Weekly Update: Online Contests

New Contests

The Painting Corps

'TAKE COVER!' A DoW2 Painting Contest

The Rules
1. Model and Paint a Blood Raven Space Marine using cover in combat.
2. Entries must be a SINGLE Games-Workshop Space Marine on a 40mm or smaller base.

3. Models may be any type of marine but painted in the the chapter colors of the Blood Ravens Space Marine Chapter.
4. Take a photo of the model in progress to be sent along with your final entry.
5. Send all final entries to ThePaintingCorps@gmail.com with the heading 'Take Cover!', please include your name and address in the email.
6. All entries must be received by March 20th at 11:59pm Central Standard Time (GMT-6)
7. Entries will be displayed and voting by the judges will commence.

When all votes from the judges are in, the winners will be announced and prizes will be sent out!

So break out the bits box and start modeling those marines shooting from behind a ruins, sniping from the bushes, or leaping from a hiding spot to assault the enemy! The possibilities are only restricted by the depths of your imagination! And for some additional inspiration, check out the recently released Dawn of War 2!

Existing Contests

Way of Saim-Hann

Win these 40k Models Contest

It’s time for another Way of Saim-Hann giveaway contest- something a bit different from the last farseer painting contest. After our crushing win (Jawaballs & myself) at the last doubles tournament I got some store credit for the local comic shop, and picked up some farseers and warlocks since that was the only Eldar loot they had. I’ve been cleaning some stuff out and it is time to give these guys a place in your warhost so here is the contest…Present either a written or filmed battle report from an actual game of your Eldar warhost crushing your opponent. (You don't have to be Saim-Hann- any Eldar army is fine.) Try to give examples of tactics and the ideas you have used to pull of the win. All the battle reports will be posted to my blog for everybody to enjoy and I’ll give a link or plug back to each submission if you have a home page or blog.
Entry Date:
Submit your report by March 27, 2009 and your name will get entered in a drawing for the figures. On March 31st I’ll post a vid of randomly drawing two names with each winner getting 1 farseer and 1 warlock. I’ll pay the shipping for USA or abroad at the lowest postal rate. Obviously, only one entry per person.
Details of the battle reports below:
Text Submission:Write up your battle report and include up to five in game pictures or supporting diagrams to help visualize the action.
Video Submission:Create a video- Google video/YouTube, etc. and provide me the link so I can embed the video into a blog post. Please be sure the video can be embedded with HTML code.
Send your submission to me at: Feddeck@hotmail.com along with your name, handle, or whatever you want to be called when I draw the names, along with your blog, homepage, website, gaming group, etc.

DAKKADAKKA

Dakka Painting Challenge: 'Jungle Warfare'

The Rules:
1.) Abide by the spirit and guidelines of the Challenge presented.
2.) Take a WIP shot of your model before painting. Send your WIP along with your entry.
3.) Paint your model!
4.) Take another shot of the completed model and send it in to dakkapaintingchallenge@dakkadakka.com with your Dakka Handle as the photo's filename. Also be sure to include your dakka handle in the email, just in case. Oh and be sure it's in before Midnight Central (GMT-6:00) the night of the Deadline!!
5.) The day after the deadline, all the entries will be presented for all of Dakka to see! Along with this will be a poll for the community at large to pick their favorite from the bunch. 6.) Public voting will last for 3 Days. And the Top 5 Entries will go on to be voted upon by our Judging Panel. The Winner will be announced soon after!

The Deadline:

March 31st, 2009: Midnight Central Time (GMT-6:00)

Challenge Rules:

1. Model must be a Single model.
2. Based on a single square, round, or hex base. 50mm or smaller accepted.

Rites of War

Paint or Die! A RoW Painting Contest.

The Concept is rather Simple. You choose to start a new army of 1000+ points or 1000+ points of Expansion to an army you already own to paint. You have 7 weeks from the start date to completely build, model, paint & base your 1000 points. You must update a blog with your progress weekly. At the end of the 7 weeks anyone who has completed their project will earn a "Paint or Die" Award as well as be entered in Paint Contest with the other participants In which the entire membership votes to determine 1st and 2nd place winners. Those winners split the entry fees in a 60/30 manner (10% covers fees).

Taylor Miniatures and Adepts Forge

Stegadon Conversion Contest

The "Getting the most out of the new Stegadon kit if you're not a Lizardman player" Conversion Challenge! The Adept's Forge, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, is pleased to present the kick-off to what will hopefully be an ongoing series of cool idea-sharing and excitingly executed conversions. All too often, there's a great, new, plastic kit that you just can't help but want to put together. Perhaps, however, you're not into the army for which the kit has been released and you just can't bring yourself to build a one-off, never to be used again model. Enter the Conversion Challenge.

Over the next five to six weeks, a group of friends and veteran hobbyists will take on the challenge of converting the fantastic new Stegadon plastic kit into something they can more readily use in one of their existing armies. The rules are simple. Take (at least) one Stegadon kit, add heaping helpings of creativity and modeling talent, and create a masterpiece of conversion work that will be admired the world over (or perhaps just over the world wide web). Photos will be taken around the end of March and half will be posted on ttp://theadeptsforge.blogspot.com/, while the other half will be posted on http://davetaylorminiatures.blogspot.com/.
Polls will be set up for voting and the winner will receive bragging rights, possibly even a prize from the archives. We'll be posting the names of the contestants shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for the mighty creations come late March.

The Realms of Equinox

The Space Hulk Challenge

Beginning on 02/16/2008, select and paint a model or small diorama depicting something taking place within a space hulk. This could be a traditional diorama of a terminator and genestealer fighting in a hallway, or something new and radical like a harlequin entering a hulk from the webway. The important thing is that the entry must give the impression of taking place within a space hulk.

Dark Art Miniatures

Create a Base Competition

RULES

We want you to create themed bases of your own design. It can be a theme that we already sell (urban, infested) but we would prefer to see a theme that we have not yet covered. Literally anything you can think of! No matter how weird or dull the theme is we would like to see it. Each entrant must submit one of the following choices: four x25mm OR two x40mm OR 1x60mm base. Each entrant may enter as many times as they like.

These bases can be round or square and must be UNPAINTED. You can use another companies 'blank base' to add your design to. You can use any kind of modelling materials such as sculpting putty, plasticard, textured sheets, sand etc You cannot use any static grass/flock. You cannot add another companies products that is not sold for scratch building onto your design (example: you cannot use the head of a GW space marine or a Rackham weapon or even part of any terrain made by another company) Entrants must not be sculptors currently selling their own product lines of bases. Failure to follow the above rules will result in your entry being void :( What we will be marking your work on: Above all it’s got to be game practical. We don’t want to see over a designed base that a miniature would not be able to stand on. If a miniature was to be mounted it should still be able to stand 'flat footed' on the base and the height of the base should not be overly high, again being practical for gaming. In some cases less is more. There is a fine line between over designed bases and interesting bases. Photos of your work can be sent to: comp@darkartminiatures.com

Deadline: April 5th, 2009

Poll Results: The Next Project

The results are in from the first ever Realms of Equinox poll. The poll question was, "What should be my next project."

The results
Eldar 50% (12 votes)
Imperial Guard 37% (9 votes)
Beast of Chaos 4% (1 vote)
Other 8%(2 votes)

The Analyse

The clear winner in this poll was my proposed eldar army. A strong percentage of readers were also in favor of the imperial guard army. The single vote for the BoC army seems to be an outlier. As for other, it is hard to conclude if these votes were for the other concepts I have posted or simply votes against any of the three armies.

My Thoughts

The results of the survey are causing me a little bit of reservation at the moment. I was strongly leaning towards the idea of doing imperial guard after I complete the Paint or Die! competition, but now I am pausing for a moment to reconsider the eldar.

I really like the concept of the eldar army, but don't feel like I am ready for it. I still struggle with the setting of the army. Do I base them to reflect an urban jungle or a real jungle? Another thing I am pondering is whether the paint scheme should be reds and whites or something more earthy. Lastly, a return to the eldar feels like that last project to me. I started 40K playing eldar during second edition. I've had a few flirtations with them since that time, but this voice in my head tells me that they should be the last project (and thus my greatest one).

I should warn everyone that I have been sick for a few days, so today's blog may be filled with ramblings caused by DayQuil withdrawal.

I guess my fear with not doing the army is that at some point, someone is going to do the same army and it will likely look better than anything I can produce. I like my armies to feel original when they are put on the board, and I don't think I have ever seen an army that focuses only on spiders, scorpions, and rangers. Its a fluff army, and that is how I want to approach the eldar.

Looking at the imperial guard, my friend Ernie and I have been talking alot about the project. I am really itching to create a bullets and fire army. The Paint or Die! contest is a good excuse for me to get a foundation in place for the army so I can start playing it sooner without diving directly into IG or needing to buy alot of new stuff. I am also happy that I am getting to work on a project with someone, and hopefully two more people will join the project, as I would like to target it's completion for entry into next year's Adepticon Team Tournament.

Speaking of joining, if anyone is seriously interested in becoming a member of the team and would like to paint an Imperial Guard army in the primary colors we are using, I would love to hear from you. I have been talking with a few folks, but I would like to find two committed guys/gals that want to spend a year slowly building complementary armies. I want each of us to build a 1000 points (more on that next week) of Imperial Guard that looks great together. I also want us to have a TON of fun doing it. A solid theme and good times are more important to me than having the most tactically sound joint army on the board. (more on this aspect after Paint or Die! is over.)

On a tangent thought, I have learned something very important about polls like this one. I need to only have specific options and not vague choices like "other". It is driving me nuts wondering what those votes actually meant. This could just be another symptom of the DayQuil withdrawal. If you voted other, can you please let me know why in the comments of the post.

On the Bench: Grey Knight Terminator p3

With the armour complete, the next step was to paint the blue parts of the model. The first layer was painted with Vallejo Dark Blue (930) using an American Painter, size 1 brush.



Once the first layer has dried, I applied a healthy wash of Asurmen Blue (GW wash). I use a size 4 American Painter brush and give the blue sections a good level of coverage.



While the wash is drying, I give the banners/purity seals/etc a coat of Vallejo Desert Yellow (72063) using a size 1 brush. Since these items are going to be layered heavily, I apply two coats. At this point I let the model sit for an hour and dry.

Sadly at this point, I changed something in the camera and the remaining WiP pictures were blurry and not worth posting. I will try to do a better job with future editions, but to complete this edition, I will simply rely on a recap.

Painting Palette Recap

Grey Sections
Vallejo Black Grey (70862)(3:1, paint:thinner) [Size 1 American Painter]
Black GW Wash
Black Grey (4:1, pain:thinner)
Black Grey/Vallejo London Grey (836) (2:1:1:1, black grey:london grey:thinner:glaze)
Black Grey/London Grey (1:2:1:1, black grey:london grey:thinner:glaze)
Black Grey/London Grey (1:3:1:1, black grey:london grey:thinner:glaze)
London Grey (4:1:1, london grey:thinner:glaze)
London Grey/Light Grey (70990) (4:1:1:1, london grey:light grey:thinner:glaze)

Blue Sections
Dark Blue (4:1:1, paint:thinner:glaze)
Dark Blue/Skull White (4:1:1:1, dark blue:skull white:thinner:glaze)
Dark Blue/Skull White (3:1:1:1, dark blue:skull white:thinner:glaze)
Dark Blue/Skull White (2:1:1:1, dark blue:skull white:thinner:glaze)
Dark Blue/Skull White (1:1:1:1, dark blue:skull white:thinner:glaze)
Add 2 drops Skull White to prior mix.
Add 4 drops of Skull White to prior mix
Eyes only - straight skull white as a single dot in each eye.

Golden Sections
Reaper Chestnut Gold (09073) (3:1, paint:thinner) [American Painter Brush 1] "This layer is thinner to get into the crevices and corners"
Reaper Chestnut Gold (09073) (4:1, paint:thinner) [American Painter Brush 0] "This layer is to give the gold sections an even coat.
Vallejo Brown Ink (72092) (straight) [American Painter Brush 00] "A little brown ink was applied to certain deep areas, like the chains, to give them a needed extra layer of depth."
Reaper Chestnut Gold (09073)/Palomino Gold (09074) (2:2:1:1, chestnut gold:palomino gold: thinner:glaze)
Palomino Gold (4:1, paint, thinner) "This is the base coat and should cover about 50% of each gold section."
Palomino Gold/Buckskin Pale (09075) (2:2:1:1, palomino gold:buckskin pale:thinner:glaze) "This is the first level highlight".
Buckskin Pale (4:1, paint:thinner)

Red Sections
Vallejo Scar Red (12) (4:1, paint:thinner)
Vallejo Scar Red/Blood Red (72010) (8:1:2:2, scar red:blood red:thinner: glaze) "I wanted a slightly smoother transition between layers, so I increased the amount of thinner and glaze"
Vallejo Scar Red/Blood Red (72010) (4:1:1:2, scar red:blood red:thinner: glaze)
Vallejo Scar Red/Blood Red (72010) (3:1:2:2, scar red:blood red:thinner: glaze)
Vallejo Scar Red/Blood Red (72010) (2:1:1:1, scar red:blood red:thinner: glaze)
Blood Red (72010) (3:1:1, blood red:thinner: glaze)

Purity Seals
Vallejo Desert Yellow (72063) (4:1, paint:thinner) "Allow sections to dry before next layer" Vallejo Desert Yellow (72063) (4:1, paint:thinner)
Vallejo Brown Ink (72092) (4:1, paint:thinner) [American Painter Brush 0] Vallejo Desert Yellow/Dark Sand (72063) (8:1:1:1, desert yellow:dark sand:glaze:thinner)
Vallejo Desert Yellow/Dark Sand (72063) (4:1:1:1, desert yellow:dark sand:glaze:thinner)
Vallejo Desert Yellow/Dark Sand (72063) (2:1:1:1, desert yellow:dark sand:glaze:thinner)
Vallejo Desert Yellow/Dark Sand (72063) (2:2:1:1, desert yellow:dark sand:glaze:thinner)Dark Sand (72063) (4:1:1, dark sand:glaze:thinner)
Dark Sand (72063)/Skull White (8:1:1:1, dark sand:skull white:glaze:thinner)
Dark Sand (72063)/Skull White (4:1:1:1, dark sand:skull white:glaze:thinner)
Dark Sand (72063)/Skull White (2:1:1:1, dark sand:skull white:glaze:thinner)
Dark Sand (72063) (4:1:1, dark sand:glaze:thinner)

Base Sections
The base was first painted with a coat of Vallejo snakebite leather (2:1, paint:thinner). While still wet, the base was washed with the GW septia wash using an American Painter, size 4 brush.

Next Edition of On the Bench

With this post, I have added another poll. The question this time is what should be the subject of the next On the Bench. Voting will be open till Monday, so vote soon!

On the Bench: Grey Knight Terminator p2

The next layer was recoat of the Vallejo black grey (70862) with a ratio of 4:1 (paint/thnner). I used an american painter size 0 brush.


The next layer is a mix of black grey and london grey (836) with a ratio of 2:1:1:1 (black grey:london grey:thinner:vallejo glaze medium). The mix was applied using an american painter brush (size 0)

The next layer is a mix of black grey and london grey (836) with a ratio of 2:2:1:1 (black grey:london grey:thinner:vallejo glaze medium). The mix was applied using an american painter brush (size 0). I like to use the combination of thinner and glaze to give the paint a smoother blend.

On the Bench: Grey Knight Terminator

Upon further reflection, I have decided that On the Bench will be be my series of painting guides for various models that I have painted. My hope is that I can help people by showing them what I have done (be it right or wrong). Please share your thoughts and comments.

Grey Knight Terminator

Bitz
For this model, the following bitz were used to create the model in this tutorial.

1. Grey Knight Terminator Captain Body
2. One Inquisitor Hammer
3. One arm and storm shield from the plastic assault terminator kit.
4. One Terminator Nemesis Force Weapon.
5. One purity seal from the Ravenwing plastic kit.


The head of the hammer was removed from the bit and pinned to the nemesis force weapon after removing the blade. The storm shield and terminator arm were assembled and attached to the main body of the terminator after removing the pin that was originally part of the model.



Basing


The model was mounted on a George Base, available at Games Plus in Mount Prospect, IL. It was than based using two grains of sand from the GF9 urban terrain kit.








Rites of War

The following picture is to just document that this model was started on 03/13/2008.

Priming

The model was given a decent coat of GW white primer. This was followed by a bit of touch-up using Vallejo white primer. (Note: The picture is extremely blurry.)

Basecoat

This model is going to be painted in a color scheme using NMM (my version of it anyways) and will use actual grey for the main body of the model. The painted areas were painted using Vallejo black grey in a dilution of 3:1 (3 drops paint, 1 drop thinner).








The base coat was applied in two layers using an American Painter brush. Once the second layer was painted, the model was given a wash of GW Badad Black. This was done using an American Painters brush. The wash was applied heavily to the corners and places not usually visible when the model is on the board.