Painting dreadfleet

For the first time since the start of this project on a naval game: an entry about painting a ship!

The Black Kraken had been base coated in copper in my earlier entry about airbrushing metallic paint. Vallejo Model Color copper is an interesting paint. It’s red with a golden shine. An unusual and very good looking metallic paint.

To whether the ship I bought Nihilakh Oxide from Citadels range of technical paints. It’s the first time I use it. I was looking forward to trying it out, which is why I painted this ship first.

The question was how to use the oxide paint? Strait from the pot? Thinned with water to be used like a wash? If you read my previous entries, you may have noticed I struggle with washes. Eventually I experimented with painting from the pot for the deeper recesses for a heavier oxidized effect and a wash over the surfaces. The paint doesn’t need much water. It’s more liquid than ordinary paint. I can recommend this paint. Its user friendly a gave a nice effect.

Normally I begin to dry brush the model at this stage to make it more three-dimensional and make it look as if the light comes from above. This time I didn’t. I fear dry brushing will undo or diminish the oxide effect. The only dry brushing was with Vallejo Model Color Natural Steel followed by The Army Painter Plate Mail Metal on the tips of the tentacles and the tip of the drill at the back of the ship. This makes those tips look harder, sharper and more threatening.

The water was painted in the usual style as described in my entry about painting the sea. Finally the “eyes” of the ship were painted black. I finished my first ship from Dreadfleet!

PS: I found another project about Dreadfleet on Beasts of War. The ships are painted beautifully by horus500: https://www.beastsofwar.com/project-entry/1262554/