I think i'm in love... with a plasticman

laney all i can say is you make great models there amazing

The Varangians haven't had much love on the modelling front for a while - so here are a couple of interim pics. This is my urban sharpshooter. He is an old model that I have tidied up and given a matt finish (he used to be all shiny. The other model will have to wait in my bits box a little longer. I've also included pics of a thunderbolt I scratch built from plasticard from a design I found from a bloke on the internet (He is Captain Israel 'The Baron' Coronach). The model is slightly smaller (an inch or two) than the real thing but only cost about £5 to build (And I had enough stuff left to build two more which I gave to a friend as a birthday present).

(Sorry it won't let me post pics at the minute - I'll send this now and add the pics after work today)

Feedback always welcome (when the pics are up!)

Enjoy
Laney

We wait with anticipation!!!

Here they are.
My Urban Sharpshooter Joe 'ABC' Pineapples



The Thunderbolt (Israel 'Baron' Coronach) of the Varangian 123st Air Corp (The Baron is an expert against Ork Fighta Bombas - hence the Red Wunz Go Fasta painted on his aircraft.




Some other Varangian armour - obviously not Death Squads (My Titan - The Hound of Varangia and Shadowsword Hammer of Varangrad


More Varangians are on the way - but they aren't quite done yet. Sneak Peek...



Cheers Laney

OH MY GOD!

That has to be one of the best warbands I have ever seen! Well done

dwi

Laney... I... don't know what to say. FUCK! You can't do this to me! I love pics... but yours are TOO much for my heart. I need create a donate button so I can buy me a Defibrillator like the one below.


Seriously... I'm blown away.

* Urban Sharpshooter Joe 'ABC' Pineapples: WOW! That model captures EXACTLY what an Urban Sharpshooter is on my mind. I'm freaking out. The respirator, the basing and the camo... ahhh, the camo! It is urban, but it looks like 'ruined-urban-starting-to-be-taken-over-by-vegetation'. BRILLIANT! The lenses are... damn, perfect! Sorry, I don't have words to describe it. For me, English is very limiting. Even taking to account that the pictures are at such close range, which enhances a billion times any errors, I can't find one. The illusion of size is... perfect. Dude... I got tears on my eyes. Also... the naming of your units is super colorful. You definitely made Death Squads your game; the personalization is very cool. When you finish your campaigns, and Pineapples is on your 40k Army... you will feel proud of him. He won't be anymore special (in stats) that other snipers... but you will KNOW he is special! BRAVO! BTW... why Pineapples? You should paint a pineapple on his cloak, near the #5! HA!

* Israel 'Baron' Coronach's Thunderbolt: A true master piece! I REALLY liked that you 'dumbed down' the threat for the Orks! Writing in Orkish, so even they could understand and plant the Fear of the Emperor on their mind. Just GREAT! Shame that the picture of the Baron is blurry, but even then he looks awesome!

* The Hound of Varangia and Shadowsword Hammer of Varangrad: Who told you you could not play those models in Death Squads? The Hound is 47,328,292,016,230,945 credits and the Shadowsword is slightly cheaper at 36,534,967,892,394,986 credits. You can earn than in few games. Make sure you get the Resource Hunter skill. Gorgeous models!!! If you can (no shame on me begging!) take some pictures of them and post them on the 40k section. The models are brutally good! The things of dreams.

* Varangians (WiP): Amazing! The Captain is looking great... such an understatement. I mean, I take your WiP models over many finished products any day! Your work is truly an inspiration. I hope that many use your work as the 'bar to beat'... I certainly have a new standard. Between you and Dozer, I'm gonna need medical help. To quote a great man...

dwi wrote:

That has to be one of the best warbands SQUADS I have ever seen! Well done

Sorry... no critiques on the paint. Way pass my dreams. I feel like trying to critique the work of a 'eavy Metal painter. I can't do it. One thing I could tell you, that will help you SHARE your work, is about the photograph technique. Nothing kills more the SHARING of one's work as the pictures. Your photos are not bad, but they do not do justice (consistently) to your ART... that is what it is man, ART!!! Long time ago I wrote a compilation article about miniature photography. Please visit the link. The article explains lots of the WTF's in a simple manner. I have a crappy camera, and I saw my pictures increase in quality a million percent. Taking pics of WiP on your bench is super cool, but on finished models may rob of the illusion. The article would teach you how to get the whole model in focus, about lighting and other stuff. I use Picasa (its easy AND free!!!) to edit pictures, etc.

Thanks... thanks for sharing. One of the plans, when TRLB is on complete is to make an 'about the hobby' section, featuring models from players all around the world, showcasing their conversions and final models (probably only GW models, unless no model exist from their line) showcasing many different Squads. The Varangians already got my vote to showcase an example of the Imperial Guard Jenkala's Regional Platoon Squad! BRAVO!!! Please keep sharing... this made my day.

Thanks Mordheimer, dwi,

You've made me blush . Thanks for the positives. I'll definitely work on the photography (my camera seems to hate taken close pics in focus - the ones I post are usually the 5th or 6th random attempt - so if I can make that better I'll definitely give it a go).

On the name of the sharpshooter - I nicked it from a 2000AD (Judge Dredd et al) comic strip called the ABC warriors, which is all about a group of ancient war robots called the ABC Warriors, the sniper/assassin robot is called Joe Pineapples (there is one great sequence where he takes out about five targets in one shot, while jumping a ramp on a motorbike). After that he just had to be my sharpshooter. Hammerstein one of the other ABC warriors appears in the hideous Judge Dredd movie (big red robot with a hammer for a fist).

On the thunderbolt - check out Lackofabettername's threads on scratchbuilt titans and thunderbolts etc, he posts the templates (he's not done a thunderhawk one though - damn him!) and they are perfect - After doing one, I built two more in about three nights (friends bday present) and all you need is a sharp exacto and enough plasticard (I also found sentinel pilots and an Airfix tank kit useful for parts). I planned on a squadron - but too many projects too little time! I know you've got loads to do - but this stuff is genius.

Thanks Again,
Going to work on some terrain - using sea shells and the stone spray you've mentioned/shown on your Mikeopolis thread. I'll post the result later today.

Cheers
Laney

I said warband? Ooops! So I did! I mean squads I have ever seen! lol

Mord worte:
"Dude... I got tears in my eyes"

Oh my god! He just made Mord cry! Who would have thunk it?

Mord worte:
"...this has made my day"

Now that I think about it, people like us are the only ones that can have there day made by looking at painted, little plastic people. The more that I think about it, that ain't nromal

dwi

dwi - You're probably right about the plastic man thing (I get the same way when I see the Golden Demon winners or Eavy Metal stuff - let alone the great stuff on coolminiornot) - but who wants to be normal anyway?!

Normal usually means you just lack an imagination!

Laney

Somehow I missed your stuff. You are awesome!

I loved the detail of the pilot and inside the cockpit.

Keep it up.

Mordheimer - I've just had a look at the photography article - its excellent with some great things I can apply straight away. So far I've just snapped away with the camera in 'flower' mode under a single yellow energy saver bulb (with no daylight - because I'm always hobbying in the evening).

Cheers for the help!

Laney

Good! Glad you liked it. Few hints...

1) Photography is like painting. Although you are EXTREMELY talented painter, I bet the 1st models were not that good. As you practiced, your models became better. Same with the pictures! Fortunately, digital photos allow you to take many photos of the same subject, and keep the good ones! I still take two pictures of every pose... just to be safe.

2) No need to invest much money... but you would have to, eventually. Like painting (again) you started with crappy and cheap brushes, and ruined them all. By now, you probably painting with high quality sable. For now, while you learn, do NOT invest much. Once your natural talent flourish, you will move towards better stuff.

3) For now, invest in a Full Spectrum bulb... simulates NATURAL LIGHT!!! They are compliant with the new eco-laws over there (no incandescent bulbs) and they barely use any electricity! They emit the full spectrum of light, so the light is more 'white' than the 'yellow' incandescent. They cost a little more, but they last FOREVER. You can get them in any hardware store. http://www.fullspectrumlighting.co.uk/ You could get them in ASDA (the UK version of Walmart... yes, they bought them!)

4) You can EVENTUALLY buy a photo booth! The entry level ones (I got mine in Walmart) comes with TWO lamps (nice, bright and full spectrum), the booth, background and a tripod... all for $60 (~45 EUR). That is ALL I use... and my cheap camera on the 'flower' setting.

Good luck... can't wait to see you next batch of photos!

Here are some pics of 'Silent Death' himself. He will probably only appear as a character in the story (I'm already too attached to Joe Pineapples), maybe as an aide to Felix Nemeia - but I couldn't resist building my version of such a potentially iconic character (Guys like him and McClane will be this games Calgar, Kantor and co). The only problem I had with the pose is that it is unbalanced - I've had to weight the base to keep him upright. Next to him is a practice model for the Savlar Chem Dogs (Cadians) - with respirator.

The miniature is a metal Rackham model (Griffon Fusiliers) - I really like the long thin styling of the body and weapon. Unfortunately, rackham dropped al their metal lines - which were brilliant in favour of rubbish pre-painted plastics (so get them while their hot).

The hangman's noose on the Chem Dog is to remind him of his escape from the gallows to fight in the IG and gain redemption.






More painted varangians to follow - but first I've got to take a couple of pics to jazz up the battle reports - and a little storyline too!

Feedback always welcome as ever.

Cheers
Laney

Pretty cool!