The Deceiver – Golden Demon UK 40K Monster Silver, 2002

Once upon a time the Golden Demons were a special event, held but once a year.  They were at the end of September, which meant late summer for me was a rush of endless painting to get everything done – usually the end of the debauchery of Reading Festival meant time to ‘knuckle down’.  Like many other GD winners I had always left it too late and was painting until 5am the morning of Games Day.

2002 was different.  I had actually managed to complete the intended projects early, and had a day and a half spare.  Was I going to rest up and take it easy before Games Day?  Nope!  I proudly declared to my housemate Dave (Palmer, GW Reading Overlord) that I was going to paint another entry in time for the event!  He scoffed, called me something mildly offensive and got on with his computer game.  I was determined to prove him wrong.  My Deceiver (for my Necron army that never got past 10 or so models) had already been built, so I was going to paint it…  In a day and a half <Note – at the time a model was taking me 6-7 weeks on average>.

 GW's original Deceiver:

 

I had always had the idea of the C’Tan emerging from some portal, rather than the original pose which I felt was fairly static in comparison.  The conversion was probably more simple than it appears – most of the work was done by bending the ‘robes’ so he appeared to be moving forwards.  The pointing right arm was repositioned keeping it parallel with the right leg to give more of the impression of forward motion, with the fingers removed and replaced as a fist.  The left hand was given some sculpted flames to balance the model out a bit and the arm repositioned to again follow the lines of the body, as was the head.

 

Our joyful alien friend was undercoated black and painted exclusively in GW paints.  GW painted their version gold, and I liked the metallic look for him (especially as he was part of the Necron army) but thought dark silver would suit the model better, especially with what I had planned, allowing the colours and stars to stand out from the darkness more.  Plus silver is relatively quick and simple to paint, especially since I only really painted highlights on this one.  I used metallic paints – I am not a fan at all of the Non-Metallic Metal style – there are perfectly good metallic paints so why not use them?  Plus I prefer my metals to look grim and dark; not every surface needs to be gleaming to a mirror shine!

 

 

After the skin it was mostly the detail left.  I painted all of the skin so I could choose later where to place the lozenges.  The lozenge pattern was a lot simpler than it looks; I painted the pattern in thin white first (so some of the shading showed through), one lozenge at a time, then randomly coloured them in, following the shading I had already painted on the skin.  I wanted them to appear radiating and falling and fading away from the body, so I painted the first lozenge in the centre of the chest and used that as a central point.  I then painted a number round the body and tops of the legs, following which I painted the patterns in lines in different directions round the body, some growing bigger and fading, others growing smaller and disappearing.

 

 

The ‘cloth’ was given a faint grey highlight, again so the stars would stand out better.  They were painted in a variety of colours (not all stars in the sky appear white!) starting as little dots nearer the body, growing in size and complexity, with a few nebulae, as they moved closer to the base.  After that some green spot colour, a simple base so as not to detract from the portal to deep space in the centre of the base, and that was it!

 

A matt varnish followed by a gloss varnish gave him a bit more shine.  I didn’t sleep the night before Games Day, but I did finish this fella in time.  A record for any model, let alone one this size!

 

I didn’t expect much from this model at the Demons.  I had painted him simply to challenge myself to see if I could finish him in time, and I knew how relatively simple it had been to paint.  Imagine my surprise when he picked up a Silver in the category (it had to be, for this metallic monster!  Then again, maybe I should have painted him gold after all?).  He came second to Matt Parkes’ Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka - which went on to pick up the Slayer Sword - so who would I be to complain?  Interestingly Karsten Radzinski picked up bronze with another C’tan conversion, far more complex than mine!

You can see the winners here:
http://demonwinner.free.fr/uk/2002/golden_demon_winner.php?categorie=4

 

I even got my photo in the 2003 GW event programme!

 

 

My hair is also silver these days…

 

Thanks for reading... thoughts, tips, questions and comments are welcomed :)

Rat Ogre - 2015

 

 

For me the GW Skaven Stormfiends were an example of the ‘creep’ of Warhammer towards 40K, which finally culminated in the ‘40K lite’ Age of Sigmar – all those sci-fi-esque weapons, mind controlling brain rats and so on just didn’t work with the way I see the Warhammer World.  They did get me thinking about creating a monster that showed the pinnacle of some crazed Clan Moulder experiment... which is how this Rat Ogre was born.

Stormfiends:                                                

 

 

Not a Stormfiend:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The idea of a huge armoured Rat Ogre was interesting enough, but I started thinking about a crossbreed with some other creature to make it even more imposing, and quickly settled on a porcupine.  I mean, a giant rodent Ogre encased in armour is one thing, but one covered with spines?  Imagine meeting that down some dark sewer! 

I started to experiment with bitz and blu-tac using a Stormfiend as the base model.  None of the arms worked for me, so I whipped some off a Rat Ogre from the Island of Blood set.  The pose of the upper body and arms looked a little odd, as if this beast was just flexing his muscles, so the addition of a weapon made the arms look more natural.  The model was beginning to look like he fulfilled some sort of armoured guard role, so a halberd seemed right, with a huge metal ball at the other end to make it look a bit more balanced.

 The build took almost as long as the paint job!  Because of the way it had to be built and sculpted I wasn’t able to paint it in smaller sections, so it was completely built then painted.  I added a few armour plates and blades from the Stormfiend set, but all of the spines were from my bitz box or carved from plastic rod.  The spines were the last to be added so that they could be positioned in a way that flowed more naturally with the pose of the Ogre.  I also had to position them in such a way that they would not get caught in tunnels, so the natural spines point behind the model… he’s not able to walk backwards down tunnels though!

 

 

Where possible I use bitz rather than sculpting new things with Green Stuff (mainly out of laziness!), but a lot of hair was sculpted to cover gaps and holes, as well as to sculpt those areas where the spines had ‘punched’ through the armour.

 

Undercoated black with spray highlights of grey then white (I’m too much of a luddite for an airbrush) this was painted with Vallejo paints for the more earthy colours, while the colourful areas (red, blue, etc) were GW paints.  I also like to do my washes with the pretty good GW Shades range rather than inks.

 

When deciding in which order to paint I would always advocate starting on the inside and working out… skin, then hair, then clothing, then armour, then weapons, then base.  It means you are less likely to get paint on something you’ve already done, but also makes it easier to cover up any mistakes.  This model was slightly different in that it is hunched over, so the ‘inside’ was also the front of the torso and I had to account for the belt, belly, etc when determining order of painting. 

 

 I don’t paint blue very often, and thought it would make a nice colour for the armour in contrast to the big areas of skin and hair, as well as looking nice next to the ivory coloured spines.  The armour was always going to be rusty and scratched, but when doing this I prefer to paint the area up as if it is fairly new and clean, then add the dirt and rust and damage – it means I don’t have to commit to the areas of damage early on.  When adding damage it is important to think about how the model moves and fights and where damage might naturally occur; edges and corners are more likely to be scraped and worn than the centre of armour plates which may be more likely to be scratched and dented.   This big fella moves down tunnels so is bound to have lots of paint worn off the edges of the pauldrons (shoulders)  and vambraces (lower arms).  Enemies are more likely to be in front of him – you’d never squeeze past him in a tunnel - so there should be less battle damage at the back!  To get the damage effect the areas were painted first with a terracotta/ orange mix then silver, then I went back and painted little blue highlights to show the edges of the chipped paint.

 

 

 

Little areas of red add a nice spot colour and I think the paint scheme flows nicely through the red, purple and blue spectrums.

 

 

 

 

 

As ever while building and painting the model I was thinking of the overall ‘story’ of the model.  The original Stormfiend had one foot on a rock (which GW seems to love almost as much as they do models jumping off rocks!), but my model was in some subterranean vignette – I came up with the idea of him in a two-level sewer or similar.  Which meant I had to find him a two-level sewer or similar!  Unable to locate anything to suit my needs I ended up building him one with little bricks I purchased online, made of hard plaster or similar.  Each brick was painstakingly weathered at the edges and glued in place, a long slog but definitely worth it, especially when I was able to add a little drain cover!

 

 

 

As I worked on the model I realised that there would be a big open space at the front of the base.  Never a fan of a big open space on a model I added some rats, emerging from the sewers, emboldened by their giant friend!  They were painted in dark colours so as not to detract from the Ogre, but certainly something that would reward the person who took a bit of time to look at the piece!     

 

 

 

 

This model was entered into the Golden Demons Competition in 2015 and was one of the last I entered before retiring from the Demons due to the time constraints of work and family.  It didn’t make it into the second round of the competition.

 

The following year I went to Salute in London and took this fella along – he was a finalist in the peer-judged Salute Painting Competition, of which I am very proud.  I love this big spiky rat fella 😉
You can see some of the other entries here: https://www.beastsofwar.com/eventslist/salute-2016-painting-competition/ (apparently my model looks wicked!)

 

 

Thanks for reading... thoughts, tips, questions and comments are welcomed :)

 

 

Chaos Lord of Nurgle – Golden Demon UK 40K Single Miniature Gold, 2001

 

 Back in the day I was a sucker for an interesting wager.  One evening in 2001 I was out at the Purple Turtle Bar in Reading when one of the GW gang (Dave Palmer I think) bet me that I couldn’t win a Golden Demon award using a component from a non-Games Workshop model.  Use of non-GW components would result in disqualification… so I would have to be subtle.  The result was this 40K Chaos Space Marine Lord of Nurgle.

 

 

 It  was only when I had a good look at the model today to write this blog entry that I realised how much converting went into this mini.  It was based on a metal 40K Chaos Space Marine Lord but I don’t think there is a millimetre that has not been modified, added to or converted in some way.  I had really got to grips with Green Stuff at the time, so went crazy with that and bitz from my bitz box.

 

 

 

 

  

In addition to the metal model and lots of Green Stuff, this model was made up of plastic bitz, slate, wire, paper, metal rod and ubiquitous Nurglings.

  It was painted mostly with GW paints with some Tamiya Clear colours – red, green and yellow, sometimes mixed – still a staple of any decent painting kit.

 

 

 

 

 

I have always been more of a fan of Warhammer than 40K, and wanted this fella to have some archaic style weapons.  An axe and shield seemed right, but it took me a long time to figure out how to make them look interesting.  The axe is actually a small piece of the same slate I used for the base, embedded in a piece of flesh stuck to a long bone – pretty Nurgly I reckon.  The shield is wooden with stretched skin and three buboes in the Nurgle symbol, one of which has burst just in case there was any doubt as to which deity this Lord follows!

 

The armour might not be all that functional any more, only serving to hold the Champion together!  It’s failed in areas; the stomach has burst out and split, with some tasty Green stuff entrails.  It’s covered with cuts, gaps and zits, and I carved one foot into exposed toes.  There are no pipes – all have been painted as guts.  One shoulder pad has spines sticking out, the other has… well… a dirty old sphincter.

   

 

The backpack.  Oh that backpack.  I hope it’s not a reflection of my state of mind at the time, but creating backpack out of body parts just seemed to suit the character… There are a few themes in this model that have carried through to many of my later creations, which hopefully you’ll be able to spot as I share more.  The standard is based upon the first ever Nurgle banner I painted (sadly long gone) and the tongue has continued to feature, as has the burst bubo shield.

 

  

I’ve not had a good look at this model for so long, and it’s a joy picking out all the little conversions, from the bone handle of the sidearm to the wiring feeding the flayed face this model is wearing.  The painting is quite messy and a bit retro (like the Champion himself!), certainly not nearly good enough by today’s competition standards, but I think it’s the modelling and detail that make this one stand out.

 

  

This ghastly creation picked up Gold in the 40K Single Miniature category in 2001.  That same year I won the Slayer Sword with my Slaanesh Warband.  Interestingly when I went up to Lenton to have photos taken of the models, GW had no idea which was the Slayer Winner… apparently the judges couldn’t really decide between whether the Chaos Lord or the Warband should win, but both were mine!  I chose the Warband in the end, simply because it took longer, so that’s what went in the publications.  To be honest I’d be happy for this to have won.

 

And for the non-GW component?  I’m not telling… but if you can pick it out and identify please comment below.  You might win a prize.  Which reminds me, I’m still owed a tenner from that bet…

 

 

Thanks for reading... thoughts, tips, questions and comments are welcomed :)

 

 

Witch Hunter vs. Vampiress

 

I’ve mentioned before that every model you paint tells a tale, is a snapshot in time, so the more information you can get into that snapshot the more character the model has.  The ultimate example of this is the diorama, and it’s an opportunity to convey a real story in miniature form.

 

Over the years I’ve had so many ideas you could fill a book with them... in fact I probably should have noted them down in a book – instead I thought a better idea would be to buy the models and components needed, group them into the ‘to do’ drawer and promptly forget about them in favour of an even better idea.  That leads to not many finished dioramas and a huge pile of unpainted minis.  It might be better and easier on the pocket to draw your idea and come back to it later; if you are still as enthusiastic in 6 weeks then go and buy the models.

 

My Witch Hunter vs. Vampiress is one of the few that made it to the build stage, and one of the even fewer that had some paint thrown at it.  Fewer still are the ones I finished, but this one enthused me throughout and it’s one of my favourite pieces.

 

Empire Witch Hunters are great.  I’d owned this model for a while, trying to think of what I could do with him.  Vampires are also great, and I had picked up a set of the cool female Coven Throne Vampires in a collection of bitz.  It was destiny that the two should meet, especially since the Hunter is looking down and the Vamp was meant to be reclining!

 

Once I had decided on the models it was time to develop the story – what have they been doing immediately prior to the snapshot?  The book of ancient script and chalice of blood give an idea… Why is the Vampire on the ground?  There must have been a battle as the chalice is spilt and there is a huge great sword in the book, as if some ritual has been interrupted… Why is the Hunter looking down at her, pulling out the pistol?  He had obviously bested the Vampire in combat, he is a pretty mean dude, and he is about to administer the coup de grace… or is that the case?  Look closely at the detail (her right hand)… it may have all been a ruse, and the Hunter is the real loser.

I know what I think the story is, and will convey as much of that as I can in the model, but the beauty of it is that everyone will see it slightly differently and imagine their own scenario.  That to me makes the best sort of diorama.

 

There was a bit of converting to make sure that the arms were in the right position, the eyes pointed in the right direction, the sword was no longer in the sheath on the Hunter’s back, etc.  Don’t forget that not only should you think about adding things, but also taking them away from your model – it wouldn’t seem right for him to have had a huge broadsword on his back as well as in the altar!

Painted in GW paints and Vallejos, the four main components were painted individually – Vampire, Hunter, Altar and base – but at the same time to ensure the colours tied in.  Spot colours such as the flowers on the altar and Vampire’s hair; the Hunter’s feather and the Vampire’s fingernails; the bone altar and skulls on the Hunter’s gloves all add some coherence to the piece.

 

One conscious decision I made was to have the Vampiress painted with lighter colours while the Hunter is darker, more gloomy.  She is a thing of beauty (albeit on the evil side) while he is more shadowy, despite being on the side of good.  I hoped this would throw further questions into the narrative: is the story of good vs. evil quite as it seems?  The altar is on the brighter side, while the spilt blood from the chalice points towards the Hunter.

 

I’m particularly pleased with the pages of the book.  I’ve never been great at thinking up runes and sigils, but I think this works well… I probably copied them.  Painted with a very thin brush with inks I managed it first time.  I’d not have wanted to paint it twice.

 

 

The nice marble base is one from a long forgotten trophy which provides a nice frame for the scene and also makes the overall piece seem a little brighter.

 

This was one of the last pieces I entered into a competition before life, work and kids took over and I quit that ‘rat race’.  It was entered into a Golden Daemon and didn’t make it past the first cut.  It’s a shame people never got to see it… until now… I hope you like it as much as I do.

Thanks for reading... thoughts, tips, questions and comments are welcomed :)

P.S. How does the story of the Witch Hunter and the Vampiress end?  It doesn’t…  They are still there in my cabinet, frozen in time.

Eldar Warlock – Golden Demon UK 40K Single Miniature Silver, 1999

 

 

Over the years my conversions got more and more extreme, sometimes ending up as something unrecognisable from the original which would take hours and hours of work.  Back in 1999 I was a bit more restrained (or less able?) and I think this model shows that more subtle changes here and there can make a huge difference.  My Eldar Warlock has sat quietly in my cabinet for over 20 years now, overshadowed by many other zany creations, but he still catches my eye thanks to his organic simplicity (Note – my wife just spotted the photo on my monitor and thought it was beautiful... and asked who had painted it… very different to my more recent monstrosities?!). 

 

Around the time I started this mini I had bought my first Dremel, and spent many happy hours simply chopping up metal models – I could scream thinking about some of the classics I destroyed with those spinning blades of doom!  Thankfully this one was spared.  The original model was a classic Warlock – if you compare the two it’s a bit of a ‘spot the difference’ once you get past the new weapon and helmet extension.  The Dremel was used differently with this, more to clean up areas that had had something cut away (largely on the sleeve) and to carve the blade.   

 

  

 The old Wraithsword was cut away and replaced with a new halberd made from metal rod, a plastic Eldar Chainsword, a blade made of plasticard and some Milliput.  The Original hand had to be twisted to fit the weapon, and the staff was carefully placed to not only follow the line of the robes, but also to cover as much of the ‘cleaned up’ areas as possible.  It was also placed to run parallel to the right leg.

The helmet was extended using a really nice back section from an old Rogue Trader era Guardian, blended to the original with more Milliput.  Then there were further simple little details added – a gem here, a little tail there.  These additions might seem almost insignificant at the time, but my favourite models are ones where you can keep going back and seeing new things… How many times would someone have to look before noticing the icon on the forehead or the Eldar script on the back of the rock? 

 

Painted entirely in GW paints over black (which you can see around the edges of the faceplate – almost green!) this followed the Ulthwe scheme of bone and black.  I have always enjoyed painting bone, and this scheme contrasts really well I feel.   It would have been easy to paint the detail on the robes in bone as well, but using grey as the base colour (up to the same white highlight) gives some variety without being overstated.  To help this further I used the same grey for the white detail as I used to highlight the black robes; effectively one flows into the other.

 

Red gems, crest and tassel provide a nice bit of spot colour that isn’t overwhelming, while the yellow face gives a nice central focus before you move on to the rest of the model.  Grab a ruler and have a look – if you compare the overall height and width of the model (including the weapon and base) it’s almost dead centre.  That means most people will be looking at the face first so it is really important to get it looking right.  When seeing a model people usually look for faces first and the eyes as the first part of the face… I’ll talk more about that in another blog…

 

A nice rock for the base (to which the model has been pinned thanks again to the Dremel!) with some plasticard runes to give you a bit more of a story around the model.  You can see more of the toothbrush grass (see my Lictor Blog) and larger leaves, two of which were paper which was shaped then coated in PVA glue, the other was made from Milliput.  For once I think the green base rim works here as it’s the same Goblin Green I used for the grass!  How I miss Goblin Green….

 

This mini won a Silver Daemon, nestled surprisingly between Werner Klocke’s elaborate Jain Zar and Jakob Nielsen’s very unique Imperial Missionary.  I never expect to win any awards, so this was great… especially as Jakob’s Missionary is nicer… but don’t tell him that…

Check out the other winners here:  http://demonwinner.free.fr/uk/1999/golden_demon_winner.php?categorie=1

 

 Thanks for reading... thoughts, tips, questions and comments are welcomed :)

 

P.S. If you're looking for older miniatures at a decent price (avoid the scalpers!) why not check out Figflog on eBay?  He always has a nice range of stuff available.

Find him here:  https://www.facebook.com/AverageJoesStudio/