The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

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Il Maestro
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The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#1 Post by Il Maestro »

-- Latest Update --

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Ok ok, before you decide to ship me off to the Phoenix King let me explain...

WARNING: INTRODUCTORY POST AHEAD… BEAR WITH ME

Let me start by setting the scene: I have been, well, involved (probably the best word to use) with Warhammer for the past 10 or so years, but the last time I picked up a brush or used a model in anger was at the beginning of the previous edition, so since then I have been mainly watching other people get motivated and churn through armies. Having said that, I have had a yearly subscription to WD and bought every new army book and rule book that has come out since then, pouring over them and trying to work up the courage to invest my time and money into the hobby again, but to no avail. As you can all see from the ‘Join Date’ on stage left, I have been lurking in the shadows of the community for a long time with very little input – well, looks like that’s about to change! Spurred on by my new (financial) year’s resolution to get back into the hobby in a very serious way, I have decided to begin a project log! :mrgreen: Yay! So now that the obligatory pre-amble is out of the way, let’s get to the guts of this project!

Let’s start with the question that must be answered at the start of any project: theme or competition? For me it’s a no-brainer, simply because I’m not sure what tactics I like playing with under these rules, so theme it is! Well, that was easy.

So, having decided that ‘theme’ was going to be the driving force behind this project, I needed two things: models and a back-story. The models are easy enough, I just intend to make large units of everything which then gives me all the flexibility I want when I start playing again

Story though…. well, that was where it became a little bit difficult. Whilst I am a Druchii lover through-and-through, I am sometimes bored by the wanton violence, treachery, hate-fuelled actions and general lack of honour that is attributed to our fine race. I wanted a cold and calculating leader – sure, he might fly off the handle sometimes and execute a small village or two, but the majority of the time that little temper of his is in check. I wanted a house that was noble and ‘pre-sundering’ in their attitudes, beliefs and view of the world, just… darker.

Then it came to me. Vampires – ok ok, hear me out before you run away in disgust! I know it might go against everything that you believe to be true, but I decided I really did want something different, so why not go the whole-hog and really mess with the Warhammer world? I mean, it never EXPLICITLY says that a vampire can’t be an elf, right?*

Now let me just clarify something now – this is not a Vampire Counts log, so don’t expect to see hordes of skeletons or zombies! It’s just that these elves (or maybe only some of the high ranking nobles) will be vampiric… in some way… somehow.

As for their look, I decided early on that I wanted this army to be very dark in both nature and look, so it looks like black armour is to be the new black… armour. I haven’t quite settled on the perfect mix yet, but a few test models down the track I’m getting pretty close – pictures up as soon as my camera decides it’s going to stop taking photos about as well as a microwave does!

So there it was – an ancient bloodline from before the Sundering that is in some way, somehow vampiric, with a very dark colour scheme to suit their equally dark nature, accompanied with a Black-Ark load of fluff to give this army some real character… well, now that I say it like that it doesn’t seem like such an easy task. But hell, I’ll give it a shot :mrgreen:

So, without further ado, I present to you…

The House of Black Flames!


*I am probably wrong, but please don’t point it out; I’m happy in my bubble of ignorance, and I’ll come up with the fluff to back it up :D
Last edited by Il Maestro on Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:44 am, edited 16 times in total.
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Elessehta of Yvresse
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#2 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

Welcome to the PLOG community but Druchii? Bathing in blood I understand but your character drinks it too?
[url=http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34506][i]Lord Elessehta Silverbough of Ar Yvrellion, Ruler of Athel Anarhain, Prince of the Yvressi.[/i][/url]
[quote="Narrin’Tim"]These may be the last days of the Asur, but if we are to leave this world let us do it as the heroes of old, sword raised against evil![/quote]
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#3 Post by Il Maestro »

Haha thanks, glad to be a part of it! I know, I know, it definitely has the potential to become a bit too much, but my brother collects High Elves so I could hardly steal his thunder (even if I did post on 'his' forums :twisted: )
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#4 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

We have hopes of our dark kin returning, without wanting it all...
[url=http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34506][i]Lord Elessehta Silverbough of Ar Yvrellion, Ruler of Athel Anarhain, Prince of the Yvressi.[/i][/url]
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#5 Post by Giladis »

Elessehta of Yvresse wrote:Welcome to the PLOG community but Druchii? Bathing in blood I understand but your character drinks it too?
Witch Elves do it regularly.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#6 Post by Dartanelo »

sounds like a pretty original idea, i like it! looking forward to seeing some ideas of the models your working on
Also i assume that as "the House of Black Flames" you will in some way incorperate black fire in your army? i think that might be tricky to paint but could look really great. I like the idea if a sword coverd in black fire or a dragon spitting our black flame :shock:
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#7 Post by Il Maestro »

@Elessehta of Yvresse - well these guys are supposed to be pre-sundering, so not quite 'dark' elves, though you might not want them living next door when you learn of their little secrets...

@Giladis - that gives me a really cool idea, just in case there wasn't enough blood already planned for this army :wink:

@Dartanelo - glad you like the idea, I'll hopefully be able to make some models and back story worthy of it! As for the black flames, I am was going to try to do some black flames 'somewhere' in the army, though as you say it is going to be very tough to do, so I might have to wait on that little project until I am a far better painter :)

Just to keep your interest piqued, here's a little bit of fluff...

House Kynath’sur – The House of Black Flames: A History

Part I


“Beware a gift wrapped in blood…”
- Old Druchii proverb

To look upon House Kynath’sur today would be to see an example of how fast and far the mighty can fall – the bloodline lies in ruins, the house cast aside in a distant corner of Har Ganeth. Few today remember that the same banner flying over the house of the weak was once that of only the most honoured and noble in all of Nagarythe…

The elves of the black flames can trace their history all the way back to the times of Aenerion. Even after he had drawn the damned Sword of Khaine and pushed back the first daemonic incursion, the people of Nagarythe were under threat; though endless tides of daemons could not take form enough to invade and pillage the lands, small eddies in the Winds of Magic occurred on a regular basis, which could lead to handfuls of daemons being unleashed anywhere into the realm. It was with one of these phenomena that the true story of the Kynath’suri begins.

Shaelith, Lord of the House of Flames, was a lesser noble in the twilight of his days when the daemons came into being. Eager to further his position within society, he was one of the first to take up arms as part of Aenerion’s host. At the head of fifty elves, Shaelith bid farewell to his wife and three young sons and marched off to war, ill aware that it was the last time he would see them alive – for whilst he was away, a small horde of daemons blinked into existence near his home, overrunning the few guards left behind and slaughtering his family. It was only many years later, upon returning from the successful campaign against the daemons, that he learned of their fate; instead of warm greetings from his wife and heirs, he found only death and ruin. Wracked with grief and the knowledge that his line was broken, he scornfully changed his banners to depict black flames and vowed an oath of vengeance on all daemon-kind, forever more becoming obsessed with retribution to the point of reckless abandon – a fact made evident to all by the empty sleeve that would hang from his left shoulder shortly after. Thus it was no surprise that when word reached Anlec of an attack on one of the northern outposts, Shaelith requested command of the small relief force.

Under the Banner of Black Flames, Shaelith led a small host of elves on a hard march north, intent on joining battle with his hated foe. It was, however, to no avail – the journey was made slow by the winter snows, and the three weeks that had passed since word first reached Anlec was too long for the defending elves; when he arrived at the outpost, all that was left was smoke, ruin and death. He ordered his host to look for survivors, though hours of searching only revealed hacked limbs and broken bodies arranged in sickening runes to the dark gods. It was just as he was about to give up the search and begin the march back to Anlec that a stir washed through the soldiers – a survivor had been found.

Rushing to the source of the commotion, Shaelith found a group of his warriors standing motionless, the silence broken only by whispered prayers to the gods and the emptying of stomachs. Pushing to the front, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the horror that made the elves act as such. In front of him lay hundreds of severed heads, arranged in a star tens of metres wide, and at it’s centre, amidst the blood and snow, sat an elvish baby. Hardly old enough to crawl, the baby mumbled incoherent sounds to itself as it idly played with the long hair of a dismembered head, oblivious to the carnage around it. Shaelith cautiously approached, and it was only as he stood directly in front of the naked babe that it finally noticed his presence. The baby stopped it’s fidgeting and tilted it’s head up to lock eyes with the old lord; minutes passed as the two remained motionless in the snow, staring into each others souls. Some later said that the small elf was in fact born of daemons, and that in those long moments it dominated Shaelith’s mind and perverted his better sense, whilst others said that it was the baby’s striking resemblance to the lord’s deceased first born son that stirred emotions within. The truth of the matter is a mystery – what is known is that against the advice of his commanders, Shaelith did not kill the elvish babe that day.

Picking the baby up and wrapping it in his cloak for warmth, he turned away and strode back to his steed, ordering the elves to destroy all remnants of the outpost and it’s inhabitants before they left. Staring at the now sleeping boy in his arm, he knew that he had found his purpose; he had found his new heir, and he had decided on a name for his harbinger of revenge…

Khadeth.
Last edited by Il Maestro on Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#8 Post by Il Maestro »

Quick update. Gave a silver NMM my first shot today on the spear head and the sword sheath. I don't really know what's wrong with it, but it just doesn't look at all like metal to me. If anyone has any feedback or tips, I would be more than happy to hear them - tear this thing to shreds, I need to learn before ToFP starts! :D

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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#9 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

Looks good but the rest of the model detracts from it, at least do a base coat on the model, then look again.
[url=http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34506][i]Lord Elessehta Silverbough of Ar Yvrellion, Ruler of Athel Anarhain, Prince of the Yvressi.[/i][/url]
[quote="Narrin’Tim"]These may be the last days of the Asur, but if we are to leave this world let us do it as the heroes of old, sword raised against evil![/quote]
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#10 Post by Aicanor »

Good story. The weapons look quite good to me, but better pics would be great. I am no good at NMM, so don't listen to me much - perhaps you can add highlights to the tips of the barbs and the like, but it's hard to say. Elessehta is right, you'll need to paint the rest of the model to really see if the NMM works for you.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#11 Post by Il Maestro »

@Elessehta of Yvresse - thanks for the feedback, I am looking to do the rest of the model in the next few days so that I can finally see if I'm heading in the right direction, so stay tuned for that!

@Aicanor - I'm glad you like the story! I have always been a real fan of giving armies histories and of naming my characters (I even used to do it with my lego as a kid :) ), and this transferred into the hobby, but it's always nice to hear other people enjoy it too. I'll try adding some highlights to the barbs of the spearhead I think, I agree that it looks a little unnatural at the moment.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#12 Post by Aicanor »

Well, my Lego characters were named Vinnetou and Old Shatterhand. :lol: But I gave my army a backstory as well, I am just unable to write it all down, it takes so much time... Your DE project tempts me to do something about my Arkfull of DE as well.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#13 Post by Il Maestro »

@Aicanor - Old Shatterhand is brilliant, maybe he should make a return to your high elf force! :) and I'm glad to hear there are some other Druchii on this website, it would appear that our web of infiltration has members in very high places amongst the Asuri court... 8)

House Kynath’sur – The House of Black Flames: A History

Part II

“Only a careless individual confuses history with memory, for each is the enemy of the other; they stalk each other over the fields of the past, staking claims to the same terrain, but only history can make weapons of things that memory has forgotten or suppressed.”
- Telroth Larai, A Darker History

Khadeth’s noble and moderately affluent adopted family afforded him greater opportunities to study than were available to other elves of his time, and there was one area in which he showed particular promise: war. From an early age, Shaelith had his personal quartermaster instruct his son in every facet of combat, and there were none in which he did not excel. By the time he had reached his fortieth year Khadeth was unmatched in martial skill amongst the household guard, and only Shaelith could hold his own against the young elf. As was custom at the time, Khadeth participated in certain forms of amusement with other nobles in the courts of Nagarythe, duelling the most favoured. It was here that he began to catch the eyes of the greater nobility, not for the form with which he wielded his weapons nor his incredible speed, but his patience. Cold and calculating, he had an indomitable presence, dodging around his opponents’ attacks, biding his time until the opportunity presented itself to exact the killing blow – an opportunity that he never missed. Many saw it as a sad irony that a wounded and bereaved old elf with nothing but hatred and rage in his heart had adopted a son who had grown with the serenity and patience to stare down stone, though none ever dared to voice that opinion. Khadeth’s reputation as a warrior quickly grew, and it wasn’t long before far greater powers than himself turned their heads and looked on at his progression with interest.

Of course, not all fared well for Khadeth. As an adopted son with beginnings such as his, the other nobles were merciless in trying to gain any advantage over him that they could. Politicking amongst the court of Aenerion was rife and the other nobles saw Khadeth as an outcast not worthy of the praise bestowed upon him. They began referring to him as ‘The Phoenix of Nagarythe’ – meant as a mocking perversion of the dignified bird, the name served as a caustic reminder of his birth in flames and ruin, and of his tenuous link to the nobility he had been adopted into. Of course, this taunt did not have the desired affect, for when he came of age and the time had come, he took the phoenix as his own personal sigil.

Thus it was that when the daemons invaded the lands of Ulthuan for a second time and the House of Black Flames marched to war, it did so with it’s favoured son, the Phoenix of Nagarythe, flying high and proud beside it.

Khadeth fought alongside his father at the forefront of Aenerion’s vast host throughout the second daemonic incursion, and his reputation as a warrior grew with each battle. Finally able to put his skills to the test, he was an irresistible force on the battlefield; he weaved a deadly dance through his daemonic foes, each caress of his blade finding weak-points in guards and slicing through twisted limbs. As his reputation grew, leaderless elves began to flock to his banner, and what started the war as a small force of a mere thirty household guard was soon numbering in the hundreds. Though he and his father fought many battles and slayed countless foes, the daemons’ numbers were unending and the forces of Aenerion were losing the war with no path to victory in sight. It was then that word reached them of Caledor’s plan to end the war, and with renewed vigour and hope in their hearts, the mighty host of Aenerion marched to the Isle of the Dead.

Much of what transpired at the Battle for the Isle of the Dead is known and recorded in history – Aenerion and his host battled the uncountable daemonic horde and bought enough time for Caledor and his cadre of mages to finish the vortex and end the war. What is not known, however, is what happened to many of Nagarythe’s favoured sons on that day.

The House of Black Flames fought long and hard, scouring the battlefield of the putrid stench of Nurgle in the morning and tearing apart a graceful host of Slaanesh in the eve, all the while led by the heroics of Khadeth and his father. Just before Caledor uttered the final incantations, the two were locked in combat with a daemonic prince of Slaanesh, each dodging the multiple limbs of the serpentine monstrosity whilst trying to coordinate their attack.

A supernatural darkness descended over the world, the noise of war slowly dying out as elves and daemons alike paused, and for the briefest of moments, all was silent. In the far distance, howls and screeches broke the peace, rushing from the corners of the earth towards the Isle.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The earth shook as the ground shattered into thousands of pieces beneath the warriors’ feet, molten rock rising from the depths below. The skies filled with lightning and the winds of magic howled through the air, converging around the great vortex and dissipating into the aether. Daemons screamed and writhed as their souls were torn through rifts in reality back to the Realm of Chaos. The warp gates sealed as the last of the daemonic horde was rent asunder, and a cry of victory filled the air. The day was won and the war against the daemons over, but at a cost.

Khadeth never saw the final victory of the elves; as the immediate chaos subsided, Shaelith stood alone on the battlefield where he had fought the daemonic prince, his son nowhere to be seen. He searched amongst the dead even as the ground still trembled and what was left of the mighty warhost of Aenerion dispersed and returned home, but found nothing. He refused to leave, wandering the isle and searching for any signs of Khadeth. Days passed without food or sleep, and even as his lieutenants and closest friends insisted that he abandon his search, he neither spoke a word nor strayed from his path. Finally they left him, resigned that he had lost his mind and reason.

Days turned to weeks, and Shaelith continued to stalk amongst the dead as hope faded and his mind devolved into madness. He staggered amongst the bloated corpses of the fallen, religiously leaning over in his blood-encrusted armour to check the faces of every soldier as he passed. His strength began to fade as the lack of food and rest caught up with him. Fuelled by his eternal hatred towards the daemons, he refused to give up; even as his legs lost the strength to carry him upright, he crawled and pulled his weak body through the mud with his single arm, ever searching. None know exactly where his body failed him or when he took his last breath, though his failure to ever return home with his son’s body was considered sign enough of his passing.

Thus it was that history recorded the bloodline as broken. Without an heir to carry on the legacy, the lieutenants squabbled amongst themselves and vied for power; from that moment on, the House of the Black Flames, having lost it’s greatest ever sons, fell from grace and faded from memory.

But, as is so often the case, what was written into the annals of history was far from the truth of the matter.
Last edited by Il Maestro on Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#14 Post by Aicanor »

Karl May is dead for a century now so I could use the name freely. :lol: But I don't think I will, I don't have Chracian army. :D
I suspect my sea lord is a double agent or secret renegade, so I expect he'll meet a very messy end sooner or later. :mrgreen: But the history of this particular army is long and messy itself, so that will not come as complete surprise.

Looking forward to next part of the story!
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#15 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

A missing heir, a story that has been told before but this is well done, was he a daemon in disguise, and taken to the realm of chaos with the rest of the host? Thought provoking, I like it.
[url=http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34506][i]Lord Elessehta Silverbough of Ar Yvrellion, Ruler of Athel Anarhain, Prince of the Yvressi.[/i][/url]
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#16 Post by Il Maestro »

@Aicanor - well let's hope that he can escape before he meets his untimely demise - or at least kill a few hapless elves before he cops it :twisted: glad you're enjoying the story, the next part should be coming along soon!

@Elessehta of Yvresse - haha there's always one that guesses WAY too close to the mark, and you, sir, are that one! =D> not quite a daemon in disguise though, but I'll let you simmer a little bit longer before I reveal the truth...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tiny update today - look what arrived in the mail!!

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So now I have most of what I will need to put together for the first 1,000 points that I'm trying to paint for the ToFP, and here's a (mini) group shot of them all as it stands.

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And, just to show I am making some progress (albeit very slowly), I present to you... A PRODUCTION LINE!!

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Oh, and here's a tiny update on the test mini - just brushed some metallic onto the chainmail to get a feel for the model, and began to work on the skin.

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Still a long way to go with the skin, but it's heading in the right direction so far - I want it to be a very pale colour with a grey base, so we'll see how it goes!

All comments and criticisms welcome, hope you guys are enjoying the whole project so far! :)
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#17 Post by Il Maestro »

For all those out there that are wondering about the size comparison between the Raging Heroes Blood Vestals and normal GW minis, here are a few photos

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They're true to their word, standing at 28mm in the same scale as GW minis, so no need to worry about them not fitting in!

On another note, I am starting to feel like a kid at christmas, look what else arrived on my doorstep this morning!

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To be honest, the mini came with the blood vestals the other day, but I forgot to take a proper 'box' photo, so it can be lumped in with the new brushes :) I know that I'm not the greatest of painters - in fact, I would have to improve a hell of a lot just to make it to average - but I decided that I was sick and tired of buying brushes that had little quality control during the manufacturing process, and so I spent a little bit more (I think each was about $15?) and got these fantastic Raphael Kolinsky Sable brushes. Of course, they needed christening, right?

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I'm not actually sure what I'm more excited about - the fact that I might have this test mini finished in the near future, or the new brushes! They are absolutely fantastic, I used the size 1 (the biggest of the three) and it kept a finer and sharper tip than any other brush I have ever used! They really are superb, and I recommend them for anyone that is reading this post right now xD

As for the paintjob, it was pretty rushed (other than having to wait between each layer for them to dry), but I just wanted to get an idea of whether the blue would work or not. It's not quite the blue I am going for, but I'm happy enough with it for a back ranker for now. Whilst I am going to try and push myself with every successive mini I paint, I think I'm becoming more and more destined to only own a table-top worthy army, so I might as well get cracking on it!

Would love to hear some comments, or more importantly criticisms, of the model and colour scheme.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#18 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

Oh wow, the Witch Elf is amazing!
I like the light blue test elf, makes it look like a Druchii though...
[url=http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34506][i]Lord Elessehta Silverbough of Ar Yvrellion, Ruler of Athel Anarhain, Prince of the Yvressi.[/i][/url]
[quote="Narrin’Tim"]These may be the last days of the Asur, but if we are to leave this world let us do it as the heroes of old, sword raised against evil![/quote]
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#19 Post by Æsir »

The only thoughts I can give you is you should look into going the NMM for the Ring Mail as well, the Metallic and the NMM just look at odds with each other. Your NMM looks fantastic so you should be fine incorporating it into the mail skirt.

Where did you want to go with the blue? Darker or lighter? It contrasts quite well, and being a pre-sundering theme you have the choice of any colour you want!
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#20 Post by Il Maestro »

@Elessehta of Yvresse - I know, the blood vestals are amazing! You don't quite notice it until you see the minis next to each other, but have a look at the giant clown hands and feet on the GW mini - you'll never be able to look at it the same again! :lol: glad to hear the light blue doesn't look too out of place, having started this project over a month ago now (albeit at a very slow rate due to real life), I am just trying to get the main colours down on the model to see how it looks, and then I can always aim for a higher standard of finish later. Having said that, whilst I like the blue and want that to be one of the spot colours throughout the force, I'm not quite sure on a) if it is the right shade of blue (I think I want something a little more vibrant) and b) if it's in the right spots on the mini so as not to detract from the darker scheme I am going for. The more I look at it, the more I begin to think that it may be a little too much, so I might have to reconsider those colours. Ah well, I guess that's what a test mini is for! :D

@Aesir - I'm really happy to hear that my 'NMM' might actually be passable as the real thing, so thanks for the compliment! :P As for the chainmail, I agree that I will probably want to give it a shot, because it definitely doesn't sit right with the other silver metallic bits in NMM. Having said that, I just decided last night that I am actually going to try and create a blue-metal for the weapons, similar to this picture below...

Image
NOTE: All credit for this model goes to 'SpeedMetal' - however, I downloaded this picture onto my computer a long time ago and cannot find the link again, or any similar link on a website despite thorough searching, so try not to hate on me too much :oops:

Anyway, I think that if I can achieve this look for the metal pieces on the model, I will probably end up having to tone back the blue robes to a more neutral colour, maybe a bone/off-white, so that it doesn't detract too much from the whole look. Also, if this works, I might be able to get away with using metallics on the chainmail as well. Ah, the joys of having too many ideas and not enough time to execute them... :?
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Aicanor
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#21 Post by Aicanor »

I like the weapon as it is. Blue power weapons are nice, but I really like the original idea better. You could try ultramarine blue colour on the cloth, but not much darker. Perhaps a little less wash?
As for my dreadlord, I do not doubt he will put up a fight. I have some ideas of his story, but we'll see. Unlikely as it is, maybe be could get away with faking his death one day...
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#22 Post by Swordmaster of Hoeth »

Hi Maestro!

I think you are too modest for a Druchii :) Your painting is great and you should be proud of your work. I really like the way you paint and I am looking forward to seeing finished test model. I am with Aicanor on the blades color. The way it looks is fantastic and there is not need for "upgrades". On the other hand I have a soft spot for blue blades myself so I fully understand a need to at least test if I can paint a decent one. There are so many options out there! You might, however, give a try to yet another way. Why not put a thin, soft glaze on the blade you have? Thus it will gain some unique look through transparent color but at the same time might save you a little time on the piece of miniature that already looks superb. I just wander of blue is the right color to match. First thing I thought is of course purple but it seems it is so fashionable among Druchii it is not so cool anymore :) In any case I would go for cold color as to me it is the one which should fit the blade. Turquise to match the clothes maybe? Blue glaze might work here too of course. Well, it is definitely up to you :)

I must thank you for bringing my attention to Ragin Heroes and Kingdom Death. Fantastic miniatures and these Blood Vestals are gorgeous. With your painting skills they will look fantastic! Btw, what skin color are you going to use for your models? And which exactly model from KD did you but? I browsed their website but I am not sure which one you picked. I am looking forward to their new releases (any idea what they plan to do next?) as it seems they are mainly focused on evil forces.

One more question. Do you use two undercoats? One black and then white to highlight exposed areas?

Keep up the good work! :)
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#23 Post by Il Maestro »

@Aicanor - I don't necessarily want to go any darker on the cloth, just more of a vibrant blue, and I definitely need to tidy up the areas adjacent to the washed recesses, I was just in such a rush that I didn't bother blending them properly at all, more checking the colour gradient :) and you better not let dready go down without a fight, or the old switcheroo for that matter :wink:

@Swordmaster of Hoeth - Thank you so much for your praise, I've seen your log and am in awe of your work!! Really nice idea about the blue glazes, to be honest I hadn't even considered that at all! Definitely going to have to chalk that one up to the 'must test' side of things :D As for the skin colour, I'm leaning towards a very pale colour overall, probably based around different shades of light greys and bone colours. I want it to be very neutral so as not to clash with the black/dark grey armour scheme, and so that the blues will stand out that little bit more. The KD models are fantastic, aren't they?! I bought the White Speaker, the normal 30-33mm (I can't quite remember the size) version, and she is beautiful - I will get her out for a picture soon! Oh and about the priming method, I use a technique I picked up from GeOrg's log on warseer called 'dusting'; basically you prime it black, then using short bursts (less than 1 second) from each of the four sides both above and below (so 8 times in total) you spray white primer on, so that it looks almost grey in colour. I find that it helps to naturally shade the mini whilst giving a good base for the paint to stick to, as well as allowing colours to show up a lot easier due to the benefits of a white prime. I'm not quite sure if I've explained it well enough, if you would like I can always do a photo tutorial for you all :D
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#24 Post by Swordmaster of Hoeth »

Hi Maestro,

Yes, it did look exactly as I remember from GeoOrc's plog on warseer :) I am really impressed by his work and I think he got some nice awards during the most recent GD in Germany too. Would you recommend that technique for any miniature? It seems to be designed for Druchii in particular. :)

A picture of the miniature from KD would be great. I saw it in their gallery but it is always good to see it just out from the box. You could take a few pictures of your cavalry too :)
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#25 Post by Il Maestro »

@Swordmaster of Hoeth - Yeah, I believe he won gold in the fantasy unit category for his manflayer regiment. As for the priming, I would definitely recommend it for any miniature, it just makes the whole process a little easier by allowing far less layers to create the colour you're looking for, especially at the beginning when painting directly over the primer. I'll also get some pictures up of the white speaker and the cavalry soon :D

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Very small update today. After working all weekend to support myself during the uni months ahead, I decided I would spend a tiny bit of it (who cares if I don't eat every day anyway, right?) and bought some supplies from trusty Officeworks, creating this...

Image

Finally, I can take semi-decent photos! Now all I need is a really nice camera to take some better snaps. But, just as a comparison, this is how one turned out using the same (unchanged) test mini that I've been working on

Image

Now I need to learn how to position everything better to take advantage of the new setup, but I think it's an improvement :D

I'll try and get some actual painting done asap, this unfinished test mini is starting to give me the ****s!!
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#26 Post by Swordmaster of Hoeth »

haha, that is hilarious! I was in officeworks today too and got myself these little lamps as well! What is more I also created a little box for taking photos. If I only checked the bulbs properly I would be posting a similar picture as yours. :)

I might try this undercoating technique then, even if I need to buy new white undercoat to do so. Back to painting then!
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#27 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

Fancy set up, all I have is my mobile phone camera, no fancy box and lamps set up either ^_^'
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#28 Post by Æsir »

Elessehta of Yvresse wrote:Fancy set up, all I have is my mobile phone camera, no fancy box and lamps set up either ^_^'
Yep, thats what I get away with lol, nice set up though, looks like an easy way to get some well lit shots!

Anyone seen the images of GeOrc's Fantasy Regiment, he is an incredible painter and I only wish that dvd tutorial he was going to make came to fruition.
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#29 Post by Il Maestro »

@Swordmaster of Hoeth - the phrase 'great minds think alike' springs to mind... but then so does 'and fools never differ' - let's hope we're the former! :?

@Elessehta of Yvresse - haha that's pretty much what I had been using, but for literally less than $30 I got absolutely everything here (including the 2 lamps and 3 lightbulbs), so I'd definitely suggest giving it a shot!

@Aesir - it really is easy to make, and worth it in the long run methinks :) and yeah I did see some of his shots, he really is an incredible painter isn't he! I follow his plog on warseer.com, and it's probably my favourite thing ever!
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Re: The House of Black Flames: A Druchii Project

#30 Post by Elessehta of Yvresse »

I live in a small country town, not sure there is a place in town that sells lamps, maybe the hardware store...
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