Work Continues

No pictures today, on account of nothing being assembled in suitable fashion for photography (at least not with the equipment currently available), but work continues with more models.

Sanguinary Guard are up next, although this time they're being painted before almost any assembly has taken place. The reason for this is simple enough: the torso section overlaps areas of the legs with these models, making painting the legs properly difficult in places. I'm almost done with the initial stage armour base coat and highlights.

It's back to metallic paints for these guys, in an attempt to have them similar in appearance to Dante. Luckily I've already got a good idea how it will turn out, so the method of painting is very similar, albeit more refined. Blending metallics together is a very tricky exercise sometimes, however, because they reflect light rather well; what looks good under diffuse light may look very different under directed lighting, and vice-versa. So the highlighting is done very carefully, although it's basically the same as with non-metallic paints.

The real key seems to lie in the finaly edge highlight. That may have to be built up a bit more (Auric Armour Gold) to make it stand out a little, but the result is most definitely worth it. Hopefully I'll have one done soon enough to showcase that properly.

I've yet to decide which helmets I'll be using for the models.

-- silly painter.

Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost

After a very long time, I've decided that I've finished painting Lemartes. There's possibly tiny details more I could do in places, weathering effects, or more work on the base, but there comes a point where you simply have to say that the model is done.

 The base is mostly the same as with other models, i.e some texture paints and basic drybrushing. The rubble was a little more detailed however, but I decided early on that that I wasn't going to be too careful in painting that. It's rubble, and being a little messy shouldn't matter - it would more than likely help make it look like actual rubble. It was painted and drybrushed with various shades of grey, with a few earth tones applied either as washes or glazes to help tie it in to the rest of the base. It's not a strong effect, but does help break it up from the greys a little.
The drybrushing worked quite well on the flat surfaces of the rubble as well. It creates a stipple effect that make the stones seem more uneven and scarred. On a side note, a similar thing can be done for the appearance of well worn cloth.

The jump pack was done quite quickly compared to the rest of the model, mostly because there was no learning curve in painting it; it was just repeating techniques used earlier. The blue glow of the engine exhaust ports does help bring the model to life a bit as well. The parts that perhaps best balances out the jump pack are the metal rods running vertical next to the exhaust ports. They were an attempt at a more silver non-metallic metal, similar to the grenades, and ended up working rather well. They're not as "shiny" as proper NMM approaches, but I don't think that would have fit in quite as well in any case.

There is some writing on scrolls and purity seals, but that's nothing really special here. I perhaps would have liked to do a better job with the writing on the right greave, but I'll need much more practice with that sort of thing before I can get it just right.

So there he is: Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost.

-- silly painter.

Sergeant of the Squad

Posted here today is the almost complete tactical squad sergeant. I've chosen to distinguish him from the squad leader (not shown) by the weapons he bears, and some more subtle colouring. The skull on the chestplate is painted golden, for example. The armour is also a little more ornate, making him stand out more from the rest of the troops.

There's not an awful lot different to the normal painting techniques I've already built up, but there are some small tidbits that are new (for me, at any rate). First off, I wanted the "golden" colour of the left shoulder pad insignia to differ slightly from the colour of the rope seen on the right arm - one is rope, the other is armour decoration after all. With that in mind, it was really quite simple:

• Averland Sunset (base)
• Casandra Yellow (wash)
• Yriel Yellow (layer highlight)

And that's it. Nice and simple, but effective. Additional highlights could be done with Flash Gitz Yellow, or perhaps White Scar, but I didn't deem it necessary.

The gold on the chainsword and elsewhere was done normally, however this time I used some Necron Compound to drybrush on a few highlights. If carefully done, this gives edges a bit more of a shine over sticking only to golden metallic paints. This is normal for Games Workshop to do (I tried it after seeing it done in a White Dwarf paint splatter). It's definitely a case of less is more, however, so I'll practise a little more with that.

The other item of note on this model is the base. It's not finished yet, and the photos really don't show what I want properly, but I've determined that painting the base before gluing the model is somewhat easier. I can also apply some Purity Seal spray (finally found a use for that) to help keep the technical paints from flaking off. There's normally enough flat areas to glue the model onto afterwards, especially if you keep it mind while painting.

While easier to paint, looking afterwards I noticed that something wasn't quite right: shading around the feet. The line between the model and the ground was a little too distinct; there should be some shading to help make the model and base really fit together. This is a very subtle effect, though I think it needs to be done more still in the model shown, but it really enhances the overall end result.
For the ground shading, I just used Agrax Earthshade around the feet, keeping it as close to where the feet meet the base as possible.

So a few things need things need fixing up, some skull icons need doing, and a bit more work on the base, but one can see how it will turn out.

-- silly painter.

Lemartes Continued

Ok, so it's been a while since I've done a proper post, but I've not been entirely idle. I'm far too much of a perfectionist with the painting, however, so it takes a very long time.
At first glance, perhaps nothing much has changed since the last time, but it's the details that matter. A few edges have been sharpened up with some Dawnstone highlights, purity seals have been finished, knee and shin decorations have been painted, and some pseudo-metallic areas have been done.

Lemartes asks if you are loyal to the Imperium.

The decision to not use any metallic paint has meant that metallic areas should look like metal, but I also didn't want to go overboard on "shine". Lemartes is really a character that's grim and dark, and I wanted that overall impression to stand, even with golden chalices, gem decorations, and so forth. Taking a queue from the helmet, the grenades and bolt pistol were given a similar approach to that used on the terminator thunder hammers:

• Celestra Grey (Base).
• Nuln Oil (Wash). This step was applied rather heavily.
• Fenrisian Grey (Layer). Highlights along edges as appropriate.

That's really it. I could have used a very thin edging of white to give it a shine, but did not feel it to be necessary (and again, it might have made things too shiny).

Another unusual step I took was with the shoulder pad edges. Normally I would highlight with very thin lines of Dawnstone, however this time I wanted the studs to stand out a bit more. So instead, between the studs was built up with Eshin Grey and Dawnstone, and pulled back with Nuln Oil where appropriate. The studs themselves are highlighted with Dawnstone. This really makes the studs stand out, and gives the armour more appearance of being old (using more ancient manufacturing techniques), but still fits in with the highlighting elsewhere on the model.

Despite the camera, Lemartes is still photogenic.

The insignia on the left shoulder was given a purple appearance to make it stand out from the red background. It's a little small in my opinion, but relative to the bolt pistol icon it's actually proportionate.

With the purity seals, I finally settled on a scheme that makes them stand out just a little against red armour.

• Khorne Red (Base).
• Drakenhof Nightshade (Wash).
• Mephiston Red (Base). Thin layers are used to highlight the very edges.

It's the shade that gives them an ever so slight colour offset. Druchii Violet might also be used as a wash, however I prefer the blue of Drakenhof. The effect is very subtle though, so care should be taken to not be too heavy with the last highlight - a very, very thin layer is all that's needed, and it should be almost drybrushed on.

Aside from adding some script to the scrolls, the main model is pretty much well done now. The base is still to go of course, and the jump pack needs finishing, but it won't be much longer before this model is done.
Before that, however, there will probably be an update on tactical squad marines, who are also nearing being done.

-- silly painter.

Still Painting

Wow, it has been a while since I posted here. That's what holidays, weddings, and neverending high workloads does. Never fear, however, for there will be an update very, very soon.

-- silly painter.

Works in Progress

Today is mostly some photos of work in progress.

Lemartes is definitely starting to look much more impressive. Final armour highlights with Dawnstone have been done, the Crozius Arcanum is just about finished, and various other components have been painted. Make no mistake: there's still a ways to go with him yet, and the jump pack hasn't been properly started yet either.

 The grip of the Crozius was one of those "let's see how this turns out" moments that started on the Terminator thunder hammers, and is basically:

• Base with XV-88 (Rhinox Hide works well too, but I find it difficult to pick out detail without really good lighting).
• Wash with Agrax Earthshade, just to tone down the base coat and bring out the detail a little more.
• Layer highlight with Tuskgor Fur. This last step just gives a nice leather bound feel to the grip.

The pommel, and above the hilt, are:

• Khorne Red (base).
• Drakenhof Nightshade (wash)
• Mephiston Red (base, thinned down highlight).

The blue shading just makes it look distinct from armour pieces. I'm still considering giving it a glaze to bring out the red a bit more, but I'm otherwise happy enough the Crozius as it is.

I was starting to use many layers of paint, building up slowly to give a desired effect, however this is both time consuming, and sometimes unnecessary. I'm very much now trying to reduce the number of layers applied to about three (a base, a wash, and a layer typically), although a notable exception is still the basic Blood Angel armour (spray, thin base, wash, layer blend, thin base to fix up, final highlight - six steps in total!). The armour, however, is quite reproducible and is such an important part of the model that it must be done right. For other parts, such as purity seals, there really is not need to go to such extremes.

The Terminators, shown below, still have yet to be properly based, but are otherwise finished. There's not too much to go over with them that hasn't already been posted, however one technique worth mentioning is the "metal" appearance of the thunder hammer heads. The basic grey colour was just a bit of fun, but turned out so well that I'll be using it much more later:
Celestra Grey (base).
Nuln Oil (wash, applied heavily in one or two coats).
That was it. The wash gives some natural shading, and tones down the colour, with everything remaining grey enough to have a slight metallic appearance. It's also distinct enough from proper metallic paints that it helps stand out from areas that use it, and gives the thunder hammer a little more colour variation.
Continuing with simple paint schemes, the shaft of the hammer is:

• Dark Reaper (layer).
• Nuln Oil (wash).

Note that not all of the shaft was given a Dark Reaper coat. Some was left as it was after the original Mephiston Red spray, and simply washed over with Nuln Oil.
The cabling attached to the hammer is:

• Incubi Darkness (base).
• Thunderhawk Blue (layer, highlight).

I've started on the rest of the tactical squad as well, along with some additional work with the original five models to give them company and squad markings.

-- silly painter

Tools of the Trade

Today's post talks about some different things other than the painting itself: the tools used in modelling. I've been working recently with some new brushes (thankyou goes out to Matt for them - you're awesome!), new putty, new drill heads, and the sculpting tools.

To start with, however, Games Workshop recently released a refresh to their hobby tool line. Here I want to make my opinion absolutely clear: the modelling tools from Games Workshop are useable, but they're not up to top notch professional standards. They're useful for the mass market, and they get the job done, but they really can't compare to quality items from other brands (e.g Army Painter). That being said, the mould line remover is good, and I like the drill as well (more on that in a moment).

If you're looking for updates on the terminators, then they're mostly finished, apart from some basing work. More on that soon.

Paint Brushes

Having used a set of different brushes from Army Painter, I heartily recommend getting them. They don't seem to gather paint on the brush itself (it really washes off easily, meaning the brushes will last that bit longer), but also have a nice stiffness (not too stiff, not too soft), and keep a very nice point (no little hooks or bends have developed). The end does tend to split a little if the brush dries out too much, so they should be kept quite damp when using. Granted, they are a little more on the expensive side, but are well worth the price, and should last a long time.

The Drill

The old drill set only came with the one drill bit size. I found this unsatisfying, and have since purchased additional drill bit heads. Fortunately, modelling drills are fairly standardised here and it was easy to find more. Otherwise, the drill is comfortable enough, and I've not had problems with it. It's well worth having a drill, and not only for making holes in boltgun barrels. Drilling holes can be used for less aesthetic, more practical purposes, such as pinning, which is where other sizes come in handy. I may end up experimenting with different sizes on the boltguns as well, but for the sake of consistency they will possibly end up using the same. Of course, there are other weapons with barrels...

Purity Seal

I picked up some purity seal to try out. Firstly: it really kills any metallic shine. For that reason alone it's not going into my general use pile anytime soon. I have tried it on a single Death Company marine, but I also got the impression that the armour was somehow lighter than before (this may be a "frosting" issue). I didn't take a before photo like I should have, so it could have been that way before. I'll have to try it on a Dark Angel and see what happens.
I may try an Army Painter alternative, depending on the cost, or simply be extra careful in handling the models.

Vice

A vice or clamp are quite useful. Get one if you can. I primarily use them for holding moulds together until the putty has properly cured, but for that reason alone I recommend getting something. I suspect it would be useful when pinning as well, but I haven't had a reason to do any of that - yet. I've no reason to dislike the one I have yet, but I've not needed it for anything fancy yet either.

Files

The modelling files are again good enough to get started with, but again I do feel that other manufacturers will provide better equipment. There will likely be some wear & tear on the GW tools that make their lifespan somewhat less as well, but that really remains to be seen.

Summary

To sum up, the models and paints from Games Workshop are really some of the best for the hobby, but their tool sets in working with that aren't. I guess the modelling tools are just an addition for them, something to get people started with the core business, leaving professional level tools for others to provide. I don't really see this as a bad thing: the versions I picked up did their job of getting me started, and it was convenient to pick it up from the local store. The tools have all served their purpose, and I've learned quite a bit - at least enough to appreciate better tools now.
So if you're new to the hobby, the Games Workshop stuff will do just fine - but use it all with a mind to learn, and for the tools to be destroyed by the time you're done. If you're a bit more experienced, or even just want to compare prices, then look at hobby shops for some proper equipment.

Also, mould line removers are awesome.

-- silly painter