Project 20 Marines - Part IX (Showcase)

 

Survivors of the Tyranid assault on Baal.

Finally, the project of painting 20 Space Marines in one big batch has been done. Took long enough. I've mentioned before that this kind of painting simply isn't for me - I don't batch paint easily, at least not with Blood Angels. I prefer to pay attention to details, to give meaning to just about every colour used, every choice made. That kind of approach just doesn't lend well to batch painting, and is highly demotivational when thinking that there's 20 models this needs to be done on. I'd have finished them all much faster if I'd done them one at a time.

Filling the ranks of the 2nd Company.

There are some areas that worked well in batch painting. The helmets surprisingly were fine in that regard. The weapons mostly too, although that could just be because I was starting to approach the finish line by then. The general base armour worked just fine in batched mode because I don't have much time during the day and it's easy to keep two or three colours on a wet palette and just do a little bit here and there when I can. So maybe that's the better approach - do what I can in batches, then finish off models one or two at a time.

The Primaris were the easiest to go through in batch mode. They're all quite similar, and with very little embellishment on each model. The tactical squad though look much more interesting in the end, but are simply so much more difficult to do in batch mode.

I'm getting much more effective at using the decal softener. I was wiping away excess, but realised I don't need to - it will do its job just fine without that, and there's no need to push a decal onto a surface - the softener will pull it to the surface ok. On the note of decals, I'm putting most older models into 3rd Company, newer Primaris into 2nd Company. Not exclusively that way, but it let's me use more of the squad designation decals. I've also tried to paint areas on those models without knee pads so that they still indicate which squad. Don't really know why it's important, but I'm kind of just going with it now.

Oh, and keeping a sheet of "how to paint Blood Angels" really made even this slow attempt possible. I'd have been lost without that. I will keep going with squads as I can, but need a small break with other models before I start on the next.

Using my "1 model for every 2 painted" mantra, I can now permit myself to buy 7 models. I bought a few small things before the price rise, so I reset the count assuming these squads done.

-- silly painter.

 

Stormcast Sequitors - Part II

 

His friends call him Mr Tickles.

For various reasons it's been slow going of late. Kinda sucks, so when I finally found a spare moment I decided to play around with oil paints again. No white spirits this time, simply because of the smell, but I did use some Linseed Oil in very sparing amounts to thin out the paints or make them easier to work.

The photo simply does not do justice to how good oil paints can be. They are really something else when it comes to organic shapes, the blending is just on a whole other level to acrylics. I can see why they're so popular with skin tones - it's hard to describe, but it's really the tints from mixing colours on the surface that make oils so great to work with. The downside is the extended drying (or curing) time - I had to wait a full day and it still wasn't quite there.

The cloak in the picture above uses a black, magenta, and crimson. I tried to keep the crimson on the upper surfaces, magenta as a kind of mid-tone, and black in shadows. It worked so well that I never wanted to use a matt varnish over it all, but it was necessary if want to later acrylic layers to stick. I used a bit of rattle can Purity Seal with the theory that it's not water based like some of the airbrush based varnishes and so might adhere better. It worked just fine, but it's a shame to lose some of the colour vibrancy.

I've half a mind to buy a set of oils and paint the other Sequitors in different cloak colours, and there are shields to consider as well. I don't know what other models to practice on basically. The armour I'll keep as acrylics though, just because I want to.

Might be another couple of weeks before I get to another post.

-- silly painter.

Stormcast Sequitors - Part I

 I know of no words to describe what is happening, no words of comfort, and the English language contains no words sufficient for the damnation of the Russian dictator who started this war, and all those who support him.

Ukraine fights not only for their own future, but for all of ours.

Can think of someone who deserves this to go where the sun don't shine.

Some Sequitors have been boxed up for a while, and I decided to give a go with inks on them. Just to see - and excuse to start yet more models being painted basically. The initial results are less than stellar, but I think I learned a few things about the inks and how to use them.

Starting off, I actually use an airbrush primer on these models. It works, but takes so much longer than a rattle can that I'll probably just keep using that in future. I might use the primer with a brush directly in future, just when weather doesn't permit otherwise.

Next up I used black ink (and I forget the name of it, but it's acrylic and not intended for this hobby) and it...did not work. So I mixed in white and...that didn't work either. It was simply too watery, didn't dry very quickly, and did not adhere to the surface very well (more on that in a moment).

So inks are not like normal acrylic paint. They're often used to give a colour shift, and so I decided to spray some white over the model first (White Scar) and see what that might do. The white speckles a little bit, to be expected, but this is just for testing.

Next up, a purple ink. It did indeed tint where he white was, but not much. So I tried a second layer, and that ended up a bit to heavy - again, too watery, didn't apply as evenly as it should have. It's about here that I started to get a feel of inks through an airbrush - light application only, more of a mist, and really let it dry between coats. This might work well, and the black (or something mixed with it) could easily be used for "opposite zenithal" shading. Something to keep in mind anyway.

Finally, I used some red in top level areas where the purple is. Everything turned a little pink, but there is a definite colour shift. The only downside was that I didn't wait long enough for the purple to completely dry, but that's alright - it's all experience.

Still other models in the background with slight progress, and I might get more done on them soon. There are distractions other than current world events though, so not sure when I'll actually get more done.

-- silly painter.

Thunderhawk Gunship - Part IV

 

To the skies.

The Thunderhawk has seen some work done on it recently, and is now not all that far from being completed. A little more weathering, some metallic highlights, a few weapon details, and that's about it.

Since the last update on this model, the canopy has been given some extra attention, a first pass of metallics applied, decals applied, gloss varnish and oil wash followed by a matt varnish,  and a little weathering.

To start with, the engines are nothing spectacular yet. Balthasar Gold for the golden areas, which will probably end up as more of a bronze later, and Iron Warriors for the silver. I tried not to go overboard with the gold details, instead using it to add some diversity and rely on the red and black markings to do most of the heavy lifting. This is slightly abused with the golden symbol on the nose of the ship, which is slightly brighter than I would like but also don't know what to do about now. There needed to be something there, and a gold decal was all I could think of. Brighter engine cowlings will hopefully offset this later.

Oil wash over a gloss varnish worked as expected, however I don't think I'll continue using that approach in future. It's simply too smelly for my liking when the oil is thinned out with white spirits. I also had to use some Nuln Oil (Gloss) where the oils weren't dark enough, and actually that worked almost as well. In future I may simply stick to the gloss varnish, and then use normal washes over the top.

This brings me to what I like best about the gloss varnish, but what also makes it perhaps difficult longer term. The acrylic paints don't adhere quite so well until dry, so there's a bit of time to correct mistakes. This really helps guide washes into the right place, without some of the troublesome staining normally associated with that. I have a bunch of helmets read to go and will see how a non-gloss varnish goes with that.

After everything was outlined and looking like it has some more depth to it, a little bit of Abaddon Black drybrushed along various edges and streaked along panels was done for weathering. This is quite subtle, barely noticeable with this scale, but just enough to give an impression of the ship having actually been used. In good tradition of being concerned about messing it up if I add more, I'll leave that aspect of weathering alone for now. I might drybrush a light brown or off-white around the underside in places later, given that it's a VTOL capable craft that would kick up a good amount of dust, earth, etc, when landing or taking off.

After the matt varnish step there is one decal that has obviously not quite fit flush with the surface. This is annoying. I'll have to use some Mephiston Red soon and tone that problem down as much as I can. I'm otherwise quite pleased with how the model is coming along. On the subject of decals, I was originally intending to add some kind of golden filigree with decals, but after seeing how the symbol on the nose turned out I decided against it: the golden decals would simply stand out too much, and it's the red that should dominate more than any other colour.

I guess it's a race now to see which I'm motivated to complete first: this, or the pending twenty marines.

-- silly painter.

Project 20 Marines - Part VIII

 

Feuer Frei!

This won't be a very long post, as I'm still just trying to get through these twenty models. All the purity seals, rope, scrolls, cloth, and some minor additional details are now done. The Intercessors have been ready for longer - it's still all the magnitude of extras from the older kit that's slowing me down. On the one hand, getting models done is so much slower and that's frustrating, but on the other hand the older Tactical Marines look more impressive once completed. The older sculpts are much more personalised in Blood Angels tradition, whereas the Primaris are only just starting to get a feel for it. This fits in with the lore, but I doubt it's intentional - it's simply easier to manufacture the basic Primaris kit and pop in a few Chapter specific shoulder pads.

Not shown on the model above, cloth on a handful of models I tried slightly different - not in which paints to use, but in how to apply it. I tried to stipple the later highlight stages to give a more rough and textured appearance than armour panels might have. It sort of works, but sometimes also just looks like sandstone. Perhaps I need an extra paint on top to brighten it up a little. Still, Blood Angels might choose more sturdy material on the battlefield, and it does look that.

Most of the wings on the older kit I've decided to keep in black. Some exceptions of course, notably on the backback seen above, but seeing as I have both original and Primaris being done together I decided it was obviously not long after the Devastation of Baal, and the older troops are in mourning for the loss of their comrades. I even have one with a cloth or scroll, without fancy writing but instead lists of words - the names of those he fought alongside perhaps and is now continuing to honour in battle. It's sometimes fun to come up with a little story when painting details, just for motivation if nothing else.

And motivation is low once more. I've done enough now that I really can't put off starting on the helmets any longer. There are still gemstones to paint (a lot of gemstones - the Sergeant alone as 11 of them) and a few bits of gold detailing, but there will be more on the helmets. There's still a heap of unpainted guns to get ready as well.

In other words, still much to go, but they're starting to look like on approach to the home stretch. I'll definitely not be trying this again - I might be able to get ten Primaris done at a time, but the older models I think only five at a time....or maybe just individually.

I'll hold off posting on this project again until they're fully completed. Maybe I can get some of the Thunderhawk done in-between.

-- silly painter.

Project 20 Marines - Part VII

 

Prepare for power fisting.

To be honest, I'm at the stage now of just wanting to get these models done. They've been sitting long enough, I've learned enough, and just want them finished. If it were just the newer Primaris, they'd already be done. The older models however, are covered in details - enough to be individually considered special characters in their own right. It looks amazing all lined up, but the effort required to paint it all a satisfactory level is equally impressive. So I continue.

The model pictured has had a decent amount of handling, and so paint is wearing off in places, even through the varnish. The particular problem I'm facing with this one is actually the details on the legs - I want them all painted prior to gluing the torso in place (it's just held there with blu-tac right now) and so I'm having to constantly handle separate pieces. This is motivating me to get some of the details finished on this model sooner rather than later, just to glue everything together and then only need to touch the base.

Fortunately ropes, scroll carvings, cloth, and purity seal parchment all use one of two base colours: Steel Legion Drab or Zandri Dust. Shades of different sorts are applied, or other cream and brown colours, but the basic impression is there with the base colours, so they're all looking a little more on the way to be finished. I won't bother filling in the scheme used for each of these details: that's already documented elsewhere.

After the ropes, cloth, parchment, scrolls, etc, there still needs to be gemstones, missing filigree and icons, the helmets, and various weapons. I'm considering getting models up to speed individually for the final steps there - it keeps motivation fairly high seeing models being further alone. It's also slightly against the original intention: to paint twenty marines simultaneously. I will see how I feel, but at least the next steps are fairly clear.

Gemstones attached to armour I'm intending to a mixture of purple and red. Anything surrounded entirely by red armour will very likely be purple just to mix it up, and hanging ornaments being red.

One small extra: the grenades with some models I've decided on simple scheme for: Leadbelcher base, and then Athonian Camoshade for fragmentation, and Drakenhof Nightshade for the others. The shades don't really stand out much, and don't really tint the colour much, but it's simple enough to do and works.

-- silly painter.

Blood Angels Legion Moritat - Part II (Showcase)

 

Eye see you.

For various reasons I was motivated to keep going on this particular model, and have now completed it to a level I'm happy with. I can always do more of course, but half the point was to adapt the "Trovarion Grimdark" style and make the model look they've been through some rough battles.

How much the particular model helps I'm not sure, but the results are incredibly well worth it. I've generally been following box art these days just for the sake of not having to worry about colour schemes, but in this case many of the panels I kept as red rather than mixing it up between red, black, and dirty white. The rugged appearance outlined everything perfectly well, despite red being the dominating colour, and trying to mix in colour variation for what I can only presume to be ablative armour panels would ruin the look. In other words, the rugged look was not only faster, but looks far superior to the "clean" approach for this particular model.

I've often said that single miniatures like this lend themselves well to experimentation, and this made painting details much easier on account of just using whatever was on the wet palette to come up with something interesting. The Volkite Serpenta (fancy name, but the weapons) are:

• Incubi Darkness mixed with a little Corvus Black for shading
• Incubi Darkness for the mid-tone.
• Incubi Darkness and Dawnstone for highlighting.

The Dawnstone, being a grey rather than a white, I've used in various places as I find it useful for brightening a colour without desaturating it overly much like a white would. The weapon muzzle is:

• Balthasar Gold around the outer edging.
• White Scar thinned to wash and pooled in the muzzle.
• Fuegan Orange shaded over the previous step.

The undersuit ribbing is a little different to normal:

• Mechanicus Standard Grey over the appropriate areas.
• Mix in a little Corvus Black for darkened areas.
• Mix in Dawnstone instead for highlights.
• Nuln Oil to add some definition. In places where this didn't work, a few careful strokes of Corvus Black to replicate this (particularly the right armpit area).

At this point I didn't really want the normal black trim colours, but instead switched them out for the insignia colours I normally use. This gives the trim a slight blue shift rather than being purely grey, and I chose this for the simple reason of the power cable sheaths going to the weapons are already giving a lot of grey, and I intended to give a little hint of blue on the base that the trim would keep balance with.

• Abaddon Black over all the trim.
• Dark Reaper dabbed as a highlight, in keeping with the overall highlighting approach on this model.
• Russ Grey dabbed or used as edge highlighting as desired.

There was quite a bit of back & forth with the colours on the trim (wet palette is a must for doing this) just to try get a balance of definition without going too bright. The model is quite dark in general and anything bright would be likely to stand out too much. I also took the opportunity to use the black and outline some areas where I felt it was required. This is quite subtle and doesn't show up greatly in the photo, but the subtle things often make the largest difference.

Grenades are nice and simple:

• Iron Warrior
• Athonian Camoshade
• Leadbelcher highlight
  

The leather pouches I tried to give some scratches on, even if they are quite small details. The trick is really to give uneven edge highlighting and give the appearance of worn leather.

• Rhinox Hide
• Gorthor Brown to edge highlight most areas, in a fairly clean manner.
• Baneblade Brown to add scratches or uneven edge highlights.
• Agrax Earthshade to tie it all together.

I could have made those pouches stand out ever so slightly more, possibly by thinning the Agrax a little bit, but didn't want to risk ruining it completely and so tagged them as "good enough for now".

The base was a bit interesting in that I wasn't entirely sure what to do, but then decided that perhaps I could use the opportunity to give all the 30k models from Blood Angels and Sons of Horus a similar theme. This would effectively have them all fighting in the same ruins, very likely during the Siege of Terra. The common element is the marbling effect first done the steps for the model of Horus, and the slab of stone seemed a good fit. It's lighter too, which contrasts to the darkness of the model (generally good, it's a colour theory thing). I also still wanted blue in places, which was one of the drybrush paints to make it seem though this slab of marble has crashed down into the rubble of ruined asphalt perhaps. I generally just played around until something looked vaguely appealing. Also, that's a Sons of Horus helmet on the ground: this Moritat is obviously good at their job.

Terminatus Stone was lightly drybrushed around the feet. I ordinarily don't do such things, but this particular Moritat has been fighting a while and some dust would gather.

The eye lens is a glowing eye lens - apart from being much easier to paint this way, I also figured there would be a lot of battlefield information overlaid inside the helmet, more so than standard marines, and this might give a slight glow effect. It also looks cool.

Same jump pack formula from a while back, just painted better.

Actually the jump pack glow did have one difference from the original formula: I used Blue Horror instead of Ulthuan Grey. Not much difference in the end, but I wanted the excuse to use an edge paint.

A couple of transfers from the Thunderhawk sheet (they just happened to be an appropriate size) and another model finished! I hadn't really intended to divert attention from Project 20, but when inspired it's sometimes best to just go for it. I'm really pleased both with how well this model turned out, and with forcing myself to try a different painting style. I'll admit that I'm not currently a patreon of Trovarion, but in a couple of months when finances are back in order then I might well be.

-- silly painter.