Saturday, February 23, 2013

Red Corsair - Ragal Gair, Champion of the Fleet

Ragal Gair, Champion of The Fleet

So there he finally stands, the Red Corsair Ragal Gair, Champion of the Fleet, the harvester of skulls. The hulking armour, seasoned and stained by the time and blood, gleams in deep red. Moist, freshly picked trophy skulls, pierced by the thorns of the shoulder guard, make a macabre altar of victory, drawing fat hungry flies to feast. The grotesquelly shaped power hook, in place of an arm lost long ago in a fierce boarding fight, whispers quiet hissing sounds when it moves in the will of its master...

Ragal Gair's painting process took me almost a week to finish, eating almost all of my freetime. I have to thank my wife for her understanding as all I could think was to finish this up before the end of the week. Sometimes I get pretty deep when I start something...

Ok, some thoughts about the final stages. I decided to change the direction of the head at the last minute. The final posture is now somewhat more alert and a bit more balanced.

Now some of you might notice that the familiar black and red colour scheme of the Red Corsairs is in Gair's case much more dominated by the vivid red. There's still some hints of black here and there, in bolt pistol and in tilting shield to name the few.

My main inspiration for the colour scheme came from this John Blanche's Red Corsair painting...

Red Corsair by venerable John Blanche

I tried to capture the vivid reds of the painting for my Corsair. I primed the whole armour with dark red and brown, adding a layer of red,  highlighting with orange and yellows and finally gaving the whole thing a nice shiny layer of orange ink. I almost ruined the whole process by adding a layer of mat varnish on top of the paintjob, as the varnish ate all the gleam and vibrant shades of the armour that made it so vibrant in the first place. Fortunately, I was able to fix my error by gently repeating the process, excluding the mat varnish, of course ;)

Here's some more angles of the finished Red Corsair...







I decided to keep the backpack as it was, as modificating it afterwards felt quite laborious.

Vivid red was pretty unforgivingly hard to capture in to photos, like many before me have witnessed. That dark backdrop didn't help it a bit. In the end, I was able to adjust my camera to get decent shots that where the colour balance was acceptable for the post-processing.
 
Finally some close-ups...





So 1/3 finished and two more to go. I've already started planning the next one but it'll take some time before I have anything substantial to show you. Hmm, maybe it is time to get back to Punk Moth project...

- Kari
Written by at 15:46
Ear Tags , , ,

53 comments:

  1. Fulgrim23 February 2013 at 16:02

    This is absolutely magnificent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi23 February 2013 at 19:19

      Cheers Tim! Took me less than a month to finish, which is pretty fast in my case :D

      Delete
  2. Neil10123 February 2013 at 16:44

    Yeah great stuff mate , the lips are creepy , so much going on and its all good. one crit though ... I want to see his helmet now !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi23 February 2013 at 19:18

      Thanks Neil! Oh, you'll see his helmet at some point, I promise ;)

      Delete
  3. Ana Polanscak23 February 2013 at 17:23

    Truly marvellous!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tim23 February 2013 at 17:30

    This guy is so cool!
    A John Blanche painting in 3D!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown23 February 2013 at 17:53

    Mate, this one is really masterpiece, the shape, the form, the colour nit to mention weathering that you've done.
    The one thing that i am jealouse about is pale/bleached colours, i am having problems on painting somthing like this by myself. Wonder if there is any tutorial how to achive such effect?..

    Once again - Great Work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi23 February 2013 at 19:25

      Thanks mate! There are many ways to achieve the bleached effect, but I think the most important thing is to keep your palette very limited. If you check some of my previous entries regarding the Red Corsairs, you'll find a "recipe" for the pale skin, for instance. Oh and I use gray primer, if that has anything to do with this matter...

      Delete
    2. Unknown20 March 2013 at 22:18

      I took a look at your previous entries and I must have missed the recipe for the pale skin, I didn't see it...

      Anyway, fantastic work, definitely the best looking Corsair I've ever seen.

      Delete
    3. Kari Hernesniemi21 March 2013 at 23:14

      The recipe was hidden in Pietr Bucis comment section. Here's the quotation: "Mix Elf Flesh (don't remember what it is called nowadays) and white and add a hint of light gray in to the mix to break the tone. After painting the skin, give it a light brown wash, maybe adding a bit of Devlan Mud in it. Make the highlights and add some red ink in the shades (very lightly). I sometimes use grayish blue to really boost the dark areas, but didn't do it in this [Pietr Bucis] case. Finally add some thin coats of the original mixture of Elf Flesh and white (+light gray). This will give a nice balance for the highlights and shadows."

      Delete
  6. Eric Wier23 February 2013 at 18:42

    Wow, he looks even more fantastic now that he is completed! The gleaming, yet dull rust coloured red is very fitting. The grimy unkempt gunmetal hook helps add effect too. I really like the pallid flesh tones you achieved, feeling they accent the model even further. The thorn tattoo running along the top of his head is probably my favorite part though, very unique and compelling. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi23 February 2013 at 19:45

      Cheers Godwyn! Yeah, the thorn tattoo is one of my favourite details too. It kind of breaks the "fourth wall", if you know what I mean... Roman soldiers made the Thorn Crown as a cruel parody of the civic crown worn by the emperor.

      Delete
    2. Eric Wier23 February 2013 at 20:22

      Yeah, it is an excellent inclusion and very well implemented. It is great to know the thought behind it, an excellent merging of 40k mythos and history!

      Delete
    3. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 14:11

      If I remember correctly, there was this one case where someone had painted a pretty damn good looking Daemon of Khorne, with a very unique technique, and participated in a high-end mini painting competition with it. Eventually his entry was disqualified becouse of the use of Christian symbolism in it - namely Jesus and Virgin Maria icons in the Daemon's banners.

      Delete
  7. AWu23 February 2013 at 18:49

    Outstanding.Especially his head..

    ReplyDelete
  8. lé kouzes23 February 2013 at 19:11

    Awesome conversion an paintjob!
    I really like your "Blanche" style!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kari Hernesniemi23 February 2013 at 20:10

    Thank you everybody for your comments and many thanks for following the whole process!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mikko Luoma23 February 2013 at 20:21

    Oh man Kari, Oh man!
    Just got back from my month-long trip Cuba and first thing I see is this Pirate!!!!
    This is fierce!!!
    Your art is just,,, oh man I love it!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Starfarer23 February 2013 at 20:43

    Simply amazing! Rarely is art-scale done it what I find a "realistic" manner. In fact, aside for Migsula, I don't think I've seen a better attempt.

    Can't wait for the next one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 00:02

      Thanks Starfarer! I studied Migsula's WIP shots very closely while planning this project. I owe a big thanks to him for showing the way to do this properly.

      Delete
  12. KrautScientist23 February 2013 at 22:27

    Once again, absolutely awe-inspiring, izeColt! It boggles the mind how you always manage to come up with stuff like that. Simply marvelous!

    ...and to think he actually uses the exact same head as your Inquisitor ;-)

    Cheers,

    KS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 00:08

      Cheers KrautScientist! About that head... I hesitated of using it just because I used the same head for my Inquisitor. I thought that they'd look too similar, like twins, but painting and lack of hair seems to do the trick of separating them from each other ;)

      Delete
  13. Lamby24 February 2013 at 07:37

    Outstanding work.
    Inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Turska24 February 2013 at 08:45

    This is like the second christmas waiting you to make more of these fellas. The red armour is fierce, and a cool detail that catches my eye is the purple/red shade on the cloak - it immediately looks like torn hide. Wow.

    Keep yourself motivated!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 14:15

      Thanks Turska! Now that you mentioned it, I might add some seams and stitches to the cloak to make it look more like a hide.

      Delete
  15. phiq24 February 2013 at 09:42

    He turned out so well! Good stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous24 February 2013 at 10:37

    what can i say except blimmin fantastic - such a suitable candidate for WD methinks - bleached effects like this seem to rely on those art inks again - brown and orange perhaps a spot of purple - ive started using a bit of blue on a tzeentchianne warband bi adyngg a small amount to the red which really deepens the effect -however i do matt varnish but sometymes leave it gloss for armour which keeps the glow and depth of tone - never varnish artwork tho ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 14:05

      Cheers JB!

      I'm sure many of the readers of our blog and WD would love to hear more from you about how to use inks and other techniques to revitalize their palettes.

      I've heard that in scale model scene/comptitions it is vital to get ridiculously matt result for your model or you're automatically out of the game. No room for the artsy folks. Pretty amusing thing, but I used to think that way too - Until I started appreciate the way the inks and glossiness can boost your work to another level.

      Delete
  17. Mark Harris24 February 2013 at 12:45

    Beautiful. I love the muted bleached look you achieve. Very evocative and really looks like a painting bought to life.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nimrod24 February 2013 at 12:49

    Most impressive corsair i've ever seen. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 14:18

    Yet again, humble thanks to all of you for your kind words!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Peter24 February 2013 at 14:21

    Oh Boy! Not only do I get to enjoy your models in WD this month but I get to see the Corsair completed too. Inquisitor Marius Cassar and co. look great and the article is a good read too.

    Love the red. Also really glad you kept trophy skulls they look ace. All of him looks ace actually.

    Will be interesting to see how the others you build will get unique character. For Mig's its important to keep the anonymity in each of his marine but you get to go the very depths of your imagination. Looking forward to it :-)

    PDH

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 14:38

      Many thanks Peter!

      The past issues of the new WD have been real treats - Your minis in the previous issue, some of the minis by Mig's and JRN's in the one before that and John's amazing and inspiring work in the ones before them. The golden age... I can't wait to see what comes next!

      I will try my best to make the two other Renegade Astartes as unique as possible, but still keeping my main aim in the cohesion between them. The small pawn carrying Gair's helmet will be the joker that lets me loose a bit.

      Delete
  21. CMDante24 February 2013 at 14:28

    Fantastic stuff! Such a brilliant model - so in touch with the grim dark atmosphere of 40k.

    Loved the WD article with your minis this month too! Very jealous - I can't seem to even get my GD models in it :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi24 February 2013 at 16:02

      Thanks CMDante! I do feel lucky.

      Could you please send me your email address (mine is izecolt(at)spikyratpack.com)?

      Delete
  22. BrazenRogue24 February 2013 at 23:12

    Absolutely fantastic! You really captured that John Blanche vibe, especially in the close ups of the cloak. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dai25 February 2013 at 00:10

    What a final result! Beautiful depths to the reds, blanched skin reminding me of my wife's pics of the corpses she works on... the pose is intimidating and suspicious. Not immediately obvious what this warrior is about to do, or how he will react at any given moment.

    Had been a lot of fun following this creation - certainly worthy of a WD spread.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi25 February 2013 at 21:06

      Thanks Dai! Makes me wonder what does your wife do for living ;)

      Delete
    2. Dai26 February 2013 at 23:27

      She works as a tissue and bone retrieval technician for a donor company. They also take some organs and tendons too. Grizzly stuff.

      Putting it simply, she's a human vulture. :)

      Delete
  24. Lasgunpacker25 February 2013 at 19:27

    Literally phenomenal work, and I am looking forward to seeing your next projects. Hopefully more Inq28?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi25 February 2013 at 21:07

      Cheers Lasgunpacker! I guess I get back to making final adjustment to my terrain for our Punk Moth scenario before putting them in to undercoat, so yes, Inq28 stuff indeed.

      Delete
    2. Lasgunpacker25 February 2013 at 23:30

      Terrain AND Inq28? Fantastic!

      Delete
    3. Kari Hernesniemi26 February 2013 at 21:20

      Terrain and scenario infact, all going to be published here in a short interesting story...

      Delete
  25. demi_morgana26 February 2013 at 09:33

    Brilliant execution! Bravo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi26 February 2013 at 21:19

      Cheers demi! By the way, how's your Necromunda gang doing?

      Delete
  26. Ibai Aizpurua26 February 2013 at 13:38

    Wow so many comments, I think I cant add anything interesting to say, but i think that your work is AWESOME.
    In my humble opinion you have translated Blanches 2d artwork better to 3d than himself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi26 February 2013 at 21:16

      Thank you Ibai.

      Maybe it is a bit bold to say that I'm better at something that John does so well just by nature, don't you think? Besides, he uses two glasses while painting minis ;)

      Delete
  27. Ibai Aizpurua28 February 2013 at 19:42

    Ok! I was trying to be kind! But you are great taking his atmosphere. Your miniatures evoque quite the same bizarre essense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari Hernesniemi28 February 2013 at 22:41

      No worries, Ibai! I'm sure you meant well with your comment :) Yet again, thanks!

      Delete
  28. Tuffskull28 February 2013 at 23:09

    Hey, I just love what you did. Your style is so totally different to mine. I allways like to see someone making the same as me but making it so completely different! I really look forward to see the other 2 Marines.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Unknown2 March 2013 at 15:16

    Brilliant guy! Love the dirt stained hem, cloven renntartsche and general gothic expression.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Kari Hernesniemi6 March 2013 at 14:09

    Thanks Tuffskull and Nathan!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)