Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Ultramarine Veteran

And the second model is online...
I had some fun with new colors and cleaner for the airbrush, so I had to paint an Ultramarine :D
Another Ultramarine Veteran. These little guys are really funny to paint. Sooner or later I'll have to make a whole army.

If you are interested, the model is for sale on E-Bay, just like the Space Wolf previously posted.





Here you can see a cabinet view of the models



Space Wolf Veteran Hero

Today double update of miniatures for my blog...
This is the first one, the pictures of a model I started few weeks ago and then I've left unfinished for too much time.
It was mostly a test to use the Prochima Snow. Very very realistic product made by an Italian producer.
I'll put this model on E-Bay this afternoon, so if you want, make a bid!
I'll post the link later.
So... pictures!!!








Friday, January 25, 2013

Painting & Relaxing with an Ultramarine Trooper

Sometimes to relax myself I like to paint simple troopers, mostly Space Marines, mostly Ultramarines, at tabletop level. Just for fun!
I made this model in 2-3 hours using a mix of techniques: airbrush, normal brush and oil colors. I think I'll make the base when all the squad will be painted.
One done, still nine to go!


Uh, I've noticed now that I still have to paint the rivets...

Thursday, January 24, 2013

How to paint gems

Today I want to show you a little tutorial that I've written few month ago for the Italian modelling website that I admin with some friends, Triplozero.com (if you are Italian, you can read the original article here: link ).



Painting shining gems is a very easy way to boost your models. The method is very easy once you have understood the mechanism, well the trick honestly, to paint a realistic gem. In this tutorial I'll explain you how to do that.

In order to to show more clearly every passage, I've painted a gem using Photoshop. I've chosen to do that to have a clearer and sharper image, step by step. This thing (the pictures I mean) would have been harder to do on a 32 mm model because of the size. On the top of this article you can see some examples of painted gems, painted by me of course, on real models. This method works greatly on flat 2D surfaces too, so you do not need to have a real 3D sculpted gem.

Ok, so the very first thing to do is to understand where to put the lights and the shadows in order to obtain an effect of refection/trasparency and thee-dimensionality on our stone.
Let's take a look at the image:



Let's image a source of light coming from the top of the gem. The light will focus on two zones: on the top in the so called "spot of light" and and on the lower zone of the stone. On the top zone we will have the maximum direct reflected light and in the lower zone we will see the "filtered" light of the gem because of its geometry and its trasparency, so this reflected one will be less intense and will get the color of the stone.
Take a note that the light, on the contrary of what you may think, in this case increases going on the bottom. The opposite happens to the shadows. Anyway it's all shown in the previous image.


Ok, let's start painting for real. I've chosen to paint a green gem so let's make an uniform base of Dark Angels Green (Caliban Green now I think), from Games Workshop.



Now, let's work on the lights lighten the lower part of the gem. I've added a small quantity of yellow to the green to get a brighter color. You could also use a tone like Scorpion Green.
Note one thing: when I've highlighted the base of the gem I didn't paint a crescent like shape in the lower zone of the stone. This thing helps to emphasize the convex geometry of our object. Just look at the finished gem image to understand better what I'm saying.. you will see a "U shape" shadow area on the bottom...



Let's add more and more yellow painting smaller and smaller zone step by step. Note how the painted area looks like a crescent. To get a better effect try to leave a kind of darker oval shape on the higher zone of the gem.



Keep adding more and more yellow and paint into smaller areas.


Now you can clearly see the yellow crescent in the lower zone of the stone.



The lower area of our gem is finished. Let's star to give depth to the shadows of the higher zone. Add a little bit of red to the pure green (Dark Angels, do you remember?) and paint the shadows. The red color works because it's the complementary of the green.




When the mix of green and red starts to become too brownish, add some black color and keep shading into smaller areas.


The gem is almost done, just one little  fundamental thing is missing: a spot of light. Take some pure white and with your brush add a little dot on the top of the stone, not too close to the boundary.
If you want you could add more lights on the lower part of the gem, it's up to you.



The gem is done!

In this guide I have showed you a very typical instance of stone: oval shaped gem with zenithal light. Of course you can use the same process for every kind of stone or crystal glass. Anyway when I paint miniatures I prefer to put the light slightly on one side. This effect gives, in my humble opinion, more dramatic nature to the model.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Deathwing Terminator Master - wip #2

Second update with my Deathwing Terminator Master.
As you can see, I'm painting this model using a mixed technique with airbrush and normal brush. I've used the airbrush to get a smoother base and a general sense of the volumes and of the shadows. Lights and shadows were repainted with a lot of layers of glazes.
Still a lot to do on the torso.
I'll probably will not paint battle damages on this model in order to recreate a kind of ceremony armor.
I started with the idea to finish this miniature for yesterday, but as you can see I'm still very far from the end.
This model will be sold on E-Bay soon.


The picture of the back is almost useless since I'll add a Terminator cloak that will cover almost everything.




Thursday, January 17, 2013

Deathwing Terminator Master - wip #1

Hi friends! In the last days I did not have much time to paint so I've only menaged to start a single leg of a Deathwing Terminator Master. Still looooooot to do!
So what am I waiting for?  Pictures!



In the meanwhile, I remember to you that the Deathwing Mortis Contemptor is for sale on E-Bay here: link

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Wips Of the Week - Episode 2

Second episode with the Wips Of the Week... the WOW.
As you can see, a big robot left us, but now we have two new entries... two terminators! A commander of the Deathwing and another guy...
Anyway a picture is worth a thousand words, so here it is, another shot of my wips section of my cabinet!


Monday, January 14, 2013

Contemptor on E-Bay

As you can image, the Mortis Contemptor is on E-Bay.
You can have it bidding here: link

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Deathwing Mortis Contemptor

Done!!!
Hello to everybody!
This is my latest model that I've painted (mostly for E-Bay, but for fun too). Tomorrow I'll put it on sale.

The falling bullets effect was cop... coff coff inspired by the Nemesis Dreadknight done by Piqui & Arsies.
If you want you can vote it here:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/322574
Thank you!









Thursday, January 10, 2013

Deathwing Mortis Contemptor - wip #03 ... almost done

Next update of my Deathwing Mortis Contemptor Dreadnought.
I still have to add more shadows, finish the metals and add a lot of weathering and battle damages... and the base of course.
I wanted to make a knee pad similar to the one showed in one of the new Deathwing Teminators seen in the Games Workshop website, but this pattern on a Contemptor really sucks, so I'm gonna repaint it.
Of course, the arms are not glued.

Once finished, I'll put this model for sale, on E-bay probably.

Uh yes... the pictures! ;)







Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Deathwing Mortis Contemptor - wip #02

The painting goes on on the Forge World Deathwing Mortis Contemptor.
I still have a lot to do on the hull, I've gust made a first sketch of the lights.




All ther painting of the armour was made using simply a large quite brush.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Wips Of the Week - Episode 1

Welcome my friends in the new column of MiniAkh, the Wips Of the Week (now onward WOW).
Every week I'll try to post a shot of the level of my cabinet dedicated to all my painting "work in progress".
That's the place where models will stay for one week or for ages... I never know when I'll finish a project!


As you can see I've finished the left arm of the Contemptor and the Space Wolf Veteran is 95% completed (except the base).
On the background a Nomad Szalamandra of the Infinity range, a Pegaso Scissor Gladiator (who said Spartacus?) and a Red Box Games Barbarian, that maybe I'll finish for the Wamp Forum contest...

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Deathwing Mortis Contemptor - wip 01

First real step of the Deathwing Contemptor.
I've almost finished the right arm and as you can see I've just started the left one.
Of course I still need to add all the weathering and the battle damages.



Once finished, this model will be sold on E-Bay.


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Deathwing Mortis Contemptor - wip 00

So I've begun this 2013 with the new Warhammer 40000 army that Games Workshop is going to release, the Dark Angels.
The first model will be a Deathwing Mortis Contemptor Dreadnought.
I've only assembled the model, adding few bits to personalize it. I do not think I'll add more stuff since I do not like "overloaded" models, that's the reason why I removed the missile launcher.

Ok that's the first shot...


I really love Contemptors :D