Sunday, 31 August 2014

Nagash Supreme Lord of Undeath



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“The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead do not fight one another. The dead have no desires, no petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace…” 

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Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush
Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes

Nagash, supreme bad mudda of the Warhammer Fantasy universe is back! And it looks like he's brough all hell with him. There are few moments as momentous as the return of Nagash and this model is a fitting end level boss character for the Fantasy universe. 

The kit itself is a little tricky to put together. I normally assemble big models like his in parts, paint them and glue everything at the end. Because the cloak and spirally spirit things need plastic putty to smooth the joins everything needs to be glued together at the start of the project. apart from holding your brush at angles you'll find holding the model to paint quite difficult. Do no let these frustrations get the better of you. Take a breath, and look at the model as a whole and know this will be the centerpiece of your collection. 

As for painting I took the 'Eavy Metal scheme and added my own twist to it. For example the armour is blended from dark purple into blue instead of straight transition from black to blue. The intermediary colour adds more interest that simply shading from black to white. I've recorded the process of painting Nagash and I hope to make him my first video tutorial on youtube. 

In the mean time enjoy the Nagash and the ending of the Warhammer world. 

Myles












Thursday, 28 August 2014

Iron Hands Medusan Immortals Breacher Squad Forgeworld Commission







190th Breacher Squad "Victus"


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Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush
Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes


These Iron Hands form part of a much larger commission for a high quality Heresy army. Because of the limited palette of the Iron Hands painting them in a visually interesting way proved to be a challenge. Apologist wrote a wonderful article detailing his thoughts on the effectiveness of a limited palette here. I decided to use teal and umber weathering powders to contrast with the black and silver. My aim was to draw your eye to the teal and then let the beautiful detail of the miniature reveal itself to the viewer. The weathering powder gives the nice impression of rust. I also used a high contrast scheme for the black to help bring out the sculpt on a dark colour scheme. 

Myles




Sunday, 24 August 2014

Gal Vorbak Word Bearer Unburdened Possessed Marines.






"We brought the truth to the primarch at the cost of our own souls."

Argel Tal, Gal Vorbak.

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Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush
Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes



These miniatures are gorgeous. I've been trying to finagle a way to have an unbound Heresy army full of Gal Vorbak. These model ooze personality. I hope the same sculptor works on Argel Tal, especially if he take the que from a quote in Betrayer: 

"...an angel envisioned by daemons."

A note on the basing - I used crackle medium to make it seem that the earth was breaking apart in revulsion beneath the tread of these abominations. I then used green and blue inks to make it seem that the warp was bubbling through between the worlds. 



















Friday, 22 August 2014

Tools of the Trade: Broken Toad Kolinsky Sable Brushes


The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why.
Mr Olivander. Harry Potter. The Philosophers Stone.


Choosing a paint brush is a very personal affair one that isn't always dictated by logic. The Windsor & Newton series 7 brushes widely considered to be the finest example of brush manufacture is a brush that I've never got along with. Every W&N Series 7 I have bought has come with a split tip that no amount of brush soap or wax has been able to correct. My preferred brush is the Raphael 8404 (the one with the orange tip) but a worrying change in their manufacture has forced me to look just what is out there. 

I've used a few different companies brushes but today I'd like to throw the light on a set of brushes I stumbled on in my research - Broken Toad Kolisky Sable Brushes. These brushes range from sizes No. 3/0 to No.2 and are priced from £4 to £4.50. I'd argue the most common brushes you'd use are the N0.1 & No.0 - a cross comparison with the Raphael's range reveals a saving of £6.71 (not including the price of postage). This is a significant saving (you can buy another Broken Toad Brush for that) but are you compromising on the quality?

Being a completist I decided to buy the entire set. 




Each brush is individually packaged with plastic ferrules protecting the brush itself. Each brush also comes with a very helpful guide on how to protect your brushes. This is excellent advice for those who have never given a thought to brush care before. The last point is arguable but I happen to agree with it. It makes sense to me to store the brush bristles down in the ferrule so that no water runs into the metal part of the brush, loosening the binding material.



Opening the brushes reveals bristles that come to a pleasing point. The hair is very soft and retains its shape under moderate use. The bristles aren't as robust as the Raphael's and do not hold the shape when you make stabbing motions with them (like getting into hard to reach holes between chainmail). I feel that the Broken Toad Brushes were designed to the push and pull technique, whereby paint is pulled over a surface to create a smooth blend. 


Because of the quality of the brushes you can use No.0 and even No.1 for fine detail tasks like painting eyes or gems. The end stays sharp even after vigorous use. However I feel to get the best out of these brushes you must use a different size for different tasks. The Raphael 8404 can be used for a vareity of tasks and I fell into the bad habit of using the No.1 for all tasks - fine line weathering, eyes, details work and broad strokes. The Broken Toad brushes rewards the painter who knows how to use the full set rather than overly rely on one single brush.

In conclusion these brushes more than adequately fit the bill for professional and amateur painters alike who are looking for a top quality set of brushes. I'd urge you to buy the set to open up the entire gamut of painting techniques available and experiment with them. These are affordable enough to be used as basic brushes for everyday needs but have a fine touch to them that allows high end shading and highlighting. 

Broken Toad Brushes can be bought here:


Myles

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Luna Wolves Abaddon - Spear of the Legion




Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush
Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes


A commission piece for a larger Luna Wolves force. I didn't paint Abaddon with the red under lighting as the madness of the universe has not consumed him yet. He shares a similar pose to this gene father, Horus and yields a bolter instead of the sword. This aligns him more closely to his Space marine counterparts and not as a warrior standing above the legion. 

Myles




Sunday, 17 August 2014

Logan Grimnar on Stormrider. The Old Wolf Rides to War



























"Follow me, Sons of Russ! This night our enemies shall feel the fangs of the Wolf!"
— Great Wolf Logan Grimnar during the Assault on Fort Damnation

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Paints used: Vallejo, Reaper Master Series, Games Workshop Washes, Com Art Medea Airbrush
Paint Brushes: Rosemary & Co. Raphael 8040, Broken Toad Brushes

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