Empire WiP

[benmoor]

Hi All,

Thought I'd post some work in progress photos of my efforts with my Empire starter force from the kickstarter. Haven't quite decided how I'm going to paint them all yet so I'm hoping some decent inspiration will come my way as I slowly get through them all.

Here's my starting point, based and undercoated. I usually do black but apparently white brings out the colours better so I thought I'd start with that on these models.



Plan is to do all the messy stuff first which for me means all the dry brushing bits which tend to go all over the place when I do them!

[GrimSnik]

good start.    I also just primed my empire models yesterday as well. and I almost always prime white partly because I do seem to get more vibrant color, but I also find it much easier to pick out the details better as I can see them more clearly than when I prime black.

[Kryptovidicus]

I like the bases already! Did you make the mushrooms yourself?
Good start!

[Halcyon]

Haven't quite decided how I'm going to paint them all yet so I'm hoping some decent inspiration will come my way...

I can highly recommend the Electric Blue by The Army Painter for the armour. 
http://www.worldoftwilight.com/forum/index.php?topic=1892.0

Joking aside, having seen your Jenta Outcasts, I am really looking forward to seeing how you paint up your Empire forces. 

[benmoor]

I like the bases already! Did you make the mushrooms yourself?

I over did it on the green stuff when I mixed some to fill the gaps when assembling the miniatures so thought I'd use it to make something interesting for the bases. I'll have to try to paint them some funky colours so they stand out well.

I also just primed my empire models yesterday as well. and I almost always prime white partly because I do seem to get more vibrant color, but I also find it much easier to pick out the details better as I can see them more clearly than when I prime black.

I agree, I think white's the way ahead although I tend to start with a dark colour and work lighter. I think you're supposed to start light, shade with a wash then highlight but it never quite works for me - more practice is obviously required!

Hopefully this isn't too controversial but I think I'm actually going to do the armour in plain old metallic gunmetal grey to give them a realistic edge (or as realistic as man-sized talking dinosaur people can be...) and also to give them a good dark/bright contrast. We'll see how they turn out. I've also been looking through more dinosaur pictures on the internet and so have got some good ideas of where to start. I'll post some more pics tomorrow...

[Halcyon]

Hopefully this isn't too controversial but I think I'm actually going to do the armour in plain old metallic gunmetal grey to give them a realistic edge...

That could be very controversial, as from what I have inferred from the background... that is what the Delgon wear !

But there again, I could always be wrong and also what is a forum without a little controversy. 

I can't wait to see them. 

[Kryptovidicus]

Controversial or not, I can't wait to see what they are going to look like.
And also what dinosaurs you picked as inspiration .

[Carcharoth]

Sounds like a good alternative take on the fubarnii to me!
Will the fubarnii themselves be brightly coloured or more restrained?
Looking forward to seeing how they turn out 

[benmoor]

Ok, so after a bit of effort last night I've done the armour and the bases to get the drybrushing out of the way then gone over the skin bits to tidy it all up. Doesn't look much at at the moment at least its the boring bit out of the way!



Next up is the Grakus and the Enuks I think

I've found these two pics for the Grakus. They have a bumpy finish to their tops so I like the idea of a speckled pattern on them over a brown colour which might look good. Basically a cross between these:



As for the Enuk mounts I might, taking more dinosaur inspiration. I'm thinking something like this for the normal knights:


and maybe more of an older/greyer version for the knight captain's mount:


The fubarnii themselves I think are too covered by armour and clothes to bother with a pattern which would be really difficult to paint so I might just leave them as a plain all over colour, we'll see...

[Kryptovidicus]

What a great start! Your metals look very good, very clean, you can hardly notice they are drybrushed.
I also like your choice of dinosaurs. They certainly will look different from your Devanu.

[benmoor]

Have had quite a bit of time to spare recently so these are progressing quickly. Here's the update from the weekend. Mounts and Graku almost finished now. Graku still need their eyes, claws and bases finishing but look pretty good, maybe a bit subdued but I quite like the final effect. The knight's mounts have turned out well also, I've done the captain on a grey one but have actually painted over the red you can see on the belly since the photo was taken as I thought it was a bit much and looked out of place. Next step is the fubarnii themselves, still not sure what colour to do so may do a few options and see what I like the look of best.

[Kryptovidicus]

Woot, what a nice paintjob on the beasts, again very colourful.
Perhaps a tanned flesh colour on the Fubarnii would look good in combination with the beast.
It might give a bit of a contrast.

[serin]

Good to see the progress. Keep up the good work.

[Carcharoth]

The beasts are certainly coming along well! The contrast with the more functional armour on the fubarnii should look good.

Did you get the frenu playtest kit from the kickstarter? I'd love to see you have a go at them at some point as there are lots of beasties to play with.

[Crucium Giger]

These are coming along nicely and it's nice to see someone doing something a little different with the armour, looking really good.