Inspiration for models

[MonSTeR]

Could I just ask the more established =][= players where they get inspiration for the models they heavily convert?

Does a character come first and then parts are assembled to match, do folks sketch them out or is it a case of seeing which parts fit together nicely.

Looking at Kaled's hugely impressive array of figures, I can't begin to comprehend where the inspiration for so many different figures came from.

So guys, how do you come up with your ideas?

[Adlan]

I steal them. My main character comes from Bullet proof monk. (and then he developed in RP's)

Watch an old B movie, read a book, mix them up and see what you get. Alot of steampunk stuff is very good for inspiration, as is old classic golden era scifi.

I generally have a niche I want filled, come up with some requirements, and then go looking at lots of models to see what strikes me.

[Kaled]

For me it varies. Some are inspired by bits of art I like, often John Blanche sketches, but others are based on characters in books, TV, film, or even songs. Other times I simply start by buying a model I like and want to convert, and then figure out how to fit it into the 41st millenium. A few of my characters are based around a component I had in my bits box which I wanted to use, and the whole character was built around it. Sometimes I just try fitting parts together to see how it looks. Other times I have a very clear image of what I want to achieve and spend ages working out how to turn it into reality.  Very occasionally I'll built a model because I think the character will be fun to play in a game - most of the time I just try to build a cool model and worry about fitting them into the game later.

[precinctomega]

Mine mostly come from just putting the parts in my bitz box into interesting combinations.  But occasionally I am inspired by some artwork - such as in my old Inquisitrix Kang-Ju Ki, who was inspired by the illustration of Inquisitor Pelagia - and more rarely, I'm inspired by cold, hard cash to produce something according to my own designs and concepts.

R.

[MarcoSkoll]

Well, an awful lot of it comes from official GW art.

The Inquisitor Rulebook has acted (I believe) as the inspiration for: Kaled's Lilith Polanski, Greenstuff Gav's Adept Agatha Liwet, one of Molotov's recent conversions, and as PrecinctOmega mentions, Inquisitrix Kang-Ju Ki...

... and a few more besides. No doubt it will continue to inspire for a while yet.

The 40k rulebooks (whatever edition) have a lot to offer, as do the Codices. My own Sgt Kai Gillmore was lifted straight from the old IG Codex (the picture might possibly be in the new one as well, but I haven't actually read it) - possibly more directly than some others... I even went down to copying the pattern on his armour.
Not entirely sure the original drawing was meant to be bald - but there's very little clue (if any) about the hair of the character in the picture, and I've not many bald characters anyway.

That's not to say it necessarily has to be 40k art. A large part of Frost's armour was inspired by the High Elf from the Warhammer Online trailer. That said, I did mix in some elements of Imperial Guard armour afterwards.

While my recent modelling has largely been making models (and characters) from other people's artwork, most of the time, I have a basis for a character before I have an appearance for them.
Inquisitor Skoll was a concept before he really had an appearance. He eventually ended up based somewhat off Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly.
It's the same thing for a lot of my characters, this whole character before appearance thing.

As with the others, I borrow ideas for appearances a whole lot - but sometimes I don't. Sometimes you can just end up with an appearance with no obvious external influences.

[DapperAnarchist]

For me, its mostly seeing one particular part and going "I could do something with that..." Most recently, a superglue top inspired me to make a sort of "Electro Servitor". However, I'm also partial to "wow, thats a great character idea, what can I do with that?" - I'm making a mostly scratch built Necron Lord soon. Making weapons out of spare parts also inspires - I'm gonna have to make a Stormtrooper now, having just made an old-style Hellgun out of tubing and wire.

[psycho]

books...lots and lots of novels mate
stuff like Jack Higgins and Karin Slaughter
plus i steal things from other people on here
also the old Necromunda and Mordheim LRBs give me inspiration...such as Marius Dire the Witch Hunter lol

kerby

[Holiad]

Sometimes I aim for a general archetype in mind, something vague like 'crazy old sorceror' or 'lightly armed scout'.
Sometimes, and with surprisingly good results, I put together whatever bits I have lying around from my previous projects, filled in with regular donations from my 40K and WFB armies.