Xarboth's Painting Blog - 17/05/12: Space Wolves 750point FAP

**Xarboth** · 16th February 2011 09:59

Ok, well I should have some Dark Eldar up tomorrow, but whilst I'm waiting for the DE Painting Competition to finish (and therefore not ruin the anonymity of my entry in the competition), I've started painting a Salamanders army. I felt the need to have a side-project (although I now have unfinished models for Orks, IG, SW, DE and now Salamanders, so I don't really know if I can call it a side-project, or whether it should just be called yet *another* distraction/new army), and some of you might remember that I used to have some green and gold marines of a custom chapter before I decided to repaint them as SW - so I seem to like green space marines, and I do like the fluff of the Salamanders, so without further ado (and because I've already written enough waffle), here's the first of my Salamanders (albeit not yet based. I'll do that when I have the full squad):

**HopperFly621** · 16th February 2011 13:20

looks good...though it looks like you missed the purity seal on his leg, and I would also do the pouch as a brown leather rather than black to make it pop out more.

**edmundblack** · 16th February 2011 14:29

He's a cool dude. Like the eyes, the yellow works well with the green. If anything, I'd darken yellow towards the back of the lens with a thin wash of watered down black or brown paint. Not too much, just enough to get that contrast in there from light to dark. Otherwise, a very solid TT quality Marine.

**Xarboth** · 16th February 2011 14:53

Thanks gents. You're right about the purity seal - I spotted I'd missed that before I took the photo. I'll sort that out when I base him and the rest of his squad.

As for the eyes, the back of the lenses are a shade darker than the insides, but I think with it being yellow you don't get the contrast as much - I find it easier to do with red or blue lenses for some reason. I'll give it a wash with Devlan Mud towards the back of the lenses and see how it looks. Thanks for the tips!

**daddy4count** · 16th February 2011 17:56

a little orange in the eye might help for the darker shade?

The edge highlighting is fantastic, good looking mini

**Xarboth** · 16th February 2011 22:10

Thanks. It's much finer edge highlighting than I've ever managed before. I like the effect.

**Xarboth** · 17th February 2011 09:49

Ok, it's time for a significant update, now that the DE painting comp is closed. Here is my Archon, whom you'll recognise from the competition. Thanks to all who voted for him - when I saw all of the other entries (particularly number 10), I honestly didn't expect to get a single vote, so I'm absolutely delighted to have come in third place.

Here's a pic with (I think) slightly better lighting:

Now, I've also completed the first squad of Kabalite Warriors too (of the Kabal of the Obsidian Rose), so here's the Sybarite. His banner is also the first significant freehand I've ever really done:

Standard guy with Splinter Rifle:

Blaster:

Splinter Cannon:

And finally, the whole squad:

**edmundblack** · 17th February 2011 12:07

I liked him too.

Well done on the 3rd place there Tsar Both, well deserved. Like the highlights and the deep red on the Archon, very nice indeed. I'd like to see the sword brighter, but that's entirely up to you. A good piece.

**Xarboth** · 17th February 2011 12:41

Thanks EB. I didn't really know what to do with the sword, but since I'm going with the whole 'Kabal of the Obsidian Rose' scheme I decided to make it very dark, but with a definite redness to it.

**edmundblack** · 17th February 2011 12:47

I see where you're coming from, but his armour is red so to me the sword would benefit from being a different colour. You could, if you so desired, make it look more like thin obsidian. When napped, obsidian is an almost bottle green colour at the thinnest, black where it's opaque. However, if you're happy with him, leave it.

**Michael** · 17th February 2011 13:32

Fantastic job on the Dark Eldar and congrats on the thir place! I really like the Obsidian Rose scheme and you pulled it off great. Looking forward to more!

**LuckyNo.5** · 17th February 2011 14:32

I really like your color scheme. Looks awesome.

**daddy4count** · 17th February 2011 14:55

congrats on 3rd place, well deserved, great job

**Xarboth** · 25th March 2011 14:25

Well, here's the second squad of Kabalite Warriors:

I'm really, really pleased with how the blue spots look against the dark red - I'm not an expert on colour theory at all, so I guess it was a bit of a fluke, but I think it looks good.

I know they look a lot like the first squad (which is the point, I guess!), so here's a pic to prove that there are actually 2 different squads

That's also my painting challenge completed, too. C&C always welcome!

**edmundblack** · 25th March 2011 15:30

Nice work, I love it! That blue really sets them off nicely. What colours did you use for it? I like how the red tabbards look slightly like badly tanned or untanned leather, like they've skinned something along the way and haven't bothered doing much to it. Just need some Raiders now ...

**Xarboth** · 25th March 2011 15:53

The blue (eyes, runes, gems, splinter pods on guns) is all just Enchanted Blue worked through in a few stages up to Ice Blue (I think in 1:0, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 0:1 amounts respectively), then given an Asurmen Blue wash. The metals on the guns are all Boltgun Metal with Asurmen Blue wash to tie them in, too.

I'm glad the tabards give you that impression - they're meant to look like they've skinned some poor person/creature somewhere along the way, so it's good to hear the effect worked, even if vaguely!

**Xarboth** · 28th March 2011 17:18

Well, to treat myself for finishing my hobby challenge on time, I bought myself some Incubi today. The guy in the shop asked me what colour scheme I was going to paint them. And I realised I hadn't thought of that at all! So any thoughts? I've thought about reversing the colour from the Warriors - so highlighting the armour with blue up to Ice Blue, and any other spot colours red? What would people suggest? As I've already said, I'm not huge on colour theory, and I really like the scheme I've got going for the rest of my DE, so would like a plan of action before I start on these guys, so any opinions and advice would be well appreciated!

**edmundblack** · 28th March 2011 17:22

I'd stick to your scheme you've got now. The reason being, you know how it works, you know it looks good and you know how to do it. I wouldn't over-complicate it for the sake of it.

**Xarboth** · 3rd June 2011 12:43

Ok, finally an update! It's apparently taken over 2 months to paint up these guys, and I have to say I'm not as pleased with them as I could be. I don't think they're as good as the Kabalite Warriors, unfortunately. Also, I converted myself a Klaivex from leftover kabalite warrior bitz, a spare Archon's head (with the second face filed off, but now I think it looks weird) and Demiklaives that I made from plasticard. And he's not very good at all, in my opinion. But that's ok, since a Klaivex is rarely worth his points, especially with Demiklaives, so he'll rarely see the battlefield anyway!

Ok, Incubus number 1:

Incubus number 2:

Incubus number 3:

Incubus number 4 (my favourite because of how the cloth came out):

Incubus number 5:

The (somewhat shoddy) Klaivex:

And a few group shots:

I've just spotted the paint on the Klaivex's knee that shouldn't be there, so consider that fixed! My issue with these guys was the white, I think. I think I used too many layers to get the white smooth, so that by the time I came to do the details on the faces, they were very hard to do accurately.

Still, from a distance they look good, so I'm satisfied with them as table-top pieces. Let me know your thoughts.

**commandojimbob** · 3rd June 2011 13:52

I think your Dark Eldar look great Xarboth - and they will look great as a collective force on the table top.

Regarding white - having a White / Red scheme for my Tau (main colour is white) the only tip I can give you is that I simply use the undercoating process to get me the solid smooth white, and then quite a few watered down layers on the main panels - but since this is on white, it simply goes to reinforce the areas not perfect. In the past I have tried it another way, layering up from black undercoat to codex grey to layers of white, and you will always struggle to get a smooth solid finish - unless you use an airbrush.