Monday 24 December 2012


"You are like a son and together we have all but conquered the galaxy. Now the time has come for me to retire to Terra. My work as a soldier is done and now passes to you for I have great tasks to perform in my earthly sanctum. I name you Warmaster and from this day forth all of my armies and generals shall take orders from you as if the words cam from mine own mouth. But words of caution I have for you for your brother Primarchs are strong of will, of though and of action. Do not seek to change them, but use their particular strengths well. You have much work to do for there are still many words to liberate, many peoples to rescue. My trust is with you. Hail Horus! Hail the Warmaster!"



The Emperor of Mankind







The Warmaster Horus here depicted at his triumph at Ullanor. 

Horus is armed and armoured in his traditional battle-dress wielding Worldbreaker and the distinctive Talon. The few historical documents that survive (and are accessible beyond an Ordo Extremis clearance) contradict each other as to the equipment the Primarch of the XVI vaunted legion during the campaign. It is likely due to the ferocity of the Ork that Horus was forced to use several weapon lay outs depending on malfunction, destruction or tactical proclivities of any given battle.

Horus Stands atop a tortured ground, saturated in the blood of his Ork foes in the closing stages of the campaign. Spears litter the gound, with an imperial flag impaled upon one of them. The faded Imperial Eagle upon a crismon field stares defiant and unbroken beneath the heel of the Emperor's most favoured child. 

The pitted pearl armour of the Primarch holds the emblematic Eye of Horus at it's centre. The eye of Terra was a common device used throughout the Imperium, favoured by the Astrates and Primarchs themselves as a link to their spiritual gene-sire; The Emperor. It has many interpretive meanings; for some it is a symbol of justice, others the unwavering knowledge of the Emperor pervading the void. Horus is most commonly associated with this fetish being the first of the Primarch's to be re-united with his father, a fetish that he would drag into the Heresy and corrupt forever-more as a symbol for treachery, betrayal and Heresy. 

The below images were used as a basis for the conversion work as very little official art exists of Horus before the Heresy took root. I don't know who the artists are (please contact me if you know, i'd like to credit them) but they were invaluable in creating this miniature. 




More images with a sepia background.














Wednesday 19 December 2012








Subjugator. Annihilator. The End of Empire. The Eye of the Emperor.
Horus Lupercal, Primarch of the XVI Legionaes Astartes. 

The model started life some time ago, inspired by Damien Thevenin's Horus Lupercal conversion. I loved the conversion so much I decided to try it, putting my own spin on him. The Horus above is the end result and has been created on behalf of a client who wished to create a Horus at the height of the Ullanor Crusade.

I watned Horus to be magnetic, imperiousness and domineering. Above all else, all the accolades, military and diplomatic genius, even beyond the charisma of the character I think of Horus as a bully. I wanted Horus to dominate the stage.

The pose is an inversion of the famous artwork of Adrian Smith, the source of so many Horus conversions and what seemed to be the natural default position of this character. The Breaker of Worlds is held aloft as a sign of victory for the Imperium - echoing the classic motif of the torch bearer, symbolically bringing the Imperial light to foreign soils. The Breaker of Worlds is a Kingly weapon, depicted as a scpetre wielded by a monarch; an image of reason, justice and order.

Horus' claw (some source books have Horus armed with his Talon at Ullanor, others conflict with this) is a huge clunking weapon of brutality. A butcher's weapon that mashes, pulverizes and obliterates, the qualities that will come to the fore in Horus' character after Davin.

A special mention must go to the base (not pictured here but can be found on my facebook page that has a very subtle foreshadowing to the fate of Horus and his coming insurrection. I'll reveal all in my next blog entry, but if you can spot what it is please pop a comment below to win a prize*







* Prizes include a mental high five,  twenty man points or a star that you can name!

P.S at the time of photographing I didn't have the bit that completes Horus Scpetre.

Sunday 16 December 2012








It's been a while since my last update but there are lots of treats coming up in the near future.

This is the second Hellbrute I have painted from the Dark Vengeance set (here is the first). I wanted more contrast between the armour and skin this time, so I painted the fleshy parts in a more natural, aggravated fashion.

Painted with oils and acrylic.

If you like the miniature please vote on any (or all of these sites)

Coolminiornot
Wamp
DakkaDakka

LilLoser!

Monday 19 November 2012









This miniature is a commission piece for a client who wished to create a more dynamic Skaven Warlock. The original is based on the 6th edition Skaven army book front cover, which in turn inspired a Golden Daemon winning miniature. The model is a blend of GW parts, Greenstuff and the excellent infamy miniature's Sherlock Homes.

It became evident early on that the theme was steak-punk, clockwork rat. Thanks to some steak punk parts from eBay I was able to construct a robotic arm and embellish the rat with some interesting bits and pieces. 

Had a blast with this commission, I'm just really disappointed I don't get to paint it. I hope my client sends me pictures of the completed miniature.

LilLoser 




Tuesday 13 November 2012


Since I use this wonderful little tool nearly everyday, I thought it would behoove me learn more about the paintbrush. Above is a break down of how the paint brush is constructed. For most modern brushes, the hairs are held in place with glue whereas the traditional method is to hold them with wax. You should never use hot water to clean your brushes; the heat melts the glue / wax, and splays the point of the brush.


Types of Brushes


  • Round; The workhorse brush. This has a pointed tip with long, closely arranged bristles for detail work. Look for brushes with a single, cohesive tip that does not have odd hairs.
  • Spotter; (Not pictured). Looks like a Round with a shorter bristle length. Used for precision detail, freehand and eye work. This is one of the most important brushes in your collection.
  • Flat; For spreading paint quickly and evenly over a surface. Perfect for cloaks and weathering. 
  • Bright: Shorter than flats, these brushes will often have stiffer bristles. Perfect for stippling or dry brushing with softer haired brushes. 
  • Filbert: Flat brushes with domed ends Used in larger canvas style painting but can be used like a bright.
  • Fan: For blending broad areas of paint. (I don't use this brush - may be useful for weathering I suppose). 
  • Angle: Used like the Filbert, good for general painting application as well as detail work. Excellent for precision dry-brushing. 
  • Mop: A larger brush with a rounded edge for broad soft paint application. Use for laying down washes over a larger, detailed area like a tank or the scales of a dragon.
  • Rigger: round brushes with long hairs, traditionally used for painting the rigging in pictures of ships. I use these for fine, long lines. 
  • Stippler (Below): Round brush with very short hard bristles, used to add texture to flat surface     (such as fur on horses).


Most of these brushes will not be needed and are mentioned for the sake of documentation. I only use a bright, spotter, round and tapered mop. With this collection I can blend, layer, dry brush, wash and ink. Anything else I need to create I merely improvise.

What sizes do we need? If your used to Citadel's sizing then this scaling system can see a little daunting. Most previews give the actual size of the brush on screen. To find out what size you need simply hold up your old paint brush to the photo on screen to work out which size is a detail, large etc. As a general rule of thumb the number 0 or 1 will be a good size for most projects if you buy a quality brush such as the Windsor and Newton Series 7 or Raphael 8404. These brushes come with an exceptional point and can be relied upon for even fine detail work.




Click the picture for actual scale of paint brush


I use a size 0 and 1 Raphael 8404 round, a Windsor and Newton 1 Spotter for detail and fine work; a selection of Rosemary & Co Red Sable round for everyday work and I am planning on buying some pure red sable Bright's for dry brushing.

What brushes do you use? Do you have any recommendations I haven't chosen? Any brands you swear by? Please leave a comment below and share with us all!

Links for Excellent Brushes:

Raphael 8404


Rosemary & Co. 

Windsor and Newton Series 7

Da Vinci Sable





Monday 5 November 2012









This miniature has been painted up as a tester for a Pre Heresy force. The red is a zenithal highlight with chipping effect. Unlike my previous Blood Angel force I've used TMM to achieve a realistic look.

I'm still in the planning stages with my Heresy force. There isn't much information about the marks of armour the Blood Angels wore, organizational markings, fetishes nor artistic flourishes added to reflect the legion. The yellow helmet for example is a mandate from the codex astrates that may or may not have been present during the heresy.

I'm also considering the historical context of this force. Will this force be a representation of the Great Crusade, Heresy or the climactic siege of Terra? Deciding this will influence the miniatures I buy and the paint scheme I use. The Blood Angel Legion are synonymous with their sacrifice on Terra and would be heavily scarred and battle damaged. This force would include most marks of armour, including the inferior Heresy mark V.

I'm very keen on reflecting a sense of place and time through these miniatures, avoiding the commion failing of confusing marks of armour and placing them in the wrong context (MK V Heresy for Crusade Era etc...)

If you have any thoughts on how you represented your legion please let me know!

LilLoser