+ inload: Tutorial – building 'true-scale' Astartes part V +

+ This inload forms part of a tutorial, which begins here [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] +

+ Part 5: Finishing +

+ Shoulder pads +

+ This is simply a combination of skills you've learned earlier in the tutorial, and still using the Grey Knight Terminator kit as the basis. +

I_ Cut the shoulder pad from the sprue and trim away any overhanging parts. If you're neat, you can save these in your bits box.

II_ Carefully clean up the sprue by tidying any trimmed parts and cleaning mouldlines.

III_ Add a small piece of greenstuff across the gap at the bottom, making a bridging section.

IV_ Secure this piece by drawing it up across the back. Ideally, leave this to cure overnight.

V_ Add blobs of greenstuff to either side. Keep these small and evenly-sized; this helps ensure you get an even coverage, and fill gaps to an even depth. One large blob is harder to control.

VI_ It's now simply a case of smoothing things out using the spoon-ended part of the tool, as you've learned earlier in this tutorial. As shown above, you can leave some elements (such as this scroll plate) visible. Aim for a smooth, domed appearance in order to get that iconic space marine look.

+ Completion +

+ Once you've made a second shoulder pad, this completes all the parts you need... You can now assemble your marine, adding whatever head, hands and backpack you desire. If you've followed the tutorial through complete, you will have something that looks a little like this: +

+ Shoulder pads: other options +

+ Building shoulder pads for 'true-scale' marines is awkward; there's no getting round that. I've tried a number of different ways, and while the above is perfectly serviceable (particularly if you just want to use only the Grey Knight Terminator kit), you can also try the following approaches if you prefer. +

+ The important thing, I feel, is the smooth dome. This is the iconic part of the Space Marine aesthetic, but if that's in place, there's a lot of room for difference otherwise – studs, rims, trim, decoration... +

A_ You can simply fill the scrollwork, leaving out the bridging piece. 

B_ Using the snap-fit Terminators, you can use the arm to help guide you in filling and smoothing the gaps to extend the pad down as shown.

C_ The very easiest method is to make a slightly shortened pad by trimming away the projecting part of any regular Terminator pad.

D_ You can use pure greenstuff to add trims, as shown in the leftmost column. Similarly, as shown in the central column you can use brass strips (available from lots of model shops or online railway retailers) to add rims and detail. This is a good, if more expensive, way to get evenly-spaced and sized trim. The third column shows some other decorative ideas, made by scoring lines acrossand working greenstuff down to them to create the impression of layers.

E_ The earliest method I tried was to use plasticard trimmed down to 2mm or 3mm strips, as shown here. This is a little more complicated, but gives nice clean lines. 

Bend the strips into hoops, then use polystyrene cement to attach one strip around the bottom of the pad, overlapping the lower edge by around 1mm (the overhanging part in the centre helps support it and will help you get it level). 

Hold this until the glue has dried and it is completely secure before trimming it to length. Next, glue the second strip, starting from the front, making sure it is flush with the top edge of the secured strip. Bend the pad round and trim to fit snugly against the top edge at the back of the pad.

Once this has dried, you can add tiny bits of plasticard behind the join to help secure things and make the bond stronger – just be careful to hold it securely, or the strips will start to come off as the glue re-softens the plastic.

You can see the join of the pads at the front here.

F_ I have also experimented with L-shaped pieces of plasticard, which works in much the same way, but you have no visible join at the front.

3D-printed pads from Customminis

G_ Finally, of course, you can go into purchasing pads. I paid to have some designed and 3D printed by Customminis on Shapeways, but this was a very expensive route, so not really ideal. (Great service, by the way – the designer's very helpful). 

Shoudler pads from Master-Crafted Miniatures

Most recently, I've found a great shop called Master-Crafted Miniatures who, in addition to some cool figure sculpts, produce shoulder pads compatible with GW Terminator arms. These are absolutely ideal, and priced very well – no hesitation at all in recommending them. If you place an order, say I sent you! :)

+++

+ *Phew!* Well, that brings this tutorial to a close. Congratulations if you'd made it this far, and I hope the tutorial has proven useful to you. Please feel free to share it, adapt it and use it as you wish. Good luck in your modelling! 

[VAL-request=OPTIONAL] + If you find this tutorial useful, please consider using this Ko-fi exloadlink to support the creation of more free tutorials. + [+exload:GRATITUDESPOOL//+]

+++

+ I'll be back to semi-regular posting now this tutorial's over. Check back for:

• Word Bearer painting tutorial
• Pics of Ultramarines
• The Dwarfs of the Tallowlands
• Sundry other bits!

+ inload: Tutorial – building 'true-scale' Astartes part IV +

+ This inload forms part of a tutorial, which begins here [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] +

+ Part 4: Limbs +

+ Left arm +

+ With the complex cuts of the torso safely complete, it's now time to turn to the arms, and finish the legs. As before, you can use any terminator arms for this. It is the left arm that causes most problems, as most Terminator plastics have power fists. Even those that don't require some resculpting work. For that reason, this tutorial concentrates on the left arm first. +

+ If you have bought the Grey Knights Terminator box for this tutorial, it makes sense to use those. If not, then I recommend the Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield arms from the Assault Terminator Box, as these include a left forearm (rather than the powerfist). +

I_ Assuming you're using the Grey Knight Terminator arms, cut it from the sprue and clean any mouldlines as normal. 

II_ Carefully trim away the cable, including the junction boxes where it meets the armour of the arm.

III_ Place a very small ball of greenstuff into the elbow area.

IV_ Gently flatten it into a disc shape, then trim away the pointed part of the wrist and lay a small amount of greenstuff on the forearm in the recess meant for the stormbolter.

V_ Gently smooth this into place, and flatten the ends using the spoon-ended and edged parts of the modelling tool. This completed the left arm (though the version above needs a bit more cleaning!)

+ Right arm +

+ If you're using a Grey Knight Terminator arm, you'll need to trim away the elbow shield. If not, this part is a lot easier. +

I_ Trim the arm from the sprue and clean as usual.

II_ Use the clippers to cut the lower box cable off.

III_ Trim away the cable at the top, so you end up with something like this.

IV_ Use your craft knife to carefully trim and shape the elbow pad, and remove the 'junction boxes' for the cable at the wrist and shoulder.

V_ Trim away the skull, then flatten a small ball of greenstuff as in steps III and IV of 'Left Arm' above.

+ As an example of arms made with other Terminator sets, here's one made from the plug-and-play Terminators from an earlier edition of the Warhammer 40,000 boxed set (Battle for Macragge, I think). I have used Procreate here, hence why the putty is grey – and a bit sharper, as it's easier to file and shape into hard edges than greenstuff, which is a little more elastic. Note also that these arms make the shoulder pads much, much easier to do, as you've got a hard joint to work against. Of course, on the other hand you sacrifice some flexibility. +

+ Kneepads +

+ Not strictly necessary, if you're after Mark IV legs, you'll want to add the kneepads. +

I_ Make sure the existing greenstuff on the legs is fully cured, then simply blob on a small amount of putty (as shown) roughly into place, flattening it with your thumb.

II_ Lay the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool flat against the shin and push gently upwards to create a sharp, flat bottom surface. Mark sure this is straight.

III_ Use the edged end to shape the top corners in the scalloped shape, as shown, being careful not to distort the lower part. If you've used too much greenstuff, aim to get it hanging off the top, then simply use your clippers to remove it and smooth the edge with the modelling tool.

IV Repeat on the other side, allow to cure, then base and assemble your marine.

+++

[VAL-request=OPTIONAL] + If you find this tutorial useful, please consider using this Ko-fi exloadlink to support the creation of more free tutorials. + [+exload:GRATITUDESPOOL//+]

+++

+ Part V of this tutorial is now available here [noospheric inloadlink embedded]. +

+ inload: Tutorial – building 'true-scale' Astartes part III +

+ This inload forms part of a tutorial, which begins here [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] +

+ Part 3: Torso I +

+ Preparing and cutting the torso to shape +

+ If you've worked through the earlier parts of this tutorial, you know all you need for this part, which is often the sticking point for true-scale marines. I've made torsos for my marines in a number of ways, but the inspiration for this one comes from an excellent Iron Hand, Legionary Azhuk, made by MonkeyBallistic of Those Whom the Gods Would Destroy [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]. +

+ Because this approach uses a grey knight torso, it relies less on free-sculpting, and is thus a fantastic way of making these marines easier to make. It also means that we can make use of the sharp lines of the original sculpt, for a crisp finish. The final part of the choice of the Grey Knight Terminator torso as a basis for this tutorial is expense: if you've bought the box for this tutorial, I'd like to get most out of it we can. +

I_ Assemble the torso as normal using polystyrene cement. Use a knife to trim away the psychic hood, leaving the rim at the height as shown. 

+ While not essential, I prefer to cut away the D-shaped detail on the back behind the hood's rim and scrape out the wires inside the remnants of the hood; just to further disguise the source of the parts. +

II_ Cut away any detail overhanging the edge of the chest plate. Follow the curve of the plate to guide you.

+ Try looking at the chest from underneath if the detail is obscuring the line of the chest plate. It's more obvious from this angle. +

III_ Carefully cut upwards from the bottom of the chest plate to remove the surface detail, as described in part I of this tutorial. As before, work gradually to ensure a relatively smooth finish. Follow the curve of the armour plate, and avoid cutting into the collar. 

IV_ To check you have shaped the piece properly, look at it from underneath. Here, you can see that the curve is not even, and that a layer of what was decoration remains in place.

V_ Continue gradually shaving away layers until the chest plate is correctly shaped in a smooth curve or even depth. You should be able to see the collar, as shown.

VI_ Trim away the belt detail on the back with one smooth cut. If you are careful, you can slip the blade in flat against the bottom and cut upwards without touching the surrounding area. 

+ Again, this is not essential, but removing parts that are distinctive of terminators helps to hide the source of your marine. +

VII_ Cut into the back of the torso, just to the side of the vent detail. Use the curve of the lower corner to help you get a straight line (see the following step for clarity). Press down carefully until the blade sits at the depth shown. 

+ Hopefully it goes without saying that you should be careful, cut away from you where possible and use a sharp – ideally new – blade. +

VIII_ Remove the blade and cut back into the side as shown. 

+ This shot should clarify where the cut in step VII was made, too – a straight vertical just to the side of the vent detail.+ 

IX_ This will cut away a square section from the back.

X_ Make a guide cut near the top of the shoulder joint at forty-five degrees, as shown. Make this cut shallower than the one in step VIII – approximately half the depth.

XI_ Cut in from the other side and trim away a triangular section.

XII_ Round off the corner; either with a file or simply by making a series of additional and increasingly smaller angled cuts.

XIII_ Repeat the process on the other side.

XIV_ Trim away the remaining vent detail, aiming to get the back section as evenly flat as you can. The backpack will sit here eventually. 

+ For a smoother finish, use a needle file to refine the edges. +

+ This completes the carving and shaping of the torso +

+ Torso sculpting +

+ Phew, you can relax a bit. The carving's the hard bit of the torso. The rest is essentially an extension of the greenstuff techniques we looked at in part II of the tutorial. +

I_ Start by rolling a small ball of greenstuff, using the neck of your space marine head as a guide for size. Drop it into the recess in the torso. 

+ If you are working straight through the tutorial from the start, the greenstuff you mixed up earlier will likely still be within its working time. If you are starting fresh from this point, mix up some more greenstuff and let it cure for fifteen or twenty minutes before beginning. +

II_ Use the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool to press the ball down and fill the entire neck area as shown.

III_ Fill any recessed surface detail on the front of the Grey Knight torso as described in steps XVIII and XIX of part 2.

IV_ Roll a smaller ball of greenstuff – approximately three-quarters of the size of the one used in step I – and place it towards the back of the inside torso as shown.

V_ Smooth the ball out with the same circling motions used earlier, to create the basis of the neck piece. It is important that this sits towards the back, against the collar, or your finished marine will look hunched forward, rather than throwing his chest out proudly.

+ Because you are working greenstuff on top of greenstuff, be very gentle. I suggest using greenstuff towards the end of its working time (see the notes at the start of part 2 of this tutorial for more on working time) as it will resist pressure better and not distort. +

VI_ Make another similarly-sized ball and place it on top of the first. 

+ When working layers like this, a balance must be struck in the working time so that the underlying layers resist distortion, but not be so rigid you need to use lots of lubrication – or you risk the later layers simply falling off in future! If this does happen, simply use superglue to secure the piece. +

VII_ As before, smooth it out. This creates a simple internal collar.

+ This technique can be used in lots of places. It's good for ribbing or tubing; such as that used in space marine undersuits. +

VIII_ Before the greenstuff cures, use a spare marine helmet to create an impression in the neck area. Push it down gently until it sits where you want the final head to be.

IX_ Carefully remove the head to reveal a dip that will hold any standard marine head and give your true-scale marine more poseability when you are assembling him. If the greenstuff sticks or starts to come away with the neck, leave it to cure completely and simply remove the head later. 

+ Greenstuff is not a glue, so you'll easily be able to pop the temporary head out of place once cured. +

+ At this point, the torso can be used as-is (once cured, of course), but if you wish to add more detail or make a specific mark of armour, then carry on. The instructions below are for Mark IV Maximus armour. In future, I aim to add instructions for different marks – let me know if there's a particular type you'd like to see. +

+ Mark IV torso armour layer 1 +

I_ Place a sausage of greenstuff across the upper part of the torso, running from shoulder joint to shoulder joint.

II_ Use your thumb or finger to secure it to the surface, being careful to keep it from spreading over the collar or onto the shoulder joints. Use the modelling tool to 'rein it in' or trim if necessary. Use this sticky surface to add a small ball – roughly half the size of that used in step I of the basic torso (above) – in the centre and press that down too.

+ It looks awful at this stage – but don't be disheartened. That's the joy of greenstuff. It's very malleable and will smooth out beautifully. Think of this stage as the messy basecoat when painting. +

III_ Use the now-familiar small circling motions of the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool to gradually smooth out the surface. Press gently to flatten the torso plate to a uniform thickness roughly the same as the collar. You will likely end up with excess putty – simply use the edge of the modelling tool to cut it away, then smooth back over with the spoon-ended part. +

IV_ Use the flat and edge of the spoon-ended part to create a symmetrical shape with curves that lead towards the abdomen. Continue to refine the sculpting until you have a smooth finish as shown.

+ This completes the basic Mark IV torso. I may well come back to refine this at a later date with the distinctive surface detail. +

+++

+ Next up, in part IV of the tutorial, are the arms and assembly of the basic Astartes. Nearly there! +

+++

[VAL-request=OPTIONAL] + If you find this tutorial useful, please consider using this Ko-fi exloadlink to support the creation of more free tutorials. + [+exload:GRATITUDESPOOL//+]

+++