The Many Projects of Beardy Hammer's Distracted Mind!
I have been painting miniatures, on and off, since 1985.
I started when D&D turned out to be... well, boring - certainly for a 12 year old.
The entry point was the then-non Games Workshop Citadel Miniatures range in lead - aaaah yes, lead!
Then when the plastic boxed Fantasy range and Space Marines were released, I was hooked.
So many conversion possibilities!!
~ So enough of all that ~
As well as GW Fantasy and Sci-Fi, I also do other manufacturers, plus Historical in a variety of scales including the occasional vehicle.
So here we go then - i'll mainly be showing the 25/28mm Heroic Scale miniatures...
I started when D&D turned out to be... well, boring - certainly for a 12 year old.
The entry point was the then-non Games Workshop Citadel Miniatures range in lead - aaaah yes, lead!
Then when the plastic boxed Fantasy range and Space Marines were released, I was hooked.
So many conversion possibilities!!
~ So enough of all that ~
As well as GW Fantasy and Sci-Fi, I also do other manufacturers, plus Historical in a variety of scales including the occasional vehicle.
So here we go then - i'll mainly be showing the 25/28mm Heroic Scale miniatures...
Blogs on Minis You Might have Missed
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Ongoing project to make a definitive guide to Great Crusade-era markings for Space Marines
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current projects
War Hounds Space Marines
Victoria Miniatures
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Dreamforge Miniatures
Red Box Games
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Firestorm Armada & Planetfall
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Basing models Tutorial - the cheap way
Ever since completing my Red Box Games Goblin Archer, I have been pondering how to base my fantasy miniatures. I explored flock options from a few brands but found them to be too yellow - then today I was reading online that some people use herbs from their supermarket.
Genius!
Genius!
Some Masterfoods Dill Tips and Marjoram Leaves seemed a good combination!
I try to make the pebbles similar colours and use Zap a Gap to glue them down.
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It's hard to put a ration on it - i'd say 70/30 Marjoram to Dill Tips. I was testing colour as I went.
Now to apply the PVA glue heavily - and around the rocks and feet too.
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I've had these nifty little pebbles for years, so they'll do.
The stoner Goblin in his natural environment as the glue dries. I leave this for a few minutes - then into the sun!
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... and this worked out better than I thought! The Dill Tips stand up like random undergrowth - perfect for Goblins waiting in ambush. For Elves maybe something more lush, but this isn't a bad start... and it smells pretty good too!
How the Internet brought the original Marine chapters back to us
Amazing 1st Edition rendering of the Space Marine Chapters.
The Legion numbers have changed, but check out the old colours and badges.
Image © Games Workshop 2003. All rights reserved. Used without permission
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As I stated recently, Games Workshop has spent much of the past decade changing the cannon of the Warhammer 40K universe.
As what's termed a "beardy" I have huge problems with this, mainly because that original universe I through myself into with a passion, is now gone! I bought Rogue Trader when it came out - in fact I had to order it in - I still have an use my original Citadel Miniatures paint set (in fact I used the Ghoul Grey on the Consecrator marine recently) and I'm proud to own the beaky plastic marines and vehicles - I still have the worn boxes to this day. Now this doesn't make me better than anyone else, it just makes me older, but it's sad when things change - especially when they change for the worse, when the universe devolves rather than evolves. I hope to write in this further, but for now, I'll leave you with this picture sourced from the mighty Internet which shows the original Space Marine legions in their original colours. Dark Angels: Black (with green camo on vehicles) Ultramarines: Blue with white White Scars: White Space Wolves: Blue Grey Blood Angels: Red and white Salamanders: Dark green and yellow World Eaters: Dark Blue Death Guard/ Dusk Raiders: Light grey and red Thousand Sons: Red and yellow Sons of Horus: Black Night Lords: Blue So great to see these again - I thought they may have been lost to history - but here they are. GW fans and "Beardies" alike - rejoice! |
June 2013
UPDATE
Thanks to Bell of Lost Souls' "Gotthammer", here are some much larger images of the original colour schemes from the original Space Marine game box.
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August 2013
CONSECRATor space marine
The Consecrators first appeared in the Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition) in 2007 and in an almost whispered tribute to all Dark Angels fans who had been through so much upheaval as the original Rogue Trader colour scheme was changed, the back story twisted and characters came and went, the Consecrators were a breath of fresh air to Dark Angels players who could now field an army using the colour scheme they knew and the older equipment.
The only change from the original Dark Angels iconography was the Chapter symbol which replaced the sword between the wings with a flame and an Iron Halo above the wings.
The only change from the original Dark Angels iconography was the Chapter symbol which replaced the sword between the wings with a flame and an Iron Halo above the wings.
As far as back story goes, according to the Lexicanium:
The founding of the Consecrators is unrecorded and their early history totally unknown. Prior to the 3rd century of the 40th millennium there is no record of their existence. The chapter was first recorded in the works of the Administratum field notary Corwen Quilp, where at the height of the Second Kuppukin Schism, the entire Chapter appeared to annihilate the entire rebel force over six hours before vanishing once more.
They were again absent from recorded history until three decades later when the chapter's 4th company was seen fighting alongside the Dark Angels at the Arrulas Intervention.
They appear to have inherited the most revered arms of the Dark Angels Legion, preserving them carefully through the ages. They bear a close resemblance to the Dark Angels before the Horus Heresy, maintaining the legion's original black colour and wearing the older Mark 6 "Corvus" pattern power armour.
They have their own agenda and soon disappear after their mysterious objectives are complete. They use mostly relics from the Dark Angels Legion, as if they were taken from the Dark Angels' darkest vaults.
With that in mind, and wanting to try some Rogue Trader era colour schemes, why not try to paint one?
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I wanted to do a very black scheme here, so kept the highlights very dark and didn't do an extreme highlight at all.
I still black-lined and painted in the soft armour which actually made it look darker. I chose to keep the colours very minimal. The knee pad is meant to be a tribute to the newer colour scheme of the Dark Angels with the dark green and bone. Another shout out is the green cable on his chest. |
The Consecrator's Chapter symbol is quite complex, but once started, not terribly hard. I did it once, then neatened it up with black paint.
The symbol is meant to be on a white background, but to keep the scheme dark, i did it on a black field. The guns were simply drybrushed with 3 layers of successfully lighter greys with Boltgun Metal applied to the metal parts. This then got an Abbadon Black wash, which worked very nicely.. |
Having never used the Citadel bronze before I was very pleased with the outcome.
It went on very well, and once dry I just added a black paint wash and it sat very nicely. I did the same with the chest centre piece. You may notice the tan pouches, I did this as a purposeful contrast to the blacks and dark greens. I always do the grenades a white colour with a Ghoul Grey wash. |
June 2013
A Tau Envoy Escort... and a glimpse of something potentially exciting to come!
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May 2013
Every model painter needs an assistant!
March 2013
Forgeworld Horus Heresy Cataphractii Pattern Terminators
The much vaunted Horus Heresy armour patterns have been universally heralded with the kind of geek-gasms usually reserved for leaked pictures of a naked Star Trek crew member (usually female - but it's 2013 - let's live a little people!)
I have built a few of the normal infantry, Mark 3, 4 and 5 (oh Heresy Armour I love you!) - but the new Terminators marks were on my wish list.
Well thanks to my friend Rob, no more!!
I have some - plus all the extra weapons - oh by the Gods must be crazy... YES
I have built a few of the normal infantry, Mark 3, 4 and 5 (oh Heresy Armour I love you!) - but the new Terminators marks were on my wish list.
Well thanks to my friend Rob, no more!!
I have some - plus all the extra weapons - oh by the Gods must be crazy... YES
So it's done!
And the lesson learnt?
Pint it in bits before you put it together!
A simple looking miniature, yes, but the intricate detail, and the hanging armour from the shoulders makes it hard to get to all th detail once assembled.
It's easy enough, just paint the inside of the arms and torso, then assemble.
Definitely trying this next time!
So what's it like?
It's a very nice mini, but like much of Forgeworld, it's not entirely finished.
There was bubbling on some of the surfaces that were supposed to be smooth, or clean lines were marred by loss of crispness.
Look it's very very nice - the faults are typical of Forgeworld - not the fault of the model per se.
And the lesson learnt?
Pint it in bits before you put it together!
A simple looking miniature, yes, but the intricate detail, and the hanging armour from the shoulders makes it hard to get to all th detail once assembled.
It's easy enough, just paint the inside of the arms and torso, then assemble.
Definitely trying this next time!
So what's it like?
It's a very nice mini, but like much of Forgeworld, it's not entirely finished.
There was bubbling on some of the surfaces that were supposed to be smooth, or clean lines were marred by loss of crispness.
Look it's very very nice - the faults are typical of Forgeworld - not the fault of the model per se.
Space Marines time!!
So I really like inventing Space Marine Chapters.
If you didn't know, Space Marines are part oft he Warhammer 40,000 Universe.
They've been around since the late 80's and I've been fiddling with them - off and on - since then pretty much.
So one of the things I like most is the plastic medium - you can cut them apart and glue them in all kind of cool poses.
In my time I have invented a number of different Chapters (basically independent small armies in power armour) and some of them have grown, others just die.
It's like a real war, just without the TV coverage and the word "hero" being bandied about.
So here are a few of the more recent ones I have done.
They are quite heavily converted, but made to look realistic.
If you didn't know, Space Marines are part oft he Warhammer 40,000 Universe.
They've been around since the late 80's and I've been fiddling with them - off and on - since then pretty much.
So one of the things I like most is the plastic medium - you can cut them apart and glue them in all kind of cool poses.
In my time I have invented a number of different Chapters (basically independent small armies in power armour) and some of them have grown, others just die.
It's like a real war, just without the TV coverage and the word "hero" being bandied about.
So here are a few of the more recent ones I have done.
They are quite heavily converted, but made to look realistic.
Great conversion bits for your army?
If you like miniatures, you HAVE to try this site: http://victoriaminiatures.highwire.com/
Victoria Lamb produces some great pieces and some brilliant conversion bits at affordable prices.
You have to check out the goggles and gas masks amongst the other things.
The service is fast and efficient PLUS it's likely you will get a free gift with your purchase.
GO NOW - you won't be sorry!
Victoria Lamb produces some great pieces and some brilliant conversion bits at affordable prices.
You have to check out the goggles and gas masks amongst the other things.
The service is fast and efficient PLUS it's likely you will get a free gift with your purchase.
GO NOW - you won't be sorry!
Assault Bike Conversion
So i'd thought of moving the bolters from the handle bars down to the wheels. It seems more logical in a way and the result really works! It's fiddly but simple. The paint work on this wasn't as good - so here's the conversion. It's all you're getting!
Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii Trooper & Commander
My original idea of the Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii was based on the Jes Goodwin background in White Dwarf. They weren't augmented like they are today, mainly just elite Imperial Guard. Mind you this was in the days when Imperial Guard could have bolters! This what what i came up with. Mainly heavily armoured Imperial Guard. I really like the parts - not sure about the crappy pictures though...