Harpies
Posted by
MortiS-the-Lost
–
MortiS-the-Lost
–
I don't normally paint to a deadline but some times I am forced to because I need a model for an up coming game. The harpies were just such a case, but I was doubly time-constrained because before I could start I had to wait of 2 of them to arrive in the post (I had 1 already but needed 3). In the end they were converted, assembled and painted all in the space of 4 days between other tasks, which is rather fast considering how long my miniatures can often sit around unpainted for (Years. Years and years).
My Harpies were made by Ral Partha Europe and are just 1 of the awesome monsters in their Das Schwarze Auge Creatures range. I like them because they are the classic 'Greek Myth' style Harpies - a fusion of woman and bird. I have also purchased the Lederschwinge 'Leather Wings' Harpy from the same range which I plan to make use of as a variant species.
Because I had 3 of exactly the same model I did a little conversion work to add variety and help me tell them apart during games.
The first Harpy (Top Left in the main picture) is completely stock apart from the modelled base done in a way that should familiar to anyone who regularly reads my posts here (the tablet-stone with writing on is from a Mantic Skeleton Sprue).
The second Harpy (Top Middle) has a Citadel plastic Daemonette head and the 3rd Harpy (Bottom Middle) has a Daemonette's tail and a little creative filing done to the hair and face. I also bent the wings on all 3 to vary the pose a little (had they been cast in a softer metal I could have gotten away with more dramatic re-posing, but it was not to be).
The bases of the 2nd and 3rd Harpies feature a skull from RPE's accessories range and a round ancestor-head thing from a Citadel Dwarf banner.
^ 2 classic pieces of fantasy art depicting harpies, the one on the left is by Boris Vallejo and the other one I am unable to credit at this time
^ A Harpy Eagle
The colour scheme on I settled on for the Harpies was inspired by the 2 paintings above and the Harpy Eagle, although I didn't in the end copy the Harpy Eagle's markings very closely at all, I think the effect is still there.
As ever I started painting with a black undercoat and then dry brushed the entire model in progressively lighter shades of brown - in this case it was (I believe) Citadel Scorched Brown, Bestial Brown and Snake-Bite Leather. I then continued to highlight the feathers and hair with Citadel Desert Yellow and P3 Jack Bone.
The areas of bare flesh were painted P3 Ryn Flesh and washed with Army Painter Soft Tone Wash. While the feet were painted Citadel Vomit Brown and washed with more Army Painter Soft Tone and a little Army Painter Strong Tone Ink.
The blue feathers were tinted using Citadel Blue Glaze and the hair likewise tinted with Citadel Red Glaze.
The eye I picked out in Citadel Emerald Green (which I think is becoming a favourite of mine) while the claws where highlighted in Citadel Kommando Khaki followed by Citadel Bleached Bone
Despite perhaps not taking so long over them as I might have normally I'm rather pleased with how they turned out in the end
Yes they have bare breasts, If you are offended or amused by that, either way I urge you to grow up. I'd also like to point out that since I'm not 13 I have not painted the nipples bright pink with huge areolae, a subtle change in shading of the flesh using a different mixture of wash is all that's needed.
Talking of bare breasts I've seen quite a few pieces of artwork with harpies wearing bikini tops - how do they put them on? Does some one help them? Is it some one's job to go around the mountain tops hooking up harpies bras for them? Come to think of it, what about Daemonettes for that matter? It can't be easy to do up a bra-clip with giant lobster-claws for hands!
My Harpies were made by Ral Partha Europe and are just 1 of the awesome monsters in their Das Schwarze Auge Creatures range. I like them because they are the classic 'Greek Myth' style Harpies - a fusion of woman and bird. I have also purchased the Lederschwinge 'Leather Wings' Harpy from the same range which I plan to make use of as a variant species.
Because I had 3 of exactly the same model I did a little conversion work to add variety and help me tell them apart during games.
The first Harpy (Top Left in the main picture) is completely stock apart from the modelled base done in a way that should familiar to anyone who regularly reads my posts here (the tablet-stone with writing on is from a Mantic Skeleton Sprue).
The second Harpy (Top Middle) has a Citadel plastic Daemonette head and the 3rd Harpy (Bottom Middle) has a Daemonette's tail and a little creative filing done to the hair and face. I also bent the wings on all 3 to vary the pose a little (had they been cast in a softer metal I could have gotten away with more dramatic re-posing, but it was not to be).
The bases of the 2nd and 3rd Harpies feature a skull from RPE's accessories range and a round ancestor-head thing from a Citadel Dwarf banner.
^ 2 classic pieces of fantasy art depicting harpies, the one on the left is by Boris Vallejo and the other one I am unable to credit at this time
^ A Harpy Eagle
The colour scheme on I settled on for the Harpies was inspired by the 2 paintings above and the Harpy Eagle, although I didn't in the end copy the Harpy Eagle's markings very closely at all, I think the effect is still there.
As ever I started painting with a black undercoat and then dry brushed the entire model in progressively lighter shades of brown - in this case it was (I believe) Citadel Scorched Brown, Bestial Brown and Snake-Bite Leather. I then continued to highlight the feathers and hair with Citadel Desert Yellow and P3 Jack Bone.
The areas of bare flesh were painted P3 Ryn Flesh and washed with Army Painter Soft Tone Wash. While the feet were painted Citadel Vomit Brown and washed with more Army Painter Soft Tone and a little Army Painter Strong Tone Ink.
The blue feathers were tinted using Citadel Blue Glaze and the hair likewise tinted with Citadel Red Glaze.
The eye I picked out in Citadel Emerald Green (which I think is becoming a favourite of mine) while the claws where highlighted in Citadel Kommando Khaki followed by Citadel Bleached Bone
Despite perhaps not taking so long over them as I might have normally I'm rather pleased with how they turned out in the end
Yes they have bare breasts, If you are offended or amused by that, either way I urge you to grow up. I'd also like to point out that since I'm not 13 I have not painted the nipples bright pink with huge areolae, a subtle change in shading of the flesh using a different mixture of wash is all that's needed.
Talking of bare breasts I've seen quite a few pieces of artwork with harpies wearing bikini tops - how do they put them on? Does some one help them? Is it some one's job to go around the mountain tops hooking up harpies bras for them? Come to think of it, what about Daemonettes for that matter? It can't be easy to do up a bra-clip with giant lobster-claws for hands!
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |
4 Comments
Re: Harpies
Re: Harpies
Re: Harpies
Re: Harpies