Forgeworld + Blanchitsu + Inspiration from Alex = New Guard army?

Oh bugger...

Christmas has come and gone, and Mrs Brevik got me the rather lovely Forgeworld Model Masterclass book:  linky.

Add this to the Blanchitsu article I talked about previously, plus some inspiration from a friend t'other side of the pond and I'm now tempted by some "Imperial Guardiness".

Currently I have one Sentinel (mint, still in box...) won in the last local painting competition, one "inherited" Chimera, that needs to be stripped and "bitzed", plus 10 old metal Catachans, 5 Vostroyans (one painted so far, see below) and 5 snap fit Cadians (one painted, picture to follow).  A good start I think - although I'll probably need the codex at some point.

I reckon this might work...

I also ought to add that my dear lady got me all (yep, all!) the new Legion of the Damned miniatures, and a Land Speeder Storm.

My wife officially rocks.

The Land Speeder will be the start of a Revilers Chapter army, working on a completely different force make up than the Crimson Fists I have.

Painting wise, I've been applying some Blanchitsu-style (Me obsessed much?  Probably...) to some Empire Greatswords.  I've also battle damaged a Lamenters Space Marine sergeant (which I'm really happy with) and I've been trying to paint Lysander in a Crimson Fists scheme.

As always, pictures to follow at some point...

Happy New Year all!

Trying not to be a perfectionist...

Yet again, far too long between updates...

So, I've had Huron Blackheart sat on my painting station for a while now, taunting me for my inability to paint him.  I was hating the miniature, I couldn't get the flamer/powerfist to look right and it was really starting to annoy me.

Then I bought this months White Dwarf and read "Blanchitsu", where John Blanche explained how he paints miniatures.

Suddenly something clicked, and I set about Huron with a new found enthusiasm.  I used the methods I had just read about to paint Huron, and while they're not the way I would usually do things, and they won't win me any competitions, Huron looks good.  He looks dark and evil, he looks dirty.

He looks Chaotic.

From this I realised two things:

1).  This style of painting is what drew me to the Warhammer world and WH40K universe in the first place, 20 years ago - it wasn't bright and shiny, it was dark and twisted, old and Chaotic.  Not D&D, but something European, something out of the myths and history of my continent, not sanitised and aimed at kids, but grown up and "eldritch".

2).  I've been trying too hard.  I've been layering things that would have looked just as good drybrushed.  I've made things difficult for myself by trying to paint things as well as I can, when perhaps I ought to be painting for fun.  This is my creative outlet, and I ought to be enjoying it.

I've been trying for perfection, when my "good" is still good enough to display and play with.  I will still paint some miniatures to the best of my ability, but a lot will be painted for fun, in all their dark, twisted and crazy glory.

...and for some reason that feels good to know.  There will be pictures soon, I promise, and more posts on this blog.