I was part way through starting the paint job on a Chaos Space Marine Sorcerer, and to be honest, I got bored haha.

I've had the Lotrs Balrog model laying around, and I have come up with something I am considering to use for GD Canada next year.....



Very very, preliminary photo of course, Just wanted to put some kind of image together to work off of.

Originally I was going to take the arms right out of the concept, but I felt it looked unnatural, so the arms are going to be posed more in a weight support role, kind of "Gargoyle / Gorilla -ish". The next step is some extensive sculpting work to fit the Balrog into the Kroot and 40k universe, as well as to create a one of a kind Kroot Lord Shaper.

Toss me your thoughts and CC here guys, I'm getting excited about this!

Hey, nice idea !
Have you seen Gniknok's Kroot Mercenary army? He has a pretty similar idea, but with a Shaper on Fellbeast instead. Both are execellent ideas!
http://advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=12967&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

One quick idea, if you to change the horns into kroot head spines it would add more to the overall "krootiness" the model.

Just happened to have it laying around eh? I envy you your bitz box....

- null

haha, thanks Null, Gniknok is actually the source of my inspiration for this project!



haha, it certianly makes it sound as though I've got some extensive collection, I suppose In some way I do, but not really to be frank.
I actually got it from an old coworker who received it for a gift a few years back. As he hadn't painted for a long time, I was lucky enough to have it given to me

As far as changing the horns, that will 110% be happening, "extensive sculpting" is in order!

ok, so as funny as it is, I've blasted right into this!!!

So far so good, I've gotten the bottom jaw completed and thus ready to put up for some criticism.

This is about the 3rd thing I've ever gotten to sculpt so far, and I'm actually pretty happy with the progress.







I'm going to have such an incredibly hard time waiting for this to dry, so I can make the rest of his head ><

Looking good!
Another idea ..... loose the teeth on the upper jaw, either that or greenstuff over them to make an upper beak (Kroot are birds right, the last time I saw a chicken with teeth was ...... well ...... um, never )

- null

The upper teeth are actually going to work perfectly to help structure the upper beak, you won't even be able to see them.

PS, I've completed the underbelly panels, and the quills on the legs now too!
Also, I got to thinking about the wing positioning, and perhaps if they were to be kind of lowered down, instead of poised up, it would
allow more visual direction towards the Shaper. At the same time, detracting more from the original model pose, so as to make it more unique.
This would be quite difficult to craft though, so I'm not too sure what to do =/.

Thoughts?

Update /w pics of course!

This is slowing down in a largely obligatory manner, due to the fact that I have to do so much scuplting in sections.
Ie: due left cheek, let it dry, do eyebrow etc kinda thing

@_@

It's a learning process for sure!

Is there still the Baalrog head inside the Greenstuff?

Your work makes me want to train my Greenstuff skills and try to build an Ogryn-Kin Kroot ...

the head really looks like an upscaled Kroot-Ox head, really good work.

That's some VERY nice modelling work there!

Just a quick point to do with the title - I think that the correct title should be "...Kroot Shaper Lord' as he's a Kroot Shaper that's advanced to the position of 'Lord'

That is not necessarily correct.

i.e. there is the rank of an Lord Commander, so why not Lord Shaper?

I think the sound of 'Lord Shaper' has more power than 'Shaper Lord' I think you could even say, the first one is a rank and the second one a description.

- Che

I agree name wise, plus think that head looks fantastic! Did you lop it off? :o

Or is it more for reference? If so kudos for going the extra mile!

Sorry , is what reference to what now?

Yes the original head is still underneath the green stuff, it worked quite well for structure and the inside of the mouth, as you can't see the teeth any more.

PS: Bloody Hell, I can't wait to get some quills on the head, but I have to do the steps properly

Just my two bits here:

I think the title "Lord Shaper" works better and not just from the "sounds good" point of view. After all, there is a certain Master Shaper.

For the sake of the (for lack of a better word) argument, pertaining towards the name/title.

I prefer it, as is. So I won't be changing it!

Even though you cut up a balrog (!), I do have to admire this work. The GS on the head looks good, and the idea of keeping one of the kroot heads nearby for checking the beak pattern is a good one. I feel tempted to try something similar with a few of the random things I have lying around in my bitz box.

Hey Mall3us

The Shaper Lord / Lord Shaper is looking good! As for your question about the wings:

(sorry for the quality of the pics', microsoft paint = uggg)
Would you maybe remove the "green" area so the wings would look as if they were closing against the body? Or, dare I say would you leave the wings off completly... ? EDIT: You could also "break" the wing at the first joint causing them to sweep outwards rather than upwards (see second pic').........

ps - the leg spines look great!

- null

Null,

Your example of a wing re-sculpting brings forth even more dynamic to the idea to be honest.

I was thinking more of a downward kind of half way to closing pose - closer to the ground.
I can't explain it too well it seems....I will try to post a pic later tonight when I get back though!

As well, I did consider completely removing the wings from the model, but I decided whichever way I go about it, the wings are going to be there.
I felt that without the wings, the fluff of the model would seem.....a little less epic.

In reply to your edit Null,

at that snap point in your second image, to sweep out instead of up, do you mean by just rejoining at that point at a different angle on a profiled y axis?

Fair enough, I'll go back to admiring people's work and keeping quietish

That was not ment to be a slap in the face,

more like a different point of view.