Happy birthday!

Today, the 28th of february, Officio Convertorum celebrates it's first anniversary.

And 186 posts, 168 followers and 130.000 pageviews later I can safely conclude that it's been one hell of a year. 

Huzza!

I'm going to clown-school and you can't stop me!

While whistling Fucik's Entry of the Gladiators, last night I finished up the Ringmaster (better name than "The Host"). 

Sorry for the cruddy iPhone pics folks - I wish I had the skill and patience to take proper photos like those Spiky Rats...

Slightly different view:

Why so serious?

Here's a little sneak peek of the Host in the make up salon: 

Botched the spraypaint again. Not as bad as on the chem-dog as most of the textured surface ended up on the back of his head, but I still need to rethink how I prep my minis. 

That or simply buy a new can of bone spray.  

The Host with the most

I gave our decomposing ringmaster a fools cap which works better than the weedy unihorn he had before. Also changed his ceremonial staff into something a little more elaborate. 

Carnivale

I've felt like doing something weird for a while. When Ana over at Gardens Of Hecate posted a brilliant tutorial on how to sculpt ruffs things started to fall into place - my nurgly band needed some of that "carnival of Nurgle" razzle-dazzle...

I call him "The Host". 

Further experiments in truescaling

Here's my new take on a truescaled marine. 

And, yes, I know the best way is using tartaros terminator bodies but I haven't managed to lay my grubby mitts on a full kit yet. That said I have some tartaros arms and these I combined with a deathwing legs and a grey knight torso.

There's even some grey stuff work on this one - primarily trying to bulk out the upper legs. Still learning about sculpting though - I find it terribly frustrating (well, lets be honest - it's a royal pain in the ass). Getting those smooth surfaces - just don't get how they do it...

Oh well... 

Kryten

Kryten done. Due to the somewhat unpredictable results of my three spray undercoat method, this model recieved a wierd velvety surface. It's hard to paint on and some details were also obscured so I went for a very quick and dirty style on this one. Grim dark galore...

Hotshot

Bringing up the rear in van Kushings retuine is Kryten the chemdog veteran and his trusty hotshot lasgun. 

First time in quite a while I've made a character holding a rifle ( I've got a thing for open poses...)

Maunsell pt.III

Here's the finished Maunsell. 

Had a sick day today so there was little more to do than finish him up. 

I had originally intended his skin to be darker, but it only turned out slightly tanned.

There's a distinct lack of characters with darker skin in 40k, which should be amended. That said, one of the reasons (apart from a majority of people involved in both sides of the hobby being white) might actually be that it's easier to make light skin "pop". 

Maunsell pt.II

Done! Pedor Maunsell is finished and off to be undercoated.

I really like this build - the Space Wolf head has tons of character and I've always been partial to relaxed, grounded poses like this. 

Maunsell

A grand Inquisitor like van Kushing needs a trusted bodyguard. Enter Pedor Maunsell, a seasoned veteran officer and honorary executioner:

This mini actually has a long story. It originally started as a rouge trader using these legs and the head, but with a scout torso. For some reason I didn't quite like it and just left it for a while moving on to other stuff. 

Some time later he got reworked into Captain Kirke, which was pretty cool but in the end a tad clunky. This, I think, will be the final version even if there's some more work to be done...