Customizing an IMPERIAL KNIGHT! Are knights the most UNDERRATED Warhammer models?

In this video I build and paint a KNIGHT DOMINUS, the biggest Imperial Knight! I never liked Imperial Knights very much for a variety of reasons, but in this video I address and fix and the issues I had to make something really cool.
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MATERIALS
Paasche Airbrush
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Painters tape
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160mm base (not the one I used, but looks good!)
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Tamiya black panel liner
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[@TheRealLifeRobert]

Wasted opportunity Eric. You started this video off saying "something is a little off about the knights" and you don't put it on a comically large horse. Smh

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Hahaha that would have been incredible

[@ninjamania]

Damn. Didn’t even think of that! 😂

[@shyaardvark5728]

@@EricsHobbyWorkshop please can you do tyranids for a video🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jwb_666]

This

[@axer112]

I know theres a set of files on thingiverse to turn them into a Centaur... close enough?

[@makeshiftminis9090]

The imperial night looks fantastic, the armor panels are crisp, the checker patterns are clean and the light effect looks gorgeous.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Thank you!!

[@joheric8886]

too bad it's the wrong base

[@DeanxPeaceMaker]

The thing that annoys me about most people who use the extenders you used is that they only extend the waist and forget to extend the legs as well and it end up making them look really oddly proportioned

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Never seen that, but i can imagine it looking a bit off! If i were going to only do one i would do the knees for sure

[@tiberiumnp8030]

Got myself a Dominus for Christmas and was planning on getting the waist extender as well, but they were sold out. Ended up getting just the knee bits and looking at this video now, I actually prefer it this way. Going with white armor panels and gold trims, almost no heraldry or fancy decals at all. Works quite nicely when the main structure underneath is just pure black drybrushed with gun metal.

[@jasonmolenaar119]

​@@EricsHobbyWorkshop I've got one that has the waist extender

[@Graavigala85]

My biggest pet peeve with the IK kit is the monopose legs, I hate that you cant pose the legs. Also the dominus is not taller, it just has legs more close each other and not as wide stance

[@Sych0n0ughtTV]

You can pose the legs. Just gotta do some cutting.

[@Pandapeep]

I accidentally put my dominus leg on wrong and got a great pose out of it. i.imgur.com/Q6u9Iom.jpg

[@Graavigala85]

@@Sych0n0ughtTV with enough force you can bend steel 😆

[@Graavigala85]

@@Pandapeep ye Dominus kit has great option for legs, its surprising how much simple option to switch legs makes to a kit

[@CMTechnica]

The dominus chassis is definitely taller than the normal knight. The armor and the legs make it just barely a 1/4 inch, not even counting the extra weapons

[@Bad-Roll]

I always thought the Knights looked a bit derpy, but you definatly changed my mind on this one, making them taller and toning down how bussy the paint job is, works 🤟

[@poggestfrog]

did you just... call a paint job "bussy"

[@Wildonion1]

As somebody who plunged head first into some Chaos Knights, this video feels like an invaluable resource. I was really intimidated by the idea of how to paint so big a model, but this more reserved approach feels eminently doable! Also, the red and yellow checkers next to that black armor hit me right in the nostalgia, reminding me of BattleTech's vinyl Mad Cat kit from ages ago. Wonderful work all around!

[@euansmith3699]

That is a nice, cohesive looking Knight; the limited palette really sells the idea that this thing is a warmachine.

[@NafePaints]

The checker pattern on the lance just made me think of the knight casually turning up at your jousting diorama like he's not a huge 40ft walking death machine lol

[@ratedjentertainment]

Painting Knights is suprisingly easy and oddly enough, I consider them a decent starting model for someone who wants to explore methods other than brush painting. I paint minis VERY slowly so when my friend sent me a Chaos Knight Desecrator, I thought I'd be painting that thing for years, but I wanted to try a new method of painting using rattle cans to do most of my coverage. I chose to paint this particular Chaos Knight as The Gilded King model from the Codex (albiet a bit more weathered and less clean) and using th rattle can to do my metal and gold armor, with a couple days of brush painting smaller details, I had that mini complete in like 4 days. It was pretty easy and I learned a lot about mini painting in general from it. Currently I am painting a Knight Castellan but I am doing the armor by hand. I am painting the Knight known as Stormwalker, and the Purple I think needs a hands on approach, but the large flat surfaces really help me work efficiently without having to be too cautious so that way I can enjoy the process and have a big and badass model.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

It really does force you to paint differently and try new things. Do you have pics og that gilded knight somewhere? Sounds cool

[@sambuck12345]

The plasma effect blew me away. I was so skeptical about it until JUST after it was finished and MAN, I love it. Excellent work

[@andrimagnusson1144]

OSL effects tend to be like that. They look like absolute shit 95% through the process, start looking ok-ish in the remaining 4% and someway in the last .05% it should come together if done well. The brain just tells you 'wrong wrong wrong' until the very moment it becomes right.

[@dazor86]

You’re definitely one of my favorite KZbinrs Eric. The short clip of the knight walking through the street was hilarious!

[@alexrenxa7700]

Damn that glow effect is absolute top tier

[@odharrison23]

Awesome!! Love when the knight was walking through the city! That was awesome!!!! Thanks! Fantastic work!!

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

I had fun shooting that haha

[@thekingmoose8004]

When I get some knights of my own I’m planning on doing a marble theme on the armor panels.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Sounds like an idea with some potential

[@thekingmoose8004]

@@EricsHobbyWorkshop yeah plus I found a trick that makes it stupid easy (use dry wet wipes and stretch them out and spray your paints on)

[@naputidarrian]

Hands down one of the best knights I've seen painted to completion. In addition to a well-painted knight, the video was well crafted too. The "less-is-more" approach is amazing and something I wish I knew before making my own. All in all, you are spectacular.

[@robertgriffin662]

WOW! Great looking knight. I have two knights, one I painted flat silver over all with a brush, the other I used rust-oleum forged hammered antique pewter spray paint. Used testors bottle paint (enamel) . Love the pewter paint in certain light it looks old and forged.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

I know those hammered texture paints, sounds interesting!

[@lordofkadyk]

13:43-14:05 Wow It looks so restrained and charming at the same time! Thanks for the video!

[@ironbomb6753]

I wish I had known about the after market bits to make this model taller. I traded mine away because it was not up to expectations. Nice job on this model Eric, very inspiring. 👍

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Yeah! Taro modelmaker makes plinths for display models too. About half the demon entires at adepticon last year were or his plinths

[@SweenyMarc]

Perfect example of the "less is more" mindset. Great result. (I do wish you'd done exhaust burn on the back though, because I really want to learn how to do that well!)

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Yes, i really should have! I will cover that in a future video

[@mg1342mg]

"Busy" would largely describe GW's design ethos for about 20 years now. Regardless, I always enjoy the practical advice and friendly feel of your videos.

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

7:37 That box of six Warlord Titans were the first Citadel miniatures I ever bought. Would have been around 1992? That's why I'm considering getting an Imperial Knight. Nostalgia! I might paint it in RavenGuard livery to go with my Heresy Legion.

[@antonjonsson424]

I really want my own knight, the size comparison when you put them on the table with other units is really cool

[@williamowens5144]

"GW sent me this kit to try out." Goes straight to 3rd party website for conversion bits, lol! I had a similar opinion of the knights and I hadn't even thought about why I didn't like them that much, but it's the busy mess and the reasons why that you explained. I don't know if that will change my mind on getting one, but good job on yours!

[@thedyingmeme6]

"That might have some relevance to content im putting out." TITAN TIME, BABY!!! WOOOOO

[@kitchensinkmuses4947]

totally agree with your view that knights tend to look more busy. When I made my mine I left most of the gubbinz off the chassis to give it a cleaner profile and painted it in white and gold. VEry simple, very striking

[@PKTCrafts]

A masterclass in «less is more». Wonderful finished piece!

[@caramenalires6423]

Thanks for the video this really helped me just started my first army a few months ago just got the titan I had no idea how I wanted to paint now I have many ideas to try out on it now.

[@IM-xs3uv]

They definitely are underrated.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

💯

[@MMadjansen]

I giggled like a child at the end shot of the knight walking past your ruined factory. Exactly the type of near-cringe badassery that WH40K is all about :D Great paint job, totally agree with your opinion about knights being to visually messy in general. You totally avoided that pitfall!

[@feralchild2633]

Man i am so happy every time i see you post new video ! Great one !

[@tongomat5969]

I love my knights, they were a blast to build and paint

[@jaanikaapa6925]

I like the look of your knight, simple, sleek and stylish. Also I love the way you did the top carapace. I've been looking for a way to paint something that looks unoiled cast iron. This has pretty much the right look and it's simple. Thank you.

[@captainsewerrat]

Knights are some of the best kits ever they put out. There is room for improvements for sure, especially in poseability of the legs.

[@ronuss]

there probably my fav model. you can do a lot with them as well painting wise, lots of big plain areas to do free hand as well.

[@indalieco4599]

That looks really cool, Eric. Definitely like the augmented height you adjusted it to. Superb work

[@Beartree]

I am impressed with your painting skills. Learned a lot and will reference this vid in future. Keep up the great work!

[@bradcraig6676]

Love your paint scheme, and the plasma coils look especially fantastic.

[@daedalus6796]

10:58 Now isn't that the cutest killing machine you've seen?

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

So cute lol

[@CMTechnica]

Pretty much nailed why I don’t like the look of the knights, aside from that rounded carapace armor and the ornate armor plating. And I’m definitely going to use that plasma effect at a later date, just with red

[@ChaunceyPendicott]

That plasma effect is absolutely fantastic, inspirational work Eric

[@magnusmillerwilson]

I absolutely LOVE the way you underplayed the ridiculous overdetails of the common paint jobs. Well done! This inspires me to not be as intimidated by knights!

[@Just_Pele]

Knights are AWESOME for kitbash, it's like they were made for it. I've spent days tinkering with my 3D printer, just designing pauldron, helm, and plate variations.

[@w4rpf1nnlad]

Awesome titan, Eric! It would be amazing if you planted little yellow LEDs inside titans helmet so it would have glow from sensor sockets.

[@AchanCham_]

The paint job for the plasma weapon is awesome! Great job.

[@homeless0alien]

I totally agree with your take on the paint, im a huge less is more fan. This knight looked dope.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Thanks!

[@RAINBOWBEARMAN]

really helpful. i like your calm voice and techniques. thank you -- Edit, went through some videos and it doesn't seem like you've done more knights. would love to see more on that front. I am saving the 7ft tall titan, that is going to be fun to watch.

[@xxhellspawnedxx]

The plasma effect looks amazing (as does the rest of the painting!). I would've made a stencil for the text though, since I'm rubbish at freehanding :P

[@huwtindall7096]

Bought my first night (half built of ebay) so this is really inspiring. Agree with you that some of the paint jobs you see out there are way OTT and just look like a riot of schemes all mashed together. Still need to decide how to do mine but loved listening to your thought process here.

[@fuzzersfuzzboi6319]

I'm still waiting to see how your Imperitor comes out, but I'm also starting my own Knight Army soon, this looks amazing and I am gonna try some of the stuff you did

[@sandforthesoul5686]

That knight looks fantastic, I really want to start my own knight house now.

[@markdoyle4391]

That was class, love the content

[@bluknight99]

Love the whole build but I'd have to say my favorite part was the lighting effect on the plasma coils. That was stupid awesome looking! I'm gonna try that on my Black Templar Emperor's Champion and some Adeptus Mechanicus figures. Nice job!

[@reddragon4482]

Always love those plasma glowing effetcs xD Good job bro.

[@jcpouzols]

Here's a like and a comment full of love for referencing NY Wyeth

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

I love the golden age of illustrators so much! Glad to see a fellow enjoyer ❤️

[@luclin92]

oh i love that you made a black knight out of your knight. and yeah a more reserved paint scheme works pretty well. even if personally i do enjoy some of the more garish paint schemes. since it harbours back to them being knights with heraldry and such stuff. but all of this reminds me i need to assemble and paint the two knights i bought a few years back, but that i just havent gotten to yet (still need to figure out what paint scheme i want, and if i want mechanicus or a independent house for my knights

[@Peron1-MC]

the plasma gun really was a trust the process type deal. looks great :)

[@kirkgeier417]

Oh man I live for that walking through the city shot

[@marcjohnson5991]

This was similar to a realisation I had recently that it’s often far more about my impression of the paint job rather than the sculpt I also found many knights to be too busy. I’m glad you chose to demonstrate something different.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Right? In starting to learn to see past box art and make things my own

[@marcjohnson5991]

@@EricsHobbyWorkshop I’ve found I suddenly like certain sculpts much better once a variety of folks have painted them It’s like the box art almost obscures the nature of the sculpt a bit. That said, I’m not sure the grey computer renders some companies use are better.

[@jeffhreid]

Came out great

[@pattyjohnston6781]

That glow effect is incredible!

[@kareliask]

I like the reasoning that the larger a figure gets, the more opportunity for decorative clutter emerges. You can definitely add a lot of small details (minor decals or wear to break up large surfaces), but if you have entirely clashing designs all over the thing it can look a little messy. Something to be aware of, as even a great painter can kill something with a little too much love, and it won't even be noticeable until the end.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Finally, someone brave enough to take a swipe at those damn scissor wielders😂

[@atlas6538]

Very impressive Eric, should fit into your Black Templars force pretty well

[@axer112]

Man, now I need an airbrush, doubly so, as I love Knights. and you're correct about older boxes being one or the other. I got just the stuff for a Knight Valiant in my box

[@gallusdomesticuskfptechpriest]

The round base looks super cool

[@STORMTROOPER-hp9ls]

my reason for IK models being underrated because of how expensive one regular model can get

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Thats a fair point! I got this one for free or it would have taken me much longer to tale the plunge no doubt

[@suddentitan1016]

My interest with warhammer started because of the knights and titans, nothing better than a massive walking GUN walking fearlessly into battle, absolutely epic

[@paulhille7006]

HEY! I think that your lettering on that scroll looks AMAZING, not sloppy at all. Man, I wish I had a hand as steady as yours.

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Thanks Paul! Very kind. I shake like a leaf though. I try to paint between the shakes haha

[@verbugterherrderdunkelheit6086]

Imperial Knights aren't underrated, their sheer size makes them stand out enough to prevent that title. Genestealer are the most underrated, from hype on release (or lack of), poot model/rules support or just how little you see them on the table

[@inventor121]

Honestly having a literal artwork on the flat panel of a knight is exactly what knight pilots would have.

[@manbearpiglett-4110]

I reckon you're actually my favourite channel for hobbying dude. I watch more of Majorkill for entertainment, tune into Discourse for a slightly annoying sounding but typically well-informed opinion, see Baldemort as the most talented out there, and I rely on Uncle Atom and Ninjon for my painting and art advice. Sometimes a lil Squidmar but he's got Pewdiepie vibes so I watch less often....but you my friend, are the one I can relate to most when I'm in my creative man-cave headspace, you've got that mad professor energy! 😂 On that point, thanks for the inspiration you've given me in all your videos, ESPECIALLY wood chips for rock faces! Keep up the good work, and I NEED to see that Titan please and thank you in advance! 😁😉

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

What a nice comment! Cheers man

[@manbearpiglett-4110]

@@EricsHobbyWorkshop You're welcome man, you give me awesome content and you're a nice guy, least I can do is let you know you have a fan with a big smile on their face whenever you release a video 😊

[@WatchItPaintIt]

Holy crap. GW sent me a Dominus as well, and I'm about an hour or 2 from finishing it - and you and I have chosen almost the exact same paint scheme! I was painting mine to match my black AdMech army. I left off the face plate, because I love the robot face, and I added a little more green OSL in places.

[@casualsleepingdragon8501]

I like the little collar turrets

[@CynUnion-ji9uj]

I got myself a Knight Errant for my birthday some months back, and For a while I wasn't sure what to do with it. I'm not big into transfers, or free hand, I think a color scheme should tell me at a glance what I'm looking at. So i ended up painting my knight with Red and Blue alternating on the small panels, with the main Carapace being the same blue(Making Blue my Main and Red my accent), I then did all the Trim in Army Painter Plate Mail, and dry brushed the Mechanical framework with gunmetal. Came out real well.

[@josray2557]

you painted the hell outta that thing sir. Bravo, and that glowy bit looks like an LED on camera.

[@jonbauml225]

Ooh that plasma looks goood!

[@stretch3281]

Very cool. Round base is a great idea that i will use on my Ork looted version of this kit.😃

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Round is way better. I left is removable too which is nice

[@xommul79]

Very nice and simple scheme, perhaps a gradient on the black would have given more depth to that big top panel. Great job

[@aaronbourque5494]

I love Imperial knights....'s lore. Everything from their original backstory of being created so rich crazy people could hunt dinosaurs to their modern conception of being the superhero (or part of a superhero team) for the world they come from, occasionally drafted into the larger endless, total war of the 41st millennium but every time the pilot connects to the knight chassis, the machine spirit tries to overwhelm them--through means blatant or subtle--but only if it can maintain continuity of thought while the personalities of previous knights of the same machine influence both the pilot and the machine. There's so much great stuff in the Knight's lore.

[@jonathandoherty9082]

Would love to see how'd you'd do the Void Dragon

[@timsantos906]

Hey Eric, the plasma effect is stunning! Can you please tell us, which white and greens you used? They look so smooth 💪

[@Hi_I_am_Ed]

Oh thats so cool, I have ordered from Taro before. Really cool stuff. Esp. their badass shields and melee weapons for the knights are so cool. :D

[@Grim-zg8ps]

Well done, thank ypu

[@bad-people6510]

That's some good OSL.

[@-Snapcast-]

That off white is really nice, would you share what paint you used?

[@alexlupi3108]

step one: complains about check patterns, step 2: lets add some check patterns...eheh, Just Kidding, this channel is super relaxing , Great Content!

[@guntherrose7267]

Lord Campbell sounds pretty sweeeet!!!!

[@roguewolf0148]

Nice work! did you finish your imperial titan table you were building a few months back??

[@newtybot]

I think my favorite part about your content is you just paint whatever the hell color-scheme you want, damn coherency and betray the notion of weighing yourself down to one army Though I feel this guy would be at home with those black templars you painted earlier

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

He would indeed! He looks sharp with my blood angels too

[@stefan020290]

Damn now I am kinda bummed I didn't buy the taro model maker kit for upsizing mine. You should've magnetized yours at the hip though. Makes the whole model more versatile. Same goes for the weapons.

[@escapebeyond7078]

very cool

[@martynjones3978]

Man why did i not stumble across this video sooner 😭🤦‍♂️😂 I free handed the red and yellow checkered squares on the homebrew chapter i created for the wife!! If id have seen this it would have taken less time!! 🤦‍♂️ Great paint job tho!! 😊

[@flayar3207]

Every time I start planning to build a knight, I always listen to Caestus Metallican from the Ad mech soundtrack

[@Khasidon]

02:21 that looks awesome.

[@zeds.6783]

There's a lot to be said for having practical approaches to paint jobs. It makes sense that these war machines might have had really ridiculous and gaudy paint schemes when they were first constructed centuries/millennia ago., but after going through war after war and repair after repair, the fanciest of paint schemes would almost certainly have been abandoned for more pragmatic ones. A machine that still had its original paint scheme intact would be a machine that hadn't seen much use up to that point OR a machine whose pilots/operators were historically so highly skilled that there had not yet been sufficient reason to repaint it. Obvious weathering would be needed to convey the history of such a machine.

[@mikemarino3567]

Id be interested to see your Warhammer collection or just your miniature collection in general. Could be a video or two?

[@EricsHobbyWorkshop]

Its disturbingly large. One day i will show it

[@DukeExeter]

It always bummed me out how these are imperial knights yet no one actually tries to paint proper heraldry on their coat of arms and like you said, paint all kinds of different patterns and bold colors making the model look waaaaay too busy

[@alexanderstramp9376]

Yeah very important to show it's not a very expensive action figure at that scale haha Great work!

[@pocketyukariyakumo5959]

The nice thing about knights, excluding forgeworld ones is you get titanic type units that are playable in games. Also they cost a lot less money

[@aalever]

Ppl do bare in mind that the Scottish Lord thing is a scam