Harlequin Carnival - La Danse Macabre

Hey man the painted up model is looking really sweet! those lines on the leggings seem perfect! how'd you manage such straight lines?!

the skin also has a really good amount of variance between the shadows and highlights, nicely brings out all the details Your GS turned out really nicely and with paint on top I wouln't have even been able to tell that it was originally GS.

Although something to consider, i really like the original idea of mandrakes being between realms/dimensions. Id love to see perhaps a really muted skin tone, or dark greys. Possibly not perfect fitting with your carne theme but a more shadowy look I think would make your models look sweet. Keep em coming mate!

Thanks solar. I did consider a darker scheme for the skin like the official gw models are painted in, but felt that it did not fit in with the carnival theme as much so went for the lighter skin tones in the end. Finished up no2 this morn and much happier with the colour combos on this one.

Holy jesus christ! that one is sick! I absolutely love the hair colour, you not only gave it depth with the shading but also managed to still keep a semi-flourescent brightness to it! hats off and your leg work yet again is superb!

I was painting last night, but i get sooo bored I find I just dont have the patience for detailed work and I revert to dry brushing for speed :/ Could you please walk me through how you do the armour? The red bits in particular, as i use mainly solid colours on my orks.

also your basing, long grass and a flower kit of sorts?

Cheers :)unfortunately the fluorescent brightness is partly down to my camera/lighting. I am really struggling with taking photos with the gloomy English weather so all the photos were coming out really washed out. I have had to try lighting with multiple lamps with daylight bulbs and adjusting the colours on the camera to get a more accurate representation of what I have painted. The ones above are a little bright I have to admit but it was the closest I could get to what the mini really looks like in normal light.

I do struggle with painting as well (especially batch painting) so I try and give myself a goal at the end of a project, like a special character to paint or a new unit to convert. I find this keeps me motivated a bit more, and it also helps with having this log to track my progress and get feedback on what I have done. Sometimes it feels like everything I do is done in a vacuum (pretty sure this is the same for every blogger) so posting really helps to keep me motivated and spurs me on to the next project. I only batch paint to a certain point with this project so doing models individually can also help to keep motivation, as  progress can be seen much quicker than batch painting (although this has its own pitfalls as it takes an age to finish a unit). Also listening to 40k podcasts while I paint helps me relax and enjoy the whole experience a little bit more.

The basing is done using these
http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/army-painter/battlefield-scenics/swamp-tuft/prod_10387.html

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=379
(I can't find the exact leaves I use for the bases as I think I got them from ebay but this sort of thing is very similar to what I use)

For the red I start with a base of Mephiston red, heavily highlighted with evilsunz Scarlett, leaving the meph red in the recesses. I then give it a wash of carroburg crimson and once dry edge highlight with blazing orange (old school gw paint) to make it pop.

I think the lighting is really well done I struggle massively with my lighting Yeh Ive been giving myself goals like new modelling ideas that im allowed to do when I finish painting for a few months Got so much I want to convert its a good motivator and recently ive basically realised the more i paint the quicker I can get back to modelling

Thanks for the basing links been wanting to get some nice bases for a couple models.
I need more colours I think, I dont really have many reds, only got the one and a yellow, so relying on washes to get a more tonal look.

Anyway! because of that realisation that if i crack on painting il get back to modelling much faster, this is what ive been working on http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/582075.page

Disgustingly good.

Awesome cheers guys. Hey solar shock that ork vehicle is great. Love your weathering on it especially. Keep it up man

A couple of updates to post today. Finished painting my third mandrake which I am liking and converted the champion for the unit. Both pics below. Working on a test model for my wrack unit which I should have finished in a couple of days so watch this space. It is looking g very cool

Hi all. A quick tester model for you evil denizens to process. This is my first model for my wrack squad. It was kit bashed out of an undead Gould, scourge and talos bits with a flagellant head and a lashing of greenstuff. I wanted the model to look like a mutated/enhanced jester. Thoughts?

Nice, can't wait to see some paint on it

That's an awesome wrack conversion. I look forward to seeing the rest of the squad.

Hey Spell, thanks for the kind words on both forums I was very pleased with the weathering in the end and I learnt alot from the process.

Loving the unit leader conversion. I myself ordered some bits from bitzbox last night and it included some dreadlock arms which I can see you used. Glad to see they fit nicely, I was worried that the shoulder joint looked a little small, but it fits perfectly on your model so thats good to see

I love the base, whats it from? I am currently considering these as the bases for most of my DE/E force:


Il probably get just one set and then use oyumaru to take molds, as they are rather large pieces and I dont want my models that high off. So using oyumaru I can take some features and create smaller bases and save those for bigger bases. But id like more variety so what did you use? or any recommendations?

Loving the wrack! your sculpting skills are coming along nicely The scourge legs are really nice, glad you chopped it down to the base level though, changes the look quite significantly. The ruffles look really nicely done, as does the hat, only thing i cant tell is if the hat is missing a little fold detail. perhaps a little extra gs, just to add some bunching of material, as you've got a really nice fold in the right ear.

Thanks guys . I am working on a model for the haemonculus challenge and them I will prob convert up another 4 wracks to go with this chappy.

@ solar . I use the sf elven basing kit from scibor miniatures and press mould them with insta mould to get the smaller parts, just like you are going to do and it works great (and also saves a few quid ). I see what you mean about the hat. I will try add a little fold into the other flap as I agree it will look better.

Hey guys n gals. I am working on a model to enter into the haemonculus challenge so thought I would post up my work so far and any updates as I go along. The brief is to create a character that fits into the fluff that is posted in the challenge brief. The stipulation for this chap is that he/she is a wrack that has succeeded in the wych arena and has a few modifications which are represented by 4 arms (which must be shown on the model) . I want to give him the look like the plague doctors during the Black Death in sixteenth century England to fit in with my other haemonculi themed models (I intend to use him as a haemy ancient or urien rakarth once the challenge is over) so have given him the trademark beaky mask and goggles that the quack doctors wore at that time. Feedback welcome

Wip part 1: the bits

Wip part 2: first assembly



Wip part 3: green stuff mods started/ cleanup

AHA thats exactly what I want to hear! il order my basing kit right now then

as for your haemi piece...
I love the style your going for, the plague doctors have such awesome visual masks. I also highly approve of the parts you've selected, the base looks awesome as does the head. What have you used as the back part of the head? a scourge head?

The robes look sweet, what part is that? including the front dangly bits? as they are a really nice touch.

What are you going to do with the 4 arms? I can see quite a few staffs in there. IMO (as i just got the wizards kit) would use the scythe staff head, the one with roses etc. you have a really nice and curvy flow feel to the whole model, from the base, to his legs and up. I think you should continue along with the sort of 'embelishment'. I dont know a huge amount about haemi's, but I think a embelished grim look would really suit. Like the thorns among the roses feel. His weird clawy arms semi-hidden/ disguised under an external masquerade of flowing robes

Cheers solar. Yes i used the head from the scourge kit and just shaved the front off and glued/greenstuffed the alt head onto the front. Used a high elf mage kit from one of the starter kits got the robes and flowy bits of cloak. I did intent to use the staff bits either from this kit or the mage kits but had some spare talos bits that i thought fit the bill and made him a bit more spooky and flesh construct like. My finished pics of him are below. See what you think about the arms now they are added.

Edit: better pics uploaded

Hey all. The fourth mandrake finished. Went for a more orange/spotty theme with this chap

Very nice. I absolutely love the look of this guy.

Hey Spell,

havent posted in awhile, been mega busy, hows the model coming for the comp? What you've linked above looks seriously good, there is plenty going on in the model and it has an excellent amount of movement. You painting him up yet?

I really like the 4th mandrake, especially the base. I like how you've represented the start of the tight rope line. I think not only does it look really sweet, but I imagine it will help tie in the rest of the unit. As anyone who was unsure of what the bases were from the others will instantly get it with this model. The blue spotted worked out really nice too

I've actually made a couple prototypes of my harle force. Working on a couple Kabalite warriors, warp spiders and swooping hawks. Il post a couple pics up later, as im happy with the kit bashing, but not sure where to add a few greenstuff touches.

Thanks sqidmaster . He sat on my painting desk the longest out the four as I could just not get into my head where I wanted him to go in terms of colour and pattern variation. Eventually inspiration struck and I got him finished to a standard I am happy with ( although in the photos above all my highlights look a little clunky, especially on the flesh.) It is difficult to see sometimes under a lamp so I might revisit him a bit later just to blend them in a bit more.

Hey solar glad you like both of them . The competition piece is finished now as I think anymore additions will be too much. I like the flow of the overall model and the sense of movement that all the bits have. I had a good idea of how I wanted this model to finish up in my head and to be fair it has come out pretty close. I especially like the talos arms on him. They really make him more creepy and fleshy construct like. Just got to prime him now and then choose what colours/patterns he is going to have. Once I have primed him I will post another pic, as I wash the white primed model with black wash because this shows off the detail much better than just bare plastic, and ties in all the greenstuffed and plastic parts into one whole.

I am pleased with how the base has come out on the mandrake and glad that they all tie in together. It was a worry when converting the bases that people would not get that they were balancing on tight ropes, so his base was meant to tie them all together in the theme.

I am looking forward to seeing your harlie conversions. Post up pics even if they have not been g'stuffed yet. I want to see em!    

Hey Spell,

I had written a bigger post, but i previewed instead of posting and lost it
But here are the photos anyway:

Warriors






Warpspider concept 1


Styles of heads all mu units have available


Unsure what to use to represent the lasblaster, I like the feel of the long and slender heat lance

Hey solar. They are looking sweet so far. I really like the gs apron and streamers on the two models. Maybe do a kitbash between the splinter rifle and heat lance for the lasblaster so it becomes a unique weapon for the swooping hawk. Greatl stuff so far

Yeh thanks id written some more details, but losing the post at 1am was a little disheartening Ive made some more progress and have reached about 7 models for warriors, a warp spider and potential howling banshee (although its a shame they aren't viable :/ as I love the idea of them, was thinking on using the vampire counts banshee as an exarch). Il post some more pics tomorrow when i finish a couple up.

Ive been finding my main issue is the arms. I want to use splinter rifles, but they are all in across the chest stances, which covers the chest so much. considering I want to leave the arms off in order to paint the chest first its really being a pain in the ass. I want some more one handed stances on the splinter rifles. With the arms were more like the eldar arms, where its a ball joint. Plus, on the inside of the rifles where they meet the arms they have removed some of the detail (for molding purposes I guess), but that means when I open them out to one handed positions you can then see this loss in detail - damn GW!

I like the idea of a kitbash weapon! thats a great idea! il have a look into it might need a few more heat lances.

How did I miss that Mandrake?    
Beautiful and stunning.
(Please, no jokes about them living in the shadows...)

@solar shock. Yeah can understand the frustration of getting your post deleted, especially when it is quite long and lots of pics involved.Could you not cut the shuriken rifles from the eldar arms and then add the splinter rifles to get more pose-ability? Might be an option. Alternatively the raider kits come with one handed splinter rifles I think (got a few from bits sites but I think thats the kit they are from).

@ ESE, thanks very much

Just finished painting this guy up this morning (been partially painted on my work desk for an age it seems). Behold Duke Sliscus da pirate yarrrrr!. One minor annoyance with this guy was I noticed right at the end of the paint job that there is a bit of his hair missing between the pink bits. It was too late to fix as I painted the hair right at the end, and did not want to have to go back and greenstuff + sand him after all the effort. Oh well it is not majorly bad and maybe eventually I will go back and fix