Jim's Neverborn Project Log

[JMGraham]

With the completion of my Dreamer crew and the arrival of my Dark Debts crew, I figured my Neverborn might warrant their own (appropriately named) project log. "Seamus and his Living Impaired Ladies of Negotiable Affection" just doesn't seem the place to go to see pictures of Neverborn models.

In a mad effort to clear my project table for the new Neverborn, I pushed through and finished my Dreamer crew over the past several weeks. In addition to what's shown below, I also finished an Insidious Madness, the Twins (Lelu and Lilitu) and a proxy that can work for either an Alp or another Insidious Madness. Didn't get them photographed yet, though.

The Dreamer and a Daydream:

His dear friend Teddy:

A couple of Stitched Together (who were really fun to paint!):

Lord Chompy Bits:

Another Teddy and two more Daydreams:

The group shot:

I'll be working on the Dark Debts crew next, and will try and get some in-progress photos up.

[Jonasty]

As a fellow Dreamer/LCB painter and player I just have to say I love the paint job on your crew. Excellent job!

I especially love the custom bases, they tie the crew together amazingly and really capture the feel of a Nightmare crew.

[JMGraham]

Thanks! The bases were fun to do. I mentioned this on another thread, but the bases ended up getting picked up and cast in metal by Black Cat Bases (click here for link), who have some pretty interesting stuff. I wish I hadn't already based all my models, as their castings are a lot better than mine. Mine are resin, and full of voids and gaps. The metal ones are much, much nicer.

Edited September 5, 2012 by JMGraham

[stochastic]

Nice painting-style, a bit unique imo, because it is slightly artistic with all the visiable brushstrokes, I actually really like that - like living images (reffering to dreams) - if that was the idea. Very nice job.

I also love that you have used clear colors, so it doesn't look messy.

I do believe that you should have picked different eye-color for the Brown n' Purple Teddy

Love it, very nice!

[JMGraham]

Thanks! I actually paint everything like that. Way back when I got inspired by a block-painted Tomb King army I saw at a tournament, and started exaggerating my highlights to emulate it. Things have kind of naturally progressed from there and gotten more and more stylized. It's a style that really suits some folks, and really turns others off. I can say, though, the impression on the table-top is a bit more relaxed. Distance blends the colors and the high contrast really lets the details of the model stand out from about 3 feet away.

Gack! Good catch on the yellow eyes! That was the first model of the crew I had painted, and I had originally planned to incorporate yellow in the crew. It turned out to be one color too many (I'm a fan of a limited color palette to try and make for a cohesive-looking crew), so I dropped it everywhere else. Must have missed that one. Will correct it shortly.

I started cleaning Messrs Graves and Tannen last night. Not many mold lines to clean up, but I'm trying to be thorough.

[stochastic]

I may not have hand-painted much in my lifetime, however I have used hours on computer-graphic and design, and as you also mention, I am as well a fan of a palette with only few colors, and I like an ongoing theme as well.

I am glad that you gave my critique a thought, and still I love that brush-skill, it must be so easy to get wrong, if you are not into it - so nice job

- and it fits so well for Neverborn "dream-crew"

Have you give it any thoughts what you might bring into this army, in the future?

[Peterdita]

Very nice looking crew man!

[JMGraham]

Thanks, Peterdita!

@stochastic - I've got a Lelu, Lilitu, Coppelius, Insidious Madness, and a Alp or Insidious Madness proxy finished, but not photographed. They were kind of a rush job to get stuff off my table for the new models. Not entirely satisfied with them, but they're done. Next up, I'll be doing the entire Dark Debts crew (box set, Beckoners, Depleted, Graves, & Tannen). For the new models, I'll try and take my time!

[stochastic]

Nice looking forward to see that - please 'PM' me, when you are done painting them

[MDL1113]

Very cool

[osoi]

Your style looks great on these models

[JMGraham]

Update on my Neverborn. Finished off my Dreamer Crew:

The wonder twins:

From left to right, Coppelius, Insidious Madness, and my proxy for either an Alp or another Insidious Madness.

The whole crew, together at last:

I got my Dark Debts models assembled (and cleaned, and greenstuffed) and primed, and have started painting them. I didn't care for the tadpole look of the Hungering darkness, so I added some gribbly bits (spider legs from the Battle for Skull Pass set). Here's what it looks like with the brightness cranked way up so you can see something other than a black blob:

[Pinocchio]

Wow! That's just mad!

The basing, paint job, it's brilliant!

Can't wait to see more!

[Rameses]

I REALLY like the conversion work on the Hungering Darkness. Very cool!

[Jormi_Boced]

I really like the way you layer the paint!

[JMGraham]

Thanks!

I figured if any subject would work well with vivid colors and my cartoony, graphic painting style, it'd be a little boy's dream world.

Got the skin finished on the Dark Debts models last night. In order to stick to the color scheme, I'm thinking of showing "active" brilliance in purple, and do the Hungering Darkness and the skin of the Depleted in my dark blue/black. Not sure how the blue/black skin will work for the Depleted, but I'm trying to avoid the "zombie skin green" I use for my Ressers, while still limiting the color palette to what is already in my Dreamer crew.

[stochastic]

Lovely contrasts - I however still spot the Bear-eyes

[i_was_like_you]

Gack! Good catch on the yellow eyes! That was the first model of the crew I had painted, and I had originally planned to incorporate yellow in the crew. It turned out to be one color too many (I'm a fan of a limited color palette to try and make for a cohesive-looking crew), so I dropped it everywhere else. Must have missed that one. Will correct it shortly.

One of the guys I'd gotten into 'Faux had taken that approach to his Ortega crew. He was low on funds when he bought them, and only got a smoky blue, black, medium brown, a flesh tone, gunmetal, and a shade of red. A few days later he sends me pics of them, all themed up nicely, with the enslaved nephilim's skin being the same blue as their pants. Now that he has 'Dita's avatar, he painted her dragon in the same jeans / skin blue. It definitely holds a nice visual appeal.

The exaggerations you've done look great. Go with what style works for ya. There are plenty of forums discussing trends in painting, but why follow a trend. Set one.

Edited September 24, 2012 by i_was_like_you

[JMGraham]

Lovely contrasts - I however still spot the Bear-eyes

LOL! They'll get corrected when I break out the red paint for Jakob Lynch and friends.

Honestly, I always prefer a limited color palette. I think my preference developed from painting Warhammer armies. Masses of troops need to look like they go together while still being individuals. A shared palette really goes a long way for that. My usual M.O. is to select one "accent color" that will pop and stand out, two or three base colors that will form the bulk of the army, and a handful of neutrals that I can mix in as needed. In my Neverborn, red is the accent, purple and black-blue are the base colors, and grey, brown, leather, bone, and flesh are the neutrals.

The trick with Malifaux, versus other games, is trying to get color and basing schemes that are consistent across crews and factions, while still being different enough to differentiate factions. I've tried to keep the color scheme of my Neverborn close enough to my Ressers that I can have models go back and forth without being too jarring, but still different enough that they look like different crews. I'm not sure that I've accomplished it, but I've tried!

[MDL1113]

Very nice work