# Melsaphim's WIP log



## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Having cleared out my model collection today (slimming it down to only models i'm gonna use) I also decided to clear up the mess that is my many many project logs and turn them into one manageable and updatable log. So here it is, no more starting a project and not finishing it thus wasting the time of all those who read it. Here i shall place all i am working on for those interested in seeing it and following my progress to see if i can finally finish a project i start ^^

First off i shall show some of the models i've finished lately that have been in other threads;

My blood ravens strike force;

















My high elves;

















Captain Titus;









Not a lot really but these are only the projects i'm currently working on that have been posted in other logs, some of the stuff i started a while ago in logs has since been lost or broken or turned into something else. Now for some projects i am working on now;

Firebelly;









Emperor's Champion;









And my own pride n joy (hopefully);









Seeing as how i'm always starting but never finishing logs and projects i thought this would be a good way to keep everything in one place and stop wasting everyones time. Hopefully i will be able to keep this one updated as much as possible as hearing input from you guys helps keep me motivated and wanting to do this :biggrin:

Cheers and C&C welcome as always
Melsaphim


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

I have followed along with some of your other logs and I will follow along with this one as well. I look forward to seeing what you do with the Firebelly. I don't really plan on doing an Ogres army but I may pick that model up just to paint it.


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Midge913 said:


> I have followed along with some of your other logs and I will follow along with this one as well. I look forward to seeing what you do with the Firebelly. I don't really plan on doing an Ogres army but I may pick that model up just to paint it.


Thanks Midge, I follow along with alot of your logs myself though haven't found myself commenting on any yet, mainly cos i never know what to say. Hopefully getting on with this log of my own will resolve that one :biggrin: 

I'm looking forward to painting the firebelly myself however i will be using as much help as i can get from members here and the tutorials as i have no idea where to start with him tbh. The model itself was a wonder to put together however and i am really itching to begin work on him, maybe today, maybe.
Any help you could offer on where to start with this beast would be greatly appreciated as i'm pretty sure it's close to the biggest challenge i've given myself ever before.

Before i go i have a picture update for you all, I'm hoping to get a picture of something updated each time i post (unless its a quick answer to a question ofcourse :laugh

The finished base of Papa Smurf ^^;









I don't know if you can see in the picture well or not but the 'gold' trim of the broken ultramarine symbol was my first ever attempt at NMM using a guide i found for the Sanquinor model, i think it turned out okay but any tips from the more experienced NMM painters would be welcome before i start on papa smurfs legs

Cheers
Melsaphim


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

I think your base is looking great and the NMM is very nice. I honestly thought that it was shining gold paint until I read the paragraph below the pic. So good job there. 

I think that your biggest challenge on the firebelly is going to be getting the skin tones consistent. I see lots of Dwarf flesh and washes in your future. x


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Midge913 said:


> I think your base is looking great and the NMM is very nice. I honestly thought that it was shining gold paint until I read the paragraph below the pic. So good job there.


Thankyou, as i said it is my first ever attempt at NMM so to hear it looks good is music to my ears so to speak :biggrin:



Midge913 said:


> I think that your biggest challenge on the firebelly is going to be getting the skin tones consistent. I see lots of Dwarf flesh and washes in your future.


Do you think dwarf flesh would be a good starting tone then?? i was going to use dheneb stone with two heavy washes of ogryn flesh followed by a highlight of dheneb stone as i did with my blood raven heads. would dwarf flesh attain a better result??


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

I tend to use flesh tones for most of the base for most of my skin tones. I think that a base of dwarf flesh would be a good starting point, then the washes to add depth. I think that if you start with deneb you are going to end up with a skin tone that may feel to light. however, you attained good results with your technique on your blood ravens so if that works for you and you are more comfortable with it, that route would work as well.


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

Those Blood Ravens are excellent. I love that shade of red on them. The free hand on the shoulder pads looks good as well.


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Midge913 said:


> I tend to use flesh tones for most of the base for most of my skin tones. I think that a base of dwarf flesh would be a good starting point, then the washes to add depth. I think that if you start with deneb you are going to end up with a skin tone that may feel to light. however, you attained good results with your technique on your blood ravens so if that works for you and you are more comfortable with it, that route would work as well.


I'm the first to admit i'm not the best painter so i would normally stick to a scheme i know works, however i am also one to bow down to advice from those better than me and you are one of those sir, so i shall try the dwarf flesh approach with this guy and fingers crossed it shall turn out okay.



Khorne's Fist said:


> Those Blood Ravens are excellent. I love that shade of red on them. The free hand on the shoulder pads looks good as well.


Thankyou i struggled a lot with the freehand as my eyes aren't what they used to be and kept fuzzing up while i was painting the details, i think they came out okay though and i'm glad to see others think so too.

Now i promised pictures with posts unless just answering questions or replying, i know this is just a reply to you guys but i thought i may aswell share what i have accomplished so far today too. and so i present to you.

Legs of papa smurf :biggrin:;

























Again i tried the NMM technique i used on the base for the metal parts on his legs. I hope it turned out okay but it shall take eyes better than mine to judge.

Also in the works at the minute is the base that my firebelly will finally sit on, and i'm sure it won't be hard for anyone to guess what the theme is for the ogre as i've been sat listening to pirates of the carribean soundtrack all painting day :laugh:

C&C welcome
Melsaphim


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## Commisar Reaper (Sep 14, 2011)

Looks like Papa Smurf is coming along nicely. You have done well with the NMM approach. I myself am not very good at that. Lol. Looks good so far and look forward to seeing the rest of him.

Reapz..


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Commisar Reaper said:


> Looks like Papa Smurf is coming along nicely. You have done well with the NMM approach. I myself am not very good at that. Lol. Looks good so far and look forward to seeing the rest of him.
> 
> Reapz..


Thankyou, I've started work on the upper torso and head of ol' papa smurf so hopefully i will have more to show you all soon.

Mainly today though i have been practicing the skin technique shared with me by Midge (thanks again midge) on my firebelly, i think it is turning out good but i shall post pictures soon for you all to be the judges yourselves, unfortunately i haven't been able to do too much as my left arm is near enough unable to move atm and painting has been hard today

Cheers
Mels


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## furioso-prime (Jun 30, 2011)

wow, simply amazing


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

furioso-prime said:


> wow, simply amazing


Why thankyou :biggrin: though i still think i have a lot to go before i'm any good comments like this show my painting must have improved lol

Now as i promised a picture with very post (within reason of course) and this post shall be no different, i have just finished the body/torso of marneus calgar and shall show him now for you all to behold.

Papa smurf in all his armless glory ^.^ ;

























This guy was wonderful to paint but a complete little s**t to photograph my camera just wouldn't focus so i tried my best and i hope you can all see the work i've done even though he does look alot better IRL i promise, i tried the NMM on this top section too and i think it is going well so far but i shall again leave that decision to you guys.

On a side note work is going well on my firebelly and i shall have pics of the progress up soon i hope

C&C welcome
Melsaphim


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## Moriouce (Oct 20, 2009)

I'm thinking the highlightning on the ornament around his head is a bit to bright and thick. But overall a great piece of work!


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Moriouce said:


> I'm thinking the highlightning on the ornament around his head is a bit to bright and thick. But overall a great piece of work!


It looks an awful lot better in person the highlights are washed over with gryphonne sepia and the lines themselves don't look to thick, i think the amount of flash my camera decided to use made it appear so thick.


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## Moriouce (Oct 20, 2009)

melsaphim said:


> It looks an awful lot better in person the highlights are washed over with gryphonne sepia and the lines themselves don't look to thick, i think the amount of flash my camera decided to use made it appear so thick.


Autoflash can be a bitch. :grin: Hope to see it finished soon. k:


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Well what with all the family trouble i have atm and the fact i've pulled my shoulder out of place and have been in agony for the past few days, I've not managed to get all that much painting done lately to be honest. I have however managed to finish Calgar aka Papa Smurf who i will be showing off later in this post and I've got a good ol' ork nob who looks like the ones from 'space marine' the game so i've decided to turn my lil captain titus job into a diorama/duel of sorts. And my girlfriend decided she wanted an army of the "cute little green goblin thingies" from the space marine game so i have a box of gretchin that me and her are painting up together slowly. so happy times arrive at last i guess.
anyway pictures;

Papa Smurf (or Marneus Calgar as some have nicknamed him ^^);

























Sorry for the bad pictures my arm still won't work properly :angry:

C&C welcome as hopefully i'll be able to get some work done on models now :biggrin:

Melsaphim


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

From what I can see from the photos Papa Smurf is looking good. I like the 'five o'clock shadow' effect. very nicely done.


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Midge913 said:


> From what I can see from the photos Papa Smurf is looking good. I like the 'five o'clock shadow' effect. very nicely done.


Thanks it's the only part of my marines that i'm good at atm :laugh: am working hard to get better with every model i paint though and i feel i'm making improvements on each one.

I will try and get some better pics of papa smurf up soon and the honour guard champion i just finished today :biggrin: but i'll have to wait for decent light for that i'm afraid

Cheers
Mels


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Well i know it's late but i have been painting away with these guys, i've finished the honour guard champion guy with two swords and have begun work in ernest on the banner and my converted 'emperor's champion' captain. Anyway enough of me talking its picture time ^.^

Honour Guard dual sword guy;

























His smashed up road base made from some slate (opinions?);









Once again this guy was painted with my attempt at NMM, overall i think it's coming out great but i don't know. what do you guys think??
I'm sorry for the bad pics too it seems if its not too dark its too damn bright around here, part of the reason i haven't got much painting done i guess, it's too damn hot to sit inside at my desk and paint all day >.<

Cheers for now all
Mels


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

hello all, i doubt anybody remembers this thread exists but i'm still alive and i've still been painting all be it on a different army altogether ^.^ i just can't help myself. And so over the hols i've painted up the colonel schaeffer i got with his crew as an early xmas present.



















Sorry for the bad pics my camera is being a total idiot at the minute and doesn't want to work at all. I decided to go desert camo with schaeffer as he is going to be the CO of my desert themed IG force. the theory being that they were attacked by a superior force and fled into the desert scavenging what they can when they can and as such they will be a very mix match of models and gear.

As for the pics i will endeavor to have better ones up as soon as i can i swear, so please bear with me, i simply put these ones up to show i have been working on my projects

Hope to have more for you all soon, C&C welcome as always
Mels


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

Glad to see you back mate! I would comment on the model itself, but I will await better pics before I do. Looking forward to seeing your desert raiders come to fruition.


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## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

Midge913 said:


> Glad to see you back mate! I would comment on the model itself, but I will await better pics before I do. Looking forward to seeing your desert raiders come to fruition.


Ask and ye shall recieve :grin: now once again these pictures are not perfect by a long shot but hopefully they give a more complete idea of the paint job i did on him;

Colonel Jensen;

































And my next wip 'driver' jensen's loyal bodyguard;









Hope this helps you guys c&c my work better, i would of grabbed some better pictures but the light is failing fast here as the rain comes pouring down :suicide:

Cheers
Mels


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