven't started to highlight the green yet. There is also all that red to paint on.

He's pretty messy right now because I'm having some brush control issues relating to a nasty cut I have on my finger but I'll clean it all up for the end.

What do you guys think?
 
#25 ·
I like the iron, everywhere except the exhaust pipes.
To me, they should be really dirty and grimy, after all, that is where the soot and smoke and steam all pours out of the 'jack...

I'd suggest either doing a Devlan Mud wash, followed by Badab Black, or using thinned down Scorched Brown then Black to dirty the area up a little more.


Otherwise it looks awesome.
I don't know if it's intentional, or just left-over drybrushing, but the silvers on the corners of the green panels look like the start of some nice old damage/weathering.

Nice work bud.

-t.
 
#26 · (Edited)
_t: I agree about the exhaust pipes so I went back and washed them with some brown and then another round of black for good measure. It looks better but I don't know how much it shows up in the pictures.

Speaking of pictures...



This is my finished Destroyer. I'm still not satisfied with how my highlights on the big flat areas turned out but I'm more happy with this one than I was with the Juggernaut. I used 5 or 6 thin layers of Blood Red on top of Merchrite Red to get the main higlights and then I edged with straight Blood Red and again with Blood Red and Blazing Orange. The edge highlights don't make much of an appearance in the photos but they're there.

Here they are together.



I haven't decided if I am going to give the Destroyer and battle damage or not. Mostly I'm just happy he's done and I can stop stressing out about highlighting big red armour plates.

Comments?
 
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