Commission: Tau Farsight Crisis Suit Bomb

Farsight Enclaves Army

I have recently taken on a Tau Commission for a deadly farsight bomb consisting of Farsight, Shadowsun, a Commander and 9 battlesuits. I have received a very detailed creative brief that aligns very nicely with my love of weathered giant robots. Whilst we went through a large amount of imagery one that stuck out was that of 'Gypsy Danger', I giant robot from the film Pacific Rim. 

07:24:00 Read More +

Space Marine Minotaur Chapter Painting Project

Kit Bashing 30k and 40k Marines

My new painting project has arrived and boy am I excited. I have decided to start this force composition off with a strong body of tactical marines grabbing the value for money Betrayal at Calth box and Start Collecting box, a pile of characters and some transports to put them in.

I plan on kit bashing the different marks of power armour together, along with my bits box to make them all fit into 40k. As I am doing the infamous Minotaurs from the Badab war they are always picture as having lots of MK4 armour so they should all fit together nicely. Plus I LOVE MK4. Who wouldn't want power armour with clean lines, bad ass helmets and enough bobbles to make them look like a dalek!

Assembly has already begun. I am getting stuck into the tactical squads in order to get them out of the way for more fun. I can't wait to get started on the Cataphractii terminators!

I like this chappy, lots of character:

Of course it would not be Minotaurs without some delicious Forgeworld parts. I have purchased a set of resin shoulders and two lots of etched brass. Unfortunately it looks like they no longer do the amazing transfer sheet which I was highly disappointed to find out.

First Minotaur Paint Tests

Here are my first test marines. My focus for this painting project is to really tighten up their colour scheme. Mostly focus on deep, weathered bronze and black and leave the red for special cloaks and plumes. With red being more rare, it will really stand out when used.

07:33:00 Read More +

Complete Tau Army and New Warhammer 40k Project

Here is a quick showcase of my latest Tau army. I bought it way back when the latest Tau codex was released but I was not blogging at the time so the painting and building steps were unfortunately not documented here! I am sure I have more photos taken somewhere so perhaps I will dig them out to show some earlier steps.

This army is up for auction, click to take a look here.

A New Space Marine Army Project

So as usual I am selling this force in order to fund my next project. The Space Marine Minotaur chapter is returning to this blog! I have already started purchasing paints and extra parts. I have a good sized box of power armoured chaps on the way too.

I have purchased some appropriately spartan looking bits from Anvil Industry for customising special characters with:

I am also planning on making them battle worn and weathered as per normal. I have been experimenting a lot with Vallejo metallic paints and I am looking forward to painting some bronze!

I really like this range of paints and I'd like to do a full review at a later point too. 

Expect some fantastic Space Marine Minotaur action to hit this blog in the next few weeks!

11:12:00 Read More +

On My Workbench - Tau Riptide Battlesuit

I have taken a break from painting Imperial Knights to look at another type of robot, an old favourite of mine the Riptide Battlesuit. It's very refreshing to build this kit after the Knights as they were very restrictive in how they were built. Yes you could move their arms around but true posing is all about leg movement. You can evoke so much by whether a model is walking, running, kneeling, jumping etc than you can by moving an elbow joint.

So I have enjoyed immensely posing the legs here. I have gone for a strong menacing approach, nothing to fast or dynamic looking but something solid that will emphasise the weight of the battlesuit.

I have also been translating some of the techniques I learnt on my knights to this model. Using chipping medium, airbrush gradients and rust streaks to beat up this guy and tell a story.

The ideas that were going through my head whilst painting this model was of a trio of Riptides stalking a Warhound titan through the ruins of an imperial city. Terribly outgunned they have to use their superior jet pack maneuverability and the cover of buildings to stay one step ahead. One wrong move could mean their last and many desperate fire fights ensue leaving the suits ragged and battered trying to slow down this relentless beast of war.

With his wing mates killed and his battle suit damaged and in need of refit the pilot slinks through the city trying to stop the titan getting a lock of him before he can get to the extraction point. His mission has failed and if he is lucky he can escape with his life.

Take a look at my progress and tell me what you think!

09:06:00 Read More +

Mechanicus Themed Imperial Knight Showcase [Sold]

My latest creation is complete! I’m showcasing him with some swanky photos taken in my new mini photo studio which makes a huge difference to the crispness of the images. I can finally show off the paint job to the full.

This knight was painted in a similar manner to my previous. I used Vallejo chipping fluid to achieve the majority of the damage and scratch marks. This time I really focused on the realism, considering how the damage would have occured with angles of shots and impacts and I think it worked better than my first effort.

I am also particularly pleased with how the ruined urban base turned out. I spent a great deal of care placing each item and making sure it felt ‘part of the scene’ rather than just plonked without too much thought. Paying attention to the details really makes the difference.

Fund More Projects!

As with the last chap, this guy is for sale. (Now sold)

It is getting seriously addictive painting Knights. They are just the perfect weathering canvas for practicing techniques on. Lovely large surfaces and crisp edges to attack. I think I may have to try a dark green one next.

For now, please enjoy these photos. Countless hours have gone into this creation!

20:54:00 Read More +