"Warlord Epic Shotte Painted Up" Topic

Good morning! Here's my first test of Warlord's Epic shotte. I used exclusively GW Contrast Paints over a Duplicolor Sandable Gray Primer spray > zenithal Tamiya Light Gray Primer spray > drybrush Vallejo Model Color White.

I'm happy with the way they turned out. The recesses are nice and dark and the highlights pop. I was going to highlight them, but now I think they are good enough for the table as they are.

The colors are brighter than my 28mm ECW, but that was a conscious decision: smaller scales require brighter colors and more contrast. KeepYourPowderDry has an excellent post on the subject of ECW uniform colors. While I agree with his findings, I respectfully diverge from his recommendations and used brighter tones here.

There's more on my blog! squadpainter.blogspot.com

I'm not quite sure why the board doubled my post.

Odd. If I did it I apologize.

Very nice.

They look fantastic. At Historicon, I saw something similar done with contrasts and Zandari Dust. The painter only really bothered to paint the front of the front rank and backs of the rear rank and with figures crammed in there it still looked great at arms length distance.

I'd be all in on these Warlord figures if I didn't already have armies painted in 10mm.

Lovely! The contrast is perfect.

They've come out nice Squad painter, you're a very brave individual attempting to split the strips.

(And no offence taken, the world would be very boring if we all agreed on the same thing.)

I saw something similar done with contrasts and Zandari Dust. The painter only really bothered to paint the front of the front rank and backs of the rear rank and with figures crammed in there it still looked great at arms length distance.

Now that is interesting. Zandri Dust is almost a khaki color. That would drastically affect the translucent Contrast Paints.

I definitely agree with the idea of only highlighting the front of the front rank and the rear of the rear rank… I plan on having square blocks of figures and, as you mentioned, you really can't see the interior figures very well.

That really great detailed painted on these. Impressed.

…you're a very brave individual attempting to split the strips.

I did some horrible things to my unfortunate first strips… the forlorn hope. But now I have the technique down: snip some incisions on each side of the base between the feet (but not all the way through), then make a vertical cut between the figures (but not all the way through), then tease/twist/pull them apart.

The plastic is somewhat bendy and it fills in the void a bit as it stretches apart. It's quick and easy.

My plan is to square up the units so cutting was required of Warlord's long, thin strips. I'll hide the more… unfortunate surgeries on the inside of the base; nobody will ever know.

That really great detailed painted on these.

Thanks Greylegion, I appreciate it.

The Contrast Paints really do all of the heavy lifting here. If you even get your brush close to a recess, the paint flows right into it and capillaries along to create a wonderful dark line. In some ways you don't have to be as accurate as you would with a normal acrylic paint.

Now, you do have to be careful not to touch it to other parts… but that's what my pot of Vallejo Model Color Sky Gray is for: I dab it on the error and then go over it with the proper color.

Once you get your brush control down things speed along. It's astonishing how fast it goes when you only have to cover each part with one coat of paint!

These are excellent
It looks as though you lined – is that just the primer showing through?

Skin tone is nice, which of the contrast paints did you use

The only other thing I have found is that using a brush for the highlights (white) can be a bit more controlled than a zenithal and is pretty quick

Incidentally, you are nuts to do ECW in e different scales, but that is definitely a case of the pot calling the the kettle blackened or russet

John

The 'learning to chop things up / drill things out' process usually ends up with quite a few casualties 🤣

It looks as though you lined – is that just the primer showing through?

Skin tone is nice, which of the contrast paints did you use?

Hey jwebster! Thank you for your kind words.

There was no lining done, except in a one or two places where I thought it might look good. You can see it on the rightmost figure between the white socks. While I was painting the shoes and base CP Black Legion, I flicked my brush into the crease. Again, the Contrast Paints did the work by quickly nestling into the recess and leaving a light gray on the edge and a rich, brown black in the crease.

The highlights are from the white drybrushing and the essence of the Contrast Paints; it's what they do. No other highlights were applied.

Here are a few colors used:

• Darkoath Flesh – skin
  
• Aggaros Dunes – straps
  
• Goregrunta Fur – cartridges, hair, wood, scabbard
  
• Ork Flesh – coats
  
• Trousers – Garaghak's Sewer (great color), Skeleton Horde, Asurmen Blue
  

Incidentally, you are nuts to do ECW in e different scales, but that is definitely a case of the pot calling the the kettle blackened or russet

Ha! Well… decades ago I started with 28mm ECW… then I gave up (choosing yellow coats with Foundry paints was an unfortunate first foray into 28mm). My progress was slow and I ended up selling my unpainted figures when the flame burned out.

Years later, the Steel Fist Kickstarter came along and I was captivated by their offerings paired with For King & Parliament. Then Bloody Miniatures and Pikeman's Lament stormed into my heart.

What can I say? The flesh is weak…

The 'learning to chop things up / drill things out' process usually ends up with quite a few casualties 🤣

Oh yes, KeepYourPowderDry, not just the figures… I've made a number of personal blood sacrifices to the cause. Ha ha!

I actually don't enjoy modeling at all. I'm a painter first and foremost; any time cleaning, filing, drilling, etc. is time away from the fun.

Great work Sir. You have really mastered the painting of Epics ECW's. Thank you for sharing your techniques.

You have really mastered the painting of Epics ECW's. Thank you for sharing your techniques.

That's nice of you to say so. Thank you very much!

I think that KeepYourPowderDry mentioned in a review that these Warlords are almost like flats… and I would kind of agree with that observation. Having the figures so close together does two things: it saves time painting by not having to paint 4 sides, and it gives a sense of mass to the base.

I'll post some more pictures when I finish up the unit.

Great brushwork on those tiny guys! Too small for old eyes and shaky hands.

Great brushwork on those tiny guys! Too small for old eyes and shaky hands.

Oh, don't get it twisted, takeda333. You should see the thickness of the magnifiers that I wear. I look like a proper nerd in them. :)