Craftworld: Aryllon

[Aryllon]

Fire Dragons

Ok here's an unexpected update... I found these guys in my 'for sale' box recently and decided they were passable with a quick re-base. Plus I think these are the best AA unit Eldar currently have (used with the Aegis defence line). They were painted about 2.5 years ago but aren't too bad, it only took a couple of days to fix the major flaws and I'll get around to properly highlighting the armour at some point as that should freshen them up further.

I changed their tassles to a lush green to imply they are part of a supporting force drafted in from Biel-Tan (per the fluff on page 1 of this plog: Aryllon do not field their own citizens if at all possible and outwardly rely on support from other Eldar factions... even though they don't actually need it ).



Next up - I've started a cadre of Rangers banded together from 4 different craftworlds and have got them 30% done in two sittings... hold tight as I might actually finish this project within the year!

Edit: Ok, decided these guys are un-fluffy so they're going into my 'for sale' list!

[cynic]

Really nice work - very tidy.

[Aryllon]

Cheers buddy!
Pathfinders are coming along nicely, might have them finished by the end of the weekend...

[CommanderLewis]

Very nice work!

[Aryllon]

Thanks CL!

I finally worked out how to post full photos rather than thumbnails, so I've just gone through and replaced all 'finished' units in this plog with proper size pics.

My rangers are 65% done and will hopefully be up in the next 10 days or so... hopefully

[Fold]

Loving this, your highlighting/blending is really smooth (can see this in particular on the purple parts of the warlocks) and interesting scheme. Most of all, the pose on that pointing wraithlord is totally badass (and strangely similar to the Autarch I'm building at present!).

The one criticism I have is that the mud/dust is fairly heavy handed. On some of the firedragons it actually looks as though their feet and lower legs are brown (instead of dirty white) and on the wraithlords in places you can see how it looks like paint splotches rather than dirt. Have you looked into weathering powders? I find they are a little more subtle, look truly dusty (as that is after all what they are) and let you build up the layers of grime without risking the overdone look that I think some of your Eldar are suffering from.

[Aryllon]

Haha, you're right! For what it's worth, go with the pointing arm
Interesting choice to do Alaitoc without the yellow offset but it certainly works. I'm totally jealous re: that Warlock, I tried to grab one but they were all gone!

Yeah I agree totally - when I re-started the hobby I'd never even heard of powder let alone had any clue re: how to use it. These guys just had a few washes of heavily watered down ink with a small amount of paint for opacity. I do plan to start with powders but I'm working abroad for a few years & can't carry all my hobby stuff apart from the basics. Dremel is in the UK & I would own an airbrush, oils, powders and a Titan if I had been at home!
The dragons are old, from when I was re-learning to paint; they don't really fit my lore but were good enough to keep hold of. I'll probably eBay them at some point!

[Pitalla Crimson]

I really love how the fluff is written and the insignia that you chose. It is very well thought and very well written.
Contratulations!

Will definitely follow this army thread!

[Aryllon]

Thanks guys, enthusiasm much appreciated!

So I decided to scrap the paintjob on the rangers and start again. They were ok, but didn't seem to fit with the project.

Due to the impending Eldar release I'm hoping to get most of this project completed soon. After the rangers I'll tidy up my old Autarch (pic below), then do the rest of the warlocks. I still have a Farseer and Wraithseer but I don't mind spending a bit more time on HQ guys.

For those who are interested, everything I've painted since starting late 2008 starts here, then follows into my Warseer plogs (including a slow period late '09 > mid '12 during which I only painted 5 Fire Dragons and 2 Warlocks). Not a lot of painting in total, so I hope it helps newbies see you can make progress if you focus on neatness and read a lot of tutorials & articles! I've a long, long way to go but I think I also came a long way, so I'm looking forward to getting an airbrush next and seeing how that goes

Here's my Autarch as he was in 2009 (to be updated soon), after maybe 10 months painting practice;

[Aryllon]

Two pics in one day? Seems that way...
Ok so here's the new colour scheme for the Pathfinders, very WIP as I haven't even got all the base layers down yet (& sorry for the phone pic) but hopefully it'll give you an idea how they will turn out...

[Shad Ambert]

Your army looks tasty like caramel, I'd eat it.
Superb work on swords.
Care to share some info on what paints you use? I really like your bone look on Avenger catapults.

[murgel2006]

I simply love your work.
The modelling and paint-jobs are brilliant and even thou I do not like lilac it looks great.

[silverstu]

Looks great Aryllon- really like the autarch -the crushing claw arm is a great addition! Very envious of your colour work- really nice, clean even tones [even after you add the mud!] Very eldar! Keep it up mate!

[Gropius]

I quite like you bright lance Lord, really good posing.

Is there any progress on the Corsairs?

[Aryllon]

Cheers for the encouragement guys Pathfinders are nearing completion!

@Shad Ambert - sure, but I just discovered that Seraphim Sepia is a horrible dark orange colour rather than warm brown like the old Gryphonne Sepia, so I have to find a new way to paint bone! The catapults were gryphonne sepia over bleached bone, with a few thin layers of bleached bone glazed over the top to build the colour back up. White edge highlight I think. I currently just use citadel (bar one vial of Vallejo verdigris).

@Gropius - sort of, I want to get the Craftworlders done first though (the Void Dragons are designed to supplement them). I've built a few more and have bought all the bits I need... except, surprise surprise, I now don't have the craftworld jetbikes bits I was expecting. Need those in order to kitbash with Reavers, to make 3 each of corsair bikes & harlequin bikes. Frus-tra-ting.
That said, I've decided to run a Nightshade as a Corsair elite choice (via the 'craftworld allies' option) as I think it'll look much better in their colours. If the fluff says hunters are the aspect and Nightshades are just their favourite flyer, then other pilots can fly Nightshades! And I would bet corsairs are those kind of pilots No need to blur the fluff to change the paintjob, which I like.

[Aryllon]

Ok so, apparently Seraphim Sepia is not the same colour that Gryphonne Sepia was. Think 'browny peach'. Does not look good when painting bone... so I've had to find a new method on these Rangers, which has set me back a bit.

They look ok, not as nice as the earlier bone but still like bone. I'm more annoyed by the lack of consistency across my army than anything else.

Bigger problem: Devlan Mud was not a good choice to begin the shading / highlighting process on the cloaks. Not at all. Even after building the base colour back up, they look dirty grey and I really don't want to have to repaint them a third time. I'm hoping a warm highlight will save them... :/