Headlights!

I got Ed to use a more whiter headlight effect on this ultramarines rhino and I think it works a lot better than the yellow. It seems to really shine on the photos:

Anyway, I've put the tank on ebay now, so hopefully somebody will like it!
ebay link

Stormraven WIP

Finally decided to do some stormraven freehand for blood angels. I'd planned what I was going to do as a sketch and got some reference pictures from google/codex.

Sanguinius was particularly difficult to put a face to, so I used the reference of a face from a sculpture I found on google by Breker. Added some long hair (as my extensive research of Sanguinius showed he had long hair!) and put Dante on the other wing.

Still indecided whether to do any more freehand on it, or whether it would ovecrowd it. I've passed it to Ed to do some weathering and some more airbrushing. In the meantime I'll decide whether to add anything else, any thoughts???

|The bottom photo makes it look quite bare, could possibly put some winged bloodrops on the sides/top?

More Ultramarines!!!

Putting off doing my stormraven, I decided to do some more Ultramarines freehand. I felt like after a week of not doing any, I should start off with something small.

I took the design from a google image and sketched the rough outline in my sketchbook. I'm fairly happy with how it's turned out, I was against doing a blue ultramarine on a blue background, but by mixing in a little codex grey and space wolves grey it managed to blend in nicely without disappearing too much.

I added a couple of the eagles to frame it at the top, and I'm going to put a gold skull and ultra banner on the side.

I might try adding more of a rust effect to it this time as recommended to me on a forum, Ed's just looking through some youtube recipes now! Might try more muddier tyres and a whiter headlight, as it is a bit too yellowy.

I'll put up better pictures when these are done.

with preliminary sketch.

 

Preview WIP

I thought I'd upload this pic showing my work in progress of my Dark Angels tank. I usually start off with a rough sketch and get the source material in front of me, so I had pictures of skulls on my desktop, and the codex open to show the hooded dark angel, so I could see the hood shading.

I then do a basic outline in a light colour and gradually build up the picture using the main colours mixed with black/ white to build up areas of light and shade. As you can see, the start is quite different from the end product (in the red box) but you get an impression of how it's going to look.

Today..Imperial Guard

Today I decided to do some freehand on an Imperial Guard Chimera. I wasn't sure how to approach this one as there aren't very many flat spaces compared to a rhino.

I decided on a basic skull/laurel motif on the top and then decided to copy the winged lion from the codex on the front. I'm not really sure about it really, I don't think it's one of my favourites but that's probably because I don't know as much about Guard as the other armies.

I've still got some other chimeras and Leman Russ's to work on and try other stuff out, so maybe I'll do something I like a little better with a bit more practice.

I've put the tank on ebay but I've put it on for a bit less than usual as it is more of a first time piece.

Twitter

I've just joined twitter https://twitter.com/miniartstudios if anyone has any clue how it works, please let me know!!

Keeping busy!

I managed to do the Dark Angels rhino today as well as getting the other 2 I did completed. I've taken some better photos now as well and stuck them on ebay.

At first I wasn't sure if I could paint the hood properly but it doesn't look too bad. I tried painting one on a raider once but it was such a failure I scribbled all over it and had a bit of a mardy!

Still got loads more I can do, there are some Imperial Guard tanks that need doing and I have a Blood Angels stormraven still to do. decisions, decisions!!

 I've tried now adding a watermark to the photos I put on ebay, so it looks a bit more professional!
I've also registered with a few forums to get some feedback on my freehand work:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/525273.page

http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/miniartstudios

Please feel free to comment on here though, if you have any suggestions for what I could paint.  

Bank holiday painting!!

I managed to get into high production mode over this weekend, freehanding my death company rhino on the friday, and another blood angels rhino on the saturday!

Ed had sprayed up a load of tanks ready for me (as you can see in the background of the photos), no rest for the wicked!

The death company tank was something I had the idea for ages ago and had the sketches in my art book from previous ideas. I decided something like a simple skull on the top and something from the codex on the side. I got ed to spray on a red cross on the top and side door.

I decided on the skull cup on the side, but I thought the front looked a bit empty so I freehanded a little motif from the codex on there.

For the blood angels rhino I decided upon the picture from the front of the codex, the "mechanised" sanguinor (is how I, possibly wrongly, describe it). I'm really pleased with how this one turned out and I'll probably do this one again, maybe on a land raider. I did a terminator shoulder skull on the side, and drybrushed the forgeworld door on the front.

I've got a dark angels rhino sat on my desk as we speak and I'm starting to sketch ideas. I will probably upload better pictures of these two when they are ready for ebay. Ed is going to airbrush the headlights and add more mud effects first.

Ultramarines Land Raider

This is my very latest bit of freehand on a Land Raider that Ed had already airbrushed. I decided on using the 2 long strips at the op, and maybe something small on each side.

I decided a banner would be good, and my son gave me the idea of having it wrapped around a sword. Ed sprayed the sword on for me as it was a big area, and I just added the handle. Also we did the banner parts using a stencil and airbrush.

I decided to add a bit to the banner as it was a bit too square and neat so I went over some of the edges and put some highlights on the handle. Not sure if this now makes the blade a little artificial looking in comparison?

On the other side, with the lack of room I just added a purity seal. I toyed with the idea of a thunder hammer but it was too narrow a space and would have looked weird in scale compared to the sword.

I then decided on putting a space marine face on the side door and chose one from "The Emperors Might" book of artwork. It began as a small face but then I got carried away and spread outwards adding a shoulder and terminator helmet. I'm glad I did as I'm really pleased with it and I think it's one of my favourite bits of freehand so far. I'll probably look back on it in a few months and think it's rubbish though as I'm starting to do with some of my early work!

I thought the other side was a bit too empty so I added a skull and laurels to the other front side part. Although for me, the terminator is definately the focal point. This is also on eBay and if it sells well I might do another for a different chapter.

Blood Angels Baal Predator

I then decided to paint up my Baal Predator to sell. I'm selling my Blood Angels stock and so I'm freehanding a bit at a time. There isn't as much flat space compared to a rhino so I was limited to the doors. I painted the blood drop logo on the front with a name banner, and decided at the last minute to put a face on the back. I did the one from the codex (the wired up man shouting, you can tell I know nothing about the characters!).
I'm quite pleased with it although maybe I should've done the face in steel or gold, as it looks a bit pinkish. Ed did the weathering on it and I think it shows up more than on the ultramarines ones. I might try my hand at weathering one day. I also told Ed he should put more of his things on here..we'll see.  Anyway, this tank is also on eBay

Blood Angels Rhino #2

After the Ultramarines tanks I decided to try another face so I revisited the idea of putting another Sanguinor on a Blood Angels rhino. This time I got a picture of an angel statue from google images and recreated it (in gold) on the top. I am fairly pleased with the result and it is currently on ebay for sale!

Ultramarines Rhino Banner Freehand

I decided to paint some tanks we had lying around, and to practice my freehand after the long break. So, I put this banner on top of an ultramarine rhino. I did 2 the same and sold them on ebay, got good feedback on the artwork I had done. Not sure if I should do more banners as Ed pointed out that they can be bought as tranfers and were'nt that unique. Next project would be another face!

Competition Entry

Well, it's been a while! After a house move, change in job etc etc I have finally begun painting again! I had a go at entering a competition in store. We had to paint a HQ so I chose Vect and put him on his own personal raider.

I conversted vect using chopped up bits of dark eldar and sat him on a throne of skulls made from tomb kings skeletons. I used green stuff to give him a cape and smakes writhing around, and then made his staff.

I kept the harlequin theme with the converted wyches and also made them pirates with hooks, eye patches etc. I made his ship a bit like a pirate ship "Asdrubaels curse"

For the base I decided as it was a pirate ship it would be flying over water, so I created the sea creatures arm to be wrapped around holding it up, and created the water effect and swirls below using water effects.

I won!