Greetings

Now that I have "revealed" myself on the forum, I might as well start one of those newfangled painting blog/log posts. First order of business is to figure out a way to show pictures of my latest results (as well as older stuff). Photography of miniatures is a new area for me so I will need to fiddle around a bit. Below is the first test result using the following setup:

- Canon Powershot SD880IS (straightforward little point and shoot camera)
- 1'x1' terrain tile with a bit of scatter terrain as background and a hill with a cliff in the back. I will need some kind of printed backdrop to make shallower angle shots.
- Camera set to Macro function, no flash, white balance for Tungsten, everything else on Auto
- manual holding of the camera (might need some kind of tripod) at about 50cm distance from the miniatures (capturing a lot of surrounding stuff but yielding a better depth of focus)
- basic image processing in Irfanview (crop, auto histogram adjustment if the colours look far off the original, compress to managable size which is 150kb until I sort out a way to host images externally)

Let me know what you think of these kinds of shots. Tips to do better would be welcome!

cheers
Helge

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

That's a heck of a lot more trouble than I go to! However, your pics seem to turn out far superior, as well, so I guess it pays off.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Love the scenic shot. What are you using for bases?

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Alright, I think I am business. Sorry for the stumbling kick-off.

First project on the table is to wrap up my Epic Chaos (Black Legion) army. I will throw in some shots of the completed SM, IG and Orks in between but for now Chaos is the focus in "real time". Like all my Epic armies, I am trying to get every available unit/formation at reasonable quantity. I am sticking to the 'old school' concepts of all four gods present though I am not sure how well this would actually work on the gaming table. To make the army somewhat playable I have a large undivided contingent (Iron Warriors) which will have most of the core formations. Each god retinue will have some specialty so hopefully I can field useful 3k armies using the IW plus one of the devoted god retinues. With this in mind the painting status is as follows:

Iron Warriors
Retinue 1
- 7 Marines (done)
- 1 Lord (done)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 1 Sorceror (done)
- 4 Havocs (done)
- 3 Obliterators (incomplete, need to convert from robots)
- 8 Rhinos (incomplete, waiting for Nashorns)
- 3 Dreadnoughts (incomplete, need to convert)

Retinue 2
- 7 Marines (done)
- 1 Lord (done)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 1 Sorceror (done)
- 4 Havocs (done)
- 3 Obliterators (incomplete, need to convert from robots)
- 8 Rhinos (incomplete, waiting for Nashorns)
- 3 Dreadnoughts (incomplete, need to convert)

Bike Company
- 7 Bikers (incomplete, need to assemble)
- 1 Lord (incomplete, need to assemble)

Armoured Company
- 7 Predators (done)
- 3 Defiler (incomplete, need to assemble)

Assault Company
- 2 Decimator (incomplete, need to "chaosify two old school SHTs)
- 1 Deathwheel (unpainted)

I still need to figure out how to best model two Forlorn Hope and some Raptors.


Khorne (World Eater):
Retinue 1
- 7 Marines (done)
- Angron (unpainted, saving as the "end game" reward)
- 1 Lord (done)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 4 Berzerker (done)
- 6 Rhinos (done)

Bike Company
- 7 Juggernaughts (done)
- 1 Lord on Jugger (done)

Terminator
- 5 Terminators (done)
- 1 Lord (done)

Armoured Company
- 6 Land Raider (done)
- 1 Defiler (incomplete, need to assemble)

Daemon Pool
- 1 Bloodthirster (unpainted)
- 8 Bloodletter (done)
- 6 Fleshhounds (2 more coming)
- 1 Feral Titan (unpainted, old "Bloodslaughter" model)


Nurgle (Deathguard):
Retinue 1
- 7 Marines (done)
- Mortarion (unpainted, saving as the "end game" reward)
- 1 Lord (done)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 1 Sorceror (done)
- 4 Plague Marines (done)
- 6 Rhinos (done)

Terminator
- 5 Terminators (incomplete, need more green stuff)
- 1 Lord (incomplete, need more green stuff)

Armoured Company
- 4 Land Raider (done)
- 1 Defiler (need more Otterware)

Assault Company
- 1 Deathwheel (done)
- 1 Decimator (incomplete, need more green stuff)

Daemon Pool
- 1 Great Unclean One (unpainted)
- 8 Plague Bearer (done)


Slaneesh (Emperor's Children):
Retinue 1
- 7 Marines (done)
- Fulgrim (unpainted, saving as the "end game" reward)
- 1 Lord (done)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 1 Sorceror (done)
- 4 Noise Marines (done)
- 4 Havocs (done)
- 8 Rhinos (done)
- 1 Defiler (incomplete, need to assemble)

Bike Company
- 7 Marines on Beast (done)
- 1 Lord on Beast (done)

Daemon Pool
- 1 Keeper of Secrets (unpainted)
- 8 Daemonettes (done)
- 1 Feral Titan (incomplete, converted Warhound)


Tzeentch (Thousand Sons):
Retinue 1
- 7 Marines (done)
- Magnus the Red (unpainted, saving as the "end game" reward)
- 1 Champion (done)
- 1 Sorceror (done)
- 4 Thousand Sons (done)
- 4 Havocs (done)
- 8 Rhinos (done)
- 1 Defiler (incomplete, need to assemble)

Bike Company
- 7 Marines on Discs (done)
- 1 Lord on Disc (done, still needs to be based)

Assault Company
- 1 Deathwheel

Daemon Pool
- 1 Lord of Change (unpainted)
- 8 Flamer (done)


That's the goal post, though chances are it will keep moving. Once I get some feedback on the photography style I will post images of the "done" items. Once the Black Legion is completed the next project will be either LotD, Nids or Eldar.

cheers
Helge

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

Do you have a ballpark estimate of how many points that is? Looking at it, it looks like it would put my Eldar (my largest army currently) to shame. And you're going to collect every army to this level? I'm frankly jealous. I will definitely be watching...

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

I use different sizes of fender washer for bases. They have a bunch of advantages:

- easily and consistently available wherever I move (i.e. not like coins)
- available in different diameters for consistency across unit types (I dislike the look of square bases mixed with round, mixed with rectangular, mixed with custom cut, etc)
- attract magnets which is great for model transport
- consistent and slim "height profile" which is important for small minis in my opinion (a 6mm model on a GW 25mm base with a 5mm height profile really disrupts the visual illusion in my opinion)
- dirt cheap (pack of 100 for $5 or so)

I use 20mm for walker, 25mm for infantry, 30mm for vehicles and 40mm for super heavy vehicles. That's probably a bit larger than optimal for gaming terms but allows me to make realistic squad/on-base-landscape ratios. I tape the hole with masking tape and then cover the whole base with spackle. For some bases I insert scenic items (rocks, craters, ruins, razor wire poles, cliffs, etc). While the spackle is still wet I press in the miniatures. When everything is dry I paint dilluted glue onto the base and coat it with fine sand. The most time consuming part afterwards is to load a brush with water and drop a good bit of water onto each model. That has the effect of "washing down" any glue/sand that might have stuck to the models legs. Once that's done everything can dry. The bases are painted over a black spray undercoat with a drybrush of Bestial Brown followed by Bleached Bone. Trim is Bestial Brown again. The rocks and other features are done in various grays as needed.

cheers
Helge

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

Re: Points, maybe around 10k? I am mostly building armies to match the available models in the army list, not to reach a certain point value. In general this brings each army list to around 10k (somewhat surprisingly actually - it seems that low cost forces have more variety which balances the "book value" so to speak).

Status update: Half-way done with the Slaneeshi Rhinos. I will wrap them up tomorow and post pictures together with the already finished retinue. I also undercoated the Iron Warrior Predators and Nurgle Rhinos. Started green-stuffing my first Obliterator conversion and made a GS mold for the terminator shoulder pads needed for it (trying to see if this works rather than hacking up Terminators).

cheers
Helge

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

I think I have a semi-stable photography method now. I am still getting fairly strong shadows so I might need to build an actual light box at some point. For now, I ran my Ork army through this method. Enjoy!

I build the Orks based on the old Clan system with each clan specialising somewhat according to its stereotype. Some of the models are very shiny or have shiny spots in the photos. That's because I use gloss varnish for decals and haven't applied a spray coat of matt varnish to some of the newer models. I don't trust matt varnish in the colder periods which means no spraying from November to April .

GOFF CLAN
The Goffs are the archetypical footslogging bruisers so I made a big infantry mob with a few dreadnoughts and kans. The boyz are a mix of regular models plus a sprinkling of old school wild boyz and mad boyz for that "close combat" feel. There is 25 boyz, 6 grots, 10 nobz, 1 warboss, 2 dreadnoughts and 2 killa kans.



The big mob is supported by a blitz brigade with 12 gun wagons (3 with bigger gunz!) and 3 assault oriented stompas.

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

BAD MOON CLAN
The Bad Moon are rich (in teef) and thus rich in gunz. I tried to model this by giving the infantry more heavy weapons and the nobz more banners and other gubbinz. The infantry mob is modest with 12 boyz, 4 grots and 8 nobz (a few more than proportional to reflect the Bad Moon status).



Where the Bad Moon really shine is in the dakka dakka compartment: A truly huge big gunz battery of 25 big gunz, 7 even bigger gunz and a leadership group of 6 nobz. I guess I went a bit overboard in gaming terms but those teef need to be spend somewhere!



More dakka dakka comes in the form of a stompa mob geared for shooting and led by a supa stompa.



Finally, the Bad Moonz have a blitz brigade with 12 gun wagons including 3 big gunz.




BLOOD AXE CLAN

My Blood Axe group is fairly small, mostly because I wanted to use old style stormboyz for the infantry (the ones without jump packs). Just a regular warband, a stormboyz group (using the newer models with jump packs) and a dozen Kommandos which are usually "seconded" to the larger infantry formations of the other clans.

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

SNAKEBITE CLAN

Another reduced clan, mainly because I kepts most of the models for it in reserve for an eventual feral ork army. Right now there are only a bunch of boar boyz (used as Kult of Speed) and some of the old style squiggoth (which I much prefer over the new type - fuzzy mammoth fits in much nicer with the fuzzy/forest style of the Snakebitez). They have their own little village too...




EVIL SUNZ CLAN

This one is a bit bigger Evil Sunz are red and red ones go fasta! The main formation is a very 'uge Kult of Speed with some 12 biks, 20 buggies, 10 wartracks, 8 deathkopta and 8 scorcha. Run hoomies run...



The main Kult is supported by yet another blitz brigade in the normal format (12 with 3 big gunz).



as well as everything else that goes fasta: a landa, some fighter bombas and the "fast" Gargant. The air force is small and the one thing on the army list that still needs to be augmented when I find some time.

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

DEATHSKULLZ CLAN

Deathskullz are the looters of the battlefield so I modelled them with a variety of gunz on each base, including the nobz. The core formation is a big warband with a full complement of trucks and a battle fortress for the nobz. 25 boyz, 6 grotz, 10 nobz, 8 trucks and a fortress will deliver a world of hurt anywhere needed.



The Deathskullz have their own "mixed" stompa mob with a supa stompa based on the old mekboy gargant.



The obligatory blitz brigade is also present, though this time with the addition of two gun fortressed, one with a big gun.



Finally, the Deathskullz have the big daddy Gargant of the army. The model has a magnetized arm for the scoopa gun option.





That's it. Weights in around 13000 points if everything is taken at the largest formation size. Obviously some of the formations are a bit too large to be ever used together but there should be plenty here to play any kind of normal game. I still need to add some fighter bombas and some grotz if I can get more of these precious little buggers. Otherwise this army project is complete.

I will photograph the next completed army later this week. Let me know if you would like IG or SM first.



Regarding actual painting for the chaos army: I finished the Nurgle Rhinos and the Iron Warrior Predators (except the gazzillions coat of yellow for the small stripe patches which will be an "on the side" activity while I wait for washes to dry). Pics to follow once I clear the orks back into the display cabinet.

cheers
Helge

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My blog and armies: http://wargamingworkshop.wordpress.com

Dat's a lot of Orky goodness! excellent paintjobs - particularly the Deffskulls - love the patches of looted plate. The Evil Sunz are a nice clean yellow.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

That is one bad ass Ork horde

Any chance you could do a picture with the entire horde in it?

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Initiate
Emperor's Pride
Victurus te saluto

Nice!

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Holy crap Helge, this... MEGA-WARBAND is fantastic.

I'm in the middle of doing my own, little, 2,000 point warband, and your fantastic miniatures are an inspiration.