Diablo Jon goes Grimdark - Traitor Guard

[Diablo Jon]

After a long lay off I’ve found myself being drawn back into one of my first wargaming loves 40K. this is partly in  thanks to, the recently released, Imperium Magazine. I took out a subscription as I figured getting a few miniatures a month, through the post, might make me paint stuff up rather than stockpile more stuff than I can ever reasonably paint which my usual style. I also had a bunch of miniatures laying around from an abortive attempt to get back into 40K during 8th edition so much so that with my new miniatures I had the makings of a workable Primaris Marine force so I figured what the heck.

I decided to go with a homebrew chapter because I like the freedom that gives me with paint jobs. I’ve named them the Crusaders Carmine an Ultima founding purely Primaris chapter this particular army is going to represent Battle Group Vindicta currently fighting of the planet Mundus III a world in the throws of a huge Chaos uprising. In the backstory I’ve been working on the fighting has been going on non stop for months, the world is in ruins and the imperial forces are on the verge of defeat. The last survivors have rallied on the the planets capital Mundus Prime to make their final stand.

This back story gives me a chance to go full Grimdark a style of modelling and painting that has really come to appeal to me. I really enjoy the Inq28 and Blanchitsu style miniatures I’ve seen on the net and my favourite 40K art is always the dark, gothic and macabre pictures full of servo skull and weird looking servitors . Given that I’ve decided to embrace the 40K “There is only war” vibe and go with to many skulls, rivers of mud, way to much grime, buckets of blood and hopefully a few strange looking characters.

After painting a few different marines I finally found a scheme and style I liked so here he is my first Grimdark marine a Primaris Hellblaster. I took a stab at trying some OSL which seems to be all the rage with the kids theses days. First photo has a moody filter added the second one doesn’t. Now I’ve found my style it’s time to kick on and paint some marines.

[Diablo Jon]

Next up for my Marine army a unit of Reivers ( marine terror stealth troops). These guys were part of my 8th edition starter set which I did paint at the time…… badly. So I stripped them and tried again I much prefer the Grimdark look I’ve achieved now. Onto the pictures first one has a moody dark filter on it the rest are as my camera phone took them.

[Spinal Tap]

I'm no great fan of OSL but otherwise  I thought your test piece looked good.

But those in your group shot are superb, really make me want to paint some myself.

Wow.



Please feel free to share how you did them.

[Diablo Jon]

I'm no great fan of OSL but otherwise  I thought your test piece looked good.

But those in your group shot are superb, really make me want to paint some myself.

Wow.



Please feel free to share how you did them.

Thanks. Yeah I realise that OSL is not to everyone's taste but one thing I wanted to do with this project was try some new stuff out and push my painting skills (though having tried to get my head around it I'm going to avoid NMM which just makes my head hurt) which have become stuck in a rut somewhat. So in the case of these minis I've been trying out sponge weathering and oil washes to represent grime. Its all still in the learning process but I don't think the results so far have been to bad though my OSL attempt needs a lot more work.

[BeneathALeadMountain]

I think they look very fitting DJ. Having painted models in NMM for other people, I can’t see how it’s worth the time or effort. They often only look at their best from one or two directions (good for photographers) but then can just look odd next to well painted, standard style models. OSL is effective but easily done wrong or just over applied and it becomes jarring to the eye. Your palette choice and control are excellent.

Do you have any more chaps that are getting the treatment?

BALM

[Diablo Jon]

I think they look very fitting DJ. Having painted models in NMM for other people, I can’t see how it’s worth the time or effort. They often only look at their best from one or two directions (good for photographers) but then can just look odd next to well painted, standard style models. OSL is effective but easily done wrong or just over applied and it becomes jarring to the eye. Your palette choice and control are excellent.

Do you have any more chaps that are getting the treatment?

BALM

NMM seemed like a lot of work and I'd like to get the minis painted this side of the 2100. Yeah plenty more I have a whole load of Marines picked up from one of the 8th edition starter sets most of which never came off the sprue plus a few new ones I'm planning to paint them up as an army all in this weathering battle worn style. In fact here is the next batch Primaris aggressors

[Diablo Jon]

My first Character model, Lieutenant Gistinus, was one of the new minis I picked up off Imperium magazine. There seems to be a running joke in the 40K community that there are more Primaris Lieutenants than any other type of miniature in the 40K game I have to say I like this one a lot though. Again as with my other marines I’ve weathered this guy with some sponges and a black brown oil wash to try and give him that been fighting in the trenches look. As usual first photo has a moody filter for effect the others are straight up.

[Diablo Jon]

As I’ve mentioned before I’ve subscribed to the Imperium Magazine, so while I’m more interested in the struggle between the Imperium and Chaos, I’m going to end up with a bunch of Necron miniatures by default. I figured I might as well paint them up anyway.

I’m still figuring out the background to these guys, in my head, but I’ve named them the Utukku dynasty (Utukku were a type of Shadow demon mentioned in Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology).

I’ve never painted Necrons before so I looked around for some inspiration and decided I wasn’t overly taken with any of the official GW schemes or many of the bright funky coloured Necrons I saw online. In the end I’ve plumped for dirty rusty metal and blue Gauss weapon effects which I hope are quite Grimdark in style. Here are the first three warriors I’ve done as a test piece as usual first photo has a moody Grimdark filter added the others are straight up.

[Diablo Jon]

Following hot on the heels of my Necron test warriors are a group of Skorpekh Destroyers and their accompanying Canoptek Plasmacyte. I really like these minis though I wish they were a little more poseable being easy build miniatures there is no way to vary their poses.

Painting was easy mostly involving dry brushing and washes. I had another stab at OSL I think I’m improving slowly but it could still be better. Anyway here they are.

[aliensurfer]

Very nice

[OSHIROmodels]

Looking good 

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks guys.

[Diablo Jon]

Another Necron this time a Royal Warden which I’ve named Ikunum with the title of Qēpu (an Assyrian term meaning Trusted One). Not much to say about the mini really it was a easy build mono-pose so not much room for customisation. I painted him up like my other Necrons with a gun metal dry brush over black , silver highlights dry brushed, then an oil paint wash, a couple of washes of Greenstuff world rust washes and then picked out the details and done.





And a quick photo of all the Necrons so far

[Spinal Tap]

Really enjoying these.

Keep them coming.

[Diablo Jon]

Really enjoying these.

Keep them coming.

Thanks