Along with the Regimental Officers, I like the idea of Guardsman Marbo, but rather than get the model I decided to convert my own. I didn't want my version of Guardsman Marbo to look like John Rambo, but rather like a more traditional Delta Force Operator or Navy SEAL.
I started with a basic cadian legs and torso, trimming it to have the torso lean forward and filling the gap with green stuff. I used a heavy weapons sprue backpack, swapping out the knife for a Space Marine's knife, which is larger. The arms are Cadian arms, with the shoulder pads trimmed off. The gun is a Space Marine bolter with scope, a sight from the IG heavy weapons sprue, and a piece of plastic rod to give it a suppressor. Various pouches and the head are forgeworld bits, and the boonie hat is green stuff.
After priming him black, I basedcoated him. Calthan Brown on the cloth, armor, and accoutrements, Chaos Black for the knife and gun, and Orkhide shade for the gloves and face (he's wearing camo facepaint--no, he's not an ork).
From here it's much like painting any of my woodland MARPAT guardsmen. Snakebite Leather on the cloth, Desert Yellow on the armor, boots, backpack and pouches. Catachan Green on the smoke grenades the backpack, and a heavy drybrush of Catachan Green on the face and the gloves.
A coat of Devlan Mud over the armor, cloth, face, and gloves.
First stage of the camouflage, with my darkened Gunship Green on all the cloth.
Remainder of the camouflage, with Chaos Black and Khemri Brown.
Almost done: I highlighted the armor, boots and accoutrements with Desert Yellow. Painted the scopes on the gun, and drybrushed the gun with Adeptus Battlegrey. Also painted the knife boltgun metal, gave it a quick wash of Badab Black, and then highlighted the edge of the knife with Chainmail and Mithril Silver with little tick marks to make it look like the knife has seen some action. Put a very light drybrush of Catachan Green mixed with a little Knarloc Green for the face, gloves, and grenades.
I had considered him done, but after looking at him for a bit I decided that his gun looked too...black. The gun was big and seemed like a big black blob, so I decided to paint up the casing. I painted it Khemri Brown with a highlight of Khemri Brown mixed with Kommando Khaki (I think--either that or a tiny amount of Skull White). I think the result looks better than the pure black gun.
I think he came out pretty good, but in retrospect, I think the facepaint didn't come out quite right. Perhaps a few stripes of a brown color would help make it look more like facepaint and less like his skin color... I'm also questioning the use of Khemri Brown for the gun casing. I think that perhaps painting it similar to his armor (Desert Yellow, washed with Devlan Mud, then highlighted with Desert Yellow) would fit the "look" of the model better. Oh well. If I get annoyed enough with it, I can always repaint the bits I don't like...
8 comments:
I know you aren't 100% about the face paint, but I actually think it looks really realistic. You see the types where flesh is still visible beneath the paint, but in this case he has gone all out and obviously doesn't want to be seen. Perfectly fits his character, and I think the face paint looks great if I'm honest. I also like the design of this post, especially with all the picture angles in unison. I might give this technique a go myself one day as it just looks so fluid. Nice work!
Fan-bloody-tastic!
What a great looking model. Well done, you.
Great model - but I'm not sure about the face paint... why's his camo desert, but his face green? He looks like his trying to look like an Ork Kommando who take his uniform a little too seriously ... love the model though.
A good way to make it look like facepaint would be to leave the neck area a dark skin color and paint some dark brown under the eyes and make it look like smeared mud. I also highly suggest doing away with the green hands - facepaint is ok but green hands?
"facepaint is ok but green hands?" the green hands are the gloves from the previous post. I love the model dark. The face paint is great also, those that know the current military know that even though we wear the new digital uniform, the face paint is still done in the classic colors, I dont have time to get out a swatch and put a checkerboard of colors to match my blouse lol.
I have been following your MARPAT guardsmen and its left me very jealous. great job and continue with excellence
That's some amazing camo, there. Far more patience than I have with the stuff.
My only beef is that he's got a sniper boltgun when he theoretically has a pistol. I say that only because he's got the pistol/CCW combo going on with his poison knife, but it's not like you're getting him for his CC abilities. He pops up, says 'Boo!' and then whips a demo charge. If he survives to assault, so much the better.
He's one of the thigns that would drag me to guard, just because.
Well the solid color face paint and hands are actually accurate, if not the most visually striking thing ever. Our combat instructors always got on us if we tried to do tiger stripes or what have you. It is more important to just cover the skin. Usually it ended up just looking like a green/ brown blob. And you do need to put cammo paint on your hands as well, any exposed skin. And I'm not sure what suneokun is talking about, he is wearing green cammies. All in all, an excellent conversion and paint job, don't change a thing.
Thanks for the comments, guys.
As for the hands, I imagined them to either be green camo paint like the face, or that he was wearing olive drab gloves.
Concerning the gun--yes, I realize that Marbo is supposed to have a "ripper pistol" as opposed to the "suppressed bolter" that I gave him, but since I view the model as just "counting as" Guardsman Marbo, I don't consider it a big deal. The players who I usually game with don't mind either way.
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