From the jungle comes...

[Rikard]

Re: Next AOW lizardman

I thought about opening up a new topic (I can still do that as this one is getting long and it's only going to get longer).


Anyways, what I'm going to mention now is an idea I've been thinking about for the last few days.

Contest introduction
So with the big new 8th ed Lizardmen releases, there's some very nice miniatures and some huge possibilities for some awesome conversions and modifications. I know I'll be modifying a lot of the minis I get and I'm planning on posting updates on how you can do the same to your lizardmen.

Here's a few examples of what I plan on doing:
- Carnosaur - new head,
- Troglodon head into a Spinosaurus head, maybe even a proper spinosaurus sail on the back.
- Bastilodon - better and spikier scales, something that doesn't just look stuck on.
IF Kroxigors get strength 5 I will be scratch building three.
- Terradon possible conversions.
- Character conversions.
- Salamander conversions and or Razordon conversions/scratch builds.
- Scratch build Krok Gar.
- Scratch build saurus hero on foot, possibly my version of Gor-rok if he's any good.


With that and possible other conversions and sculpts I thought it would be fun to offer you all the chance for me to do some conversions for you.

Details:
So from today until the release date of the new lizardmen (the actual release date and not the pre-orders) I will be offering 5 free slots for conversion work.

All you have to do is put down your name on this topic and what you want converted and how and I will pick five.

Rules:
- No unit conversions, just one mini.
- No scratch builds, or near scratch builds - no need to be greedy, big projects need huge amounts of work, the longer it takes me to finish a piece the longer everyone else has to wait and it will slow up everything else.
- You have to mail the piece to me and cover the mailing back to you, I will add insurance on everything I mail, to make sure you are covered.



I should also point out that I live in the UK, so postage could get expensive, please bear that in mind.
I will also likely (although I don't know how interested people will be on here) open this contest up on other sites like Warseer and BOLS.



Thoughts?

 

[Qupakoco]

Sounds awesome to me.

I have a spare unpainted metal Carnosaur who is missing a tail. I'd love to have the old Carno in a different pose, possibly with his head up more. Kind of like the one in Jurassic Park:

 

[Arli]

I will offer up a Bastilidon (or whatever its called) for a conversion. I thought the plates look a little odd.

My thought is to modify this model with magnets so that it can be either of the choices available. The pissed off snake shooter or the Sun thing. Not sure if this will be possible, but from the pictures it looks doable.

Thanks for the chance at this.

 

[Rikard]

I will offer up a Bastilidon (or whatever its called) for a conversion. I thought the plates look a little odd.

My thought is to modify this model with magnets so that it can be either of the choices available. The pissed off snake shooter or the Sun thing. Not sure if this will be possible, but from the pictures it looks doable.

Thanks for the chance at this.

I have never used magnets before, so don't really know how or what to do with that, I could give it a try, or I could just convert the scaled parts for you (both the snake shooter and sun gem). How does that sound?

I'm also thinking of expanding this topic and contest over to warseer too, but all conversion work I do will be posted with WIPs both there and on here.

 

[Arli]

That would work. My idea would be to have the entire armored back (carapace?) be switched out with one another.

As for the inclusion of warseer, the more the merrier.

 

[Rikard]

That would work. My idea would be to have the entire armored back (carapace?) be switched out with one another.

As for the inclusion of warseer, the more the merrier.

Already done.


New photos from me, working on the unit champion's weapon. I had some very good artwork from Wayne so have been trying to stick as close to it as possible.



I'm tempted to remove the skull though, didn't seem to do very well with it so might have to re-sculpt it.
I've also made the weapon deliberately bigger to suit the champ.

 

[president kang]

Hey Rikard, what ever happened to your thorny devil kroxigor? I've been checking the AOW website religiously, but never saw it solicited.

 

[Rikard]

Hey Rikard, what ever happened to your thorny devil kroxigor? I've been checking the AOW website religiously, but never saw it solicited.

You won't, at least not yet.

Felix sent him back to me, he is still going to make an appearance, but it will be with a full range (Felix wants to release a load of minis at once). So (and this is just a guess), Felix will release the bull dragon blood unit at the same time as the giant krox monster.

 

[Rikard]

Still unsold on the Lizardmen from what is being said so far, but I'll carry on for the moment with my own sculpts and scratch builds and if they Lizards turn out as a wash out I'll just bung everything on ebay instead.

Got two photos for you, I'm trying to break down stages as much as possible to try and help show the processes involved.


This is my version of Krok (5th edition Krok), he's described as being big, very scaley and having a large head which allows him to literally bite off heads. With that in mind rather than go for a crocodile shaped head or a spinosaurus one I figured I'd adapt the current heads, so I start by making the muzzle longer. I start adding in some detail to the face to make it look weathered too. I then put in the lower eye lids when dry and then the eyeballs slide into the eye lids when those are dry too.

I then add the top eye lid and stick in the brace in the mouth which will be very useful for adding in teeth at a later stage. There's still a lot of work to be done on the upper parts of the head as well as various scales and spikes.



Got some new photos for you all on the wings. I have finished the base for the wings on the dragon blood, they look a bit bland around the connecting parts but this is done on purpose, it means I can add detail for multiple wing parts when I have had casted versions sent back to me. so I can make them as spiky or as smooth as people want.




EDIT: Bleh! Damn pic codes....if you want to see larger images just click on the link below and cycle through the slide show.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1807_zps239be31f.jpg.html

 

[president kang]

I'd stick with the lizards regardless. I've been around since 5th, when they were gods to play with, but had no models. Since then, every edition gives us gloom and doom followed with pretty decent rules and more variety in models. It's obvious that you like them, or you wouldn't do so much converting to personalize your models. With my love of everything about the army (primitive, reptiles, dinos, Inca theme), I'll stick with the Lizardmen regardless of what the rules set is.

 

[Rikard]

I'd stick with the lizards regardless. I've been around since 5th, when they were gods to play with, but had no models. Since then, every edition gives us gloom and doom followed with pretty decent rules and more variety in models. It's obvious that you like them, or you wouldn't do so much converting to personalize your models. With my love of everything about the army (primitive, reptiles, dinos, Inca theme), I'll stick with the Lizardmen regardless of what the rules set is.

We shall see, bit annoyed everyone is bound to get their's long before I get mine (5th at the very earliest).

Small update (photos later).

Contest closed.

 

[Rikard]

Got updates for you though.

So continuing on from the head, I know the last stage looks weird, but that's how it works, layer, layers and more layers. I now work on the top of the head, adding in the smaller, more basic scales, this helps give shape to the head and allows a thicker, stronger base for adding bigger spikes. It also means I can make any changes more easily afterwards. I also begin with the teeth, I place a small amount of green stuff on my thumb nail, I can then easily pull off small amounts and roll them into individual teeth before sliding them up against the tooth brace (which you should be able to see in the photos).



Now is the stage where masses get added to the armature, this gives it a very basic sense of shape and structure for me to work with, it also allows me to mark out my boney prominences (clavicle, acromion process, scapula boarders, etc...) it also helps me work out which muscles are going to be contracted and which ones will be lengthened, having the rib cage basically constructed will also help with this. This is incredibly more important with dynamic poses, like the one above; the position of the arms alone means a huge number of back muscles will be in stark contrast from one another, the right hand side will be shortened and bunch, the left hand ones lengthened.



So I begin making some of the shapes, big muscles like Traps, lats and teres major get marked out, though there will be cutting back of some of the shapes to help sculpt deeper layered muscles around the front (like internal obliques).



Technically the best place to start with a sculpture is from the feet up, while this is true I always being with faces, because they're hard, they make of break a model and I like doing it at the start, mainly to get it out the way, but if things go well it also means I have a lot more enthusiasm for the remainder of the project. I being with the feet and slowly work my way up, this is a skinned down layer system at the moment, getting the muscles right at the moment is what matters so a detail layer becomes all the more easy. Lower leg completed I then move up to the upper leg and the torso.




What does everyone think of forward facing spikes? Like the horned one from fifth edition? Here's a mock up I did just below as an example, though there's no detail on it.

 

[president kang]

Looks good so far - I like the variety of spikiness in your work - makes them look like old, hardened dinos. I would buy something like this if it were offered for sale, but I say that about most of what you sculpt anyway

 

[Qupakoco]

I am in awe every time I see your progress. The detail is ridiculous!

+1 on forward spikes. I like my Horned Ones.

 

[Ambroz]

These guys are amazing. I just bought a "Lizardman hero" from ebay and looking forward to getting started on it. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your next update!

Edit: +1 for the horns too by the way.

 

[Rikard]

Looks good so far - I like the variety of spikiness in your work - makes them look like old, hardened dinos. I would buy something like this if it were offered for sale, but I say that about most of what you sculpt anyway

Hold on to that thought, not this piece, but there may well be a none avatars of war mini making its way to the casting bench at some point in the nearish future.

Will add in some more horns, as requested.

Seems weird, I wasn't really expecting any responses (or maybe one) I've been continuing this topic on two other forums, but both the tutorial and the actual contest really didn't seem to pull in any interest (something I thought would happen with the release of the Lizards).


Is the tutorial actually of any help to any of you?

 

[angrypearl]

Absolutely -- i am starting to put a project together for my own use which I will have to sculpt from scratch -- a colossal squig. Your tutorial has been very useful, and appreciated. Along with your sculpting work for AoW

 

[president kang]

Rikard, I love your stuff because you are a fan of 5th like I am. You sculpt things that I would love to see officially in the GW model range - you actually "get it" when it comes to what the models should look like. Keep it up, please.

 

[Rikard]

Rikard, I love your stuff because you are a fan of 5th like I am. You sculpt things that I would love to see officially in the GW model range - you actually "get it" when it comes to what the models should look like. Keep it up, please.

If there was a way of avoiding IP blocks you would be seeing a lot more stuff from me than you currently do. Heck if I had the time, I think 50% of my army would be scratch builds alone (stegadon, Saurus heroes, skin priests, razordons, salamanders, Slann, Kroxigors).

Although GW did lose their case against T`hinker`er's Krok ogres.

Which reminds me, I still need to do more work on Kroak.

 

[Qupakoco]

I'm not much of a sculptor myself and your little tutorials are very helpful for understanding the basics. If nothing else, it's awesome to see some of the old artwork come to life like your stuff has. Please keep it up