How I did it: Megaboss on Maw-krusha (part 2)

- For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm. -

Conan

   Time has passed since the last post about the making of Marnaldur Gaze of Mork, my Megaboss on Maw-krusha. I finished the model just 18 days after I started, piecemeal, working on it but I decided to post the second part only now 'cause I'd like to extend everything about him... I really love this miniature!

   For those of you interested in the first part of the series, here you can find the whole making of the huge model's base, and a bit of background for the "Crag of Mork".

 

   Well, in this part we talking about Kartart, the Maw-krusha that, with his mere presence, helps Marnaldur hold his power over one of the largest (and wildest) Ironjawz' warclans, the Asheaters of Ghyran. Of course our hero had to conquer his mount but for details about the background I refer you to the page dedicated in the section Background Backdoor.

   For now we simply have to know that the word "kartart" in the language of the Ghyran's orruks means "blue". Oh yes, orcs are simple, so we don't need to complicate our, or their, lives; and we are going to see how to make that kind of blue shown by Maw-krushas that live at very high altitudes over the Soot Peaks of Ghyran.

    First of all I primed the model, without rider, with a cerulean blue (in this case the Macragge blue from Citadel), because I wanted a dark tone of blue just to simulate reality, instead of ultrabrightest colours, good as well for fantasy models, but was not my goal this time. Then I washed it with blue ink, without medium... the model was really dark at that time.

    After those passages I started gently drybrushing all the model with almost every tones of blue I had on hands, creating some, and going from the darker to the brighter leaving at any passage more shadows. In this passage, even if it's drybrush, you have to take your time and build up the model slowly... it's very hard to correct drybrush errors or big errors.

   Here the steps:

1- Prime with dark blue (Macrrage blue in my case)
2- Wash with dark blue ink without medium (Drakenhof in my case)
3- Drybrush with the same blue you used as primer
4- Drybrush with pure blue almost all the model (Caledor sky in my case)
5- Drybrush large parts of the model, avoiding main recesses, with a lighter tone of blue such as Lothern Blue from Citadel
6- Drybrush with a very light tone of blue. In this case I created one using 1 part of pure white and 4 part of Lothern. Only the raised areas.

As you can see from my hand the tones of blue should be many!

   Then start with green tones. Careful... you have to choose only very light green similar to blue.

   Examples are:

1- Water green or turquoise, such as Temple Guard Blue. Just few effective areas.

2- Extreme light colour just between blue and green such as Skink Blue. A really small amount of that.

3- Then finished highlighting with light cream white, I used Pallid Wych Flesh from citadel. Only on the raised tiny details, indulging more on the face.

   Next step is about lowering the colour tone near all of the spines, claws and teeth. Take your time here too... you are near disaster each time you use washes of different tones on a model almost done; time and skill with brush, just obtain as many shades as you can.

1- Use dark brown ink or shade with a part of medium to darken a large zone near the spines.

2- Repeat once first hand is dry.

3- Reduce the areas involved and use pure dark brown wash.

4- Do the same.

5- Black ink this time, you have to finish the job in the smaller part. 

   When you start making the underbelly you'll have to use blue tones again, but different ones. If previously tones were from dark blue to water green, now we go from soft blue (light azure) to blue-grey tones.

1- Drybrush all the Underbelly with Citadel Hoeth Blue.

2- Drybrush all the underbelly but avoiding to cover the under color, with Caelestra Grey from Citadel line.

3- Do the same with Ulthuan Grey.

4- Raise details with ormal techniques using light grey (administratum grey for me)

   Now, wings. One of the most important area to make your model very striking. Passages are basically the same:

1- Basecoat wings with light beige.

2- Wash them with flesh shade.

3- Drybrush with light beige.

4- Drybrush, gently, with light cream white.

5- Details with pure white, very small and carefully added.

   At this point the good time is finished as we have to make teeth, spines and details, and we can't make them by drybrush or using washes: it's the real paint time.

1- Basecoat all the spines with a light brown, I used Zandri Dust from Citadel

2- Wash with dark brown shade.

3- Layer carefully with the first color.

4- ... and with a lighter tone of it (I used Ushabti bones)

5- Lighter tone again (screaming skull)

    

   Last part are details... now it's up to you. You can spend a lot on a huge model like this, go on until you are satisfied. I personally added few highlights on the face, after making the eyes and on the underbelly:

   Come on! The whole model is almost done, missing only the rider... we can see how to paint a megaboss in this section, since i've lost pics of the making of the original one!

Thanks as usual for reading!