Deafnala's Space Hulk Blood Angels

Dear DeafNala:

For the last 8 hours I have been trying to find words to communicate to you my findings. I have been super busy, and I had no chance to check the over 140 emails I have unread in my Inbox. This morning, at 6:30am I went to take out the trash, when I got a peek of a half-hidden box in some bushes. Upon inspection I saw it was a Priority Mail box from you. I walked inside, and went to the garage. I open the box inside the box and peeled 2 inches of the plastic wrap. Unfortunately, I have only found disappointment in my inability to do justice to your work.

I literally sat down in the floor and mutter the words... "uhhh... I need a moment." I do speak two languages, and can butcher three more... there are no honest words that can describe how really talented you are. Emulation of of paint layers that made me believe I was looking at giant sized Space Marine Terminators until I saw my fingers on the base. The delicate strokes that made the Sacred Armor to convey a true sense of several millennia of use, brutal war damage followed by tender delicate repairs. The directional lighting that emphasize the violent ballet that each Terminator is engaged in by deadly combat. The dead flesh from the Genestealer radiates the brutality of combat, putting life and death in the power of the Chosen by the Emperor. The heroic poses are highlighted by the microscopic attention to detail, bringing each model alive with such power that it brands your brain with a hot iron of hyper realism.

Many moons ago I told you that the reason I wanted the models painted by you it was because I wanted to study your painting techniques. This morning I came to realize that no matter how hard I try, I can never reach the quality of work. I have submitted work for Golden Daemons competition, and I got note from judges that I almost made it to semi-finals in my first try. I know I have much to learn, but I feel I can reach such level of painting one day; one day I will display with pride my trophy statue. Even then, none of my work could even be displayed on the same location as yours. I have seen air-brushing, pigment location, color customization, non-metal metal... difficult techniques that can take years to grasp... maybe decades to master. Of them, I fear none. One day I will dominate them and create my own models with a sense of accomplishment. Even with this voracious tenacity and desire to learn, practice and improve, I can not even contemplate ever reaching the superlative quality and mastery of your brush strokes... not in several life-times.

The models are amazing; I will treasure them forever. I'm actually afraid of touching them... let the oils of my hands that may damage the paint be damned. This is a bitter-sweet moment; part of me is very happy I got to see what the human potential could achieve through art and part of me is very sad that I can never reach that potential. It is what I imagine would feel to be inside the Sistine Chapel, you know that once there was one man that had enough God-given talent to create such meticulous work and this brings your soul extreme joy, even if you know you could never do such work yourself. I'm just glad that no matter how much time has gone by, I would say with immense pride that I could consider the Master who created the pieces my friend.

From the bottom of my heart... thank you.


Edwin Molina



PS: I will stop my work on TLRB when I get home and take high quality pictures of the models, to share with everyone. Expect them soon. Now I need to build a custom display case befitting the Smithsonian! I will email you when I compose myself...


EDIT: Sorry it took so long for the pics. The photos do not make justice to the work... just like you picture of that painting at the museum. Visit this thread to compare Deafnala's models with the ones painted by the 'Eavy Metal Team. You have NOTHING to envy them... I think is the other way around!



Enjoy!

Glad to hear you were mildly impressed. I'll have you know you are one of the VERY FEW people for whom I would consider painting Space Marine. ENJOY the Lads!

Mildly? That is the understatement of the CENTURY! I'm SUPER happy with the models!

I'm just catching up to emails. Sorry I was a no-show... you did gave me a play by play and I missed it. So sorry. I can't find the camera to take the pictures! I'm really honored to have received the PLEASURE of getting some Astartes. The world's loss is my gain!

As soon as I can, I post GREAT pictures for you and the rest of the guys.

ACTUALLY I was afraid you'd be disappointed. From your description of the Men in Red I wasn't sure that you had received the right package.
Considering how VERY long I made you wait I can be patient with the photos...sort of.

I just went back and took a look at them... I cried! They are REALLY good! I think the one with the Geanestealer skull is my favorite... but that Librarian is INSANE! And the throne... wow! You put the Challis there... ahhhh! Goosebumps!

MORD WHERE ARE THE PICTURES???

I'm curious, dammit!

As promised... the pictures are up!

I have opened this thread for visitors to post. Please leave a kind word for Deafnala (or constructive criticisms!) is you want!

...



ok. that's offcial: I don't know what to say.
I NEED THAT DEAD TERMINATOR!
@Mord: I'm coming to your house with a bottle of our strongest cachaça and when you're asleep, I'll take it, repaçce with a HD picture and leave.

WOW! Those are nice models! A thing of beauty! How long do they took you to paint them?

You take some MEAN photos...EVEN my stuff looks good, Too bad we live SO far apart; I have a few hundred more minis for you to work your PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGIC upon.

HAHAHA! Deaf... If I ever get to be in a room with 'few hundred more minis' that you painted, you better have a defibrillator handy... and I better had made my Will (before anyone ask... I will be CREMATED with MY Blood Angels... THEY ARE MINE!!!)

Thanks for the compliment... my setup is fairly good... but I have a cheap camera. One day... Nikon, 10.2-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera.... you will be mine!!! (Well, at $1,700 is just a dream...)

Holy sh**!

Like it. + + +

Kinda speechless here...

Leech wrote:

WOW! Those are nice models! A thing of beauty! How long do they took you to paint them?

It took about three weeks or so once I got moving on them...overcoming inertia is always a problem at my age . The Lads took about 12 hour or so each. Glad you like them.

Great job of painting up some beautiful models. I've been hugely impressed by every example of your work that I've seen.

Cheers Laney

Holy Sisters of Batlle (SOB) They are great!!!

Nice work Deafnala! You are the greatest!!!

Thanks again...kind words from my peers are a definite motivating factor. That means that Da Bank's Kreig Lads may get done in the foreseeable future...or not .

Hehehehe!!! You are a riot... worth the wait!

You know what this means??? We will have to find a way to get Terminator Blood Angels in death squads.

Heheheh... no. As a matter of fact, I'm looking how to display-base them and put them in a vacuum-sealed bullet-proof box! I'm afraid of touching them! So if we EVER play Space Hulk... we use YOUR raw plastic models!

Fantastically painted minis I especially like the 13th Warrior & Challis it looks fantastic!
How was the metal painted?
It took me a while to work out that it wasn't painted in metallics, the highlighting is perfect.
The photos are great and do a good job of showing the models in all their glory.

@Kiwi: the Challis was painted yellow/orange with a burnt orange wash then highlighted in yellow/orange & finally a pale yellow. I use craft acryllics SO I doubt that the brand of paint would be available in New Zealand.

Glad you liked the minis AND Mordheimer takes a MEAN photo.

HAHAH! Da Bank saw the models in person today... and I'm NOT kidding... Dozer was there too!

shocked Da Bank wrote:

I... I don't know if I can take any more of this!

Poor man was in shock! He scratched his head at the Challis, he freaked out at the Genestealer, took a double-take at the skulls in the Throne, wondered how the hell you managed to paint the scribbles so tiny, pondered about the NMM technique of yours (unreal!), laughed at the C.A.T., remained silent at the sight of the Librarian... EXACTLY as every other person who has seen the models. Hell, jd3 was there (playing Warmachine) he stopped, looked at one of the models and said in complete disbelief "Did you painted this?" My answer? "Dude! The day I paint something like this, I cut my own hands and preserve them in plastic... so I could remember the exact way they looked when I achieved perfection." We all laughed at the morbid comment... but NOBODY disagreed! It was a complete agreement... the models are so AWESOME that if we ever decide to play Space Hulk, we will use tokens rather than risking the oil of our filthy hands get near those models!

Seriously Deaf... you need to paint some models, submit to Golden Daemon and walk away with multiple awards... no sweat. Then you could sell those models (as well as others) to supplement your income in eBay with ease! There was a talk at the store about your Terminators and an obscene amount of money. These are my personal treasures, NEVER for sale. Not for several 000's... maybe for several 000,000's... then I can split with you!

Really... it sounds about right... Multiple Golden Daemon Winner, Allan "DeafNala" Preuss. You underestimate the power of your paint brushes!

I'll second and third Mords comments.

what have you to loose?
if I could paint at only 10% of your skill I would be a happy man in deed.

you have a rare talent and one I envy [the green eyed monster is roaring]

the terminators are amazing the detail and the jems are beyond belief. truely inspiring work and one I am pleased to have viewed. [though I am jealous that I can not see them in person.... hey Mord send them to me so I can see them in person. I promise I will send them back....well I'd try...]

love to see your other work as well....

Cheers
LGW

Thanks MUCHO for all the kind words.
I can see great things in everyone's pieces here & at T.B.M.F. with the promise of EVEN GREATER things to come. PLEASE don't feel intimidated be my work; I started out as a slighty better than average painter a LONG time ago; all it takes to get to be a good painter is some bloody minded tenacity with a modicum of skill.

Future Plans: If I can ever figure out the photography thingy, I hope to offer some/most of my stuff up through the Trading Pits here & at T.B.M.F.. Maybe I could con Mordheimer into being my agent.