Fire Dragon Shrine

[bluetablepainting]

Fire Dragon Shrine

I’ve always loved Eldar. This will be the fourth Eldar army I’ve painted, and something like the the eighth for Blue Table as a whole. With the impending re-working of the Eldar codex, and some of the models, I’m left in a dilemma… which I solved by doing a themed Fire Dragon Shrine army.

Here are some pics of the infantry.

Here’s the Army composition:

Fuegan
Four Wave Serpents each holding ten Fire Dragons and Exarchs
Two Support Vehicles (Fire Prism or Falcon interchangeably)
Two Wraithlords
Two Vypers

The support vehicles feature Forge World turrets (from the Firestorm pattern) and the Wave Serpents have completely magnetized turrets for alternate weaponry.

The Wraithlords are dragons with a back mounted gunner and some Eldar-esque armor plates.

To date, the Fire Dragons and Exarchs are done. The vehicles are completely constructed.

Not sure on vehicle coloration or pattern. I’ve done some experimenting on the Vypers for this but I’m not totally satisfied.

Shawn G.

[Math Mathonwy]

Simply awesome work! I love the way you paint - it differs from the comic style that is so prevalent these days. You don't have the silly ultra bright, blocky highlights or extra wide black lines that seem to be the thing these days. Very lovely. Your washing/inking techniques are top of the herd!

The fact that you've gone for different shades for different squads is an excellent idea. And the bases are a nice tying to the theme. I'm very interested in the dragon-Wraithlords. Which dragons will you use and will you give them wings?

[bluetablepainting]

Thanks for the kind words.

The Fire Dragons do have slight shade variations, and this is on purpose, but not by squad. I wanted to get away from the clean and prissy look of the Eldar and give a burned and battle forged look to the force.

When viewed on the tabletop, you can hardly see the shading difference.

There are three layers of glazing on each part of the armor-- each one slightly visible below the last. Getting the formulas right was a major challenge.

The tanks will look quite a bit different-- deep, brownish Hull Red (Vallejo) fading to a burned black at the extremities. Burning and intertwined runework will be the "pop" freehand on them.

Shawn

[Brush your teeth]

i love those fire dragons and i really like the idea of this army. ive always wanted to do a fire dragon army (dawn of wars fault). i cant wait to see the tanks

[Siromcyre]

Nice TT standard. I love the Fire Dragon Models, and have been wanting to collect an army for ages. Here's an idea you can steal: with the differing variations of colour, Incorporate them. How? Use a flame for inspiration...The better the Fire Dragons might be paler (at the tip of the flame) whilst the more inexperienced Fire Dragons are darker (at the base of the flame). I think this looks neat in squads, but perhaps insn't the best way to achieve a cohesive looking army...

[bluetablepainting]

The Wraithlord Dragons will not have wings (no game effect). I am using my favorite GW dragon-- the OOP Forest Dragon. There will be a double-gunner platform up on the shoulders-- one for the heavy weapon and another (lower) for two Shuriken Catapults. For a flamer the dragon will breathe flame!

Shawn G.

[FearFrost]

These are solid TT models. I'm not a huge fan of inks/washing techniques, but it works pretty well on these. I think they need one more color, though...possibly a green or blue...

Just my preference

Brian

[AventineCrusader]

I like the Fire Dragons. I think you've inspired me to dust off/ touch up my Dark Reaper army...

Crusader

[bluetablepainting]

Oh, and I need to put eyes on them.

SG

[bluetablepainting]

I played my first game with this army, against Eldar. It was a lot of fun, plenty of flexibility, but it's real hard to get the Fire Dragons into position to shoot effectively and not be mowed down in subsequent turns. However, when twenty fire dragons do shoot, they annihilate anything in range. It's cool.

I thought I would have trouble with HTH armies, but that's not the case. It's with shooty armies that evaporate the low T Fire Dragons outside their range.

Shawn

[bluetablepainting]

So far this week:

Painted two Vypers-- pics forthcoming. I'll be finishing the six tanks in the next six days.

Played the list twice, both cleanse vs. Eldar. Game one a loss 0-1 quarters. Game two a win 4-0 quarters. I like the force. It's not unbeatable, it has definite weaknesses, but it's strong and flexible enough to be interesting.

Also, added eyes to the forty Fire Dragons.

Still need to get a Fuegan model, and a third vyper, those things are awesome!

Shawn G.

[Spacejens]

The better the Fire Dragons might be paler (at the tip of the flame) whilst the more inexperienced Fire Dragons are darker (at the base of the flame).

Nice idea. However, you got the flame upside down (a real flame is brighter at the base and darker at the tips).

Oh, and bluetablepainting, I think it is a really nice army concept. One that you seem to be more than able to do justice, even. I will keep an eye on this project

[Anvils Hammer]

Is this done using the wash/g;aze technique mentioned on your website?
Im not sure it works for these models, they should be a lot brighters.

But that said, I like fairly extreem highlights.

how long does it take you to paint each one?

the bases are fantastic.

[bluetablepainting]

Tank Prototype and Vypers

See ten more pics in the New Stuff section >> Fire Dragon Shrine album
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/gallery.php

Or go direct
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/vie...?galleryID=626

Yesterday, March 2, I did the two Vypers. This morning I did the Falcon. They were test models to see if the scale patten would work. I got this idea from the Forge World Eldar Phoenix Bomber-- a red dragonscale pattern. I didn't like it at first, they looked like they were diseased with the measles or something. The others in the studio seemed to like them, though. The solution was to move the scales closer together and outline them with some black/brown.

Turns out, on the larger tank, this outlining was not needed at all.

This army is supposed to have a dark, burned look. I'm going for something outside the happy and bright Eldar scheme. So, I incorporated Vallejo Gunmetal Grey and worked some brown ink in there to deepen it and give a burned look.

The turret on the Falcon is from the Forge World Firestorm kit, modified with an interchangeable Pulse Laser.

This Falcon is a killing machine-- fully loaded and nigh unkillable at 210 pts.

In all, I'm very pleased with how these turned out, but I'm not looking forward to doing all the scales on the other five tanks!

Thanks for looking,
Shawn G.

PS- The Fire Dragons are done using the glazing method mentioned on Blue Table's website. They require three transluscent layers to get the right effect. The coloration is varied on purpose. They are not supposed to be bright and happy. They are supposed to look burned and battle hardened.

[bluetablepainting]

Nice idea. However, you got the flame upside down (a real flame is brighter at the base and darker at the tips).

That's an excellent point. Our Art Director keeps a file of reference material, including pictures of real fire of various kinds, and a flame putting out black smoke is black on the tips. This looks really good when painted, though it is a bit counter-intuitive.

Here's a not-very good example, but it shows the rough concept.

http://www.bluetablepainting.com/gal...1125088985.jpg

Shawn G.

[bluetablepainting]

Here's the latest update. Just finished the first of four Wave Serpents.

I decided to fix the weapons in place, not magnetize them, on the turrets of the Wave Serpents (everything else is magnetized-- supplemental weapons, main weapons on the Falcons), though the turrets themselves can be removed for transportation.

See twelve more pics in the New Stuff section >> Fire Dragon Shrine album
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/gallery.php

Or go direct
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/vie...?galleryID=626

The plan right now is to finish another Wave Serpent today and the other three tanks and one Vyper next week.

Sometime next week, the Wraithlords are coming. These are Wood Elf Dragons with open "cockpits" on the top sporting the weaponry.

Shawn G.

[bluetablepainting]

Just completed the fourth Wave Serpent. No new pics-- it looks just like the other.

For a wraithlord, I will instead have a "dragonlord" a cockpit-like thing on top of an OOP Wood Elf Dragon. The first one is almost done with construction. I am super-excited to see how this finished product will look.

All that's left: one vyper, one Falcon, and two dragonlords.

Shawn G.

[Spacejens]

Eagerly awaiting pictures of the dragons. I have faint memories of DinoRiders from my childhood

[jigplums]

waveserpents are the key there i think

[bluetablepainting]

The Dragonlord was extensively converted, but I wasn't completely satisfied with it. There were some issues with composition and weaponry. That's getting re-worked next week.

In fact, it will all get done and painted next week in preparation for LA Games Day.

Shawn