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Author Topic: Darknight's Arcane Battle Altars - Luminark basics! Hurricanum Completed!  (Read 33250 times)

Offline Darknight

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As you may or may not know, I have an army inspired by the Knights Hospitalier and ancient Greece, a Knightly Order which follows Myrmidia. That is a link to my plog, wherein there are pictures and so forth. Look at if you have not :)

In the same way as I have a separate plog for my scratch-built War Altar, here is my thread for my Celestial Hurricanum!

Some history; I immediately ordered the Luminark / Hurricanum when I saw the model, as I was planning (and still am) to make a giant bronze bull with an Archimedes mirror on the back (count as Steam Tank, although likely now a Luminark!) and the Luminark array was perfect. I thought I could sell the Hurricanum pretty much complete on eBay, but it was such a cool model . . .

So I pondered and thought. I considered just making it up as normal, and having it be part of the allied contingent, but that didn't appeal. I looked at Greek astronomy and astrology, and then I remembered the Reaper range of zodiac minatures . . .

So I came up with this idea . . . click on pictures for a larger version!


The basic shape - I have made the main chassis from some spare cannon carriages. The turtle is a "paint it yourself" figure which came in a set of three figures (including a walrus and whale) for about $4. The elephants are from a big bag of gaily colored "safari" beads, which were $4 for about 80 (the balance of them have been given to the girl who looks after the youngsters at Church - she is going to make chaplets with them!)


Unlike the classic formation, it is not "turtles all the way down!" Under the turtle, there is a Gnoblar, with a face from an old Chaos Familiar (a wicked little impish face).


Here we see the basic shape of the thing; the world on the back of elephants which are on the back of a turtle.


The white dome is a Plaster of Paris cast of a blister pack for a nightlight - it was the perfect shape. I plan to model and paint a map of the Warhammer world on this.


Above the world is the orrery from the Hurricanum, and surrounding it is a ring with 12 platforms on it. The platforms will each hold a single Reaper Zodiac model, painted as a golden statue.
 

The elephants were converted with green stuff ears (their ears were rather small and unimpressive).


Rather than have it pulled by horses, the model is pulled by a centaur, converted from an Ogre and one of the Hurricanum horses. I shall make him a large, flowing beard and hair - like the classic Chiron look. You can also see the Lego gears I have used to create the illusion (it is all glued solidly together) that the ring with the statues can rotate.

There are other details which must be added, but that will do for now! Comments welcome!
« Last Edit: June 05, 2012, 09:22:16 PM by Darknight »
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Offline Quickbeam

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2012, 02:36:27 AM »
Oh so thats what you got the turtle for!
Nice nice. I like the creativity. 
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Offline arselus

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2012, 02:49:23 AM »
This is beyond awesome, I am excited to see it painted. Well done, excellent touch with the turtle

Offline steveb

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2012, 04:23:28 AM »
superb.  I am amazed. steveb

Offline MiB

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2012, 06:49:30 AM »
Well... damn.... thats nice   :icon_eek:

Offline ghostwalker

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2012, 07:19:26 AM »
Great work but i have to say there should be a flat round planet with water falling from the edges on the back of the elephants. A populace complete with death, an orangutang librairian and useless wizard named rincewind.

Just reminds me of 'the great atuin' the world turtle upon whose back ride 4 elphants that carry the discworld.

Offline Spjuth

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2012, 07:30:37 AM »
This is brilliant!

Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2012, 10:15:48 AM »
Thanks for all the comments, guys!

Great work but i have to say there should be a flat round planet with water falling from the edges on the back of the elephants. A populace complete with death, an orangutang librairian and useless wizard named rincewind.

Just reminds me of 'the great atuin' the world turtle upon whose back ride 4 elphants that carry the discworld.

Discworld itself is a parody of an inaccurate conflation of the myth of the World Turtle (which is common) and the possibly inaccurate belief (caused by a translation error) that the Hindus also beliefs in a World Elephant (or elephants). The two beliefs were conflated in Western thought, and gained some currency as "what Hindus believe" even though they don't and never did.

Traditionally (that is, in the translations which many feel are wrong), there are 4, 8 or 16 elephants at cardinal compass points. I didn't want to completely copy this (nor Discworld!) so I went with three elephants.

And, yes - there will be a world atop it :)

EDIT : Wiki article on the World Turtle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Turtle
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Offline JAK

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2012, 04:24:27 PM »
You’ve been reading my mind – When I saw the Hurricanum it did suggest a number of conversions – I hadn’t thought of such a large Turtle though.

It’s looking good – a good and different interpretation of a common theme - Looking forward to seeing the conversion finished and then painted.

I hope to buy the kit later in the year – still have too many unfinished projects at the moment – but when I do it’ll be a Pratchett  version

Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2012, 04:31:01 PM »
I purchased two turtles - the first was a Papo figure http://www.amazon.com/Papo-56005-Turtle-Cacouanne/dp/B001PIJECQ which is smaller and exceptionally cute.

I ordered it online to be picked up from a local shop (the stockist just happened to be near my house!) and then the wife and I went to JoAnn's and there was this "paint-it-yourself" one there, for $4 for a set of sea beasts. I bought this one too.

So, I have a small turtle if you are interested :) Currently, he is sitting in my wife's car as a good-luck charm.
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Offline Fandir Nightshade

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2012, 11:38:55 AM »
Mucho fantastico! Let the Madness continue!

Offline JAK

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2012, 12:39:59 PM »
Darknight – thanks for the offer of the turtle but I will decline.

There is shop near me that sell these and similar ranges of animals, which is where I got the base model for the Hermit Elephant for my pygmies. My original plan is to replace the central part of the Hurricanum with turtle etc. so that the universe is circulating the Disc. I think these commercial turtles will be too big but I need to see how the kit goes together before I deside.

Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2012, 12:46:15 PM »
I think the little Papo turtle I posted a link to is the perfect size for that - I am basing that conclusion on my memory and size comparison in my head, but I think it is pretty accurate. If you like, I can put the pieces together tonight and take some pics for you, so you can get an idea. I'll also take some pics with bases and other "standard sized" items so you can get a good idea.
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Offline SpaceCowboy

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2012, 01:59:13 PM »
A really cool idea and great conversion job!
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Offline Delthos

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2012, 02:08:32 PM »
I was going to say that it reminds me of Steven King's Dark Tower series. The Turtle Maturin, Guardian of the Beam. Very cool.
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Offline Kirgan

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2012, 11:13:26 PM »
Commission Painting-PM  :)

Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2012, 12:46:33 AM »
Thanks for all the comments, guys. The order from Reaper arrived today; the twelve Zodiac figures, all single-piece castings. I was initially planning to paint them bright gold, so they would look like, well, golden statues. But, I've run out of black undercoat and, after considering some sort of metalic wash over a brown basecoat over white primer etc. etc. I thought "Hey, why not let the metal do the work?"

The model itself is going to be mostly metallic - a verdigris turtle, silver elephants, gunmetal framework with golden details - so making the statues different is necessary.

Here is a picture of the statues, cleaned up and given a simple wash of Ogryn Flesh. When they are fully dry, I might given them another wash of something else - maybe yellow or a yellow/brown mix? Click for a larger picture;

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Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #17 on: April 22, 2012, 08:27:27 PM »
Obviously, simply buying some miniatures and washing them with Gryphonne Sepia / Ogryn Flesh Wash isn't worth comments. Tough room, I see . . . :)

Alright then, take stock of your socks because they are about to be knocked off!1

(As usual, click for larger images)


A fair bit of painting done on the model. I wanted it to be pretty basic in terms of the painting, allowing the sculpted details of the model to carry the day. The turtle is verdigris, the elephants silvery and the carriage brown wood and gunmetal. Nothing fancy!


The various stages of the painting and assembly of the central orrery. Again; basic painting - gunmetal and gold. I painted the central ball as a sun, some dark, semi-naturalistic SKULLZ!!11one and a few details of gemstones on the underside of the outer ring. Spot the two black gems, put there because the four segments of the outer ring have unequal numbers of comets, so my four-way alternation didn't fit!


The top and bottom (image flipped) of the platform which will hold the "world" and the Zodiac statues.


The model pretty much assembled. The "world" and the orrery aren't glued in place - they are just there to see what it looks like - but everything else is. I spent a long time trying to decide which way (clockwise or anti-clockwise) the zodiac statues would go. It is made difficult by the fact the center of the "world" is not going to be the north pole - it is going to be the island of Melite in the Border Princes. So, this could be a Grand Central Station thing here!

Comments are gratefully accepted. I am going to work on the "world", the centaur and the two crew people - as well as various brightly-colored additions (the planets, candles etc.) - these sort of bright things will stand out from the metallic base of the model.

1: Note, sock-knocking may or may not happen. Check in your local jurisdiction.
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Offline King

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #18 on: April 22, 2012, 08:44:11 PM »
"It is made difficult by the fact the center of the "world" is not going to be the north pole - it is going to be the island of Melite in the Border Princes"

Really?  Hehehe that an acronym and also the old name for the island of Malta.  I am following this with interest more than before.  You work is eccellent and the fact you are coming up with your interpretation of the hurricanum is great.  Keep up the good work Darknight  :::cheers:::
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Offline arselus

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #19 on: April 22, 2012, 09:43:34 PM »
Those poor horses....

Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #20 on: April 22, 2012, 09:48:16 PM »
Those poor horses....

Horse - singular. Check the earlier pictures; it is a converted centaur. I am going to work on the green stuff of that, and the rider, tonight. Maybe pics later.

Really?  Hehehe that an acronym and also the old name for the island of Malta.

Yes, indeed - quite deliberate! My Knightly Order is based on a mashup of the Knights Hospitalier and ancient Greek legends, and they are based on an island in the Border Princes (which is basically the Balkans, no?) south of Myrmidens (which is a Sparta expy) called Melite (named after Malta). Check my plog and my fluff (links in my sig) for some more details.

Thanks for the comments, guys!
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Offline Darknight

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #21 on: April 23, 2012, 12:16:25 AM »
Quick update - a wee bit of Green Stuffing on the centaur, and cleaning up of the crew member who will stand on the back of the vehicle (and some gluing to temporary bases). Click for larger image;



The centaur is (fairly obviously) a hurricanum horse with an ogre torso, head and arms. The crazy-looking dude is a priest from the Spartan War Altar from Crocodile Games.
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Offline arselus

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #22 on: April 23, 2012, 12:47:16 AM »
The centaur is great, good idea. And nice find on the crazy spartan

Offline Porkix

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #23 on: April 23, 2012, 08:24:20 AM »
Dark Knight,

1st of all, incredible project that I applause! I would suggest to make the base of the statues smaller. They could be twice smaller and even round.

I think they look too big and empty right now...

Porkix

Offline Spjuth

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Re: Converted Celestial Hurricanum
« Reply #24 on: April 23, 2012, 05:36:13 PM »
OH MY GOD!

This is going crazier by the second!
Even the Ogre looks cool, but the poor legs might be a little thin. would it be possible to add some more hair to then to add some imaginary thickness..?

Keep it up!

 :::cheers:::