Here be Dragons...

Yeah alright, lame post title...

The first of the Fire Dragons is finished - took a little longer than expected, but I think he was worth the extra time spent.  It's amazing how pictures can show up little things I couldn't see with the naked eye, so there are a couple of things that will need to be neatened up, but otherwise I'm happy with the end result.

The "business end" of the fusion gun might also need a little extra work, it was meant to have a "ceramic" look to it and I'm not sure if I've pulled that off very well.  

The paint scheme used:

• Green elements:  Catachan Green, Devlan Mud, Catachan Green + Camo Green
• Weapon: Orkhide Shade, Orkhide Shade + Rotting Flesh, diluted Devlan Mud wash
• Weapon end:  Scorched Brown, Badab Black, Scorched Brown + Snakebite Leather, Snakebite Leather, Snakebite Leather and Dheneb Stone
• Wraithbone elements:  Khemri Brown, Devlan Mud, Khemri Brown + Dheneb Stone
• Armour:  Scorched Brown, Badab Black, Scab Red, Scab Red + Vomit Brown, Vomit Brown, Tausept Ochre
• Yellow Helmet: Tausept Ochre, Gryphonne Sepia, Iyanden Darksun, Iyanden Darksun + Dheneb Stone

I decided not to paint the curved line of "bumps" on the helmet as jewels, as I thought that would be a bit excessive, so I've gone for the green I've used on other parts of the mini (and the the same colour as the Striking Scorpions' armour).  I wanted a deep red for the armour to fit the arboreal/autumnal theme to the army, and even if I do say so myself it works rather well. Plus, I really don't like the orange scheme that 'Eavy Metal used.

For the combat patrol project at the local store we had to set ourselves challenges, to do something different from what we usually do.  I set myself these challenges:

1. Finish an army that wasn't space marines
2. Paint a multicoloured army and make it look cohesive
3. Don't use metallic paint

I'm definitely succeeding with 1 and 3, and it's 2 that I'm trying to focus my attention on.  So I'd like some feedback on how people think I'm doing on getting the force to look "cohesive" (if that's even the right word):

I think the weapons do a good job of tying the different colour schemes together, I'd considered giving the Fire Dragon a green helm, but I don't think that would have worked.

Let me know what you think...

As always comments and criticism welcome.

Slow progress, but something to show for it...

The combat patrol project is still going and I've finally got some pictures to show.

Rangers

These are the chaps who won the squad category of the local painting comp:

The paint scheme used:

• Coat Brown:  Scorched Brown, Devlan Mud, Scorched Brown + Bleached Bone
• Coat Green:  Catachan Green, Devlan Mud, Catachan Green + Camo Green
• Gloves and Leg covers: Camo Green, Devlan Mud, Camo Green + Rotting Flesh
• Gun: Orkhide Shade, Orkhide Shade + Rotting Flesh, diluted Devlan Mud wash
• Body Armour and back pack:  Scorched Brown, Devlan Mud, Scorched Brown + Bestial Brown, Bestial Brown + Dheneb Stone
• Wraithbone elements:  Khemri Brown, Devlan Mud, Khemri Brown + Dheneb Stone

Some individual shots:

Really chuffed with these guys, and the colour scheme works well with the next group...

Striking Scorpions

Now I'm really pleased with these chaps, a much brighter colour scheme than I would usually do, but not anywhere near as bright as the GW scheme.

The paint scheme used:

• Armour Green:  Catachan Green, Devlan Mud, Catachan Green + Camo Green
• Weapons: Orkhide Shade, Orkhide Shade + Rotting Flesh, diluted Devlan Mud wash
• Wraithbone elements:  Khemri Brown, Devlan Mud, Khemri Brown + Dheneb Stone
• Pouches and straps:  Scorched Brown, Devlan Mud, Scorched Brown + Bestial Brown, Bestial Brown + Dheneb Stone
• Yellow stripes: Tausept Ochre, Gryphonne Sepia, Iyanden Darksun, Iyanden Darksun + Dheneb Stone
• Braids: Chaos Black, Adeptus Battlegrey, Codex Grey, Astronomicon Grey

Some individual shots:

While these guys won't win any competitions, I'm hoping they're going to look good on the tabletop.  Next up are Fire Dragons, hopefully some pictures of these guys soon.

As always comments and criticism very welcome.

Dark Son: Making progress...

Not too much to report, but nearly done with this chap.  

Not entirely sure about the dirt on the leg, and the white on the backpack has come out a bit rough, but I've got to the point where I'm itching to get on to the next project, so it will probably have to do.  Really all I have left to do is the chapter symbol and static grass on the base, and this chap is finished.

...and what have I learned from this?

Painting white is still a real pain in the backside, and I'm not sure I want to do a whole army of these guys...

As always comments and criticism welcome.

Up next:  The local GW store is running a combat patrol project, so I'm taking my recently triumphant Rangers as the required troops choice, and adding five Striking Scorpions (assembled, based and awaiting undercoat spray) and five Dark Reapers (yet to be purchased) to make up 400 points.

Dark Sons

Two posts in three days?  I know, it will never last...

I pledge to do more WIP shots, just to show what I'm up to.  This chap really got my enthusiasm back:

Very much WIP, the green and gold are completed, and aside from the leg, the white is pretty much done.   The whole miniature was undercoated grey, which is a change for as I usually undercoat in black, but with so much of the miniature being white I thought it better to use grey.  The white is better shown from the back of the miniature:

Colours used:

• Green - Orkhide shade, Devlan Mud wash, then Orkhide Shade through Knarloc Green, with some Rotting Flesh added to the last highlight.
• Gold - Tin Bitz, Devlan Mud Wash, Dwarf Bronze, Shining Gold, Burnished Gold, Mithril Silver added to the last highlight
• White - Devlan Mud wash on the grey undercoat, Dheneb Stone through to pure Skull White

Lots still to do, and he's taking a while, but he's enjoyable to paint.  I probably won't do an army of these guys, but he'll make a reasonable display piece. Inspiration and motivation is back!

As always comments and criticism welcome.

Getting back to blogging again...

Long time no update.

Not sure why, just didn't feel like posting much, plus I lost a bit of enthusiasm for painting, so it all kind of slipped away, and now it's been over a month since I posted anything.  I've not even posted comments on others blogs and for that I am especially sorry.

So, just a quick update (no new pictures I'm afraid).  I finally finished the Eldar Rangers, and if I do say so myself they look pretty damn good.  In fact it wasn't just me saying it - I entered them into the squad category of the little "Golden Demon" competition they held at the Swindon GW store.  Out of the three entries, they were voted the best, beating the second place squad by one vote.  I entered my Lamenter Sergeant in the single miniature category and he won too - much more competition for that category, and it felt like more of an achievement.

So what's next?  I'm giving Golden Demon a miss this year, I just didn't have the inspiration to do anything.  In the painting station at the moment is the still unfinished Commissar Yarrick, a couple of Orc Warg Riders and the Witch King of Angmar.  What I'm actually working on is the limited edition Space Marine Sergeant from a while back that I'm painting as a Dark Sons marine.  I wanted to try something a bit different, and I've never really painted white before.  Chickened out a bit and went for a quartered colour scheme so the whole marine wasn't white, but hey I had to start somewhere.  Hopefully a WIP picture or two tomorrow.

Future projects fill my head, and it hasn't helped that Forgeworld have started making the different Space Marine Armour variants.  Sheer awesomeness, there's no other way to describe them, and to release the bolter variants, and old style special/heavy weapons too - just fantastic.  I am seriously considering getting some Mk II and Mk III sets and building a pre-heresy Iron Warriors army - as I'm really liking the pre-heresy colour scheme for these guys.

Anyway, that's enough for now, hopefully more tomorrow...