First custom for 2023: an Artist Proof Hellblaster customized into an Eavy Metal style Ultramarine with the classic Mk.7 helmet and Bolter. Inspired by Alex Boyd's cover art for the 5th Edition Space Marines codex.

Eavy Metal's not my thing but I really wanted to do a Mk7 Astartes and Duncan Rhodes' tutorials made the process look fun so I gave it a shot.

Turns out Eavy Metal is absolutely hard, and I am in awe at what the Games Workshop team paints regularly.

Paints:
- Bosny Primer Grey, Clear, Flat Clear
- Hiro Paints Fluorescent Red, Silver, Steel, Night Ore
- Vallejo Black, Flat Brown, Fluorescent Green, Glossy Black, Mecha Color Blue, White Grey, Gloss Varnish, Satin Varnish
- Tamiya Gold Leaf, Gunmetal

STL files:
- Helmet and pauldron by Kevin Gough
- Bolter by Cù Huy Chiến

The ankles have been modified so that the figure can plant its feet properly for wide stances. I already shared here and on other sites the specific method for that.

This is literally my first time doing Eavy Metal at any scale, so feel free to drop critiques. I'm always looking for constructive criticism.

Other notes:
- This is meant to be an articulated piece, so I didn't add any edge highlights to spots that are prone to paint rub.
- The sheer nuisance of paint rubs on the joints have convinced me that if the undersuit of your marine is black, then buy the painted figures instead of the Artist Proofs.
- For somebody like me who's a complete beginner to both embossing (from a guide by Cù Huy Chiến) and the masking method for the pauldron symbols, embossing them was easier and gave way superior results compared to the masking method.
- Non-metallic highlights were 70% White Grey mixed with 30% of the base color; 90-10 for finer highlights. This led to color inconsistencies so next time I'm just getting lighter paints instead of mixing everything.
- If this is your first time trying a style, don't start with the head. I did and the line work is noticeably sloppier than the rest of the figure, and it shows.