Will It Never End? - Hobby Challenge - Rich update 5

I have to say its been an absolute pleasure to do this conversion and paint job, the model is lovely and had that dynamic pose that allowed me to swap out the blade for a banner pole and I had an old renegade militia standard bearer flag that was just perfect to be blowing in the breeze atop the pole.

Story behind the scene...
The story behind this scene is called 'Rally Point'. I am thinking ahead to the Siege of Terra; this guy is storming to the top of a staircase above the beleaguered loyalist forces to have them rally to him and re-organise their defences.

Communications are down so he is yelling and waving the Company Banner to get his marines attention. The spent shell casings littering the stairs are testimony to the fight he has endured to make it to a point at which he will be seen.

I am going to extend the scene a little in September with the addition of a dead marine behind him on the stairs. He will be wearing White Scar armour but will have large sections weathered away to reveal Alpha Legion paint job beneath. The White Scars had been infiltrated and this guy has realised it and has found a way to work around their signal jamming....ok I know I have an overactive imagination but heh...it keeps me out of trouble!

How I painted the model:
To find out how I did the conversion check out my earlier post here...
I used my usual recipe for Imperial Fists on this guy, but here it is again for anyone who is reading for the first time...

Vallejo Primer Grey all over

Yellows:
Phalanx Yellow (FW airbrush paint)
Vallejo Game Air Hull Red
Windsor Newton Burnt Umber Oil Wash (for all the edges and creases)
I used a little Fresh Mud FW Weathering powder in a few of the darker areas to give it some more shadow too.

Gold:
Balthazar Gold
Sycorax bronze
Windsor Newton Burnt Umber oil wash
Dry brush of leadbelcher

Face:
Calthan Brown
Tallarn Flesh
Organ Flesh Ink Wash
Watered down tallarn again in layers
Taller Flesh (with a little Scar White for highlights)

Banner:
Sandri Dust & Scar White thinned with water and three coats
Washed with Agrax Earthshade Ink Wash, this was pushed around the flag with Lahriman medium to make sure it only sat in the creases
Once all dry I used a little Fresh Mud FW weathering powder here and there

The model got a full varnish of Vallejo Satin varnish before the oil wash went on, then again before the decals went on and a final one to seal everything in!

Using Phalanx Yellow Airbrush Paint:
This was the first time I used the Phalanx Yellow, I had head some describe it as too 'lemony' and I can see what they mean once the whole model is covered in it. However, I really like the result once you have broken the yellow up with darker colours and given it a bit of a weathering. Its also a lovely consistency for airbrushing - fine work FW!

Hobby Challenge Progress:
I had five character models and three Quad Mortars (plus crews) to paint for my challenge and all that remains is the Quad Mortars. These are well underway although with just two more days left before I go on leave its looking unlikely I will get through it all in August. I'll give it a go but I am already happy with the boost that the challenge has given to my painting. I would never have done so much otherwise.

Happy hobby time!

Will It Never End?! Hobby Challenge - Rich update 4

Hi hobby fans, I've been on holiday with the family so not made huge strides in past couple of weeks but what a family break did give me (whilst I was pushing our baby around in the stroller) was lots of time to think about my challenge models, in particular the Praetor Tribune model.

Legion Praetor Tribune model
As I said in my earlier post, the model was going to be converted to be holding a banner that I was borrowing from another Forgeworld model.

It took me a while to find the right materials and approach for making the banner pole, but after some online research I stumbled across the perfect tactic.

1. Drill holes in both ends of the existing 'banner pole' i.e. the bit the Praetor is holding onto once I had cut off the blade. I then put some fine pinning rod into both ends with about 6mm protruding in each direction.
2. Drill a hole into the flag itself and fit a small pin with around 6mm protruding.
3. Purchase some copper tube 0.5mm in diameter from you local modelling store - big thanks to Chester Model Centre for this.
4. If you've got the right sized tube and pinning rod you will find they slide together perfectly, add a little glue and a skull and there you have it, the perfect banner pole!

Creating a 'Rally Point' scene...

My time away gave me a chance to dream up a bit of a scene. I was imagining this hero having fought his way to the top of a prominent battlefield feature, and finding foes surrounding his beleaguered force grabbed their banner and raised it aloft to signal a rally point and the beginnings of a fight back...told you I had a lot of thinking time!

This got me thinking about the base and I knew that a simple 40mm base wouldn't cut-it so I have borrowed a dreadnought base to help create this scene. I reckon a flight of stairs would give the impression of him heading for high ground so I have fashioned a 'turret-style' staircase for him to be climbing which is suitably ruined.

The Praetor is ascending and holding the tattered banner high for all to see, the banner is battle damaged to reflect the hell-fire they are going though, and now I have seen how much space there is on the base I am thinking of including a wounded Imperial Fist standard bearer reaching up to the banner being held by his comrade.

This is, I guess, inspired by victorian warfare paintings which were often full of the visual horror of warfare, whilst being hugely patriotic and making the greatest virtue of love for the regimental colours. I always liked the painting of the Last Stand of the 44th of Foot at Gandamack; a British Regiment completely wiped-out by Afghan warriors, the long running battle ending atop a hill where the British were overrun, starving, freezing a running out of ammo. The Regimental Colours were wrapped around a Captains' waist who hid them beneath his coat, in the end this act saved him, as the Afghans took him prisoner, thinking that his yellow waistcoat marked him out as a General!

So I need your help, what do you think of the idea of putting a mortally wounded Imperial Fist in the background reaching up for the banner with the last of his energy? Or, should I make use of the space by putting some filthy traitor with a great big wound that my Officer has just left in him?

Help please?!