Blood Angels Contemptor - Part IV (Showcase)

 

He'll be charging through the rubble when he comes...

The third monopose Contemptors is now "done". This is the second part of a duel with the original Sons of Horus Contemptor painted earlier in the year, and I have certainly learned a lot in that time, even if this is perhaps the dreadnought I'm least happy with so far.

The pose was never quite right. I should have pivoted the pelvis slightly to better give a sense of movement, and perhaps strengthened contact points so that one foot could be in the air. That is a definite problem with models: giving them a sense of movement despite being a static object. Credit where it's due, Games Workshop has been getting a whole lot better at this recently.

The head I'm not a fan of here either. I perhaps should have tried to keep the original, and just tilted it up rather than swapping out for a spare tactical marine helmet. The size isn't quite right, and it messes up the proportions of the whole model.

If I were to make more of these, I would also very much consider finding a way to sort out proper "upper legs". I'm sure there are 3d printed pieces available, and it's small enough that the difference in finish wouldn't be noticeable. Or I could just improve my sculpting skills, which is definitely a cheaper option. In any case, that's been a weak point of these models - they're otherwise just as flexible as the new plastic kits, with a bit of planning.

There's not much point dwelling on the painting of the dreadnought itself as it's no different to a normal Marine, and I just followed that forumla. The golds didn't quite turn out as bright as I wanted however, but I could have mixed more Auric Armour Gold in for highlights, and edged with something else - perhaps a mix of Auric Armour Gold and Stormhost Silver. The reds are fine, but I really need to push the contrast between shadow and highlights more, particularly on the larger models. Edge highlights being done both before and after the matt varnish definitely worked well. It takes more time, but the result is worth it - and actually I can probably move faster on the pre-matt-varnish stage knowing that it will be faded out a lot by the varnish. I didn't really like how the scratches were turning out though, and weathering for Blood Angels is going to take a bit more practice before get the hang of it (mostly because I don't weather them, but also because I find it challenging to do make it properly visible against a deep red).

I like the black detailing, and it very much fits with a pre-Heresy look. It's artistic, but not extravagant. The visual interest is subtle but helps to break up large panels. Ultimately, however, I think I prefer some old school checkers and bright colours that have been dirtied in battle. Personal heraldry, bright wing motifs, patterning around the power fists, that kind of thing. The sculpted Blood Angels models don't lend naturally to that, however the monopose ones do. It would also have taken me a really long time - perhaps I can practice that style with future Titanicus models, or better yet the Imperial Knights currently sitting in a box.

What I think I did manage to salvage was the base. I could have put another "slab" towards the back, but it's still ok. There are some skulls for a nice finish, but what really did the job was the marbling. Exactly the same colours as used on Horus' base were used here, but I borrowed some of the heavy drybrushing from Rylanor's base and used that to help bring out the texture. The end result was an excellent foundation to build up the marbling effect from. Close up, marbling is often multiple thin striations of different rocks, which when cut give the well known pattern. A little further out and the thin lines blur into a kind of darkened line - and at the scale here, that means thin glazes to build up a kind of blurred and soft shadow in main colours, then later going back in with a darker colour for bolder lines where the shadow is heaviest. Thin, shaky lines are not enough - the blurred area outline is also critical to giving the marbling look. When in doubt, look at marble statues, but not just up close; observe marble patterns from multiple distances, from short range to several metres away.

Your fight is with me, traitor!

-- silly painter.