Thunderhawk Gunship - Part V (Showcase)

 

Chariot of Firepower

The Thunderhawk Gunship is now done, and with that so are all of my currently owned Aeronautica Imperialis models. No idea where to store it just yet because magnetising for storage isn't really an option, but that's probably for another time.

I had a lot of fun with this particular model. The detail is astounding, and whoever scaled it down from the 40k scale version really put a lot of care into it. The paint scheme from Forgeworld also scales down quite well, with a few omissions. It would have taken at least twice as long had I not used that for reference.

The panel highlights I've been using for Aeronautica worked well with the red. Highlighting the centre of the panel rather than all the edges gives tone contrast to the outline and helps define the shape of the craft. The front decal was perhaps slightly too bright, but I don't think it hinders anything - perhaps helps instead to keep focus there, the same as with trying to keep focus on a face. There are red and green running lights (the green on the hidden side), done with simple Spiritstone Red and Waystone Green respectively over a bright silver, which are a very small but satisfying detail as well.

Most of the the final touches are nothing particularly special and so I didn't take notes when doing it. I do regret not recording the particular colours used on the engine housings, but I'm certain it was based off mixing in Gehenna's Gold with some brass along the way. Definitely metallics with a hint of red in them, rather than anything with green or overbearing yellow. It keeps the palette darker, more earthen, and appears to be what I'm tending towards these days. I really should do something bright and cheerful just to mix it up.

The missiles proved the most difficult to decide on. In the end I just had to go with it and hope for the best. The tips might appear white, but again I didn't want anything too bright. I wanted more of an off-white, or perhaps a cream colour. To that end:

• Wraithbone base coat.
• Pallid Wych Flesh to highlight the tips of the missiles.
• Mephiston Red on the very tip, done by poking the tip into some paint on the wet palette.

The missile body is equally simple:

• Grey Seer over all the body.
• Basilicanum Grey over the missile body.
• Black Templar over only the wing attachment.
• Dawnstone mixed with Abaddon Black to give some extra coverage across shapes.
• Black dots on the exhaust areas.

I specifically did not do the missiles in metalllic colours lest that clash too much with everything around it. Dark grey is neutral in this regard, but kind of gives the impression of wing feathers, and that any Blood Angel can respect.

The landing gear is for now held in place with PVA glue. I'm not sure if I'll keep it in the landing pose, or add a flying base in future, so it seemed a good tradeoff for display purposes. It also keeps all the parts together.

I have already started on assembling the next set of models, which will very likely result in a lot of partially ready models for a long time. I have an opportunity to use the airbrush for a while, so I want to take advantage of that while I can. I'm also going to start going more in depth again with future posts to really document more colours used, and the decisions that go into using them. I've been doing a lot of painting models using already figured out schemes, and want to start expanding some of that once more.

As another model is finished, my official tally of two models painted for every one bought means I can now buy nine models.

-- silly painter.