Thursday 5 September 2013

Things end and things start...

I recently launched an idea on the BLOOD forum and found with greta pleasure some people had been recptive to it. Please let me explain.
The idea was to emphasise the multicultural aspect of our community (the oldhammer community and even the hobby comunity in general) by producing themed models based on our culture.
The starting idea was to make "a knight" to embody what we are, where we come from and all of that. Chosing such a simple subject was to give the more freedom possible to interpretation.
You can join or see the how things go here.

I've considered several ideas for this project, all of them using the prejudices about french people which included a Nurgle knight on a giant snail with smelly cheeses haging all around his armour or even a slann knight riding a giant frog.
The one idea that caught my attention was the idea of a brettonian knight riding a giant rooster for the rooster is the symbol of France but moreover, the symmbol of my region (where roosters happen to be white with blue legs). You will see the WIP's of this project in posts to come but the main reasons I wanted to talk about this little project of mine were :
- I would love people to join
- I wanted to help launch Axiom's blog because I believe it is going to be a very great one from what I've seen of the lad on the Blood forum.

On top of that, that fellow got me to get my hands on an incredible zoat helping an eldar, which will join my eldar army in the xenos force (understand a slann contingent with the help of the zoat fighting alongside my eldars against chaos, necrons or whatever nasty/mean/ugly foe)

Zoat hero helping an injured eldar
 So please join his blog, trust me on this one, you won't be disappointed, and if you don't trust me, go have a look on his Bratt confrontation gang and you'll see what I'm talking about.


This little side project is another nail in my achievement's coffin. I can almost hear the countless number of models waiting for final touch and varnish on the table, all screaming : "STOP IT, DON'T START ANYTHING NEW DUMBASS !  FINISH US OR KILL US"


It's why with a little feeling of guilt, I tried to spend the one hour I had free on trying to make a banner for my squat leader. The photo is unfair on the brilliant blending I achieved here (hum hum), and I don't even know if the banner looks chaotic enough. 
My goal was to paint something which meant "chaos is what puts the world into motion and we chaos squats are the gears which make it so..." (as written in tiny in red ) or something like this. I don't know if it's what comes out when you see it. 
I kept the banner grey because I wanted grey to be my contrast colour, which means all the banners and all the clothing (apart from champion's) will be grey too with slight touches of red here and there to warm up everything.

Please be honest and tell me what you think of all this.



 Anyway, next week and others are dedicated to getting rid of all "nearly finished" models on the table to start things properly on other projects.

9 comments:

  1. I'm glad you blogged about the Knight idea, I had missed it on the forum. That place is getting so big now I can't keep track of everything.

    Freehand work is something I am finding hard, I am very late to that party and don't have the skills yet. That said, I have eyes so if you want an amateur opinion here goes. What you've done is good and it feels like you have only a few more steps to take before you improve to outstanding. If you're serious about doing more free hand banners with a story to tell you may benefit from the study of a few paintings/drawings online to learn from their composition.

    I love the work you've done on your Squat and I hope you do some more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Paul,
      Just like you, I'm a very late freehander (as on any other fancy technique such as OSL etc...) and have pretty much always based my painting on ols reliable techniques.
      I think you're absolutely right and the way I see it is that Freehand is not only about technique put about preparation and composition. Drawing a sketch on paper bforehand is something you should miss (unless you're an absolute genius).
      Anyway there will be far more banner to come and far more to learn from.

      Glad the ad about the knight project helped getting it to the light.

      Delete
    2. Maybe you could move your request for advice over to the BLOODforum? There are bound to be many more replies there, and some invaluable tips up for grabs.

      Delete
  2. That is a very nice Zoat. I like that idea as there were Zoats in the Eldar army in the 1988 Book of the Astronomican.

    A miniature representing the diverse nature of the BLOOD forum is a great idea. A Slann on a giant frog always sounds like a good idea. However, if you cannot come up with a particular miniature, perhaps a different idea? I remember from the 1980's a diorama of a 40k Mercenary group all in the small coloured power armour, but consisting of a Human, an Ork, and and Eldar, and working togther.
    I will try to locate the picture in one of the old White Dwarf magazines and let you know.

    I like the way Chaos Squats have progressed, I found painting freehand banners to be challenging too when painting the Bretonnians.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Space zoat + eldar pirate, how Rogue trader can this be? ;)

      The miniature for the knight project has been chosen for me, it will eb a bretonnian on a giant rooster. I actually started assembling him to test poses.
      As far as freehand is concerned, I'm not aiming at flawless technique at first but efficient one. A banner has to be thought correctly to work, and I find this one lacks something though I love it.

      @Paul : You are right, bringing this to the forum is the way to go, after all I got to this forum thanks to this very same unit.

      Delete
  3. Interesting idea with the "Self-portrait" mini. I'll check it out.

    That Zoat is wonderful. Make me think of a great Mini by Victoria Lamp with an Ogre/Imperial guard on the same theme: http://www.victorialamb.com/wugs/Nork%20gallery/pages/DSCN1054.htm

    I examined your pic and found a blues brother on a rooster - LOL. Is that a new project?

    Like really your idea about the banner - "chaos is what puts the world into motion". Looks good too. It's really hard to do freehand on pleated fabric that you have on the top of the banner. Maybe add a few spiked or something there. I usually draw the line with a pencil before applying paint. Find that easier. Not really needed though - more of a "bonus"

    /Hans

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hans, you would make me a happy man if you joined this little group project !

      Your eagle eyes have spotted the rooster right. I just put my mounted Jaek (or is it Elwud?) on him to see if the scale was right for what I have in mind. It happens its just perfect!

      Fo rthe banner, I did draw the rough shapes with a pen before hand to have nice circles. What you say make sme realise it lacks "chaos", the lines ar etoo straight and the edges too sharp, I should twist everything to make it look chaotic. the composition is not the best but I won't change it now (I'm too lazy). I might benefit from taking more time to design the banners on paper and show them on the forum to see what others think of it.

      Your comments have been much helpful guys.
      Lots of new banners to paint though, so I'll have a proper look at Orlygg's and Nico's tutorials and show them arond to see if it it works.

      Delete
  4. That Chaos squat is simple wonderfull!
    Also the whole black scheme make him loos so evil.
    It was an existing mini? Or totally converted?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally a conversion actually. I butchered this one when I was 12 and felt like giving him and his lads a second life... still not sure about what to do with the banner though...

      Thanks !

      Delete

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