This was supposed to be a quick side project, a palette cleanser I could handle in a week or so, two weeks top. Then life got in the middle and here I am, just a month later. Ouch.
All these were part of a kickstarter campaign by Diehard Miniatures, too many years ago. I've been postponing them for too long, but I finally managed to put them on the bench. This Space Lizards have of course nothing to do with Slanns in Space and it's of course far from my thoughts to establish any relation between these concepts or Rogue Trader setting or whatever. No, seriously, they are enormously cool by themselves, I'll let you judge.
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Jules and Vincent
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My first move was priming them white and keeping the bodysuits and armour like really white. Then I painted the common elements, such as straps, skulls, clothes and so.
I was avoiding to paint the skin for no particular reason, but in the end I think it's due to my previous work on World of Twilight stuff. That project purposedly involves bright skin and eye-harming patterns, but this didn't need to be like that, I could use some gaudy colours, sure, but some earthy tones as well. So I did both.
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I should have added an epilepsy warning
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The models are enormously satisfying. They have an old school aura that makes them quite appealing to me.
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What's not to love about this guy?
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He looks like he's gonna enjoy kicking your butt with this
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I had some dilemma bout the eyes. Making them just black (as the pic above) looked good, they were quite menacing, but in the end I tried more lizard-y eyes.
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I found that this tone of green suits every other colour I used on the skins
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I wanted (I really wanted) to paint some glyphs or Slann-like decorations on the clothes, armour and weapons, but my poor eyes and my poor pulse voted against it, so I just settled for some very simple geometric patterns. I fear that MidLifeCrisis.exe may be on the edge of trying to install itself on the system, but I still resist. The ophtalmologist just refused to put some glasses on me last week, saying it still wasn't worth of it, but I'm afraid I'm beginning to find it hard to paint some details on the minis. The good part of it is that I can put the blame on that, instead of poor painting skills!
OK, enough ranting, let's go for the finished guys:
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Tech-Mage |
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Warrior leader
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With a fabulous feathered shield
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Yet carrying a gun, just in case
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Another more tech-looking leader
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With essentially the same shield, without feathers
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Mag-gun wariors
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Still no idea of what profiles I'll use for them or their weapons
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I still have some concerns about the palette. I think I may have been bewildered by my idea of painting them in immaculate white, both bodysuit and helmets. I feel like the minis would have benefited of some more colour variation between both. I painted the weapons in bone/beige to provide more colour, but I still have some doubts about making them all so white. Anyway, that's the way they are now, so I have to move on.
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Colour! More colour!
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No matter how much they run, I still have the same feelings
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Finally, the Mag-staff guys
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I tried to make them look specially uniformed
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Which is kind of difficult if people start to came to work with these helmets on
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Yet they look professional
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I'm using these last four as bodyguards, as they look quite suitable for that. The VIP Very Important Lizards they are scorting are these other gorgeous fellows, one from the Colony87 ranges and the other a conversion from World of Twilight:
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Ambassador and Merchant. Or vice versa
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So this is how all my Space Lizards (to date) look:
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I know, I need a proper backdrop. I have to solve that!
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I hope I can resume my normal hobby rate soon, stay tuned!
We love how you chose to paint your Space Lizards: the mix of natural and bright unnatural colors works great, and the eyes with the pupil really come alive. White and beige also harmonize well with the chosen palette, and do not create too marked a contrast. They're all Bob Olley sculptures, aren't they? In which universe did you think of placing them? Ah, although we are not specialists, we agree with your ophthalmologist, if you are still able to do freehand at this level!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Choosing the palette was kind of a challenge, as I wanted to do something more or less bright-looking, which may look 'alien' in the Grimdark Millenium. I'll be using them in my Rogue Trader setting, as a Merchant and retinue coming to a border settlement to trade... or fight if things go wrong!
DeleteThe minis are Tim Prow's, the owner of DieHard Miniatures, go check the web, there are some really nice surprises up there!
Looking great Suber! Love the colour mix, especially that bright turquoise against the white and more neutral browns and greens. Great little project.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I was looking for some contrast, but trying not to overdo the whole thing. I really want to put them on a board and roll some dice!
DeleteThe varied skin tones adds so much to this project Suber, great call on doing so many. The weapons they have, have a real Stargate feel about them, they look traditional, but are well advanced, and probably devastating.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You are right, the mag staffs are totally Stargate looking. They have a mix of vibes, and I really enjoy that kind of thing on such a project :)
DeleteWoooow!
ReplyDeleteFantastic work! Lovely ideas.
Thanks, mate! Small project that took longer than expected, but I'm happy with it :)
DeleteVery cool, love the white armour. The (not) Slann have always been some of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I was reasonably sure I wanted them in white, so it was a matter of adding colour and colour until I got satisfied :D
DeleteThe combination of the off-white and the bright colours is very effective. They really do capture that Rogue Trader feel. I wouldn't worry about the fine details: you don't really need the fiddly painting to make them look good!
ReplyDeleteThank you! They look Rogue Trader-ish enough to me, I fell in love with them as I saw them. I'm dealing with the incoming vision problems, haha, just need to rant a little :D
DeleteO yes, I am liking these VERY much mate! Space Slaan were such a cool concept and I'm glad these not-Slaan are out there. Very tempted, I must say.
ReplyDeleteContrasts between armour whites and skin colours are spot on and although they are a motley bunch, they really do tie in well with eachother as a group.
Those staffs give off a Stargate type feel I think.
Thank you! The mix on the whole group is an appealing part of the project, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The good part of using white as main colour is that almost anything worked for the skins and stuff, so I'm happy with what I got. Now I need to think of profiles and rules for these guys!
DeleteThe perfectionist that is inherent in all hobbyists means that a project is seldom a palette cleanser ... more often than not it becomes a full-blown project :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, you know me so well! I really tried to do it quick and move on some other thing, but I really couldn't!! :D
Deleteson bien chulas las minis, gran trabajo.
ReplyDeleteGracias, la verdad es que las pillé hace años y tenía ganas de darles caña, pero nunca encontraba el momento, ha sido satisfactorio poder ponerme con ellas por fin
DeleteThese are wonderful sculpts and you've painted them beautifully! I really like how you used different skin tones to break up what could have been a monotone look, and their clothing and weapons really pop. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I tried different skin colours just for that purpose. I not only went for bright colours (as I tend to do on the World of Twilight project), but also some other earthy, natural tones. I hope they all work when together!
DeleteDuuuuude! The colors on these are absolutely amazing! I think painting lizard/reptilians is a specialty of yours!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The World of Twilight project has certainly helped to know what I wanted to do with these. That reminds me... I still have tons of those pending! Agh!
DeleteGreat looking Space Sl..lizards! The variety of colours works really well and the sculpts look ace!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks! The models are sweet, they were a pleasure to paint. About colour, it's just a defensive measure, they blind you just as you look at them and then they can attack you at pleasure!
DeleteExcellent looking non Slann, nothing wrong with your painting at all!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thank you! They most definitely don't want to pass unnoticed!
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