NEWS: Archives fixed

The archives are up and running finally.

That's them on the right.

Army Blog Update

Scorched Archive is a new 40k resource created by Andy Pearson. He has some good ideas and really wants to create an article based community for hobbyists to share tips, techniques and thoughts with the hobby community.

I was invited to participate and will be double posting my tip/technique articles there -- but have moved the army blog, chronicling my (attempt to) return to the gaming table, over to the SA web site. The first post is up now and provides some background on the project.

Hobbyists: keep your eyes on this Web site; good things will come of it.

After entering in the Relic painting competition I was inspired to try another model -- this one is for a local competition. Everyone has one month to paint this bad boy; he's due the first Sunday in May. I'm probably 75-80% finished already but want some suggestions on the force staff.

I've tried to do source lighting again -- not object source (OSL) -- and highlighted the armour as though the light were slightly forward and on his left side. When I get him in to the photo box this effect should show up better. It is most visible on his pointing arm where it's nearly black except for the light blue on the top.

I am finally ready to call this model finished.... for now. There are still a lot of things I would like to change, and I may still add some blood and gore, but I'm rather satisfied with the end result.

For a first run with Non Metal Metallics (yes, the yellow bits are supposed to be gold) I'm more than satisfied. My NMM steel could be a bit better but I'm sure it will get there with practice.

I had considered selling this one -- but I don't think that I will be able to part with him for awhile. For now he's going to sit upon my shelf.

This is the final image I'm using for the Relic painting competition. Once voting is up I'll get a link to the page -- although I think that it's going to be a very, very tight competition. I am quite pleased with the result and am glad to be able to set this guy aside for awhile. If it weren't for the competition I'm sure I would have cut more corners and settled for less -- as it is this will be a piece I'm glad to see on my shelf for awhile.

I keep saying that this guy is just about done. Of course there never seems to be an end of things I notice once I get to looking at the photos.

I'm so close to finished that I can taste it. It is delicious! I'll be very glad to set this model aside for awhile and get back to Kharn and my display tank.

I'm pleased with the overall result but still a bit disappointed that he's not on the same level as the Kharn model. I expect this guy and a couple sets of arms to find his way to eBay once I get a new commander put together for my 750 point list.

I still need to finish highlighting the armour and detail the sword -- otherwise I think that this guy is ready to go.

I've seen a couple of the other entries for the competition now -- and while I know I don't have much of a chance I'm still glad to be entering and competing. I've learned a lot between this and the Kharn model; both of which were intended for this competition and both of which got more attention that my usual efforts.

One week from tomorrow....

Black Templar - Army Blog Update

I got home too tired to really paint tonight so I decided to do some modeling for my army with the few BT bits I have on hand. Having made the two test models that I debuted with my magnetic commander I was, however, out of Black Templar torsos.

I found a Company Champion torso in my bits box and decided that it was perfect usable in my BT army - and perfectly unique enough in the scheme to fit for a character model. And so... here is the "Emperor's Champion" model for my 750 point Black Templar army.

My goal with the army is to use only existing GW pieces off of the sprue with no conversion, no sculpting and no plasticard additions. I really want to see what the GW plastic models are capable of... and so far I'm pretty happy with the results.

I'm waiting on a bits order to get the BT bolt pistol for his right hand. I will use one of the BT shoulders on that side and, of course, more decorative bits. So far he's up to 11 purity/crusade seals -- and I found a BT backpack topper in my bits box.

Of course I'm so happy with this piece that I will probably make a new body for my magnetic commander. If he's going to be the centerpiece of my army I figure he ought to be at least half as bad ass as this guy.

Tier 1 Black Templar Rhino and Razorback. These vehicles will join the Black Templar Predator I did awhile back.

With the Black Templar stuff I've been painting, and the black and white scheme for Niroe's army, is it any wonder that I will be fielding a Black Templar army of my own?

Final image on a squad of Black Templar Crusaders and three heavy weapons. These were done to the Tier 1 standard and I think are very representative of work at that level. I will actually use shots of these guys when I update the commission page to show examples.

Ultimately I'm pretty pleased with them and plan on fielding my own Black Templar army at a similar painting level.

Now it's back to trying to find a scheme for Niroe's flyers that will do justice to the incredible detail that Forgeworld saw fit to model.