Miniatures used in a war concept

My project is creating a war concept using miniatures as a theme and practice. I wanted to broaden my horizons, by approaching a completely new and different field to work with. I used Warhammer models as my material and used various primers, tools like pliers and filers and layer paints.

post 1- week 1

The first week of the new project has been interesting in terms of finding a context and the concept to go with it. I have purchased a Warhammer 40,000k set and began to learn how to put them together using the plastic glue and the techniques and painting processes. This is a important step in starting a new project, because I had left my comfort zone more and began to use more unusual and unexpected materials and sources to explore further with.

I have enjoyed this introduction to the world of Warhammer and I am confident that it is a good approach to work with and the models moulds are exceptional and fun to build and paint.

post 2- week 2

This week has been productive using my recently purchased boxes of models and beginning to work on them and learning new techniques and methods form the Warhammer shop team. I have been shown the ropes by the team and introduced to the painting scheme order, primer spray applied first, then base paint, then layers, shade and dry brushing if needed. Also edge highlights and technical and terrain paints to finish off.

These paints are of large variety and a highly diverse selection of pigments and tutorials to use at my disposal to provide great detailed effects on my miniatures. I am enjoying exploring the different painting approaches for the necrons. The necrons are being constructed and glued together this week.

post 3- week 3

This week is an exciting part of my project, I have began to prime my necrons and started the painting process I used my base metallic colour called lead belcher, I applied two thin coats for a much better stronger effect. then I applied a shade paint called nuln oil this basically darkens the metal and promotes the crevices and details of the miniature.

The shades take roughly 30 minutes to an hour to completely dry while I wait for the drying process I decided to build and construct the necrons doom scythe which is a major piece to my final product. the doom scythe is large and an exceptional sculpt to build.

post 4- week 4

This week is continuing my necrons and finalising their appearance and developing the textured terrains on the base mounts. I finished my necrons paint scheme by applying layer paints like iron breaker and a edge highlight of rune fang steel. I then applied eshin grey for a edge highlight on the gun and Caliban green, moot, green for the ion energy rods.

I used astrogranite for the texture of the base and dry brushed with white scar. and the necrons are officially finished and look great with the paint scheme I applied and I have grown more confident to tackle more detailed and complicated models for my project.

post 5- week 5

This week is devoted to the necron doom scythe which is a major piece to paint and tackle. A real challenge but I have primed the piece using chaos black spray and used the base colour Balthasar gold for the cockpit section of the scythe and then dry brushed with lead belcher on the wings and coated in nuln oil gloss shade to give a metallic ebony armour appearance.

I used Kantor blue for the glowing lines and then dry brushed using hoeth blue and glazed with gullimans blue for a glow effect. I used the leadbelcher for the mechanical pieces of the ship and shaded using nuln oil for a dark effect. I also have drawn several sketches to explore and experiment new directions using my models as first hand sources. I used pencil and charcoal for connotation to my concept.

post 6- week 6

This week is a new group of miniatures I have decided to do new models called orcs, they are more ambitious and riddled with small details that will provide a new challenge. The orcs require a completely different palette which I used from previous painting experience from the necrons. I used chaos black primer again and used Lorren forest for my base for the skin and did a shade of athonian cameo shade.

I used lead belcher again for the metallic parts like guns and blunt and sharp weapons. mephiston red for the eyes and zandri dust for bone. The orcs have been a real challenge and become costly time consuming to finish.

post 7- week 7

This process of the orcs are finished except the newly developed orc riders on war bikes which were a delight to build and I have to currently apply a similar palette to them as the previous orc nobs and orc boys. the bikes are heavily metallic and packed with detail which I used with various layers and shades like drakenhof nightshade and reikland flesh shade.

I am planning on painting a more gargantuan and sophisticated army like space marines or nurgle which are very impressive displays and a great range of painting palettes to use for them.

post 8- week 8

I have purchased a duel large set of plague marines and space marines which is an exciting addition to add to the final piece in the deadline. I have decided to go with a dark angels concept with the space marines and painted them with a very dark gritty green using Caliban green, dry brushing with not green. the choice of weapons like plasma allowed to practice the dry brushing technique more efficiently by creating the glowing plasma energy effect on the rods of the guns.

I used a technical paint called nurgle rot which is a slime texture which I want to use for the bases and for my plague marines for a rotting and pestilence appearance.

post 9- week 9

The space marines and the plague marines are completed and ready to display on the battlefield I purchased to go perfectly with the war torn theme. The diversity of the sections of models I chose make the battlefield look interesting and really try to make my piece interesting and crammed with detail.

the terrain I have selected for my pieces is to give them some purpose and bring them to life in their own sadistic and war driven world.

post 10- week 10

The final week of my project has happened as I have finalised my piece ready for the assessments and then to be apart of the year 2 exhibition. This week will be planning and participating in the exhibition and finding the right area for my final piece to prosper.

Artists

Jake and Dinos chapmen

Jake and dinos chapman were one of the biggest inspirations and motivators when I decided to use models as my source material and provide me with confidence that miniatures can be used effectively in the art field. They use the instruments of childhood innocence to create ghastly sadistic perversions concerning Nazis, corpses and political opinions. Their style is macabre and allowed me to experiment with gore and sadism in my own models considering I wanted to use them in a war torn way.

Damien hirst

Damien Hirst was an idea because of his large sculptures of anatomy and it gave me a direction to maybe use my models and enlarge them in public environments for a different angle to work from. This was a new direction to go for if I wanted to take my work to new level and further develop a more contextual purpose for the miniatures I used.

Paul McCarthy

McCarthy is a good example of how I could add other man made objects to my miniatures and explore a more hoarder like quality using rubbish and landfill materials for a different perspective. I also was thinking of using paper Mache or chicken wire and somehow involve the models in this crusade. The possibilities were endless concerning McCarthy's involvement in my learning curve.

Marcus Harvey

Marcus Harvey is an interesting choice of artist in my work because the connection is not as obvious as my over selected few. his style is abstract, but I had an idea to maybe use my miniatures to create an image with together in a birds eye view angle and to change the perspective of my work to the naked eye and enhance its purpose further.

john blanche

john blanche is an artist for the popular Warhammer hobby magazine white dwarf and has been designing covers and concept art for the notorious models and the appealing nature to hobbyists globally. blanche has a unique style that almost cries out romantic gothic and rebellious punk agendas with his dark undertones and over exaggerated drawing. His work is a pillar in my work

gallery visit

I visited the Laing art gallery to visit the exhibition of Sean scully, the pieces were large and just looked perfectly symmetrical but so smooth almost like a lino print effect. the colours contrasted well together and complimented each other despite that they are opposites on the colour spectrum.

The work of Sean scully is fascinating because he has consistency but also likes to make each piece different in colour or pattern which gives each piece its own identity despite its simplicity.

crit

art movie- the birth of a nation

The art film was dedicated on the topic of the movie called the birth of a nation which was set in the first American civil war and around the time period of the end of slavery during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The film was deeply immersed in the historical context of the 1920's and its society's views on the black community and the rise of the feared and white supremist ku klux klan. the film is annotated and critically dissected to give the audience explanations and theories on the directors approach and the ideology behind the history and tragedies set in motion during that time.