Blood Angel Aggressors (WIP)

My, what...

...big hands...

...you have.

Work in progress when I'm not busy with Horus. Nothing much since the last update on these guys, but the flamer cowling is of something new:

• Balthasar Gold
• Reikland Fleshshade (Gloss)
• Agrax Earthshade (Gloss), just underneath to match the lighting, but Agrax really works well with this sort of thing.
• Hashut Copper, initial highlight and to tone back shade pooling.
• Fulgrim Copper, as additional highlighting.
• Stormhost Silver, for edge highlighting.
• Nuln Oil, just in the cowling holes.

For the Sergeant on his left pauldron, in keeping with Blood Angel army colours:

• Averland Sunset
• Casendora Yellow
• Fuegan Orange, spot shading in the most recessed areas.
• Phalanx Yellow, for initial highlight.
• Dorn Yellow, for edge highlights.

This is slightly different from the original paints used, and was mostly an excuse to try out Phalanx Yellow more. Unfortunately it's too close to the rope for my liking, so I will likely touch up the rope a bit more later on, possibly with a soft beige layer of some kind.

Might continue on these guys a little bit longer before returning attention to Horus.

-- silly painter.

Horus Lupercal (WIP)

Damn it, hurry up and paint me.

Only a very short post with a better picture. Same lighting as before, but a better camera. Some of the easily spotted mistakes on the model have already been fixed.

Just to draw attention to the Luna Wolf icon on his left pauldron, that was simply Gree Seer (base), over which was laid some Black Templar (contrast). A bit of Wazdakka Red for the eye, and done. This is a really good example of where contrast paints shine. It would have taken me an awful lot longer to highlight that wolf head icon, but I don't feel the need to touch it any further now - except to fix the odd mistake, of course.

Gold trim is coming along, and should be done relatively soon. All the same as before, although it's not a good idea to paint tired. Eyes have trouble focusing.

-- silly painter.

Horus Lupercal (WIP)

Starting to look....jaded. Yeeeeaaaaaahh.

Slow progress on Horus. The chest plate metallics have been filled in, though I might still go back over some areas with Reikland again to really bring out the contrast some more.
I did play around with a tiny bit of Skullcrusher Brass to add some colour variation (it really can't be seen in the photo), which is something I intend to introduce some more on the legs and arms. I want to make the engravings ever so slightly different from the trim in areas, just to avoid overdoing the same exact colours. I'm not sure it will ultimately matter.
The shoulder pads are green as a hat-tip towards the Sons of Horus primary colour scheme. No Primarch would be entirely different from their army colours, so it was important to have this present on the model. I picked this up from the Forgeworld paint work, and it really does make sense. In order:

• Lupercal Green (base)
• Sons of Horus Green (layer)
• Athonian Camoshade (wash)
• Lamenter's Yellow (glaze)

The last step was perhaps a little too far. I've pulled it back with the layer, but might glaze it with Lupercal Green later if I feel that's not enough. Depends how it looks once the trim and details are filled in.

-- silly painter.

Horus Lupercal (WIP)

Finally started to work a little more on Horus. It's about time I did so. He's been waiting patiently for me to bring my skills to the proper level, so it's time to continue with the model.

The Eye of Sauron Horus.

Of course the photos are terrible still. Really must do something about that soon. The chest piece is being done as previously detailed with the arm, but now that I can see it starting to take form, then I think the colours will work out.
The one note on the chest piece for now is the Eye of Horus in the middle. That is a combination of:

• Jokaero Orange (base)
• Yriel Yellow (layer)
• Bloodletter (glaze)
• Carroburg Crimson (shade)
• Corvus Black (base, iris)
• 'Ardcoat (technical, varnish)

The idea is to make the centre area more yellow, fading to orange and red at the outer edges. It's tricky to get the blending right with such a small area, and I had to go back & forward with Yriel Yellow a little, but it works ok I think. I'm happy enough with the effect that I think it will work elsewhere too. The varnish final step was learned from painting gemstones, and particularly from Blood Angel models, and really does give the eye the finishing touch.

Horus must still assemble his arm-ies.

I'm using Horus as an excuse for small amounts of contrast paint experimentation. Having decided that contrast paints are better suited to small details, that's exactly what I'm looking at doing; in this case the "dangling straps" (technical term) are some play with the following:

• Wraitbone (base)
• Snakebite Leather (contrast)
• Gore-Grunta Fur (contrast)
• Bloodletter (glaze, selected areas only)

I will very likely go back over this later with more glazing to subtly change the hue and give a different appearance between the upper and lower straps. Possibly some more layers will go on later, but it's a good start. The Snakebite Leather (which still smells like the old paint with the same name from long ago) was far too light, which is why Gore-Grunta Fur was added afterwards. While not finished entirely, I probably won't do more on the straps until later.

Small details on the arm were a simple matter of:

• Grey Seer (base)
• Basilicanum Grey (contrast)

Again, I'll do more later, but only to neaten up a few bits, or make some edging highlights. I wanted something other than a metallic, and this sort of thing is again where contrast paints appear to work rather well. It is similar to a shade in this case, but with better consistency and doesn't just run into recesses, but kind of glazes everything as well. I may just continue to use this for small skull icons on Space Marine helmets.

-- silly painter.