I first contacted Nurgleboy about some commision work after having bid on his work on a couple of chaos marine squads on ebay. He had used a minimum of colors on these squads and still managed to make them look fantastic (black legion), and had also given attention to what a gamer would want by magnetizing the banners etc. That coupled with his interest in keeping me, the customer, happy won me over.
I knew I wanted him to work on my space marine army not only for his workmanship, but for the way he responded to my requests during the ebay process. During this time as I recieved pictures of his work and looked at the armies he's painted I've sent Nurgleboy more and more pieces to be painted and/or improved because there are few modelers/painters out there that are painters first and then hobbyists. I wanted his painting and style to be incorporated into my army because he seems to me, to be a painter first and also a hardcore hobbyist. He knows the principles of painting and then loves the hobby. I am the opposite, just a hobbyist with an eye for what I like. Not that I have to defend hiim, his work speaks for itself. Miniature painting is an under appreciated form of painting. It's something that combines entertainment with eye candy, some would argue most art is a little lacking in the entertainment department. But I don't have to preach to you folks.
As for this project I have given nurgleboy various requests inspired by the Taros campaign and Armageddon material on the Raptors space marine chapter found in some Gamesworkshop publications. I was the one who had asked him for the jungle detail reflecting the chapters having been trapped on a jungle death world and fighting in the jungles of Armageddon. I had asked for the detail and would like to draw your attention to the squad number on the assault squad's knee joints done in bone numerals, the misc. scriptwork, the sculpting of assault harness's and the dynamic posing. I am a fan of the highlighting that he has used and had asked for that sort of thing along with the glare effects on the dreadnought's lense pieces.
I have not been afraid to make very specific requests of him as an artist, and he has met and exceeded all of my demands and expectations, as an artist I think he remains flexible and able to undertake large projects like mine and still produce exciting results. The only thing I wish to see as of now is the glare effect in the eye's of the marines and some of the squad tidied up a bit. I am looking forward to nurgleboy's work on my Shrike conversion (and his squad) as I think it will be the centerpiece of my army. I also can't wait to see some of the vehicles because I REALLY went to town with requests for those models. He also has a squad of terminators heading his way, but after that I think the project will be done with and I will actually go play it and have it admired like it should be at my local hobbyshop. I think I've said what I wanted to say in this posting, my first, so thank you for looking at and critiquing my army painted by nurgleboy.