Every great artists has their landmark work, their signature pieces that end up defining an era. I couldn’t be happier to share these incredible models from a good friend of fifteen years, who has unleashed his artistic brilliance through a subject matter that is his passion and profession. The first three finished models of what is going to be an absolute classic collection of Pilgrym models. Over to Stefan a.k.a. FPOA and the Green Mechanicvm.
The Bio-Pilgrymme, Part II: Of bodies changed…
Of bodies changed to other forms I tell;
You Gods, who have yourselves wrought every change,
Inspire my enterprise and dead my lay
In one continuous song from nature’s first
Remote beginnings to our modern times.
(Ancient Terran poet, Metamorphoses, appr. 800.M1)
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II.I
Genetor Archeotech…
Thorn Guards…
Shade Stalkers…
The close combat sentinels guarding the machine trees of Crataegus Fragmentum’s thorn moons have many names. Now a small host of them is on board the Anaxaegoras on a race towards Terra guarding their revered Genetor master Arch Magos Sverre Arrheniusse on his quest to discover more fragments of the fabled Daerwynne Palimpseste.
On the thorn moons of Crataegus the Thorn Guards use their head cables to plug into the mother trees becoming in essence part of the trees and thus the moons themselves. Constantly metamorphosing from tree guardian to machine tree and back again. Weird morphologies and uncanny doublings…
Of bodies changed to other forms I tell…
While plugged in to the moon-spanning machine trees the Thorn Guards are dormant, hidden and eerily silent. But in close combat, they are, in the words of Bio-Archaeologist Brostten Haggwers, ‘like thorny tornadoes and whirlwinds of death with shrieks that have the sound of iron sleet hurtling through storm-ridden branches.’ (Brostten Haggwers, Abiogenesysse: A Treatise on the Originne of Species, M41.965)
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While building the Thorn Guards I was very inspired by an incredible John Blanche Voodoo Forest drawing with two tree creatures fighting. I have built similar ambidextrous limbs on my Thorn Guards with the intention to make them look crooked and thorny without building ‘walking trees’ per se.
Drawing upon the approach of the true masters of weather participating in the Pilgrym I quickly decided to use my Green Mechanicum as a fitting occasion to experiment with texture, washes and weathering with an intention to paint more fluidly rather than the time constraining ‘old school-approach’ I have been so used to. Make the Green Mechanicum nature as it were.
First of all the Thorn Guards have been given barked skin. I had to figure out how to do this and have a couple of failures behind me. Current method is a black undercoat, thick blobs of GWs Agrellan Earth, black spray from below and streaks of white spray from above.
They have been painted in different shades of greys and browns to indicate that they are different in age. Green is an underlying colour on all of them. Right from the different tones of washes to the mould and moss growing in cracks and recesses of their barked skin. The metals have been painted with Scale 75 metallics with various amounts of rust and verdigris to indicate their old age.
Arch Magos Sverre Arrheniusse and his faithful assistant Gene Extractor Hyle are now undergoing the same treatment. The clock is ticking…
Green Man Cometh…
IRON SLEET 
Very inspiring – very original – not many words as they do not come easy these days but I’m very taken with these – beautiful concept and execution ……
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Thank you Thistle the Green…
Not so originale, as all of it is deeply rooted in the weathered worlds of 40K, which stems from your fine pens!
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Whoa, that crackle effect on the skin/bark is brilliant, as is the merging of the mechanical and the biological… the naturalistic painting style gives an overall effect that is as disturbing as it is compelling. Can’t wait to see more!
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Thank you Alex!
Much appreciated as the painting has been one big experiment on speed, texture and weathering…
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How original… Truly inspiring… maybe my thoughts are darker but definitely worth to pay a tribute in the futur…
The cracked paint is pure genius and serves well its purpose… Brilliant… Bravo Monsieur !!
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Thanks a lot Darth!
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These are truly amazing, Stefan.
Good show sir! Good show indeed.
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Thank you Vader – this means a lot coming from a true master 🙂
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There is just so much talent concentrated into this blog that sometimes have a little weep inside, knowing that I may never be this good 😦
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Just dig in and be inspired…it is all about sharing ideas. Your work on the Cult of Serenity and especially the Master of Assassins is bloody ace!
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I really wasn’t fishing for compliments, but thank you! 😀
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You said “thick blobs of agrellan earth” but the crackle looks very fine so i think its a thin layer!?
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In my experience, if it’s a thin layer, it doesn’t crackle properly.
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Indeed, that has been my experience with Agrellan Earth too: It needs to be applied in thick layers in order for the crackle effecy to occur – thin layers (like ordinary paint) will not lead to any effect that can be seen under succesive paint.
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Very original. Very cool.
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I’m over the moon by these. I get an instant feeling of a deep ancient forest stagnated in time. The colours and textures are really unique. Green moss, bark skin and the bio-mechanical legs. Keep up the excellent work on the rest of the group! I’m just going to keep staring the pictures to absorb every little detail…
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Wow!
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Love these._
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The colors, the bases, the textures…
I consider myself lucky to eventually see these in the… eh.. bark?
This will be one to remember!
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Wow. Bit of a busman’s holiday for you! Lovely lovely minis with so much character. The colours flow together harmoniously. I second Toni, I also consider myself lucky I get to see these in the bark.
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