Painting dreadfleet

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Project Entry by Umbra

The Swordfish – Part 1

January 12, 2019

Tutoring 5

Skill 6

Idea 4

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On Table Top put me in the Community Spotlight for this month! ???
https://www.beastsofwar.com/warhammer-40k/community-spotlight-fantastical-ships-falcon-cadia/

I’ve started on The Swordfish. A pirate ship that reminds of the Heldenhammer. The colours I used are often the same.

Basecoate

Model Color Chocolate brown: hull and masts

Panzer Aces Old Wood: deck

It took me a while to figure out what colour to take for the big ram:

Blue or green? To similar to the base.
Brown? To similar to the hull
Metallics? To heavy. A ship whit a metal ram that size will sink instantly.
Yellow? NO!
Black? Will make the ram almost invisible.

Eventually I settled on Model Color Light Grey. This colour will make it stand out enough without drawing away the attention of the rest of the ship.

Model Color Black: figurehead, anchors, harpoons (at the top of the masts)

The masts hadn’t been primed and basecoated well. I could see grey plastic coming through. I’ve put extra layers of Chocolate brown on the masts to get a good covering brown coat.

Washes

Black Wash: hull

Model Color Wood Grain: deck

High lighting

Dry brush: Panzer Aces old wood, followed by Model Color Dark Sand on the hull and masts.

Model Color White Grey on the ram.

Metallics

Model Color Natural Steel for the figurehead and harpoons.

The figurehead received a blue wash.

Then both figurehead and harpoons received a hightlight with The Army Painter Plate Mail Metal.

Details

The cannons were painted black: the one on the deck as well as those sticking out of the side of the hull.

Flags: Vallejo Game Color Jade Green. I wanted to use something else than blue. This colour seemed fitting for this ship.

Above the figurehead there is something that looks like a horn (as if coming from a very big unicorn). The sail at the front of the ship is attached to it. I couldn’t find a suitable colour among my paints and created my own colour by mixing Modol Color Dark Sand with Game Color Off White on my wet pallet.

Burning eyes

There is a skull at the front of the ship (see photo below). I’ve painted the eyes white first, followed by Carmine Red.

Swordfishes!

There are two sea creatures on the base of the ship, swimming near the stern of the ship. I wasn’t sure in what colour to paint these at first. Eventually I painted them in Modol Color Burnt Red. Then I pinwashed with black wash. I finished with a highlight in Modol Color Carmine Red.