Ork Gargant. Da Head

Gargant time again! We're coming from this post about a month ago, where I had left the main body done. I thought the head would be quite the next natural step, so little else to say. Let's go for the head!

Just a close-up of the thing primed

 I started from the inside, as I thought it would be easier. Following my tradition of being lazy keeping things simple, I sprayed the interior with a metal primer

Cozy!

Then I applied some more colour:

I miss a couch or something, but it will do

Well, then the outside. Since the beginning I had clear in my mind the head must be green.

Basic dark green layer and Agrax all over

Let's focus on the lower part first. I used a couple of tones of green and combined them at will. I really didn't want to give a very clean impression

It will look better at table distance

I toyed with different ideas for the jaw, but in the end I deemed the checkers would be the right choice

That was, of course, before I realised I would have to highlight the whole damn thing :S

Enough cabin for a while. It was the time to move on something else. The crew, for example.

I couldn't make more minis fit into the cabin, I promise

I think I should have greenstuffed the Gretchins so they wouldn't look so... modern. I mean, the sharp edges, the nose, the ears, you know, that kind of stuff. But in the end I was too lazy, so I just painted them:

At first I also considered using two Mekboyz, but this way you can certainly tell who's the boss here

 This is how they look when in place:

Unward, ya Grots!

Fasta! Moar dakka!

After the break I felt strong enough to keep on painting little checkers again:

C'mon, the eyes were asking for it, you know

So was the turret!

Giving the turret a smooth looking was tricky (well, at least for me!), but red happened to be a nice colour to work with for this purpose.

So thi is the finished head:

Behold the face of Mork

Ant that tiny face on da rear too

This is the Gargant so far:

Behold da powa of Mork and despair! (behold da powa of Gork too, just in case)

I have to say that this begins to be rewarding. Seeing it grow part by part is meaning truly something for me. The beginning was hard indeed, but I think it begins to look like something, and that's encouraging.

I'm taking a break (not sure of what will I paint next), but I'd love to get back to the Gargant soon. Stay tuned!

Catapulted to fame

 While working on the Gargant I like to keep on painting other little side projects, small things that leave me at least a glimpse of what closure must be :D

Among the many lovely treasures Iain from Cave Adsum 1471 provided me I found the legendary Squig Katapult, a model I always wanted to have but I had never the chance to own. I cannot state how eager I was to finally spill some paint on such an iconic piece of Ork ordnance.

I have always seen it painted black, as part of Goff warbands. But I knew I wanted something different...

Is it different enough this way?

I should check what is written down there

Buzzer Squigs ready to launch

 In the uneven case you are not familiar with Squig Catapults please let me copypaste:

Buzzer Squigs are an insect-like variation of the Squig typically used by Orks in a Squig Katapult, as they are very vicious and a swarm can strip the flesh off a man-sized creature within seconds. Buzzer Squigs are found among Ork fungus groves and are trapped in pots by Gretchin. The special pots are made from sun-baked mud, drilled with tiny holes to allow the Squigs inside to breathe. The top of the vessel is corked shut and sealed with more mud once a good number of Squigs has been put inside.

Normally the Squigs feed by burrowing into other, larger Squigs or small animals such as rats, so when they are captured they soon begin to get very hungry. They can be kept without food in the pot for many solar weeks, getting angrier and more savage all the time.

Gretchin can tell which pots contain the angriest Squigs from the high pitch of the droning and the vibrations of the pot as the Squigs try to burrow out (the walls of the pot must be made thick and hard). These pots, each containing a small swarm of enraged Buzzer Squigs, are the missiles fired by the Squig Katapult. The pot cracks open on impact, releasing the swarm of enraged Buzzer Squigs, who attack anyone nearby.

 Pure orkiness. I love it. In fact this description gave me a silly idea of what to do with the Gretchin crew for the Katapult. You know, you need two of them. I made quite an ordinary conversion for the first one:

I've been wanting to use that wrench for ages

But I took another path for the other Gretchin, as I wanted something more specific, a Buzzer Squig keeper, the guy who loads the Katapult.

Well, of course I got inspiration from a beekeper. The thing is that I tried to do the hat...

...and now he looks more like a catholic cardinal than a beekeper D:

As I was doing the Gretchin crew, I thought I could also paint an Ork Runtherd, so there was someone in charge of all these buggers!

The arm is from the Kopta pilot, I guess?

So this is how they look when painted:

I added a thin net to the hat!

Watcha mean you not happy? [whip] Carry da squigs, you lil grot!

This is the whole set!

If you throw living creatures at your enemy, does it count as biological warfare?

I have some more artillery pieces, but I really wanted to paint this one first. Enjoyable tiny project, and I recovered the pleasure of doing silly, small conversions.

I don't know what I'll be doing next. Moar Orks? Likely, but who can be sure? I'll keep on updating you!