Monday 16 November 2015

XCIII. Mór Vérzőfarkas

Rotten Harvest 2015 results are in and now I am allowed to break the silence about my entry. It ended up taking third place; thanks to all who voted. :)

I present to you Mór the Armour. A huge suit of plate armour possessed by the spirit of long dead lord Mór Vérzőfarkas, ancestor of our Countess:


The feathers are real jay feathers, added when the paintjob was done. Both heraldic shields and the wolf fur on the back are removable (mostly because I couldn't decide whether he was better with or without them).


Lord Mór was killed fighting off the Hassanag invasion. His red suit of armour, decorated with the family colours and crest - the bleeding wolf, was brought back to his province along with his remains. Mór was not buried in it, however, but it was kept on display at the seat of the Vérzőfarkas' to inspire his noble descendants. Now the Countess summoned his spirit to wear it once more...


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The goal was to make a "European" version of Malifaux's Izamu the Armor for the Countess. I like the idea of spirit-possessed plate mail walking around. 
Now that I look at it the miniature would easily fit into a Vampire Counts army...

An old sketch predicted a ruff and a helmet, and I even considered Kingdom Death Gold Smoke Knight for the base of the conversion rather than a Blightking. The design mutated with time.
The latest sketch looks a lot like the final product.
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The first mockup of the conversion from a year ago, when I first got the Blightkings kit.

Nurgle insignia removed, severed head replaced by wolf tail. I decided to give him a fur cap, so I picked a suitable head to use.
Conversion WiP.
The starting model was a Blightking, but I used bits from a number of different Citadel kits: Empire Huntsmen, State Troops, Free Company, Pistoliers; Vampire Counts Skeletons and Mortis Engine; Bretonnian Knights; Space Wolves, Chaos Marauders... This is the finished conversion (minus the wolf skin cape).
Late painting WiP.
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On an unrelated note, I've recently started feeling the need to paint in 2D again. This is the result of several evenings of maniacal painting:


Radogost, a knight.

The boots might need a bit more work. And if the urge to paint does not abandon me, I'll be making a series of similar paintings in an A6 format Moleskine. In case you were wondering, the character depicted comes from another setting I'm developing, separate from Gardens. 

21 comments:

  1. The miniature is great, and will fit nicely in with your others for that faction, and also can stand alone. The "rusty old armor ambulated by a ghost" look is nicely achieved.

    But that painting! Please keep sharing if you do more, it is splendid.

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  2. Amazing, Ana! I remember original concept sketches and have been looking to seeing this conversion for some time! You've done a wonderful job and I particularly log the effect achieved by using the mortis engine spirit trails.

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    1. Thanks! Yes, it took me a whole year to convert and paint the bugger. Better late than never. :D

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  3. Congratulations on your contest entry, I love your blog and your eye for detail.

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  4. A cool concept paired with great conversion work. Well done.

    The painting is fantastic. Radogost does not seem like the cheerful sort.

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    1. Thanks! Oh, Radogost is usually the life of the party. He was just having a bad day when he sat for this portrait... :D

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  5. This miniature is simply amazing! Well done Ana, I love the modeling execution and the paint work. ;)

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  6. The Radogost painting is terrific and I really like the ghost armour, the use of feathers was an inspired idea.

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    1. Thanks Alexander! :) I'm really happy with how the feathers look, but they are unfortunately quite delicate. I'll have to be extra careful when transporting and playing with Mór.

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  7. Terrific ghostly knight Ana!

    Amazing concept and oh so well executed.

    I like the oriental feel of the Radogost painting. You´ve really pulled off that style well.

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    1. Thanks Johan!

      For Radogost I was going for a mix of European and oriental. I'm glad I was successful. :)

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  8. The painting is so good! Your old 2D paintings are why I started following you years ago, glad to see you're feeling it again!

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    1. Hi! And thank you. :) I am glad to hear from you again after so much time.

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  9. I LOVE Mors the armour, a fantastic concept executed brilliantly.

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  10. I am a little late to this party, but I love this miniature. How you have the spectral mist rising from its armour and its misty arm is wonderful.

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  11. Great model, love the idea of a spirit being binded into a suit of armour....

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