Wip: Kingdom Death: Saviour #2

Some good progress this weekend on the Saviour miniature, with the clothing reaching completion. I am really pleased with the way my blending has been progressing, most notably the green jacket and purple waist coat and while I only have two days to dedicate to painting I am at the point where I don't want to rush this figure anymore, rather spend more time improving my technique.

Tomorrow I am hoping to finish up the cloak and stockings, but I think next weekend will be the one I can say 'done and dusted', and with that in mind I am eyeing up the next Kingdom Death figure to paint up. 

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios
The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death: Saviour #1

After my disappointing Preacher Pin Up paint job, I decided to push myself today by starting another figure. Today I started the Kingdom Death Saviour miniature, another small female miniature loaded with detail.

I completely de-constructed the way I look miniature painting and more importantly painting flesh, having decided on reverting to a much older technique I used some 10 years ago and using Tamiya Fine Primer again. From the initial photos, I think the extra thought and changes to technique has paid off.

It sometimes feels like a giant circle of trial and error, trying to figure out what works and what does not, and also removing from my mindset the concept of army painting. This is also the first figure to be worked on with my new Vallejo Model Colour paint set, which I ordered this week, the old Vallejo Game Colour case has been donated to my partner for her painting projects.

To get to this stage was very time consuming requiring lots of mixes, and there was a whole load of mistakes and rectifications on the way. However I think the skin blending is pretty good this time round looking a lot more smooth unlike the Preacher miniature. 

It's looking pretty good so far and I am hoping to get her finished in record time (by tomorrow) before I go away for the week (work).

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Paints used in this project were bought from:  Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Wip: Preacher Pin-up Complete

Huzzah my Kingdom Death Preacher Pin-up figure is done! Despite all the hassle I have had painting this figure, I think it has been a good one to practice and develop my technique on, I re-learnt a lot of basic things about cleaning figures properly and paint thinning. But the most important thing is; it's  another fully painted figure to add to the collection for the year.

I aim to take proper photos tomorrow morning and should have this figure added to the gallery section as well. Time to hit the sack!

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death Preacher Pin-Up #3

Burning the late night oil as I work on the the very last stages now of my Kingdom Death Preacher Pin-up, I have now finished the hardest part of the figure: the face.

The eyes are quite difficult to do as they are behind glasses, but I have managed to do it. Sadly the photo does not show the eyes clearly, but you can just about make them out, I really need to sort out my photos as the red is a lot more rich and blended than the photo shows.

With just a few more highlights and details to go, I am confident to add this to the finished figure collection and happily move on to my next set of Kingdom Death figures. Despite my comments last week I will be adding some form of pattern to the loin cloth, after all if I am able to paint the eyes behind the glasses, I should be able to do something less tricky like iconography...

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Great Unclean One

It has been a long time coming, but finally I have started work on my Forge World Great Unclean One. This beast of a model has been sitting in the sin bin (along with the rest of Death Guard army) for almost 2 years now, and this morning I decided enough was enough. I really wanted to play around with colours this time round, so opted for a light brown colour with green mix shades, the idea being to give it a nice and unhealthy green glow.

I intend to add around 3-4 highlights then tie it all up with a brown(ish) wash before working on the diseased areas of the miniature (will have fun there). I can't really say why it has taken me so long to get this project started, but I can say that I am glad it's now in motion and while I can't see an army appearing from this in the short term, I can see it leading to more Death Guard work down the line.

Looking forward to sharing this project as it progresses.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death Preacher Pin-Up #2

With some of the clothing done, the issues I pointed out in this post seem to be less noticeable. The reds have turned out nicely, using the same palette I have used painting Khador and World Eaters over the years. Looking at the loin cloth, I do not think I will be able to free hand the design shown in the artwork as the work area just looks to small, I may change my mind but right now it seems a little much.

This figure is taking less time than anticipated and I am excited at the prospect of finishing two Kingdom Death figures by the end of this month. I have now based the Grand Mother figure and have a pretty nice idea in mind on how the finished article will look, I also get to play with new basing mediums. But before I get too carried away, I better finish the Preacher first :P

Thanks for reading,
DiStudios
The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death Preacher Pin-Up #1

This figure has gone a bit wrong sadly as the skin is no where near as smooth as I want. There is a graininess; most significantly around the waist that, I can't figure out how to get by. The paint was nice and thin, I did the usual multiple layers to keep consistency, but still that random grainy bit. It's not impossible, but I think it could have come from the primer.

I am hoping that as the figure gets closer to completion, that the issues become less obvious. This figure does not have any real features outside of the copious amounts of skin and as a result getting the skin smooth and correct is the most important part.

Looks like it's back to the drawing board.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death Manhunter #3

Managed to get my motivation back to continue painting this figure. With the skin out of the way the focus is on  clothing and small details, there is a challenge here to get the clothing to stand out from the skins as both are quite reddish browns.

I am liking the blueish tint to the trousers (a little shiny as the glaze is drying) and feel that the figure is now dark enough to allow the skin to stand out properly. I am thinking of now working on the details before finally moving on the trench coat. I have ordered a very plain display base for this figure as I tend to prefer the minimalistic look to my displays.

Still a lot to do, but I am happier with how much is done.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death's Preacher Pin-up

So today has been spent working on Kingdom Death's Preacher pin-up which received a general release over the weekend. This model has alternate parts in the form of very delicate hands and a head with/without glasses.

Not wanting to miss out on the extras I opted to magnetise the heads so I can swap as I see fit, something that proved very troublesome considering the size of the figure.

To ensure no damage to the parts during the cleaning stage, I kept the components on the sprues for easier handling and used a very sharp blade to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on fine parts. I am happy to say that on this occasion nothing was broken.

The hammer is a very delicate piece and I would recommend changing the shaft with brass rod, I did not do this simply because I don't have any of the right size in my tool box.

The front cloth is a separate piece and I will applying heat to bend the tips into place and create a more natural look.

A enjoyable build and something that is looking to be an enjoyable paint job too. Doing the eyes through the sculpted glasses is going to be a challenge, but hey if it wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be fun! 

I need to give the figure a quick wash with warm water, then it is off to the spraying room. I am hoping to get a very good start on the flesh tones tomorrow morning, and if I am very lucky, the special plinth I have ordered will arrive too.

All will be revealed...

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Badab War: Tyrant's legion - Reinforcements have arrived

The mighty Medusa Siege tank has arrived! In the end I went for the Armageddon pattern Medusa as I prefer the enclosed compartment and also IA10 features a Armageddon pattern Basilisk. This gives me options game wise if I have points to spare as well, which is never a bad thing. 

I still need to check all the components for faults etc but I aim to get the bulk of this cleaned and built as this weekend is looking like a no go for model making. Painting wise, I am looking at using a airbrush of some sort on this as I want a realistic and smooth finish to the armour so I can apply weathering agents in the final stages. I still have some research to do (having never used a airbrush before) but I don't mind taking time to get it right.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Deathwing Army

I appreciate it has been a very non-GW 2011 so far, however I have had a project on slow burn in the form of my Deathwing army. My last update showed one built squad and a partially finished Belial conversion I was working on. While Belial is not yet finished (still more sculpting to do on the robes) I can say that at least some more troops have been built.

Although another squad is still needed (Belial's entourage) the bulk of the army is in possession and various stages of build. They are all the same configuration, so they will to some degree all look similar and to break up the uniformed look I have added small Dark Angel's devices to various terminators. Something I still need to consider, it what to fill the army with once I have finished building this lot. I did have two devastator squads in-mind but this detaches from the Deathwing theme a great deal, so considered three standard dreadnoughts. While it would be great to paint up the dreadnoughts, from a game perspective they are lacking when compared to the Devastator choices...decisions, decisions 

I am very pleased with the way Belial's cloak is turning out and am looking forward to adding the same style of robes to his bodyguard. That should look suitably heroic and really break the uniformed theme of the three standard squads.

The Thunder Hammer terminator to the left (pointing towards someone) is probably my favourite pose of the lot so far. He still has a few other devices I intend to add before priming, such as some hair. I have a very particular paint device in-mind for him, so look forward to getting that done.

Having the Forge World shoulder pads is a god send. It is a real shame that Forge World did not sculpt full upper torso's like they did for the Space Wolves and Chaos Cult terminators. Having some Deathwing with sculpted feathers or perhaps a bare head with a feather earring would have been great. But this would open too many questions of the Dark Angel's identity; Are they Space monks or Native Indians? I did in the end decide to include Kimmeria imagery in the form of feathers and I will be adding ceremonial blades to some of the members who represent native Kimmerians also. I think a few with this icons will go a lot further than detailing all the members in the same way. 

I think these small changes will be just enough to stop my Deathwing army looking just like standard terminators in bone, a sad prospect considering that the Deathwing have one of the greatest early fiction in my opinion. I also managed to get my hands on some cheap Cyclone Missile Launchers and just in the quantities I desired (3 sets), so all that is left to do now is buy Belial's retinue and build everything...then onwards to painting!

Time to re-read Deathwing as I wind down for sleep. 

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th legion

Inspired? Grab your wargaming fix from: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Wip: Kingdom Death's Manhunter #2

Progress update of my Man-Hunter paint job, I should of made a a start on him last night but the incredibly poor weather (constant rain) made it impossible to spray undercoat. Luckily, today was  better and I was able to make a start.Last night I had worked on the base and did some repositioning of components. The hang man's noose was at a unnatural angle originally so I applied some heat via hair dryer and repositioned it, I did the same with the sword scabbard which was bending outwards.

Today's progress has been pretty good as I reach the final stages of painting the skin. I have around 3-4 more highlights to go, before I wash the entire things and enhance the shadows via wash - to pick out veins etc. I am happy with the chosen colour as he looks like  Freddy Krueger on steroids now. A little annoyance is that the hang man's noose has broken after all the effort of repositioning last night, in hind sight I should have mounted the figure on a turn table or cork for handling as it was a clumsy finger that did the damage. Luckily I have a very fine drill bit and wire so repairs look viable.

The skin at this point has been highlighted up to white and given two light washes of Ogryn Flesh to blend the colours together and generate a earthier look to the figure. 

Veins are a focal point on this figure, they are everywhere, even running up to his face. I wanted to make sure these bits of detail were noticeable. To make sure they 'pop' I washed the veins with a slightly thinned Asurman Blue wash. Because I had highlighted the skin to white, the wash did a great job of adding the tint I wanted. I am tempted to give him glowing blue eyes at this point, to give a de-humanised look to him, fitting for a hunter of men.

Skin Palette:

• Tanned flesh
• Ultramarine blue
• chaos black
• Palid Flesh
• Skull white
• Ogryn flesh wash
• Blue Flesh wash

Depending on how much time I get this evening, I may make a start on some of the clothing, but I will see. I have already started construction on 'Saviour" so this figure will most likely be the follow up to the Wet Nurse. This is also the first project where I have used my Privateer Press (P3) paintbrushes, and wow am I happy with them! These are probably the finest brushes I have used in a very long time, both the Hobby and Studio range have amazing long bristles and fine points which give me excellent control of the paint. I strongly recommend upgrading to these brushes, they truly offer quality at a reasonable price.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Pick up your modelling and painting supplies from: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Wip: Kingdom Death's Manhunter

I have decided to keep the KD games momentum going and putting on hold my Anima Tactics collection. I have now committed myself to painting the Manhunter as a companion to my newly finished White Lion. I really like how large this figure is and I am hoping to make the skin really stand out using washes and glazes. One of the key things I am trying to decide on, is how to deal with the browns. The trench coat almost screams to be painted a dark brown but I am afraid that it will clash too much with the hang man's frame and rope. I need a colour break to keep the figure interesting and stop it becoming a big brown mess, I also want to try and capture a 'dusty cowboy' feel, so my MIG pigments will probably come into play in the final stages of this paint job.

This will most likely be the last Kingdom Death figure I will be able to complete before "Grand Mother" arrives, then the priority shifts as I am really keen to work on their latest figure. While there have been many Angelic miniatures released in the past, what captivates me with "Grand Mother" is the elegance in design and pose that seems to be lost in a lot of Angel esque figures I have seen in the past. Couple that with a interesting spin on the lore, makes for one very interesting model.

With some luck and a lot of coffee, Manhunter will be complete by the end of the weekend.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Kingdom Death's White Lion

The White Lion is complete and I am currently prepping for the photo-shoot. If all goes well it will be up within the next few hours. It was actually quite a stressful job to complete as all manner of complications occurred ranging from; poor colour choices, particulates in the paint to overly heavy primer. I think the final result is pretty good considering all the problems I have had with it. In the end it is vastly different to how I had originally envisionaged it, but in a positive way, which is always a good thing.

Looking forward to posting the photos soon!

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Wip: Deathwing Squad #1

First squad is built and cleaned, no shoulder pads however as I am waiting on a Forge World order to arrive (tomorrow should be the day). While I really like the Space Marine Terminator models but find them very plain when compared to the 2nd edition Deathwing Terminators.

So the next very obvious question, how to make my Deathwing more Deathwing? The most iconic thing about the Deathwing is of course the white armour, but other than this we have the Kimmeria tribal feathers and ceremonial daggers.

The daggers are easy to take care of, the Space Wolves accessory set or the Sanguinary Guard sets have some very nice daggers which are usable for on the figures and make them less standardised in look and more identifiable like their fanged brethren.

But should Deathwing Terminators have feathers? As stated above the tribute is in the colour change and not all Deathwing (or Dark Angels for that matter) originate from Kimmeria, so it would surely be unwise to start throwing feathers on all of them (although the current Dark Angels range seem to be very feather laden).

Reaching a compromise has proven pretty difficult, and could be summed up as go feather or don't if you want your Deathwing to have personality. This seems to be the problem with Dark Angels generally, they have gone from black armour to green and going from feral, tribal aspirants (in terms of recruitment) to former knightly order space monks. 

What do you think? Do Deathwing need feathers to be Deathwing, or should the tribute be solely in the paint job?

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Get your wargaming goods from: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Wip: Belial Part 1

Two Warhammer Projects in two weeks! I am happy to share the early stages of my rendition of  Grand Master Belial. I started work on this piece last Friday after discovering a spare pair of (badly mauled and foot re sculpt) Terminator legs. To get some extra pose ability, I removed the upper thighs and replaced them with pins and plastic tubing.

I have magnetised the arms to allow different weapon configurations but for now he is equipped with a Power Axe (Thunder Hammer) and Storm shield. I will be creating options for the Sword of Silence and Lightning Claw load outs.

The cloak is still in the rough shaping phase and I will be adding more folds and detail as the week progresses. There are also smaller details such as icons and badges still to add and some basing ideas I have been playing around with, but this will depend on whether or not it starts to look to busy. ideally I would like this figure to be close to completion by end of this week so I can work on the bulk of the Deathwing army, but this will depend on the arrival of bits orders. 

The nice thing about this conversion so far, is that it has given me a lot of ideas to implement on Belial's bodyguard. I want to make sure the unit has unique identity on the table but also fit in with the rest of the force and so far I feel Belial's design keeps with that idea, furthermore it has given me a bit more confidence in sculpting full robes (especially on Terminator armour), I prefer the idea of Dark Angels having full robes over tabards as I view the tabards as more of a Black Templar identity.

A army list is ready and I will share the details as the project progresses, perhaps concluding around the Easter holidays. I apologise about the blurriness of the photos, not quite sure what has happened there, I promise that the next Belial update will have far better eye candy.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Get your figures and supplies from:Wayland Games - Discount Wargames