Drug-Crazed Psychic Vampire Space Elves

Flawless. Absolutley love it!

Thanks guys!

Thematically, I'm working with a couple of my other interests with these models. One is Burning Man. The other is what I do for a living: I'm a small-time circus performer (fire, object manipulation/juggling, and sideshow). Right now my training, rehearsal, and performance schedules are nuts - in part so that I don't accidentally kill the volunteer from the audience on the 30th - and I have very little free time and no days off. Somehow, in the midst of this, I'm going to have to do all the work I need to do for Burning Man.

I'm trying to sneak a few minutes of hobby time in each day, because it gives me the enjoyment of working on/making things without any of the pressure of deadlines or being good enough. So there's more stuff coming! My first Death Jester's almost finished, and my second Covenite Venom's converted and ready for paint, among other things.

This was never going to be a frequently updated plog, but real life has decided that the updates will come even more slowly. I can't complain. I'm doing awesome things, even though it feels like it might kill me.

The painting is flawless, but the color palette selection really makes for exceptional work. Damned fine work my friend. Damned fine.

Wow. If only I could figure out how to drain, and bottle talent.....

I felt like I was overdue for painting another Harlequin. So here's my Death Jester.













I'm pleased with how he came out. I think the art nouveau elements came to together more clearly and successfully than with my Solitaire. I'm not worried about that - I've always imagined Solitaires as being somewhat quietly austere compared to the other Harlequins. And of course, the Death Jester is a Death Jester. I'm looking forward to painting a Harlequin where I can stop exercising restraint.

Before that happens, I want to get that Venom painted, as well as the last of the Craftworld Rangers that I started ages ago.

There's a whole lot of right going on with that Death Jester! I absolutely love the striped pants and diamond design near the bottom. Don't be surprised if I rip off 90% of what you did here when I paint one of mine

calyptra, lovely work!

I will agree with ESE and mirror his thoughts about shamelessly stealing the stripe with diamond idea - with probably less skill than you or him!

Just stunning. I love the muted scheme, and the stripes just set the whole mini off wonderfully. Just so full of character. Great job Calypta. I cant wait to see your take on a Harlequin with no restarints

SC

I'm back from Burning Man!

Despite only being about midway through the many-days-long process of unpacking (and attacking things with vinegar to neutralize the alkaline dust), as well as getting ready for a wedding gig somewhere in New York on Saturday, I still took the time to put the last touches on my craftworld Rangers. I did this because I make poor choices.

I've always loved the Eldar Rangers models. I'm hopelessly sentimental about Rogue Trader, and most of the Eldar mercenaries in it are presented in a color scheme nearly identical to Alaitoc. Alaitoc has lots of Rangers. So off I went with Alaitoc.

Actually photographing them turned out to be a giant pain. Generally speaking, I take 3-5 shots of each facing, crop them and adjust light and color saturation in photoshop, then choose the pictures I like best. (Photography is mostly editing, after all.) This time around I had to do a number of reshoots before I figured out that my camera lens was covered with a layer of playa dust. Hah. Oops. It's been a noble and plucky little camera, so I hope it doesn't succumb.



















I've got a Farseer finished up for them too, but I'm going to wait til tomorrow to photograph and post him.

Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome, but if anybody reads this and feels like typing (Are you there, Internet? It's me, Calyptra!), I'd like to hear your thoughts on presentation. I shoot on a white background so I can tell if the colors are screwed up, but I'm less certain about how many models to stuff in each shot. The models I've presented in this plog so far have all been pretty labor-intensive to paint, which is why I feel like they all deserve attention in the photos, front and back, and I actively try to make each model unique. That said, I also know that scrolling through endless photos of subtle variations of the same theme will get old fast, which is why I shoot them in groups of two or three. What do you guys think? With units like this, do you think I should photograph them in larger batches, because after the fourth or fifth Ranger you get it already, or is a photo set of nine pictures for ten Rangers about right?

I hear many Dark Eldar take their combat drugs to burning man hehehe

Those CWE are terrible. They're awful and I dislike them.



That, of course, was a lie. Very nice work

nexs wrote:

They're awful and I dislike them.

That's reasonable. They're craftworlders, after all.

I vastly prefer the newer Ranger models, but you have made these older ones look amazing, a superb job Calyptra!

As for the photos themselves, they are very well done.  Very nice contrast, a couple seem a little yellower than the others, but they still look good.  The overall group is a nice shot that doesn't really need close-ups to help it, so I wouldn't criticise it at all.  The others with 2-3 models each are a good sizing, not cropped too much that you are getting grainy detail.

Four a squad of ten that are not particularly unique re: conversions or painting, I would go with a large group shot and maybe 4-5 close-ups if the pics are this good.

If they were my pics, ...... meh. Mine seem to suck no matter what I do.

Well stunning work as ever!
The rangers have always been one of my favourite CWE elements. They have a much more Rogue trader elder pirate feel to them.
Personally I'm not a good photographer and even worse at editing so I appreciate the efforts of those more talented. As you are much more talented than me at painting and photographing the final result I would vote for more of the same please.

Farseer!

Of all of the Farseer models over the years, this one's my favorite. He has so much dignity and character, and his helmet reminds me of Dream's in Sandman.

Also, only 3 pictures! I am the very spirit of brevity.

I am not a huge fan of the older sculpts but your paint jobs are stunning and really transform the models into something special. Lovely stuff

Re your photo question, I think batches of 5 are a good amount to show, especially if there is no conversion work to see. I usually take front, sides, back and top when I do mine, so do t think you take too many. It is nice to see the models from all angles and the work that has gone into it.

SC

Oh my god I want to be able to paint like that.

Those eye lenses on the farseer are amazing.

Here is proof - PROOF! - that I have stopped procrastinating and started painting my second Venom.

Let's see if, working on it almost daily, I can get it finished in under a month.

This army is da bomb, the quality paintjobs are just amazing, these paintstrokes are unreal, they're just so clean.

Furthermore you got good taste, purple dark eldar are always the best .

Thanks! I'm pretty big on purple in most aspects of my life. :-)

Second Coven Venom's done:









This means the Scalpel Squardron is done, at least until I get around to making magnetized Wrack passengers so it's clear when the Venoms have units embarked on them, and wrecks, so it's clear when they've been destroyed. I want to have a bigger painted army before I go back and start working on extras like that though.

At any rate, here's a pic of both my Scalpel Squadron, and my painted Coven force to date:

Up to your usual standard, mate! Looks good
I'm still not a fan of those bases, but that's neither here nor there, your paintwork is tasty

additional: Freehand! Exerent!

nexs wrote:

Up to your usual standard, mate! Looks good
I'm still not a fan of those bases, but that's neither here nor there, your paintwork is tasty

additional: Freehand! Exerent!

Thank you!

Out of curiosity, why don't you like the bases?

re the bases, i think it's that to me, it looks unrealistic. I'm a big fan of bases and scenery that looks realistic, and these bases have big, almost cartoony crevices and nothing else.
It could be that you've edge highlighted each facet (neat and clean paintwork), but that may be contributing to the cartoony feeling I get from it. The untextured sculpt of the bases probably doesn't help :/
Perhaps adding some sprouting dead grass through the cracks and a bit of rubble or sand painted into the theme might add a bit of realism to it.

I hope that makes sense! I don't mean to slap your work, I just wanted to be thorough in answering your question

That's not a slap, that's an honest perspective and constructive criticism. Which is exactly what I was asking for. And your comments are perfectly valid.

The inspiration for the bases started with the Black Rock Desert, specifically the Playa where Burning Man happens. This is me standing on it, back in 2011.

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The trouble is the cracks, if to scale, wouldn't read from any distance, and I might as well just make the bases smooth and paint them off white. I wanted them to look cracked, alien, and lifeless. I ended up going with something a bit more like these:





Also, after years of various configurations of sand, flock, and static grass, I'm very much enjoying doing something different.

Of course, none of that means that you're wrong, or that you should like them. That's just where I'm coming from and what I'm trying to achieve.

I can definitely see the inspiration there! I imagine it also holds sentimental significance as well

Have you tried adding that GW crackle paint (or adding crackle medium to your other paints) over the top of these bases in areas? That may give you some added texture and uneven-ness, as well as make the cracks more varied.
If you were so inclined, you could also use some form of putty (be it green stuff, or anything else you may use) and use a splintered piece of bamboo/wood to stipple some uneven effects on the facets. There's also liquid green stuff that i've seen some people have success with (I've struggled with it, honestly... sigh)