Ancients of Atalan Hunter-Killer Mech

 

Sometimes one picture tells the whole story of the paintwork. In this case, it is all about the gold metallics. I spent most of my time on this ....giant robotic stingray washing, blending and highlighting to get a nice warm gold luster. 

The model itself is for my ever-growing Deepwars collection (made by Antimatter Games / Dark Sword Miniatures) and gives the Ancients of Atalan some really heavy firepower.

 Unusual subjects are often the best to work on because of their extreme nature, and I really appreciated going to the gills with the flashy metallic gold.

Fortune Hunters Dr. Heinrich Cornelius / Steampunk Occultist Diver

 

I wasn't able to finish my paint goal for the week, but it was productive and fun none-the-less. Instead of something new, Ill share another piece from my collection that is on-theme. This is a model from my DeepWars Fortune Hunters warband, rounding it out with a specialist role. This model is on the small size, but loaded with details. I stuck to the paint scheme established with my earlier models, but took the opportunity to add some unique pops of color to help the Dr stand out a bit. In a vacuum I would've gone in a different direction. bit it meshes really well on the game table as it is. I only have a few more Fortune Hunters to post, which means it's time to paint more!

Fortune Hunters Tactical Dive Soldier / Steampunk Soldier Diver

 

Unfortunately, I was not happy with an entire photography session I had which was to cover my next several posts. As a consequence, I am running late with my posts; Better late than never, though! I am working towards having a better lighting rig so that I am not so limited by the weather and long stretch of dark months we get up north. Enough with that.

 I'm still a little unsure about these photos though - the size of the pics are significantly larger than the model itself, which I think undersells it a bit. Sculptors often include a scale reference to provide the viewers with a sense of the size of the piece, and I think that could be especially important (maybe more important) for paint where the size of the model has a meaningful effect on the perceived quality of the work. something to think about.

The real post: This model continues the series of my DeepWars Fortune Hunters and it might actually be one of the first models from that faction I painted. In fact, it predates my records of such things, which were started in 2013! That makes it one of the older things I have ever shared here. Still pretty solid, I think.

This fellow has a classic steampunk design and the model is pretty timeless. As a basic trooper I only wish there were more poses available. Fortunately, with the continuation of the line into the modern era, digital sculpting has ensured that some new equivalent pieces are available for my printer. I'm working on some of his buddies now to give my warband more (expendable) muscle.

Fortune Hunters Big Game Hunter / Steampunk Hunter Diver

Continuing the Deepwars Fortune Hunters theme, we have an elite soldier: the big game hunter. Given the number of big nasty creatures in the game, this guy seems like must have, and fills the classic archetype of the obsessed hunter. All very good. From a painting perspective the trophies adorning the dive suit add a lot of visual interest, making the hunter one of the more engaging designs in the line. Nothing fancy though - I stuck to the established palate for my Fortune Hunters and I feel it translated to this piece well.

Happy Holidays!

Edit: I really disliked the series of photos I took around this date, so I retook them and replaced the original pics.

Fortune Hunters Heavy Support Trooper / Steampunk Heavy Diver

Making it a theme following last month, here is another Fortune Hunter from the game DeepWars. Normally I'm not a huge fan of the steampunk genre with my painting, but DeepWars definitely scratches that itch when I have it. 

This is one of the first models I completed for the Fortune Hunters and occupies a rare position: the basic trooper. I tend to be lured by the flashy models for special characters so my collection over-represents characters vs. support models. Because of that, this lucky guy is on the battlefield in nearly every game I play. Sometimes its good to be the grunt, I guess. 

My goal with the paint-jobs for the entire faction was gritty and easy to paint metallics with a few spots of OSL or gem techniques for visual interest. This keeps them easy paint quickly, and that choice has allowed me to grow my collection faster than other genres. More divers to post next time.
 

Fortune Hunters Recon Trooper / Steampunk Scout Diver

 

I have a large collection of painted DeepWars miniatures that have never surfaced. This steampunk diver is a scout for the fortune hunters, a faction that is well represented in my collection. This model supports the mech and scientist I posted last year, and shares their same industrial paint pallet. I occasionally go overboard with undersea themed minis and I am feeling that current now. While workbench is flooded with undersea critters I may as well post some too! Over the next few weeks I'll look to catch up on my undersea life. 

For this faction I always enjoy juxtaposing the gritty industrial feel of the dive-suits with vibrant sea life on the base. 

Not much commentary in the tank today, so I'll finish with another, nearly identical photo - Bonus!

Heavy Combat Biomech

 

I finished this piece last year (2022) after it languished on my shelf-o'-shame for a few. It is an excellent, and formidable, addition to my Dark Mariners warband. This fellow is big, so a group shot may be in order to convey the threat. I had quite a bit of difficulty with focus in the photos because of the size. These pics aren't great, but they were the best I could manage.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Olley is a boss. I'm happy to add any sculpt by him to my painted collection.

Fortune Hunters ( Marie du Chatelet, Breaching Mech Construct)

 I was hoping to post some pieces I completed this year today but I lost the light by the time I had finished the days tasks. Ah well, I have plenty of old stuff to share (in this case, a decade old! photo dated 2012). While this picture is practically ancient by modern standards, I do think it needed to be included in my gallery here if it is supposed to be representative of my collection. 

These were the first members of my now rather large Fortune Hunters warband, which surprisingly hasn't been featured here at all so far. I was initially pretty indifferent about that faction in the game, as I am  not a huge steampunk fan (ghasp!), but they are just so darn easy on the brush for me. Shaded metallics are my jam! 

I'll have to take some pictures of the rest of the crew so that all the core factions have some representation. That'll give me an opportunity to revisit the photographic style of these models. The Black background with harsh lighting seems to be very popular these days for dramatic effect, but I really don't favor the trend.