isotope99
09-22-2010, 01:49 PM
The BOLS poll has advanced hobby tutorials second in the list so I thought I'd do one on my thunderwolf.
Thunderwolves
You may have noticed that Games Workshop have increased their willingness to include codex entries with no corresponding models. This gives hobbyists lots of freedom to convert their own, or a headache as to how to make the unit they want when there is no model for it.
There are lots of ideas floating around about how to convert Thunderwolf cavalry, but with the release of the new plastic juggernauts I decided to go with converted juggernauts.
Ingredients:
• Plastic Bloodcrushers
• Wolf pack kit (lots of leftovers)
• Green stuff (or equivalent)
• Dreadnought bases (optional, but makes a good ice plain effect)
The basic idea is to keep the shape and mass of the juggernaut kit, as well as the most difficult bits to sculpt (e.g. the mouth) but to make the juggernaut look more like a massive wolf and less like a scary metal cow.
Here are the key things I did:
Head
The head probably needs the most green stuff work. To start with I assembled the juggernaut head without the top plate and also cut off the nose ring and any extra spiky bits.
The green stuff work was done in two main stages, which is always advisable to avoid ruining the work you’ve already done.
The first stage was to create a more wolf like shape. This included:
• Filling in the top of the head
• Sculpting a new nose
• Adding eyebrows and lower eyelids
• Adding lips round the teeth
• Building up the shape of the cheek fur and ears, trying to match the distinctive shape of the space wolf symbol.
The second stage is texture. Luckily, adding fur is one of the easier things to sculpt, just smooth out some green stuff and cut lines into it. It helps here if you have a sharper sculpting tool than the GW standard but a simple drawing pin also works pretty well.
I kept the spiky collar because:
a) The riders are going to need something to grab onto and I’m not so keen on the idea of giving them horsey reins and;
b) It reminded me of Butch the dog from Tom and Jerry.
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/photopost/data/578/wolf1.jpg
Thunderwolves
You may have noticed that Games Workshop have increased their willingness to include codex entries with no corresponding models. This gives hobbyists lots of freedom to convert their own, or a headache as to how to make the unit they want when there is no model for it.
There are lots of ideas floating around about how to convert Thunderwolf cavalry, but with the release of the new plastic juggernauts I decided to go with converted juggernauts.
Ingredients:
• Plastic Bloodcrushers
• Wolf pack kit (lots of leftovers)
• Green stuff (or equivalent)
• Dreadnought bases (optional, but makes a good ice plain effect)
The basic idea is to keep the shape and mass of the juggernaut kit, as well as the most difficult bits to sculpt (e.g. the mouth) but to make the juggernaut look more like a massive wolf and less like a scary metal cow.
Here are the key things I did:
Head
The head probably needs the most green stuff work. To start with I assembled the juggernaut head without the top plate and also cut off the nose ring and any extra spiky bits.
The green stuff work was done in two main stages, which is always advisable to avoid ruining the work you’ve already done.
The first stage was to create a more wolf like shape. This included:
• Filling in the top of the head
• Sculpting a new nose
• Adding eyebrows and lower eyelids
• Adding lips round the teeth
• Building up the shape of the cheek fur and ears, trying to match the distinctive shape of the space wolf symbol.
The second stage is texture. Luckily, adding fur is one of the easier things to sculpt, just smooth out some green stuff and cut lines into it. It helps here if you have a sharper sculpting tool than the GW standard but a simple drawing pin also works pretty well.
I kept the spiky collar because:
a) The riders are going to need something to grab onto and I’m not so keen on the idea of giving them horsey reins and;
b) It reminded me of Butch the dog from Tom and Jerry.
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/photopost/data/578/wolf1.jpg