I've been a Games-Workshop enthusiast since the late nineties when a friend invited me along to a trip down to the closest store. I was instantly hooked with the creativity of the hobby (40k anyways) and the 'coolness' of it. Back at that age 'cool' = 'size of weapons' for me, so to hell with popular opinion!
I love the modelling and painting aspect of the game and right from the start conversions were what kept me in the hobby. However even having started at such an early age I've never really developed my modelling or painting skills. This is where Kitbashing came into the picture.
Kitbashing is taking components from two kits and mashing them together (did this once, got a few cuts for my troubles). Obviously a more delicate touch is needed, a head swap here and weapon swap there, these small simple things can bring that uniqueness to the model that can set it apart from the cookie cut models on the table and most importantly personalise the model that suits you. It's quick and easy with only a bit of blu-tack needed for prototyping.
Back then, GW still sold bitz and kitbashing was a lot easier/cheaper. Flicking through those tomes of knowledge that were the annual catalogues was my version of light reading, generating ideas in my head as I go along. Now it's a different story we have to buy the whole model to get that bit we want. Not so bad since there are sites where you can buy bitz plus having to get the whole model/boxset usually fills up your own bitz box of unwanted crap, I like to look on the bright side.
So that's the background. Currently, in the wonderful world of work, kitbashing takes the majority of my time spent modelling as it is quick and easy to produce reasonable results. I could go crazy with the conversions but over the years I set some ground rules for myself just to keep things in perspective and stop me going a bit over board and end up with an unusable ball of plastic (I talk from experience)
- Always adhere to the aesthetics of the game
- Keep things simple and easy to mass produce (unless making one-offs concepts)
- Limit the number of different kits used in one model
- (semi-)WYSIWYG.
- GW 'legal'
These help me keep focused and stop me from going off at a tangent. I could try to put together the most awesome kitbash in history, but if it's a guardsman and takes me a week to finish one guy then I'm not about to quit my day job to finish a whole army of the blighters. Rule number 5 is somewhat mutable, I don't play tournaments but I find having this focus keeps my stuff from becoming a mishmash of aesthetics (that's not to say I've dabbled with a few Warmachine parts, mwhahah).
I'm normally too shy to share my work past close friends or the people I play with, but I've finally decided I've lurked about on the internet 'stealing'* ideas long enough and thought I might give something back to the awesome guys out there in the community brave enough to post their work. If I can inspire at least one person with my work I'll feel happy and good. More than one will be brownie points and will give me the motivation (read: a kick up the arse) to actually finish some projects long overdue so it's hopefully a win for both sides.
That said, comments and responses are more than welcome! Like a friend of mine said (regarding authors) "We eat up comments like they were crack-laced candy :D".
P.S. If you read all of that then I'm impressed at your patience, have a picture of a Dragon.
P.P.S. I'm a dragon fanatic. RAWR!!!
*Important Note: I don't actually steal! More like take inspiration. I love to experiment but if someone has already done it then I feel no need to copy, after all my conversions are about bringing to life ideas that have spawned in my head. I cannot enjoy the process if I know I'm merely copying someone else's brain-child.
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