# Blood Angels



## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

So, recently I was convinced to return to collecting 40k after quite a long break. I was always a massive fan of the blood angels, and as such there was no alternative choice for me.

Upon hearing of the arrival of the new codex, I decided that it was the perfect time.

So, naturally, the first thing I did was walk into GW and buy a whole bunch of stuff.

The first of which was a terminator chaplain. No reason why, other than that a chappy is an Elite choice for BA, and the terminator chaplain model is totally awesome. As such, it was the first model I finished painting:



















I was quite happy with how the tabbard turned out.

I also bought the Emperor's Champion model from the BT range, but only because it's so cool. I decided that I would use it as a Sanguinary priest. (I thought it would add to the variation in the models I used for those, considering you may take 1 - 3 for a single elite slot). As such, it was the second model I finished:










I have to apologise for the quality of the image - it makes the model look retarded. Sorry about the base - I'm yet to finish it off with some extras from a basing kit.

I also bought some Vanguard vet's, and a box of terminators. I havn't finished painting either, and I havn't even started the terminators yet because I was waiting on a forge world order of BA shoulder pads for them (because they are awesome). I also recently bought a Land Raider.

Here are some pics of the term's:



















I also decided that the current Mephiston model looks totally balls. As such, I went to speak to some of the guys in my local GW, just to put our heads together and think about some ideas for a good basis for a conversions, and eventually we came up with a plan. I know it sounds crazy, but the initial body of the model is going to use Konrad from the vampire counts range. I have decided that the right arm I am going to use is from the sergeant in the Legion of the Damned boxed set. It has a skull shoulder pad, just like Mephiston does, and it has a plasma pistol, just like Mephiston. Konrad's spikiness can quite easily be converted into a psychic hood, too. I am yet to decide on a left arm, or a decent sword. The sword is quite important for Mephiston, so I intend to look through the range of options thoroughly. The head I am using is the head from Sigvald the Magnificent.

Here is my progress so far. You can see that I have removed Konrad's head and much of the cloak of bats. I intend to use an Empire Battle Wizard box set to apply some extra layers of cloaks, to conceal the remainder of the bat cloak, along with some greenstuff to smooth it all over. I intend to remove the "dragon head" thing from the knee of the armour, and add a blood-drop-with-wing thing from the new Death Company boxed set, in its place. I also intend to file down the tip of the boot, so that it isn't quite so vampiric, and looks more power armour-ish.



















I think that the blood drop jewels that he has on the end of the chains hanging from his armour look way cool, and totally in keeping with a BA theme.

I will update as stuff progresses!


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## Medic Marine (Jun 28, 2009)

Thats some goodwork sure, I agree that the BT champion and Termie Chap are some stellar models, is a solid paint job too. k:


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Some nice work. As to the sword for Mephiston, I think that sword on your emperor's champ would be cool.


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## primeministersinsiter (May 31, 2009)

I think you could use a little drybrushing on the metal. Otherwise, you're off to a roaring start.
Good job.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Thanks guys! 

I forgot to mention that after buying the awesome legion of the damned boxed set and took out the arm for Mephiston, I intend to use the rest of the models as Death company marines. I think they will fit with that look quite well! I intend to buy another 5 Death Co marines (an actual boxed set), and then there should be quite a wide variation in the squad. The legion of the damned seargeant is going to be used as the squad chaplain.


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## Chaoz94 (Jun 17, 2008)

im liking where this is going
ill be watching

chaoz


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Um...
That arm you were talking about, is a LEFT arm.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

From the model's perspective, yes. However, the model is just a tiny lump of metal, and doesn't hold a perspective.

I, however, do. Therefore, describing things from my perspective is more appropriate.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

The Real Sanguinius said:


> From the model's perspective, yes. However, the model is just a tiny lump of metal, and doesn't hold a perspective.
> 
> I, however, do. Therefore, describing things from my perspective is more appropriate.


..Gah?
How can you 'perceive' it being a right arm?
His hand would either be upside down or the wrong way around!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Well, I look at the model facing me, and the arm is on the right. Literally.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

The Real Sanguinius said:


> Well, I look at the model facing me, and the arm is on the right. Literally.


It took me a few brow-twisting moments, but I understand now XD
You mean that, from your perspective, it's on the right, as you said.
I just find it MUCH simpler to refer to the actual side of the model, not the user's perceived side.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Update:

Started piecing together the Mephiston model today. Still havn't decided on an arm or sword, but still hunting. I have also started working on the greenstuff areas, but I havn't taken any pics yet. Here are pics of the progress before any greenstuffing. Sorry about the quality...



















Note: The base is temporary; I intend to add a wider, more sceneic base with some nice details.

I also managed to get hold of a nice ornate backpack from the upcoming BA death co boxed set 

It's suits perfectly, too.


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## LordKorik (Sep 11, 2009)

I look forward to seeing this completed and also seeing the Legion of the Damned sergeant turned into a Chaplain. 
Keep it up.


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## itsonlyme (Aug 22, 2008)

Some impressive stuff, i cant wait to see the forge world terminator painted, i love the blood angels kits they did, i only wish they did blood raven kits like that.

Also the terminator champlain model, im so tempted to buy one now 

Mephiston conversion looks like it could be interesting, maybe for the sword you could use a bloodletters sword, you would just have to use some green stuff to hide the khorne bits but i think it could look pretty cool


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Some more work has been done on filling the cracks and covering the bat cloak. It will all need a second coating though.










Here is the backpack I will be using; I think that it fits the look very well:










Here is a close up of the head I cut from Sigvald. However, I have altered the facial structure with some GS, because his nose was too 'upturned' (snooty looking), and he had, basically, the opposite features to Mephiston. Mephiston has very high, prominent cheek bones, and he has a dimple in the centre of his chin (bum chin), whereas Sigvald has a small, pointy chin. Basically Sigvald has the kind of smug, slaaneshy face that you want to slap, whereas Mephiston has the kind of face that says "If you don't shut up I'm going pull your intestines out of your eyes". I also had to adjust the hairline, as Mephiston has a bit of "Widow's peak" going on, and Sigvald does not.

So, I made the necessary adjustments:










This was my reference image:


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Looks good, but I don't see a bum-chin on the reference image.
And frankly the body looks a bit Sauron-ey XD


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Give it some time 

The head will make the model look way less Sauron-ish.

I have finally decided upon a sword, and I have chosen the Raven Sword, from the Master of the Ravenwing boxed set. It's large, very imperial, and has a slender blade. I think it will fit well with the pose that I want to get from the model. I am considering using some of the cloak parts from that model, too.

I have also finished painting my Vanguard Veteran squad. I am happy with how they are painted (not as well as I painted my chaplain, unfortunately), but the photographs are terrible. I need to take some natural light shots, and buy a better camera lol. Here are some pics:



















Brother Akhad:










Brother-Sergeant Ezeekiel:










Brother Lionis:










Brother Antonius:










The pics don't show much detail, but both my lighting and my camera are shit!

Time to move onto painting the terminators...


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Looks sweet k:
The paint looks a bit thick and splodgey, but that could just be the camera.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

I think it may be the reflection after I used a little gloss varnish (I like my marines a little bit shiny, to simulate their metal battle plate).


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Squad Paladin

Terminator Sergeant Aradiel:



















Again, sorry for poor image/lighting, it's making my model look pink!


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## warsmith7752 (Sep 12, 2009)

Just to let you know blood angels arent allowed relic blades and your vengaurd vet has one.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Yes, I know. I'll just use it as a "counts as", instead, perhaps a power glaive, or power sword.

Thanks for the heads-up though!


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

warsmith7752 said:


> Just to let you know blood angels arent allowed relic blades and your vengaurd vet has one.


...
You're shitting me right?

It's a sword, which he happens to be holding in two hands.
If it weren't for the text on the GW site saying that he has a Relic Blade, I would NEVER have thought it was any more than a Power Sword.


Terminator looks good man, nice work on the shoulder pad (right one).


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Brother Sergio:




























Finally turned the flash on...


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## hugor1 (May 6, 2008)

this thread is looking pretty good (Y). but the models that look pinkish, are you highlighting in white or is it due to the camera? if your highlighting with white, use orange instead, so much better  

Keep up the good work! +rep,
Cory


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

I'm currently highlighting with orange. I noticed that the models are looking pinkish in the photos - I think it's the camera.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

I decided to take a small break from painting today, and did some GS work with my Mephiston conversion. I am still building up my confidence in working with GS, so I am quite tentative.

I first did a bit of work joining up the secondary cloak, which serves the purpose of keeping the cloack symmetrical, and the second purpose of blocking up unsightly parts of the leg that I didn't actually want to be part of the model:










Then I did some work on the front "bat" cloak. I applied a second coating of GS to try and smooth it out some more. it worked, but I still think that a 3rd application could work. I'll wait to see what I think after working on other areas. It does look ok though for now.










I took another picture showing the initial work on the rear cloak. Much more work needs to be done here, but I'm going to wait untill I have both arms in place to start on this again.










As you can see, I have filed off the "dragon head" on the knee of the model, and now I will replace it with a part I have seen in the new Death Co boxed set. The part is a handle guard to one of the chainswords. It is a pair of wings with a blood drop, and it would wrap around the knee quite nicely without any modification, other than some trimming to make sure that it isn't too large. If it is too small, then I can try something else.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

So, I started assembling my land raider, along with some doors I bought from FW. I didn't complete it so that I can use magnets to switch the weapons out when necessary.










I also finished painting brother Gideon:


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Looks nice.
I hope those side doors aren't glued on, because if you decide to use a Redeemer, you'll want the sponsons at the front


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## wombat_tree (Nov 30, 2008)

Although the camera makes the models look a bit pink (damn cameras and their scheming ways!) the models look to be very well painted, I especially like the Chaplain when I first saw it I could swear that you just stole it straight from the Games Workshop show room.... +rep


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Ok, so, to follow up on some progress with Mephiston and other work...

Here is a pic of a legion of the damned model being used as a death company marine. I bought the 5 damned legion models so that I could use the sergeant's arm on Mephiston. The sergeant is a perfect model to use as a chaplain, and the rest can easily have bits added to them from the death company sprue to make them look like part of the squad. So, with these legion of the damned models and the 5 death company marines from the boxed set, I should have 9 overall, and one chaplain to use. Here is one example:










Here are some more pictures of Mephiston:



















Lot's of pinning done at this point... the sword is a bitch... I am still modelling GS onto the handle section...



















As you can see, I still have loads of GS work to do on the cloak at the back, fitting the backpack, finishing the handle section on the sword, and adding some cables to the psychic hood using guitar wire. I have some bass guitar wire of an ideal width, but I'm still thinking about where to position the cables.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Man, that Mephiston is looking sweet!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Further updates.

Finished the psychic hood on Mephiston, the handle section of the sword, the knee pad, the wrist of the sword arm and the cloak area of the front beneath the sword side shoulder. All that is left to do now is the rear cloak and the backpack.




























Time to get back to painting.


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## Marneus Calgar (Dec 5, 2007)

Dude, that looks awesome! 
I don't know why I look at these threads to be honest, they just make me want to do more armies! :laugh:
+REp on an awesome conversion!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

The final of the first squad of terminators:




























This squad was just for practice :grin:

I have a set of the Space Hulk 2009 terminators all still on the sprues, ready to be painted. I can't decide whether or not to hardcoat gloss varnish them like I did with these terminators - but I think that I probably won't. I'm still undecided on that one.

I have decided that I will be cutting a hole into the top of my land raider, and filling it with the base of Brother Scipio so that his base sits flush with the top edge of the tank armour - this way it will look at though he is punching a hole into the tank (either to get in, or to hold on for dear life).


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## dthwish09 (Oct 15, 2009)

the writing on the scroll is amazing as well with the fine detail on the decail, good work 
+rep!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Ok, I am glad to have one of the terminator squads out of the way!

I have moved onto the first half of the Death Company marines. The first 5 are actually Legion of the Damned marines, and the second 5 are from a Death Company boxed set.

Here is the first of the LotD marines, turned BA Death Co.

Brother Lycan:





































I think that my painting is improving. I have been reading some of the tutorials, and I am learning alot from this site.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

That looks so appropriate for a Death co™, well done!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Second Death Co. trooper:

Natural light shot










With flash


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

My first tactical marine finished (yes, I am painting in a very random order).

This is the pointman of the squad, which I have denoted by using the checkerboard marking around the mouthpiece.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Death Co. trooper with thunder hammer:



















Painting is slowly improving.


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## Tossidin (Dec 10, 2008)

It looks wery good man, but if you don't mind me critizising, here is a tip:

The grey highlights! They are so light that they dont "blend" with the black. I would suggest that you mix some black into the grey, so that it doesn't become so stark (I did just the same mistake with mine...). You could try some watered down chaos black (much water) to dull the grey, making it "fit better". 

Other than that, they look great! Looking forward to see more models finished


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Cool, thanks for the tip!


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## db7835 (Apr 27, 2010)

Cool minis! That Mephiston conversion looks seriously brilliant! Keep it up!

I also like the highlight work you did on the blood drop parts of the armour for that Death Co. guy.

I'm doing Blood Angels at the moment and have just started a thread which is miles behind this one in terms of posts from other members.

If anyone else wants to post their own pictures up and discuss creative painting and conversion ideas for their Blood Angels army then go to the thread: http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=61310


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## SonofVulkan (Apr 14, 2010)

The Mephiston conversion is excellent, looking forward to seeing it painted.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Small update.

Newly painted Death Co. badass. This guy has alot of detailed parts, so it took me ages. I am most pleased with the gems, and the writing of his name "Raphael".





































I have also finished "building" Mephiston, and he has had a change of weapon...



















Flaming sword of win times. I am undecided on how I should paint the flames - I could paint them standard fire, or I could paint them some sort of "pyschic flame", and make it a lightening effect sort of thing.

Either way, I am hoping to make the "flames" a light source for the model, so that all of the shadows are retreating from this point. A bit like the flames in this picture taken from a flame painting tutorial:


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## genesis108 (Jul 29, 2009)

Mephy looks alot better with that sword. IMO, the flame should be colored like the description in Sword of Sanguine. "Violent Crimson Hue" I'd do a dark red base highlighted in a slightly lighter red and blended towards an even lighter red at the tips of the flame. But that's just me..


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

That sounds like a great Idea, although I'd be tempted not to make it fade to a lighter colour at the tips. I'd be tempted to make it a lightening sort of pattern, but red...


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Ok, I have started painting the Mephy model, and I am extremely pleased with how the sword flames have turned out.

I have also added some "blood drop" jewelry to the blade, as the original Mephy model had some, and I was able to cut some from an angelus boltgun that I had as a spare. I have painted the "flames" not as flame at all, but as a crimson pyschic effect with some lightening ripples in there. Basically it just looks like some violent red stuff.




























C&C welcome!

Any tips anyone has on using this blade as a lighting source, then please feel free to dish them out!

I am unsure whether the make the model reflect a red glow, or to make it reflect brighter, just like a white light source.


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## genesis108 (Jul 29, 2009)

That sword is amazing, TRS! GREAT job! +rep


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## johnnymajic (Jan 2, 2009)

just beautiful
+rep


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## Tossidin (Dec 10, 2008)

Wow, Mephiston is going to look major awesome!
The death company marine is also wery nicely painted, and your extra work on the details really makes it shine, though I still have to say that the grey highlights looks like a different colour, and not part of the black.

Other than that, I am really looking forward to seeing Meffy done! :victory:


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## Marneus Calgar (Dec 5, 2007)

Woah, great job. Now I actually really like the extreme-ness of the highlights to the Death company the marine.
+Rep!


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Wow, guys. I didn't think that I would get such praise for the painting. I have been asked if I would possibly be able to provide a tutorial for the sword effect. I honestly didn't think that it would be good enough to warrant such a thing, but if people would like to know how I did it, then I am very willing to post a step-by-step guide on how to do it. I will do it at some point "later" in the day, or some time tomorrow, or as soon as I find a model that is suitable to demonstrate the example with. It is really not that difficult, to be honest, as long as you can be patient.

The thing I like about the effect is that it isn't difficult, yet it is effective.

As for the death company marine, I understand that the highlights are extreme, but since I have painted the other marines as such, I will continue to paint the whole squad the same. Any other "black" armoured marines I will paint "properly", but untill then, I want them all to match. This is why I didn't change my highlighting method. I originally started with quite a high contrast because I wanted to make the detail on these awesome plastic models very obvious. I don't want anyone to think that their advice is unheard, it's just that I want all of the models within the same squad to look the same.

Be back soon!


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## WarlordKaptainGrishnak (Dec 23, 2008)

this is lookin fantastic mate great work willl be looking out for more +rep


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## ClassyRaptor (Apr 7, 2010)

You deserve some freakin rep for that sword mate. :victory:


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

Long time no post.

I decided to start painting again, and I have some stuff to post soon. However, I decided that to add a bit of flavour to my tactical squad, I would alter the pose of one marine, and make the eyes glow brightly, to mimic the appearance of "prey sight". Here is the partially painted model, with the eyes finished:










I am pleased with how this turned out.

After this, the next thing to finish is my Dante conversion. Here is a preview:


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Baltar said:


>


While that's just a tad ridiculous, gotta say, it's an awesome idea


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Baltar said:


> Long time no post.
> 
> I decided to start painting again, and I have some stuff to post soon. However, I decided that to add a bit of flavour to my tactical squad, I would alter the pose of one marine, and make the eyes glow brightly, to mimic the appearance of "prey sight". Here is the partially painted model, with the eyes finished:


How did you do the eyes? Very effective look.


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## Baltar (Aug 16, 2008)

There is a tutorial in the CMON painting guide.


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## Varakir (Sep 2, 2009)

Really like the 'prey sight' idea, very cool. The execution on the eyes is very well done as well.


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## texcuda (Aug 17, 2010)

wow, very nice.....time to pay for painting lessons :headbutt:


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## OIIIIIIO (Dec 16, 2009)

Great stuff ... kinda like to see Mephy all finished up. Looks good +Rep


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