Rune Priest and Blood Claw. Update!

It seems to have been an age since the last post. Computer and email problems - camera battery issues - and sheer laziness. Plus the fact that I have been reading a lot of Fables comics too.

So here goes with the progress ...


First off the Blood Claw model has had a little work done - Some armour plate highlighting (basically Space Wolves Grey) , ammo pouch, and a gem on each knee. Close up on these images it looks a bit rough, but from a little way off (!) it looks OK. I tried to sort the left eye out but the model was having none of it so I left it as is - fearing I'd spoil it completely if I messed about too much.



And then with the Rune Priest. In a similar way to the Blood Claw, I've essentially started with 50/50 SW grey and Shadow Grey mix. I'll add a Scorched Brown/Grey wash and then lighten the original armour colour slightly to paint the plates/ I saw an article on the net and in White Dwarf about power weapon painting. So I've experimented a bit and this is what I came up with.
Looks OK - now toying with the idea of a final, very thin blue ink(?) wash as a kind of 'glaze' I think they call it. But I could be wrong. I've also painted on the undercoats for fur and etc as you can see.

I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to have another bash at these... loft needs insulating don't you know.

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Posted in: 40k,Rune Priest,Space Wolves

Aha Fables!

I've just read Fables 8, 9 and 10 and I have to say they were well worth the wait. I ordered at Forbidden Planet online just before Christmas, and although they only came last week - they were good value and shipping was only £3 for 3.
The covers alone are fantastic, beautifully drawn and coloured. The stories didn't disappoint either although I do think I need an evil twist right now as the 'goodies' are in the ascendancy. There were some thoughtful touches in the story of Fly, as Prince Ambrose - even if it did smack a little of Aragorn and the dead army in LOTR. Nevertheless, there is a real sense of character in each of the episodes and I suppose the key measure of their quality is that I'm eagerly anticipating the next installments.
The only other graphic novels I have been reading recently have been the Preacher series - a whole different world in terms of gore, foul language, drunkenness and violence. Hooray for that!

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Posted in: graphic novels

Lone Wolf, the gift that keeps on giving.

Got the next four installments of the Lone Wolf collected volumes for Christmas. Volumes 18 - 21 in effect. This is another labour of love of sorts, but it's a fantastic series and I've been absorbed by every one of the 100 (or so) chapters so far. The icy steel of Itto and the innocent, yet grim determination of Daigoro are enthralling. The artwork vividly describes the speed and precision of the characters' movements and the dialogue preserves the rigidly caste driven social system and intricate layers of manners and ritual. Truly a classic, and I think the covers by Sienkiewicz and Miller are, to coin a phrase, 'chuffin excellent'.

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Posted in: graphic novels,Lone Wolf and Cub

It's a snow day.

Here we go again, a day off for snow so I thought I'd add some grey rock and some snow. Got the snow flock from GW but was a bit disappointed with the first layer. Added a bit of watered down skull white then a second layer, looked a bit better but it's all trial and error init. Added grey base. Spose I'll do the gems next, extreme highlights and other details.




But then the new model arrived and you gotta make a start somewhere - cool Rune Priest even if I do Say so... I'd seen the figure a few times and so bought it along with the Space Wolves accessory sprue and shoulder pads for Grey Hunters. Still planning to see if I can get two squads out of one pack if I judiciously use the new sprue plus everyday marines bitz.

It does look a whole mess of details though so I reckon it'll be months of work.......ho hum.

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Posted in: 40k,Rune Priest,Space Wolves

At last an update on progress!

The batteries on my digital camera went so no pics for a while, then because the Wii remotes ran out I bought a batch... huzzah. Christmas tomorrow, everything all set so time for a little entry as the drunken revellers stagger by the house on their way home.

So next stage was bleached bone highlights, face, eyes, finishing touches to hair and brown strapping etc. All quite fiddly and I'm not entirely happy with the 'staring eyes' effect I accidentally got. However, I know if I try to correct it disaster is likely to ensue. The rest though is OK, although the trouble with digital photography, is of course that it draws attention to the wobbly lines and not so detailed detailing! Still, can't be helped...

I went for a dirty-ish overall feel. Over the pads I put a wash of Gryphonne Sepia and I didn't colour them up to a shiny golden yellow. Added thin red triangle as unit emblem and I faffed around with the wolf decal for ages, of course it doesn't go around the pad very well. The armour plating I left after the washing shadow into the armour plate recesses, I didn't want the blue to be too light. I added some scratch and damage effects but haven't quite done with it yet.


Last bits are the gems on the legs and finishing off the highlighting, the eyes scare me so I may have a go at toning them down...


Getting Space Hulk for Christmas - more posts soon.

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Posted in: 40k,Space Wolves

... and a little bit more..

Managed to get some more done at the weekend. A slow process to be sure, but not necessarily an unsatisfying one. Wish I could get better pictures with the digital camera I'm using.



Ho hum. Nevertheless, here we are. Face done, eyes not too wonky. Shoulder pads a grubby Golden yellow, which I think I'll keep like that. Could make them nice and bright but that doesn't really match the model's overall feel I don't think.Did the skulls and bone colours and finished pelts and teeths...
There's still a degree of tidying up to do in terms of 'rough' edges, highlighting and making the armour colour 'cleaner' in places. All in all though, it's getting there. Made a healthy change from the Ultra Marines,did this one. Grey Hunter next.

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Posted in: 40k,Space Wolves

A little bit o' progress...

Back from holiday which meant work has been a bit full on. Starting to get the hang of it again though.

Did a bit on the 'project', but still feel I'm rushing at it slightly as I don't really find I have the time to spend an afternoon or so on it. Consequently, it's all been rather piecemeal and I feel I keep losing the thread of what I'm doing. For instance, went to do an extreme highlight in Space Wolves Grey, then white, but I now think it looks a bit too 'extreme' and I reckon I'll end up toning it down somewhat.
Used scorched brown and Shadow grey as a wash between armour plates. Didn't look quite right, so then used some chaos black in the mix too -looked better to me... built up the hair from bestial brown , through blazing orange and added bleached bone to mix for highlights. Put a wash of devlan mud then ogryn flesh over it - probably didn't quite come out as orangey/gingery as I thought it would. Lastly added metallic colours. Brown ink over shining gold and Badab black wash over the boltgun metal.
Still a long way off finishin'.

Anyway here are the inadequate images I've got to show where I'm up to.












Next step will be - face/eyes/beard, the purity seals and shoulder pads. After that the smaller details such as jewels and teeth. Will be using normal space marine back pack and adding a tail...

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Posted in: 40k,Space Wolves