Skaven Conversations of Charles Elliott

[ManicMan]

I don't seam to see much about this and sorry about the low grade images but.. looking at a copy of the 3rd Citadel Journal (spring 86) and I noticed something interesting with the 'Paint your Skaven' section. This was basically the introduction to the Skaven and featured Jes Goodwin's original 19 but looking at the colour photos, I noticed two that really stood out to me.

None of these are stated as Conversions but just being painted by someone but I don't think these were possible releases but maybe..


This is a Plague monk (labelled as Clan Pestilens Monk) I'm not 100% sure if it's a conversion of Wyrde Banebreath or Spyne Blightmaster as they both use the same basic dollie. It appears to have Wyrde's scroll hand but with highly extended scroll, and a head of Spyne. The waist is highly changed from either of them (Wydre has small scrolls, Spyne has purse/bags. The left hand just has the weapon removed (either staff or Sword) and replaced with a hanging caldron. really, It's changed enough that this could have been a third release.


This 'Seer slave' is Skuttle (I don't believe his dollie was reused) but.. added more clothing (while later classed as a Clan rat, Skuttle was clearly a slave with just a basic loin cloth outfit), added helmet, shoulder armour, arm gauntlets (atleast, left arm), and alot of scrolls on his back.

Like I said, I don't see much around on Charles Elliott or his customs but these I really like and could easily have been released as new toolings.

Just to complete this as there isn't much, the page also has Dave Andrews with a straight paint job of a 'Flamethrower' team (warpfire), 4 Skaven vs some Zombies (Wyrde, Ashish the Black, Backstabber & Malis Manwrack), a straight paint job of Gnawdoom by Charles Elliott, and a set of 3 by John Blanche (Thrott the Unclean, Vermyn and Rott (Spike Slinger) where his sling has been replaced with a Banner (with a pretty thick bit of wood that.. I can't see how he can get his hand around).

What I know about Elliott is.. He didn't work for GW long.. 3 years as a Senior Graphic Designer (which is a pretty high job to just walk into), then became a sculptor and a partner at Nenthorn Studioes which working for some other companies like Diehard which he co-founded. Main thing He sculpted for GW/Citadel that I know of was the Chaos Snake Men and the Chaos Battering Ram. still, There might only be two here but very much worth note.

 

[Eric]

Interesting and both nice miniatures (all he better for a good old hex base!). I particularly like the one with all the scrolls.

 

[Fimm McCool]

I believe Chaz Elliot was a bit of a jack of all trades for Citadel/GW, doing graphics, layouts, painting, sculpting a bit, making terrain etc. He did the original metal Discworld range for Clarecraft and worked for Target Games as well for some time.

 

[ManicMan]

He does seam to have gotten around and rose pretty high pretty fast. And really, from them I can see why.. Just wondering If I've got 'spares' to a degree I could have a go at these.. not so much copying the paint scheme but the customising.. I do kinda have enough figures for a second unit of Plague monks..

 

[Eric]

Go for it! I always think it's quite nice to re-make some of conversions. One advantage is you can see what the finished result looks (or should look) like! There are a handful of conversions I'd love to do myself, but getting hold of the minis can be so expensive these days.

 

[ManicMan]

problem is, way too easy to screw up and need to make sure I get it right ^_^ (as in, looks right).. Like I said, I'll have to look through what I got.. Though as that is technically 3 models, that's slightly.. trickier.. (and boy would I like a different angle on the slave...)

Update: Only got 1 Spyne and one Skuttle.. But I do have a spare slightly damaged Wyrde.. though more I look, I'm pretty sure it used Spyne as the base.. and just changed the hand.. and I think none of that scroll is taken from the original.. I do have a spare of Colin Dixon's remake of Spyne cause the figure is SOOO just a remake of him.. Hell, here is (via lost minis) the original Spyne

and here is the Colin Dixon I'm talking about:

anyway.. I'm probably gonna keep a loose eye out for some spares..

... No sooner said then.. I got some spare monks coming.. includes a figure I don't have yet (meaning I only need 4 different models to have all the original 19 Skaven yay) but.. ugh.. 2 more Glaves.. I've already had to customise one cause I have too many of the same figure in one unit.. atleast one of these is broken so needs a repair.. he is a bit of a bugger to customise as there isn't alot of options I can see..

 

[dazza36]

I also came across his work when I was beginning my downward spiral into skaven collecting. As I'm only going for the Jes Goodwin original sculpts I could really do with more Plague Monk/Censer bearers and will try something similar at some point. To me its solely based on Spyne Blightmaster with knife and staff removed and then scroll and censer sculpted. The scroll arm from Wyrde Banebreath is firmly attached to the model and cannot see how it would be possible to remove without taking the whole arm/robe with it. If I go by army list in Armies book I will need 6 censer bearers, 20 Monks and 6 Globadiers with only 8 actual models and at the moment I'm still missing Globadier 1 and only 1 of those is a censer bearer.

 

[ManicMan]

there are ways to remove it, the whole arm would make sense but yeah, like I said, looking closer it does seam that even the hand is original. I have.. only two Censer Bearers (though I can cheat a third)

 

[ManicMan]

after a delay due to... ugh not my fault but nevermind.. I have the plague monk and have started working on converting it.

It's Spyne Blightmaster as the base, I've removed the knife, I was wondering about the hand but.. I can't quite tell if he did replace the hand OR if just kinda extended and tweaked the hand when the scroll was added.. very hard to tell but after removing the knife and thumb, it easily passes as the same hand. I've also removed the staff and pouchs. I then bend the arm (for the scroll) to the right point (yay for being able to hold the figure in front of the image and line it up.

started on sculpting the scroll, the cauldron is gonna be the worse I think.. I'm kinda wondering did Citadel do a cauldron around the point which it might have been taken from.. not sure.

 

[twisted moon]

hope the conversion is going well.

 

[ManicMan]

Not gonna be perfect by any account but I have the scroll in hand, working on the one by his side, and started the caldron.. I'm trying to figure out what would be best for the string.. One thing I sometimes use is cheap electric guitar strings. It's metal wire, it's in a number of thicknesses so you got a few sizes and the twisting isn't too bad. Also (though I personally don't) if you have an electric guitar and need to replace a string, it's something to do with the old/broken string ^_^

problem is, I don't think it looks quite right for this job. still wondering if that is a pre-made cauldron but the only ones I know of I think are no-goes.. Oh, I also need to tweak the fingers holding the scroll.. when a bit more of the work is done, I'll take a photo before painting

 

[twisted moon]

just noticed the actual title of this thread and am now hoping for an audiobook.

 

[ManicMan]

^_^ yeah.. Spelling isn't my strong spot and spell checkers... well, don't check if you put in the wrong word

 

[ManicMan]

any one got any good ideas for the rope? I wondered about trying to sculpt it but the details are a bit.. small for my current skill. Normally, I use some wire which isn't to bad but I don't think I could get the knot right.. and most cotton/rope like stuff I got really doesn't look good and ropey. Maybe I need to practice on some rope sculpting.. not sure..

 

[Fimm McCool]

Nah, rope is tricky. The old school way is braded copper wire, not sure how durable it would be to paint and play with though.

 

[ManicMan]

one wire I used is cheap electric guitar wire. While I don't pay or anything, if you happen to have one, it's also something you can do with broken strings and whatnot. but some can be in pretty nice sizing and the coiling isn't TOO bad.. not perfect by a long shot, but useable for rope, and better for mechanical tubes and stuff. But don't think it'll be any good for this..

Might have some copper wire I can use around here..

 

[ManicMan]

couldn't find my copper wire.. best I had was some steel but.. I haven't finished with the bit on top of his hand cause i'm not sure I like this.. had to make it thin so I could get the knot but.. not happy



of course, this isn't gonna be quite on the same level but still. Also not happy with how the cauldron turned out.. this is my second attempt cause the first was a bit too big (also, you can see a join on the scroll work which I might deal with in a bit)

 

[Geroak II]

I think you're being too harsh on yourself; to me it looks to be coming along quite nicely. Besides, that's not the easiest conversion to try and replicate - I definitely would not have the courage to even try it! I hope to see you get it finished and all painted up at some point.

 

[ManicMan]

thanks
the other one is pretty fun too but.. far harder to get the figure.
I'll give it a couple of days pause (not that I'm that fast anyway) and then check again what I think.. the Rope is kinda the worse part I think.

 

[Fimm McCool]

I think you've done a grand job. You could always try applying putty to the wire if you don't like how it looks bare? Maybe some liquid GS or Milliput slip (make small blob of Milliput, press a dent in the top, full with water, swoosh around with a brush until it's the right consistency) would be easiest to dab on. Would roughen it up a bit. Texture is good on a model like this.