A small break

I have to take a 3-4 week break from everything as I'm currently on holiday and as soon as I get back I have to move back to university. Sorry guys. Once I'm settled, I should be able to get back to my creations. My current thoughts on what to build next are a squad of death watch assassins from dark eldar wyches and dark elf witches or two psykers from the old GW vampire counts Banshee model.
~ M

Banchitsu - Servitor #2

I have finished making my second servitor. Unlike the first this is designed to have an active role on the battlefield. I imagine it flying around repairing vehicles with it's two long arms. One arm tipped with a strong clamp to hold the material and the second with a welding tool to fix the damaged metal. On its back there are fuel canisters for the machine to function, connect by large tubing. The size of which dwarf the small legs of the servitor which are bound behind it to protect them from dangling limply and getting in the way.
~M

Something a little different - Vostroyan standard bearer

Last summer I began work on a vostroyan standard bearer, one of my favourite models. He was the first model I tested my airbrush on, and I still haven't finished him! I have painted the bone on the skeleton to look like weathered aged bone, and the character with the sword in bright vibrant colours to contrast the rest of the model.
~M

The making of servitor #1 - a mini tutorial

I’m putting this up to help others and so I can remember how I made my creations.

Bits used: 

• Tau drone top 
• Imperial guard searchlight 
• Imperial guard winged skull 
• Dark angel’s scroll 
• Dark angel’s shield 
• Space marine backpack vents 

I used my new tentacle/tube maker to roll out the cabling, allowed it to harden for an hour or so as it holds its shape much better then, retaining the bends I shaped it into. I then attached using superglue.
Making it grimey

Before the grime was applied

I have highlighted the key steps in bold.
I basecoated the model and shaded with an airbrush. I used a sponge to apply a chipping effect with black and then silver paint. I applied gloss varnish to protect the model. To make the model dirtier I used oil paints. I then dabbed on small amounts of white, mid brown, yellow, black, dark green oil paint across the model. Concentrating the white on the front of the model as this was the direction of the light. I used a small amount of thinner on my brush to blend in the colours, ensuring that I did not use too much as this will remove the paint, handy if you make a mistake!
Tips

• I used enamel gloss and it takes a while to dry, allow 1-2 days 
• Don’t bother too much making the highlights with the airbrush perfect, the oils will eradicate most of the detailing unless you apply smaller amounts 
• Heavily application with the sponge is key, the oil paints with obscure most of it, you can cover up the chipping with the white oil paint 
• To make rust: mix white, mid brown, yellow oil paints 
• To make verdigris: mix white, dark green oil paints

~ M

Servitor #1

I have finished my first servitor. I wanted to make a really grimy model, something that looks as though its been in the battlefield or a factory working in dirty conditions for years.
My aim was to create something unique, that is an unrecognisable model but still maintains the aesthetics of the imperium.
~ M

Blanchitsu

John Blanche is my inspiration for this blog. After getting back into the hobby one year ago I started reading white dwarf again. The section titled, “Blanchitsu” was simply superb, it was the perfect embodiment of the “grim-dark” nature of 40k.
Previously the background lore of 40k conflicted with my view of the future, I saw humanity as a technologically advanced, efficient, clean race, much like the way the Eldar are portrayed. After seeing Blanche’s work it converted me. I now accept the 40k lore, in fact I prefer it! I love that the future is not perfect and that humanity has to fight tooth and nail to survive. Blanche’s work embodies this struggle. It is a different perspective to the crisp highlights of the pristine ‘eavy metal miniatures. His armour is chipped, their skin weathered and faces gaunt; Blanche’s work displays the desperation and the depths to which humanity will descend to, simply to survive in a cruel galaxy.
I pursued this seam of creativity further and discovered a number of blogs and artists whose work drew from Blanche. I found that many of these sources were linked to the game Inquisitor 28, abbreviated to Inq28. The creativity behind these blogs was unbelievable and the conversions their creators made fascinating.
Having drawn so much inspiration from these sources I wanted to share my creations, and maybe inspire someone else. Not to mention find a game of Inq28 to play!
~M