The Silver Sentinels of The Amber Glade - 1500pt Army Shot

[Tenaka]

Thank you all so much for the comments. I'm somewhat overwhelmed by how kind you have been but it is hugely gratifying to read that people like my Army to date. I'm sorry that I haven't updated for such a while but I've been away and now I'm in the middle of moving overseas which has put a stop to my painting - if only temporarily. I've nearly finished my first unit of Treekin and when I've unpacked in my new house I'll get them finished and posted.

Glade Stalker, the brass leaves are from Hasslefree Miniatures. http://www.hfminis.co.uk/shop?category= ... foliage%29

I hope that helps.

[Tenaka]

Firstly, a very happy New Year to all - let's hope 2013 brings a long awaited update to the Army Book! After a long break from painting, I'm pleased to finally return to it with a bit of time off this Christmas and post pictures of my finished Treekin: Amber's Might. I have to admit to finding the Treekin the hardest models to pull together conceptually - lumps of dead wood bound together by a forest spirit. Given my real dislike for GW's versions, however, I had to make my own. You'll see from my original Treekin effort I've re-sculpted the head. I'm pleased with the result but comments and feedback would be very welcome as ever. The movement tray is nearly done but I just couldn't wait. Apologies for the dodgy photos as ever!

[liesmith]

Those are some burly looking treekin. They look great with your paint scheme, too. Could you grace us with a comparison picture of them with your dryads? They seem quite tall.

[Tenaka]

Liesmith, thanks - they are pretty big but I was keen to model them in a way that befitted their awesome stat line. I just felt that the GW ones, when dwarfed by Minotaurs and other monstrous infantry, just didn't do the fluff justice. As for the pictures below, hopefully they show the scale well enough and I've been able to get the movement tray done as well. I couldn't resist doing a family tree portrait of the trees in the army - pun very much intended!

[Moose123]

Flipping awesome! You should send some pics to GW.

[Tenaka]

Thanks Moose123, I took your advice and dropped a couple of pictures onto the GW Flickr pool. It was nice to get some positive comments but if nothing else it hopefully keeps the Asrai flame alive in the eyes of GW who I hope are taking note that the Wood Elf community are keen for more!

On a different note, I have been mulling over whether or not to include some Glade Riders in the army and was for a while discouraged by their seemingly poor utility in the game. However, when you balance the fact that I haven't played with this army and I'm all about the artistic side, Glade Riders became a 'no-brainer'!

I have done a trial model as I'm keen to stick to the overall theme of the army but applying that to a horse was a little trickier - anyone for a purple horse? Not me, but I had to blend it in there somewhere! The photos below just don't show all the tones as I've mottled the horse's rump which you can't see. Hopefully there is still enough detail to go on for you, the discerning 'children of Isha and Kurnous' (to coin Kojibear's excellent welcome), to make comment and critique before I launch onto the remaining five other models.

[liesmith]

Gorgeous! I really enjoy the orange and purple complements throughout your army, and it works really well on the elves.

[Adazio]

Stunning work my friend! That orange sets it off so well! May i be so bold to ask what colours you used for the orange? I'm just returning back to painting after 10 years and currently doing a lot of research into an Autumn/Dark Forest themed Asrai Army, and that orange is exactly what i'm looking for!

[Aemir]

Outstanding work!

[Rowena]

Wow!
As alaways with your models, the Glade Rider is lovely. I think he fits with the rest of them and the white horse works very well.
I'm looking forward to seeing more from you.

[Tenaka]

Thank you all for taking the time to give your opinion, it's really valued - you are my only council for what looks good or otherwise! I will take four complementary responses as a firm positive for the trial colour scheme and get on with the rest of the unit.

Adazio, the base colour is the old GW Blazing Orange (Troll Slayer Orange), highlighted with Sunburst Yellow (Flash Gitz Yellow) and shaded with Blood Red (Evil Sunz Scarlet) and Scorched Brown (Rhinox Hide) for the really deep recesses and the lines of the leaf. I clearly water all of them down and tend to avoid the inks on the orange as they tend to leave a significant sheen. I've put the new GW colours in brackets; I hope that helps.

[Adazio]

Adazio, the base colour is the old GW Blazing Orange (Troll Slayer Orange), highlighted with Sunburst Yellow (Flash Gitz Yellow) and shaded with Blood Red (Evil Sunz Scarlet) and Scorched Brown (Rhinox Hide) for the really deep recesses and the lines of the leaf. I clearly water all of them down and tend to avoid the inks on the orange as they tend to leave a significant sheen. I've put the new GW colours in brackets; I hope that helps.

Thank you kindly my good Sir. Very much appreciated for sharing. Really looking forward to seeing more!

[Thindol]

I see what you're doing. I got it. You're trying to make be break my brushes in half and flush my paints down the toilet.

Damn you and your devil magic painting skills. I feel like I finger painted all my models compared to this.

[Tenaka]

Thindol - thank you for your kind comments, I do hope the bushes are not down the pan...

I've had something of an enforced painting break but I've finally got round to finishing my first unit of Glade Riders. I'm pleased with how they've come out and want to do a second unit but perhaps all fighting with spears as opposed to this unit all firing their bows.

It's good to be back into the swing of painting and I've nearly finished quite a major scenery piece - in fact I should have it up within the week. After that, I'm going to major on core units; more Glade Guard, Riders and Dryads as I'm hoping those models won't get updated next year. That should give me a decent core to then add some updated Special and Rare models to.

As ever, thoughts, comments, critique are always welcome.

[MrTuc]

Absolutely LOVE the birch theme ! Keep up the good work!
And the models are so well painted, i'm jealous

MOAR

Tuc

[Gwill_of_the_Woods]

Love the colour scheme!

[citizendave]

they look awesome. i love the purple steeds, that is different. the orange must really stand out on the tabletop. and i love the elves white clothing.

[Tenaka]

Thanks for positive feedback and comments - it's always motivating to hear.

As mentioned in my previous post, I've finally finished a major scenery piece I've been working on and off for the past year: a Wood Elf Watchtower in the theme of my autumnal Silver Birch army. As you can imagine it has taken quite a while but I'm please with how its come out and should make a fantastic centre piece for the Army. I have to say, given the size of it, the pictures just don't capture all the detail but I think they still give a good representation of it.

I now have 9 Glade Guard to paint to make up 1,500pts and then I'll reward myself with an Army shot. After nearly 3 years (I know - uber slow), it'll be very satisfying to see the Army all together. After that, I really want to write some supporting background narrative for the Army; perhaps even name the Watchtower (open to suggestions...?).

I hope you like the Watchtower as much as I do and please do make comment/questions/critique - good or bad - as it feeds my future projects and painting.

Thanks


Front of the Watchtower (there are a couple of Sprites and an Owl hidden away)


Side of the Watchtower


Rear of the Watchtower




A couple of pictures showing the scale - you can fit 6 Glade Guard on the lower platform and 4 on the upper. As for the height, Glade riders can pass under the branches of the upper platform.

[Rowena]

Wow, this is so beautiful! So elegant! I'm speechless.
Beautifully made and painted and it fits your army just perfect. I would love to have your skills.

[mryam]

stunning

[SquidBoy]

lovely. absolutely lovely!

[Pigey]

Can't wait to see your army shot! Great work, inspiring!

[Tenaka]

Thank you for the comments - they are very nice to receive - especially from people whose work you also admire.

A few WIP shots of the watchtower should anyone find them of use for similar projects....


The Tree was a wire frame and built using wood putty. The putty was then reinforced in key areas with Green Stuff - as well as those areas which needed finer detail or sculpting such as the roots.



I built the frames of the platforms from 3mm card and the roofs with the card from the Battalion box on the basis that it is thinner and therefore more pliable to shape into a curve. The curve of the roofs, so as to look like leaves, took a few attempts but got there in the end with a an eclipse template that when glue together formed the curve.



Perhaps the most time consuming part was adding in each stem of leaves using a model drill after the tree was painted. Each needed gluing and then touching up on the tree but it was great seeing the tree come to life with the foliage.

[MrTuc]

I am SO envious !

If only my army would look a fourth as good as this army ! I mean, the details and skill on these models !

Keep it up and post more awesome stuff

-Tuc

[bluebonnet78]

Wow! That is wonderful work on the watchtower. And I really like the glade riders too by the way. You've definitely managed to bring together the oranges and purples nicely, which at first thought wouldn't seem like easy color complements for painting an army