A Fistful of Arcos

JB sent me a photo of the whole lot of Arco Evisorators a few days ago, accompanied by scary machine servant Magos done by JB himself. It was the first time for me to see them all together. I must admit, they do look pretty damn awesome when striding forward together.

What a merry bunch of butchers.

More Arco Evisorators

Another pack of murderous Arco Evisorators got finished few evenings ago. These "Stooges" are even more violent and agile than ones done before, but I'm sure they'll fit in just fine.

The half-bald nutter is equipped with some sort of stinger that he uses to pick up the chopped-off heads from the ground (too bad he doesn't have any hands to tie the trophies on his belt). His friend with the flesh mask has had some bad luck with the evisorator, so his left arm has been replaced with a syringe filled with battle steroids or some other drug to help their kinds go crazy. He's a helpful little critter, stinging his mates with the needle whenever they turn their backs on him, making them go berzerk with adrenaline overdoze... And then there's the gas-mask fella. He's sipping some delicious brain juice out of his beheaded victim's head. Yum yum! He's a happy little guy, singing in the rain – of blood.

- Kari

The Three Stooges – Arco Evisorators WIP

More Arco Evisorators incoming...

Big Brother

Another Arco Evisorator finished, this time a slightly bigger and meaner. This is the same dude I used to demonstrate the pale skin painting. I call him "Big Brother"...

I used a Bloodletter's body as a basis for this miniature. To give some contrast and weirdness, I made his other side slightly slimmer by making the arm wielding the chain blade a bit thinner. If you look closely, you can spot that this guy actually has three arms instead of two.

The back of the Arco is filled with junk; old trophy skulls hanging in ropes from the back hair, combat stimm tubes sticking out of his flesh and one a big canister of mysterious "=I= stuff" – who knows what kind of juice that thing holds within.

The base was once again painted by John Blanche. I really love the way the bright and vibrant red base brings these Arco Evisorators alive.

Pale Skin Tutorial

Every now and then I get asked for hints how to paint the pale skin like I do. I've tried my best in replying these requests by writing simple tutorials, but when thinking of it more, explaining how something is done is far less interesting and educating than actually showing it.

Now I won't be showing you 2 hour video about me painting miniature. That would be just plain dull thing to do. What I will do is present a short tutorial with step-by-step pictures how to paint the pale skin, similar to those Arco Evisorators that I've painted.

So here we go...

First of all, I prime my miniature almost always in grey. I find it being gentle to my eyes and makes it easier for me to perceive details.

For base colour I used mix of five colours: Codex Grey, Skull White, Tallarn Flesh, Khemri Brown.

Add more white to mixture and paint couple of highlight layers. Remember to keep the paint enough thin.

Shade everything with a wash made from a mixture of Asurmen Blue and Gryphonne Sepia. Asurmen Blue breaks the over-warm tone of the Gryphonne Sepia. This trick was introduced to me by Steve from Spyglass Asylum.

Now comes the interesting part. Add some depth to recesses by painting some brown-red ink in them. I'll get back to this later in this post.

Paint couple of thin layers with the basic colour made out of those 5 paints used in the first few steps, highlighting a bit with adding a drop of white in the mixture.

Add some blue grey in the mix and start shading the areas between the original skin colour and the deep red ink areas, blending these two radical colours together with the cold blue tone. Blue works also as a complimentary colour in shaded areas, making the skin more alive, so make a note in what sort of lighting the character could be standing in.

Now you can start seeing how the red and blue tones make the pale skin look like a translucent layer of thin skin; joint areas are red and deep, rich with blood, whereas large surfacing areas are pale, tight and low in blood. Makes sence in a way, doesn't it?

Keep working on with the skin by highlighting it, adding more white to the base colour as you go. Final strokes should be made with plain Skull white. Add some details with Scorched Brown, like moles etc.

There you go! As you can see, this receipt is quite basic and simple, but requires patience to pull out. You shouldn't mind using bold and strong strokes, as long as you keep your paints enough thin and running. Have fun experiencing different techniques and don't mind about smooth blends.

I hope you will find this tutorial helpful in your task painting the pale skin. Please drop a comment if you need further information regarding the steps.

Cheers!

- Kari

Arco Evisorators IV-IX

Arco Evisorator, running, striding, maiming – a fierce, trembling vision, that is. Here are six of them, feeding their blades with flesh and blood, rushing with hunger for death in their cold empty eyes, murdering for the sins of their Mother.

Like the previous pair of Arcos, this pack was a commission work too. I really like doing these things as they are fun to put together and paint, and provide just enough challenge for my sculpting skills. I wanted the flock to have a sence of violent movement, so I made them look like if they had only one mission in their minds; murder and maim their foes. You be the judge if I made it or not ;)

The bases were once again made by John Blanche. The vibrant reds and oranges are very different to what you usually see in bases, but I think they work very nicely in these and really pop the minis out. Oh, and the crackling effect is just pure awesomeness!

What's next? The tale of the Arcos is still unfinished and I will be creating another creature to accompany these things. Then there's a commission Inquisitor that will follow and some wicked ideas what comes to my personal projects... busy times ahead.

- Kari

Half a Dozen New Evisorators

The times have been quite hectic in the northern nests. I bought a house about two months ago and all the moving and settling down has made my life quite a hassle.

Despite the chaos, I've been able to put my studio up and running, though it is still a pretty rough version of my great vision. I'm currently working with the new lot of Evisorators, six new menaces to be exact...

Believe me or not, this is the biggest bunch of minis that I've ever worked with at the same go. It's all new to me as I've used to paint one mini at the time. This is interesting, challenging and educational process and it really feels like it's pushing my technique forward.

And here's a shot of my current workbench. I'm trying my best to keep everything neat and clean so that every time I have some spare time to give for the hobby I wouldn't have to start it by wasting the first fifteen minutes for cleaning. Minor detail but improves the effectiveness of the use of time.

There are three special pieces giving me company while I'm working over the workbench. When ever I raise my head to stretch my neck or have a though, I see these marvelous things in front of me and get this feel of impetuous push of inspiration that helps me put my best effort to what I'm doing.

- Kari

"Squished"

Ghostly gust of wind filled the pitch black ceiling with moan-like sighing. Steady hum of the upper floor pumping machinery set the ambient voice in to heady vibrating pace. It sounded almost like if the old gods themselves were whispering their dark thoughts in choir, making the very soul of the listener thrill.

A small group of colourful characters flashed between shadows casted by tall pillars of dark, dusty hall of rock. The ancient sky-high valley of ruins kept the ceiling – along with the rest of the Hive – from falling over their head. They were deep in the Under Hive.

"Over there..." Spit hissed between his yellow teeth, gesturing to the direction of high wooden platform with his gunpoint. Micromechanics of his optical eyewear made quiet hissing noise when they zoomed and focused on the target. The rest of the group halted on their toes and sneaked next to the wall for cover.

Herman Slavo, also known as the Lord Little Bastard, waddled like a crippled penquin near Spit, and observed the advancing Spyrers. "Them fugging Whytes are already making their move. We've got to hurry our arses to keep it with the rest of the gangers," he said. "Vega, ye take the front while Spit holds the reer. Gasto, ye watch mi back," Herman growled commands with his strident voice.

The Whyte Spyrers advancing.

"Yes lord, but there's no much to watch," Gasto wisecracked. Others smirked but sucked it up as soon as Herman gave them a cold stare. "If yer dear uncle wasn't the Family's trusted advisor, I would have yer head served for Lord Voygar, on a rusty, shitty plate. So just fug it and do what ye are told to, wise-ass," Herman threw back at him. Gasto gave Herman a murderous look back, but kept his mouth shut.

The rotting board floor creaked underneath their feet as they advanced in formation. Vega took distance to the rest of the gang, leaping from shadow to shadow, covering their every move. Cold, fetid water dribbled down form high above, like if the ceiling was crying some sort of poisonous tears. The whole place made Herman feel sick.

"The rotting board floor creaked underneath their feet as they advanced in formation."

The closer they got to their destination, the more moist the environment got. Cracking noice wafted from afar as someone from other gang stepped on a bone lying on the ground. Clumsy Scavvies, Herman though. Suddenly the calm ambience was shattered by a shrieking gunfire pounding no further than half a click from their position. "Hyde!" yelled Vega.

The Wasps hit the shadows, crawling behind cover given by the sparse board platforms and junk fallen off the ceiling. From what it looked like, the Whyte Spyrers had confronted an enemy.

Vega gave a set of hand signals to Spit who acknowledged them and Instantly made his move to the stairs next to him. "Lock 'n load, lads, it's tyme to slash some slags!" Gasto yelled and started his grotesque chainsword with bold gesture.

"Move up there!" Herman yelled, pointing at the stairs leading to the upper platform. One by one they climbed up the stairs, covering each other while manouvering. "Fug!" Vega cursed when one of the fragile steps broke in half. He was able to keep his calm. The place was decomposing and falling apart.

While regruouping on top they saw the things.

Pale shapes flickered in the dark, advancing towards them with fierce, almost inhuman pace. They looked like the Under Hive ghosts, the ones they all had heard of in their younger age. But somehow they were more human – and scarier. One of the things ran straight towards them as they all opened fire at it. The pale thing dropped down like a sack of bones.

The "pale shapes" making their move towards their foe, the Wasps and the Whyte Spyrers.

In the twinkling of an eye the rest of the pale skinnies had disappeared, vanished like a dust in the wind. The Wasps stood on their steps, their gun muzzles breathing warm smoke that smelt like burned metal.

"Make sure it's dead," said Herman. Gasto threw the chainsword on his shoulder, started walking towards the thing and replied, "My pleasure..."

The pale thing dropped down like a sack of bones.

Gasto approached the downed pale thing with caution, aiming it with his laspistol just in case. It felt like eternity to get to the body, but eventually he made it. Gasto reached over the body and saw how the thing twitched and pushed dark fluid from the burned bullet holes that their lasguns had made. It definately looked like human, what he could tell. After studying the pale thing for a moment, Gasto made a sneering face and subtly kicked the thing to make sure it really was dead. In the corner of his eye he saw how the thing grinned.

The thing rose up nobly, like a corpse from its grave, and hissed between its teeth. Gasto jumped back and readied his chainsword, gasping in horror "Ye should be dead, THING! What the fug are ye?!" The thing replied by jumping right at the Wasp.

Chainblades clashed with fierce and spat searing sparks around. Gasto was able to block the first swing but he was at seriously disadvantaged position. He took aim with his laspistol, but just when he was about to press the trigger, the thing dodged him and made a furious manouver towards him. Gasto felt something hit his belly and then followed the paint.

The rest of the Wasps stared at the scene, helplessly trying to get an aim at the monstrosity. "Lord, we don't have a clear shot, Gasto is on the way!" Vega bawled while trying to aim at the thing. All of a sudden Gasto's beheaded body fell down on his knees and tobbled on the side. Blood squirted off the neck stub like from a fountain.

"Ye fugging basterd!" Spit yelled. He took a knife out of his boot and started running towards Gasto. "Nay Spit, nay!" Vega yelled, trying to stop Spit. But it was too late.

Spit ran towards the scene, but only found Gasto's remains. "Wh-where d-did it go?!" he stammered words out of his mouth while gasping for air. For a while his eyes wondered around and saw stairs running on the upper platforms. He ran towards them, put the knife between his teeth and started climbing up the stairs.

"Wh-where d-did it go?!"

It only took a moment for him to reach the upper platform. Spit took the blade out of his mouth and raised his head to have a better view. The fright made his heart miss a beat when he saw her...

"Spit!" Vega tried to call in his friend, but didn't get an answer. They waited for a moment, but nothing happened. It seemed like if Spit had been eaten by the shadows.

The silence was killed by the gun fire that came from their left flank, and very close too. Herman and Vega ran towards the edge of the platform to have a better view of what was happening. It seemed like the Tech Gangers and the Spook Brats had also met the foe. "The hell has gotten loose," Herman whispered.

Vega didn't have time for whispers. He had taken aim at the crawling Scavvies on the opposite side of the immense chasm and shot a short burst. The burst was a good one too, downing one of the gray skinned maggots. The rotten floor feasted with the blood running out of the Scavvy.

Tech Clan XXXVIII facing the Scavvies.

Vega sniping one of the Scavvies from the other side of the immense chasm.

"Down there!" Herman yelled and pointed on the lower rotten platform. A dim shape of rat-like thing, the size of a man, scrampered towards the Brats. Vega made a swift move from his latest victim, gave a short aim at the ratperson and fired another burst. Bullets bit the head of the ratling and blew it in to a small cloud of red blood. Vega's face didn't flinch an inch.

The Psykout Spook Brats' confrontation with the rats kin.

The succesful sniping had its toll. The foe had spotted them and the attention they gave back was lethal. Thunderous rapid fire bit the surroundings, rounds ricocheting around them. The high caliber rounds ate chunks of wood and rock around them. Herman hit the floor and yelling to Vega, trying to get him to get cover too, but for Vega it was already too late.

The heavy weapon that had targeted them made a brutal mess out of Vega. Bullets pierced his flesh in a savage way, detonating inside of his body and turned it in to an enormous cloud of blood. The only thing left behind were the bright yellow shoes – and they weren't that bright anymore.

Vega's last stand.

Herman yelled in shock. His whole team had been wiped. He was covered in blood and guts of one of his friends. He lied on the ground, motionless, and saw how the rest of gangs fought their desperate battles to the last man. The hell was loose for sure.

Then he saw it again, the pale skinned butcher that had chopped Gasto's head off. He saw how the thing came closer and closer to him. It can't see me, Herman thought.

Something horrific was dangling on the back of the thing. Herman focused his thought and it came clear to him what the saggy piece was. The thing had Gasto's head hanging from its hair like sort of sick trophy. That vision made Herman's blood boil. Rage rushed to surface tearing the panic apart. The whites of his eyes turned in red from the bursting blood veins. Herman unsheathed his knife, sprang up and ran toward the thing, yelling with his mouth wide open and eyes full of tears...

OPUS MAIUS - PALATINE

Commission Work: Arco Evisorators

John Blanche commissioned me to make couple of Stryderre-kind arco ghouls (Or Arco Evisorators as John calls them) for him. I tried my best to catch the feeling of the original, but wanted to add something special in them, something that is usually pretty absent in my work - movement; after all, these "striders" are murderous fast sons-of-bitches.

I think I managed to pull them out pretty well. The bases were sent to me by the man himself, so the credit for those goes to him. They were painted in orange ink and layered with a nice coat of crackling varnish. Really neat idea which I'll definitely loan in some of my future projects.

With this post I'd like to tell you that I'm now OPEN FOR COMMISSIONS. Yep, that's right. I've been pondering this for quite some time now and believe that this is just what I'll be needing to expand my hobby experience to another level - Creating beautiful and soulful miniatures and letting them go to those who appreciate my style and creativity. So, people, please drop me an email if you're interested. Cheers!

But where the hell is that post about the last weekend?! Rest assured, we'll be writing a summary from our last weekend trip to Nottingham, England, at some point. I believe we both are still recovering from the amazing trip we had. There are plenty of pics to share too!

- Kari

Stryderre, Stalker In The Shadows

+ Stryderre +

Once a young man,

eager to serve

mankind with purpose,

enlist he did.

In proud he gave his vow

to die for the Emperor

or live in shame.

On a rebellious planet

summoned he was,

to do his bidding,

the first of them all.

Brothers of blood on his side,

armed with sword with biting teeth,

he landed down in a metal flying beast,

rushed to front with bloodlust

and wanted to feast.

Follow his orders he did.

Killed hundreds,

mangled without hesitation.

Swallowing every scream,

until there was no more left to slay.

Horrors he did,

filled his deed.

But scars very deep

It did bit.

Nightmares made him ill.

Cold sweat tearing his skin.

Insanity came, wanting to fill.

Murder he did, killed all of his kin.

He took their heads,

heard them whisper.

Tried to mute them,

sew their mouths and eyes,

but their dark thoughts

would not stop poisoning his mind.

Years passed,

thousands of them.

Nights became endless,

darkness over washed.

No longer young nor man,

he wanders between realms,

hunting careless,

Using shadow as his hide.

With blood he has to feed

his splintered soul

filled with murder and greed.

Mother, he is still there,

amusing your insatiable hunger

that can never be met
by satisfaction...

+++

Tears of Isstvan - Yggdrassillium