The Orc Warlord Project
I was asked by a client some time back whether I had any special projects planned that he may be interested in. Knowing that he had bought several converted Orc characters in the past I took the opportunity to propose a scheme that had been in my mind for some time - the Orc Warlord from the front of the Games Workshop Orcs & Goblins Army book (see their website for a picture). Armed with his go-ahead I sat and pondered my next move.....
Something that concerned me when planning this model was the static nature of his pose in the picture; what looks good graphically does not necessarily translate to a great model. I was going to have to inject some dynamism into him. Also, although the model would have to be very large, the client still wanted him mounted on a standard 25mm x 25mm base for gaming. Hmmmm. Sketches done I set about my task with a will.
Stage 1 - the base. The picture shows dead Imperial Infantrymen at the Orc's feet, so I wanted to match this theme on the base. The size limitations meant that at least one victim needed to be partially unassembled. Plastic troops from the GW militia sprue provided the basics with skeleton sprue and greenstuff additions. Cutting and repositioning provided macabre body positions.
Stage 2 - the frame. The torso and limbs belonged to an old GW Minotaur Lord miniature, it was the right size and was in an action pose...perfect. The feet and gut were built up with greenstuff and the hands were removed with the wrists being drilled to take wires later. The whole model was deliberately wired over the centre of the base for stability.
Stage 3 - the head. The unfortunate minotaur's face was completely chopped out and the horns bent and then ground with an abrasive mini-drill attachment. The front horn is a steel wire glued into a drilled hole and bent to shape then sharpened. Some armoured plates (rolled, set greenstuff cut to shape) were added to the legs.
Stage 4 - the face. My favourite bit. The face was sculpted in greenstuff, using various tools to tease the putty into forming a realistic facial expression. The cheekplates were separately sculpted then glued on and various greenstuff attachments were added to the rest of the model. Brass chain and wire were also used for the fella's adornments and some skulls and a head from the militia sprue were hung from the belt. The shoulders and back were built up to give it more of a hulking feel. It's starting to take shape.
Stage 5 - the axe. A plastic ogre's hand provided the frame and the shaft of the weapon was then bent and shaped. The axe head was carved from plasticard and attached with a thin wire.
Stage 6 - the axe completed. The shaft is thickened with Milliputt (smoother than greenstuff); greenstuff and florist's wire loops finish the effect of this highly individual weapon.
Stage 7 - arming him. The axe hand is pinned and glued and both hands (the left one also has an ogre hand base) are then built up to size with greenstuff. The armour plating on the shoulder is made from card and shaved plastic spears with skulls on top. The helmet received a coat of Milliputt and a ripped newspaper cloak (great organic look) is glued on his back with PVA.
Stage 8 - spikes and rivets. Various plastic spikes and PVA blob rivets are liberally scattered across every surface. The cloak is covered in static grass to give it a mangy, greasy texture. Carved cocktail stick tusks negate the need for dentures.
Stage 9 - undercoat. He is given a thorough black undercoat and lines up next to a Bretonnian archer to show scale. Pretty big, huh? I took great care at each stage to make sure the model's centre of gravity was over the base as it only takes one topple off a high shelf...
Stage 10 - the paint job. There you have him in all his glory. I managed to achieve a balance between what is depicted on the book cover and what I was able to recreate on a model. As for how he got painted, well, I'm hardly likely to give away all my secrets, now am I? Suffice to say I had a ball with this one, took it easy and didn't rush. The book cover obviously provided me with most of the colours and the rest were standard Orcy tones. Inks are a Godsend for Orc painters as they give great rust and congealed blood effects (Brown Ink and Chestnut Ink respectively).
A quick view of the base and cloak to show that detail counts, even on the back.
