Thorgrizzly's OGRES and VC's

No doubt, Ogres are cool. I have painted many armies during my 20 years of gaming, but the ogres are the ones I have enjoyed the most. I have collected and painted over 3000 points by now. My theme is pretty classic - that's the way I like it. I will post picture of them all the coming weeks.... here is a little teaser.

Very nice painting (especially the butcher/slaughtermaster, though personally I don´t like the models you have used for your bulls.

Yep, very nicely painted ogres. While I like the classic ogre models, I don't think they work with the new ones, at all (though there is a very nice army somehwere on here that combines old and new models).

I first wanted to build my army around the old models, but then I changed my mind, so I only use seven old models for bulls, I think they work fine.

....hmm I can see that my unit-pictures are way too big (just posted some pictures, that I deleted when I saw them in here. Must resize them tomorrow. Well, then - a few more teasers.

I have to say, I like the old models. I always appreciated the diversity of Warhammer ogres and although the new ones are good, they are a little too homogenous in appearance. Too bad GW stopped selling the old mercenary ogres- I was going to collect them all eventually.

Here are more pics of my army.

Hooray for variety!

Here are my converted lead belchers. They all started out as bulls.

Cool models you have there, Thorgrizzly. I like your painting style. What techniques do you use? The reason I ask is that my models are very clean, bright and cartoonlike. I tried to paint in a more dark, gritty and realistic style, but it's something I just can't seem to do right.


BigD

You don't make the cannons out of the regular leadbelcher cannons, do you? I don't really know the leadbelcher models too well but your cannons look kind of different. Are they, or am I noticing something that doesn't exist?

Cool models you have there, Thorgrizzly. I like your painting style. What techniques do you use? The reason I ask is that my models are very clean, bright and cartoonlike. I tried to paint in a more dark, gritty and realistic style, but it's something I just can't seem to do right.


BigD

Thanks! I agree that your models look very cartoon like - I think that the ogre models have a tendancy to look very cartoon like - probably because of the way their skin is sculpted. Personaly I always go for the more realistic look. I want my models to look as miniatures of "real" ogres. I always thin down my paint and use large amounts of thinned down wash. I paint 2 - 5 layers of wash (often different colours - purple and brown being my favourites) on every part of the model and then I highlight 2 - 3 times.

For the lead belcher cannons I stole some of the caps from my childrens' magic markers and added green stuff and different bits and chains.

Here are some more models. The maneater models are just awesome - you got to own them. I also have the arabian looking guy and the pirate, but they have both been converted into hunters. I will post them later....when they are finished.

UPPSS forgot to post the maneaters at first..now here they are.

Really great work here! I doubt I will ever be at that level ...

How did you get that really realistic looking grass?

Thanks!
I buy the grass in hobby stores (don't know if GW makes it) then I drybrush it with G.green and then I highlight with a mix of yellow and white. It's really easy and cheap too.

Everything is good, but I especially love the leadbelcher conversions.

The lead belchers weren't really that hard to convert. You have to get the arms into position (cut some of the shoulder of sometimes) and then fill out the holes with green stuff and cover the bad looking spots with bits, that's it.  

I have two more converted lead belchers, that I haven't painted yet. Their cannons are made of the old (almost ancient) Goblin lead belcher - an odd model (my first GW model) that consisted of 6 goblin crew men and a 3 (4) barrel cannon on spiked wheels. I will post them when they are finished.

Here are more models.
I wasen't too happy with the way the Tyrant turned out, and then he performed poorly on the battlefield, so I have made a new one.

A Yehtee.

Personaly I always go for the more realistic look. I want my models to look as miniatures of "real" ogres. I always thin down my paint and use large amounts of thinned down wash. I paint 2 - 5 layers of wash (often different colours - purple and brown being my favourites) on every part of the model and then I highlight 2 - 3 times.

So many washes? Do you use a GW wash for it, or do you use thinned down paints? And how do you do your highlights? By drybrushing?

By the way, don't you want to make a gnoblog of this thread?


BigD

Yes, I use alot of GW wash.
This is how it goes:
Spray black
paint all the parts 
wash all the parts 2-3 times
highlight with thinned down (just a little water) paint (not drybrush)
wash again - this time more carefully
Highlight again with a thin brush - Pick out details.
Finishing - correct little mistakes and perhaps do the edges with a dark wash/paint

A gnoblog! Good idea - i'm new to this site, so I don't really know what to do, but I will consider it, when I know excactly what it is

A gnoblog is a thread detailing an army project that you can keep updating. If you are going to continue updating this thread let me know and I'll move it over to the gnoblogs section

Thanks
Corai

Wow! Really great looking models. I love the Yhetees, they look like crazy ice axe wielding Bigfoots!

A gnoblog is a thread detailing an army project that you can keep updating. If you are going to continue updating this thread let me know and I'll move it over to the gnoblogs section

Thanks
Corai

Sounds great. Just move this thread to the gnoblog.

Thanks Corai! I can see now, that this is the place where this string belongs.

Everyone is welcome to comment on my models. And tell me what you think of the theme (lack of theme).
I have this strange tendancy to always go for a traditional (GW) look to my armies. Though I must admit, that the great amount of heavily converted theme armies in here have inspired me to do something really crazy for my next army.... Don't know excactly what yet.. but something will pop up of the bits box and talk to me

Here is my third butcher. You always need a butcher with a Siege breaker! It took alot of time to get the arms in the right place.

Hmmm.. the base is not looking too good - I think I have forgotten to paint the edge. And he is standing on an unpainted stone.. DOH

Great stuff. The most recent butcher looks good, but the edges of the base need cleaning (I personally don't like flock on the sides of bases), and because the rocks are smaller than his feet it looks like he is floating.

Wow. Glorious looking VC models. Really captures the cool aspect of the VC with the gore and death, light on the Elvish fruity style Vamps.

I like this all a lot! Great work!

Wow! Cool style. I like both armys very much. Really really great job.

Characterfull and stylish models, every single one of them.
The more pictures I see from your models, the more I'm becoming a fan of your work.

Although your painting style is the complete opposite of my more cartoonish style with bright colors and no weathering or gore at all, I think this is great work. Please, show us more 


BigD

Showing more.... zombies

Spirit hosts, cairn wraiths and my mammoth (black coach)

Here is my Varghulf. It is a Rackham model that I once bought, because I wanted to make an ogre army out of werewolf models, but i skipped teh idea. Then I gave the model to a friend who wanted to use it for his chaos army, but he never painted it, so when the new Vc armylist came and there was a Varghulf, I got the model back.

It looks amazing. The model itself is alot cleaner than the rest of your army (to make it stand out and preserver the great sculpt?), but it has the same paint sstyle and the base is full enough to fit with the army.
In fact, I really notice on this model (because it isn't as busy as your others) what an amazing job you do on the bases of your models.

Yes, it is alot cleaner. As you say, it is very well sculpted, and I spent more time on painting it, than on the rest of my VC's. Such a nice model deserves more attention (Actually most of my VC army has been speed painted). I also gave the base a little extra high light and detail because it is so big.

Brilliant stuff Thorgrizzly!

Amazing converting, very well painted and such nice armies.

I'm impressed, not got the time to read the full thing yet though (just looked at every pic) but I will do.

Keep it up!

Fantastic work. Some really really nice evocative models here. Carry on!

I don't want to be a party pooper or whiner, but isn't the trunk of an elephant (and related animals) boneless?
Just to add some postive words to the post, your zombies are awesomely varied and your painting (style) rocks! Looking very good.

Awesome pain job. And the model itself is very cool. I have been thinking for a while how to add it to my OK army

To Slash: The elephant doesn't have bones in the trunk. The trunk is made of metal plates, but I agree - It seems a bit wierd.

To Old One: Yes, it is tempting to use the werewolfs for an OK army. I suppose you can use them as yehtees. The problem, I think, is that they don't blend in very well with GW models, except for the one I have. All the other Rackham werewolfs either have very big weapons or look weird - as if they come from a different fantasy world, which they also do.

Thanks for your comments.

I suppose you can use them as yehtees. The problem, I think, is that they don't blend in very well with GW models. All the other Rackham werewolfs either have very big weapons or look weird - as if they come from a different fantasy world, which they also do.

Yeah... Thats the problem. I've seen all the Wolfens and they don't fit well enought :"(

I really like your painting style Thorgrizzly. The colours you choose are always really subtle but at the same time they really pop.

My Vc army is completely finished. I decided to spray it with varnish (something that I useually don't) but I think the result is pretty good. The models appear a little glossy, but that actually looks really good, I think. Especially on the zombies. I will post pictures later including my converted vampire riding a huge bonedragon. I have also made a BSB - banner and drilled holes in 4 different models, so that I have different BSB options when making the army.

More pics.

The army and the scenary that I have made for the army.

So cool ...

Superb! Dazzling!

Now, how did you make the Bone Dragon?

The bone dragon is an old model from Ral Partha, I think. The only problem was, that it didn't fit on a base because it stood on all four legs, so I had to drill holes in the spine and insert a metal stick to make it stand on two legs. I also had to sculpt one of the hands/feet. The vampire is actually a GW necromancer. I sculpted a cloak for him, which makes him fit better into my army. So I have managed to use 4 old dragon models in my army, which is nice, since they are great models, that deserve a better destiny than to rot in a drawer.

Stunning...

I really can't believe that you've not had pet gnobbo yet
So, after seeing your VC army, I decided it was time you deserved one

JJ

Thanks for the pet gnoblar! Great!

Here are a close up of the dragon rider and a picture of my other flying vampire, that is actually also a necromancer (Dieter Helsnicht), but since necromancers can't ride flying monsters anymore, I have to call them vampires.

I really can't believe that you've not had pet gnobbo yet
So, after seeing your VC army, I decided it was time you deserved one

JJ

Well deserved. This stuff is awesome!

BigD