Gryph Hounds
Gryph hounds are pack-hunting beasts from Azyr, "known to ally themselves to those fighting for a just cause". In AoS, Gryph Hounds run with the Stormcast, and are quite massive (except that one from WHQ: Silver Tower that fits on a 25mm base). I'm actually ok with the models; only their clown shoe paws are not to my liking. However, I wanted smaller gryph hounds that fit with my humans, and better represent the RoSD Hound profile I'll be using them for.
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| Gryph Hound is closer in size to a horse than a hound. |
I converted them from Warlord hounds and
GW Aetherwing heads left over from my harpy conversions. The
feathery necks and ears are putty. Significantly toned-down like this, I think they fit the feel I'm going for.
RoSD has rules for three different companion hound types: hound, warhound and bloodhound - and I intend to eventually make different breeds of Gryph Hounds to represent each. Until that time, these two can play all of those roles.
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Raptors
Trained birds of prey. I converted them from Dark Eldar Razorwings. Their heads are completely resculpted. The minis were originally completely flat, like frisbees or something - a strange look. Perhaps it works for Razorwings due to some fluff reason (I really don't know anything about them), but it sure does not work for falcons. Luckily, before I started cutting I remembered they were resin, and it shoud be simple to get a more natural pose by bending the wings. But Finecast once again proves inferior; bending in hot water was more difficult than any other manufacturer's resin figure I've done it with. Barely softens at all, and once bent it tends to stubbornly go back to the original position. Regardless, I managed to persuade the wings into different poses in the end.
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Chainrasps
This week I also painted some monsters for the warband of Order to encounter: Chainrasps. Pretty much unconverted, except for a couple hand swaps. I have more angry spirits of different kinds, so these will be getting friends in the future.
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In other news, Harwood Hobbies Kickstarter campaign for producing my sculpts ended last Thursday - successfully. I'm currently sculpting the second stretch goal that got unlocked. Thanks everyone for your interest in my work, and I hope you'll enjoy the minis once they reach you! :)
First! Everything in this post is great as usual. I'm currently attempting to mimic the skin tone on Nerod. Any tips? I've divined that carroburg crimson was likely used.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteNerod's skin - started with zenithal priming to have it pre-shaded (white over grey, I think; black may be too strong in this case). Then a series of thin glazes and washes- some over the entire skin, others more localized. Since it's a huge smooth surface, it's good to have some variation, texture. I allowed the hard edges that form as glaze dries to stay - these can look like veins once you glaze over them with thinned flesh colour to tone them down. Let the paint work for you. Stippling rather than blending to achieve transitions. Washes are stronger, so they were used with more care and control to shade certain areas or accentuate detail on the face and fingers. Highlights were done with slightly thinned white and off white. Overall the look is very 'watercolour-y', transparent. If you go too dark with glazes, you can always lighten it by glazing with lighter tones; but it's better to put too thin a glaze than a too strong one.
As far as I remember I used flesh, browns, white, off white, reds, some purple.
I think the main thing to keep in mind is not to be afraid you'll make a mistake.
Hope this helps. :)
This is pretty cool to read. I've finished the project before reading this, but it sounds like I more or less followed your recipe verbatim. It's not an exact match but Nerod really helped me to get started. Thanks for the validation!
DeleteYour Gryph-Hounds are so cute! I love the colour scheme you've used for them. The patterning sort of reminds me of some sort of Snowy Owl or something like that, not sure exactly what. I always like when people do colour schemes for them based on real animals. The others are cool, too, but the Gryph-Hounds kind of stole the show, at least for me :)
ReplyDeleteThanks WR! :)
DeleteGW should have done their Gryph-hounds like this.
ReplyDeleteBut the thing I like most in your post are these converted razorwings though, they are simply magnificent.
Thank you!
DeleteThese are great Ana! For me, the chainrasps are the pick of the bunch. I think that might be the nicest colour scheme I've seen for them: not fancy, but suitably grim and ghostly!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
DeleteI second WestRider here, I love those gryph-hounds, they look amazing in that owl-y color scheme :) Much more believable than the technicolor ones from GW, yet still just as fantastical as them.
ReplyDeleteCheers! I'm not to keen on their colour choices, either. Their studio paintjobs have such a sterile and disconnecting look.
DeleteVery scenic setting!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThose Gryph Hounds look great!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteVery appropriate for the terrain concerned.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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