Progress! On A Small Scale

Any progress is good progress as far as I’m concerned.

I still need to do a lot more with these, but I can say that they’re close to done.

SOoo tedious. Space Marines are some of the coolest models, but they’re so boring to paint because they’re all the same. Well… at least they’re not Tyranids.  Though I have admit, I really want to have another go at Tyranids. The new models are pure quality.

Matt Varnish Trials & Tribulations

Oh woe is me, yet another matt varnish folly. This time however, I was able to spring back from what could have been yet another tactical squad tossed into the rubbish bin.

I’ve settled on a new way of painting my Ultramarines. It’s a combination of airbrushing, zenithal highlighting, oil washing (though my method of doing this step varies from traditional.) and edge highlighting, Quite a few of these new (to me) techniques were observed from watching the AwesomePaintJob, YouTube videos, but of course there’s a slight learning curve; one which I stumbled on today. Before the wash/inking process the model is covered in gloss varnish to create a better capillary action for the wash/ink to travel into the recesses. After this process is finished, dried and cleaned up the model is matt varnished to lock in the wash/ink, remove the gloss look and create a surface for which other paints can adhere to. 

This post is specifically focusing on the AV Matt Varnish in the above picture. Everyone in this hobby either has their own varnishing horror stories or has heard someone else’s. Here’s my own if interested… Clicky. Varnishing your models can be quite difficult or impossible if conditions aren’t perfect. Heat, humidity, spray pattern and distance all can have an effect on the end result. Frosting… Clouding… Is there any matt varnish product that is safe and fool proof? I thought there was and I had thought the AV Matt Varnish was the salvation to the otherwise ‘roll of the dice’ aerosol varnishes. Well, I’ve come to find that this stuff is not without its own issues.

I spray this stuff on with an airbrush; I originally used it right from the bottle, but ended up having a milky white glaze over the whole model once dry. Hmmm… I thought this stuff would be void of the issues the aerosol varnishes are plagued with. I thought perhaps I was putting it on too thick, so I watered it down and tried again.  NOPE! Same issue resulted.

Well, thanks to a gent over on Dakka Dakka, he mentioned something that I hadn’t taken into consideration… Spraying in on too dry. In other words the varnish is dry or near dry by the time it hit the surface. This would be akin to frosting. With nothing left to lose I put the concentrated varnish back into the airbrush and hosed them down, I mean they were just bathed in the matt varnish, it pooled in the recessed and collected on the surface… I thought for sure they were done for, this was the last desperate attempt to salvage them.

When dry… Amazing! Saved! So this stuff apparently needs to be put on like it’s going out of style, but most importantly much like an aerosol varnish, spray distance for this stuff is also very critical in getting it right. So, beware readers, even matt varnishes applied with an airbrush can have issues. Thanks for dropping by, I know I’ve been slacking, but hope to turn thing around and star posting my progress on a more continual basis. Cheers!

Slow & Steady

OK… Where to start? Firstly I’m only 9 and 3/8 dead (inside). Otherwise the story of my life has become; work, eat, work. There should be a ‘sleep’ in there somewhere, but there’s not, just like there’s no ‘hobby’. I have however bewilderingly managed to finish reading Battle of the Fang by Chris Wraight. Really good book, highly recommend it. FYI – Bjorn has major daddy issues and Magnus the Red is a dick. Also, I picked up The Gildar Rift and have already gotten through the first chapter. It’s piqued my interest, I hope it’s able to keep it.

Onto other hobby related topics. I’ve slowly plugged along on the terminators. Five minutes here ten there whenever I can and thusly have managed to get a little further.

I’ve taken a new approach to painting whites. Rather then build up layer upon layer gradually getting lighter and lighter, I now paint on a basecoat, shade just the recesses with a self made wash and then highlight it. This is by no means new or revolutionary, but I’ve found that it works much better then the traditional way of endless layering.

  

I’ve also tried a new color scheme for the Purity Seal streamers and decretive tabards. With most all of my Space Marines I’ve stuck to the traditional scheme laid out by Games Workshop of Bronzed Flesh, layer Bleached Bone, highlight Skull White, but recently I’ve taken to the dirtier look and wanted to give it a try. I guess this unit has been an experiment of sorts to establish the overall manner in which I’ll paint the army so it’s scheme is cohesive.

How To

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Purity Seals & Tabards

1. Basecoat the seal with Scab Red and the streamer with Khemri Borwn
2. Layer the seal with Blood Red leaving the base color showing in the recesses, layer the streamer with Kommando Khaki.
3. Highlight the seal with a 1:1 mix Blood Red to Bleached Bone. The streamer was then layered with pure Bleached Bone.
4. Lastly, highlight the streamer with Skull White.

Aquila & Helmet

1. Basecoat with Astronomican Grey.
2. Create a 2:1:1 mix of water, Liquitex Flow Aid and Shadow Grey respectively and wash directly into the recesses.
3. Layer on a 1:1 mix of Skull White and Astronomican Grey.
4. Highlight with pure Skull White.

Crux Terminatus

• This is done in the exact same manner as the Aquila and helmet, but instead of Shadow Grey use Codex Grey.

I guess that’s it for the moment. Have faith… I will complete this army before the apocalypse arrives. This is my word, this is my promise. Cheers!

Plain To Extraordinary

While working on my Ultramarines Terminator squad I felt the models (Assault on Black Reach) where a little too plain compared to my more ornate Assault Terminator squad with Forge World shoulder pauldrons. What’s a hobbyist to do? Rummage through the bitz bin of course.

Since I didn’t need to dress up the Assault Terminators I was left with a plethora of gubbins to use on the standard Terminator squad, plus I got a hold of an assault cannon and a chain fist to help fill out their armament.

In the above picture I’m using a new formula for the paint scheme as well as the zenithal highlighting technique now that I own an airbrush. I’m still employing edge highlighting, but the combination the two I think produce an incredible look. The new method is a lot quicker than what I originally started with and should (I hope) allow me to make quicker progress on the project. Hobby time is precious & rare these days.

1. Basecoat Mordian Blue
2. Wash with a 1:1 mix Azurman Blue, Badab Black
3. Zenithal highlight with Ultramarines Blue
4. Edge highlight with Ultramarines Blue
5. On the most pronounced features, edge highlight with a 1:1 mix Ultramarines Blue, Space Wolves Grey.

On another note, Pit of the Oni has joined a new blog network. A fellow blogger and one hell of a painter (Stahly formally of Stahly’s Paint Station) decided to form a small team of exceptional painters and create a new blog as well as a new blog network…

Keep an eye on this one, I have a good feeling about it. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

 

Ultramarines: Tanks Basecoat Finished

I managed to pull myself away from my PS3 long enough to finish airbrushing my Ultramarines tanks and make this blog post, but it’s going to be a short one because time spent blogging is time spent not playing Space Marine.

Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of useful information to offer with this post.  It’s really more of an update on my progress, but what I have learned thus far in my airbrushing experience is:

1. Learning distance vs. trigger pull (amount of paint allowed to flow) is key.
2. Just like using a bristle brush multiple thin coats is still better than one heavy/thick coat.
3. Moisture traps are a necessity. When the compressor starts to get hot their will be condensation that accumulates in the air hose. If not dealt with it will create splatter spots on the model.
4. Citadel Foundation paints will clog your airbrush if not thinned properly with Liquitex airbrush medium (or other quick-dry medium) and warrant a little extra effort to clean up the airbrush after using them.
5. The fluid nozzle does not need to be removed and cleaned after every use.
6. The airbrush needle is a lot more rugged than what I was initially lead to believe. This may be solely the design of the Grex needle as I have nothing to compare it to.

An airbrush is an amazing tool and I regret not buying one sooner.  Next in line are the infantry squads, two tactical squads and a terminator assault squad.  I’d like to note that tanks, especially the Land Raider look infinitely cooler with the Forge World extra armour kit.

On another note I keep making headway on the Fortress of Redemption (FoR).  I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned that I’m working on this before now.  The FoR is a superb kit and to say it’s big is an understatement.  This kit is massive.  I bought the kit on its release day and have struggled painting it from day one because of its size, but never the less I chip away at it little by little when I can.  The tower section has undergone three paint jobs before I could get the angel to look how I wanted it and while it’s still not finished I have the foundation correct for where I want to take it.  Tonight I started the floor sections using the MIG Vietnam Earth weathering pigment.

I’m taking leaps into all kinds of unknown hobby techniques…  airbrushing, weathering pigments.  Where will it end?  So far I’m not enjoying weathering pigments.  They’re incredibly messy and get on absolutely everything.  The amount of time I’ll need to invest in touchups makes me weary to use them often if at all.

So this post ended up being longer than anticipated, but that’s OK, its not like Space Marine has an expiration date on it.  Which reminds me, my milk does expire today so I need to go make a giant glass of chocolate milk.  I’m off to do just that…  Thanks for dropping by and reading.  Cheers!

Down The Airbrushing Rabbit Hole

Last night was my first true leap into the airbrushing rabbit hole as I sprayed an actual model. ‘Oni, in your last post you said you made progress airbrushing terrain, what gives?’ Well, that’s terrain and in my book it doesn’t count because you can fudge it up and it’ll still look nice. Write that down in your notebooks faithful blog readers… Always practice on terrain first. Anyway, here is my Ultramarines Vindicator in a stylish Mordian Blue motif.

Not only is this infinitely better than using a standard bristle brush, I found that using the airbrush made it incredibly easy to create natural shadows by simply angling the airbrush and spraying across the model at about a 45 degree angle instead of directly onto it. After just this one use it became apparent why so many love and can’t live without their airbrush.

Let me start this last segment covering the topic of thinning the paints in an airbrush. Citadel paints absolutely have to be thinned as the paint needs to pass through a fluid nozzle with an orifice literally the size of a pin head. Water alone will not work. Why? Because the paint should dry within micro seconds of hitting the surface. If the paint mixture is watery it will pool up and run. Some people will tell you to use Windex (Yes, the blue stuff used to clean windows.) as it has a quick dry agent in with the overall chemical mix. I tried this and they’re right, it does work. The problem however is that Windex contains ammonium hydroxide. This can cause premature wear on the elastomer seals inside the airbrush. So I do not recommend using Windex. In fact the instruction manual strictly forbids  the use of any ammonia containing products in the airbrush. Here’s your solution for thinning the paint…

Liquitex Airbrush Medium. This stuff works like magic. It’s worth noting that much more is needed when using the Citadel Foundation paints… A lot more. The foundation paints are thick and will clog up the airbrushes fluid nozzle quickly if not properly thinned. As to how much the paint should be thinned; I’m still learning that to be honest.

That’s all for now, I’m off to spray another tank. I’m thinking the Predator is next. Thanks for dropping by. Cheers!

 

Show ‘em You Care This Valentines Day

With an Autocannon to the face…

Cheers!

Oh, Sweet Nectar!

The Ultramarines candy train continues to take on passengers.

The battle brothers in the picture are just for effect.  The Rhino’s by themselves seemed a little boring despite their casual Forge World attire.

Next passenger… What has four S7 AP4 shots with re-rolls to hit?  ;)

Cheers!

All Aboard The Eye Candy Train

Gentleman BEHOLD!  I have created; this…

And upon retrospect, I ask myself… Why?

I obviously know why, because it’s fething awesome.  I’m just quoting a little old school ATHF for you guys.  Cheers!  :)

 

The Oni Shall Rise Again

“We endevour in the darkness of battle who cannot win the fight.  The time for peace is over and now it is time to die.  It is the age of war and our last days must be lived amidst the sound of our own destruction.

Now the great wheel of human existence turns almost full circle.  From the cradle of the Earth it has turned through vast epochs of time.  Once in the light of the sun it turned as civilizations rose and fell and were forgotten.  In the light of the stars knowledge blossomed and withered whilst the wheel span on.  Now the great wheel of human existence, almost complete, turns again as it approaches a time of dying and the moment of inhuman birth.

Abhor the Night, it is the Light that Endures!”

The Ultramarines project is reborn and re-forged.  “We march for Macragge!”

Welcome back. Cheers! :)

Ultramarines Scouts Squad

Holy shit people… It’s been forever since I’ve made a post.  My apologies, but life gets in the way sometimes.

So I finished a long over due project.  My Ultramarines Scout squad as you may have guessed from the aptly named title.

These guys are painted in the same scheme as my Ultramarine combat squad.

• Legs and Arms – Starting from Chaos Black base coat paint the entire area Graveyard Earth.  Paint the area Kommando Khaki taking care not to get any in the deepest recesses.  Highlight again with a 1:1 mix of Kommando Khaki and Skull White.
• Camo Cloaks – I started with a 1:1 mix of Chaos Black and Adeptus Battlegrey.  I then highlighted with straight Adeptus Battlegrey.  The camo pattern was done using varying greys and randomly mixing them to get all kinds of different colours.  (I honestly couldn’t tell you, but the sheer randomness made for a good effect I think.)  The inside of the cloak started with a 1:1 mix Chaos black and Shadow Grey followed by a highlight of straight Shadow Grey and finished with a further highlight of a 1:1 mix Shadow Grey and Space Wolves Grey.
• Flesh – Tanned Flesh was used as a base coat.  Dwarf Flesh was then applied to all but the deepest recesses.  Finally the most pronounced features were highlighted with Elf Flesh.
• Aquila – Starting from a Chaos Black undercoat I painted the whole thing Shinning Gold.  I then painted Brown Ink into the recesses (this could be substituted for Devlan Mud).  Once the ink was dry I carefully highlighted the very edges with a 1:1 mix of Shinning Gold and Mithril Silver

Next up… who knows… I have so many projects going on right now, but I’m working on completing the Ultramarine Tactical squad.  Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers!

Returning to the Ultramarines – Scouts WIP

I can’t believe its been over two months since my last post.  Time can pass rather quickly when dealing with pesky life issues.  Anyway…

Getting back to it after a solid two month hiatus I’ve decided to return to my Ultramarines.  I’m a fan-boy, what can I say, that and with the new Blood Angel codex coming I figured I’ll take a step back from doing red.  

I’ve started making progress on my scouts, which are thankfully coming along very nicely.  When I fist dove into these guys I was a bit apprehensive as there is a lot of white (anyone who’s painted white onto black understands), but so far so good.

Keeping with (what I feel is) a slightly better than table-top standard these guys are all done in mostly the same manner as my tactical squad.

• Flesh – Tanned Flesh was used as a base coat.  Dwarf Flesh was then applied to all but the deepest recesses.  Finally the most pronounced features were highlighted with Elf Flesh.
• Fatigues – I painted the entire area Graveyard Earth followed by Kommando Khaki, taking care not to get any in the deepest recessed.  Next I built up the the color with a 1:1 mix of Kommando Khaki and Skull White.  Finally I finished it off with a highlight of pure Skull White.
• Aquila – Starting from a Chaos Black undercoat I painted the whole thing Shinning Gold.  I then painted Brown Ink into the recesses (this could be substituted for Devlan Mud).  Once the ink was dry I carefully highlighted the very edges with a 1:1 mix of Shinning Gold and Mithril Silver.

Thanks for stopping by.  Cheers!

Ultramarines: Army Progress - Post One

Combat Squad Primus of the Ultramarines 2nd Company.

This is the first installment of the progression on my Ultramarines force. I'm not sure how long this squad took me, but it sure feels like quite awhile. I haven't painted mini's since I last played back in the days of 2nd edition. Over all I feel these turned out quite well.

NOTES:

• I started from a base coat of Chaos Black primer and then painted the armor with a 1:1 mix of Chaos Black and Regal Blue, including the deep recesses of the armor plates.
• Next I used a 1:1 mix of Regal Blue and Ultramarines Blue to build up the color of the armor, taking care not to get any in recesses.
• To make the extreme highlights I then applied a thin line of Ultramarines Blue to the edges of the armor plates excluding the shoulder guards, followed by another even thinner line of a 1:1 mix Ultramarines Blue and Space Wolves Grey.
• The gold chest eagles and shoulder guard trim was first painted Brazen Brass to give me a good foundation. I then built upon this with Shining Gold, followed by Brown Ink to give me some better shading effects.
• Lastly the chest eagle and shoulder guard trim was highlighted with a 1:1 mix Shining Gold and Mithril Silver.