40K and Sci Fi Projects

Diving into the Horus Heresy and buying the starter box I decided to focus on Dark Angels (though in miniature collecting tradition Space Wolves and Emperors Children are planned as well).

I painted some tactical Marines to nail down my scheme (It’s simple and nothing fancy, just base coat and wash) which I will post soon.

I wanted to differentiate characters. To do this I had a vague Romanish theme. So Sergeants get red motifs (mostly their helmet crests), Paetorians and and any leader/character units will wear The Purple and support characters will get Dark Angel Green or Wraithbone (White) cloaks.

I am using this mini as my Paladin of the Hekatonysis (spelling subject to my memory).

It’s been a long time since I first built and painted these and I thoroghly loved the process. Unfortunately momentum died quickly as the minis are constantly out of stock and this doesn’t exactly encourage playing a game. I hope to get the 501st force to supplement what I currently have.

Prime these two white

Thanks to the white undercoat when I painted C3PO in Leadbelcher and Retributor Gold the white undercoat showed through on the highest edges and naturally worked as a hightlight. (It doesn’t show well in the pictures but it works).

Khorne Red and Ultramarine Blue are up next to pick out a couple wires around his midriff.

All in all C3PO came out pretty good.

For R2D2 I used Ultramarine Blue and Lead Belcher, with some Nun Oil for the vents. Ultimatelt I think the colours are in the right places (even though it was more difficult than you’d think fo rdecent shots of R2, especially his rear) but they are a bit too dark for my liking.  So not too bad.

If I were you doing this again I’d layer a light blue and steel colour over the top to brighten.

Prime White

Skeleton Bone Contrast for Sand

Basilicanum Grey Contrast for Rocks.

So as you probably know and now I do too, the contrast paints do not work well on larger flat areas. Even adding more washes a dry brushes do not help. I’d also recommend not using white primer and stick to Wraithbone, I believe this makes the problem more aparent and I found the paint did not adhere well to the surface.

Ok so this mini was one massive pain in the arse,I had no enjoyment whatsoever. It be ugly and I’m not going to fix it, but here is my cack-handed way not to do it. On an asside watch when applying Black Templar to a pure  white undercoat, it gave the contrast paint a greenish tinge. Also large flat panels, verticallity and cylindrical shape means that tide marks and streaks are ridiculous when using contrast paints on this model. Also the paint was adherring so badly it was almost impossible to drybrush without the brush or my fingers removing paint. It is now wrapped in kitchen roll to protect it until spraying weather returns.

Basilicanum Grey – the main body of the pod

Black Templar – thrusters and base

Blood Angels Red – a couple panels to break up the grey

Aethermatic Blue – Windows

On a final note I used two or three coats, it did not help, don’t waste the paint.

So there you have it, the good, bad and ugly in the latest part on my project. The next task is actually convincing someone to sell Starwars Legion stuff.

I’ll keep this updated between now and next year.

In the lead up to this weekend I put together a plan…. some would say a cunning plan. I wanted to make an army of clone troopers so the starter box has two squads of 7 clone troopers and one BARC Speeder.

I decided early on I wanted to mainly use citadels new (at the time) contrast paints. So after purchasing my paints the process I have described below is used through out and is realtively unchanged from my inital plan.

Prime -Wraithbone

Shade – Apothecary White (all over)

Drybrush – White Scar (all over)

then

Shade – Black Templar (bodysuit, gloves, guns, binoculars and helmet visor)

Recess Shade – Nuln Oil (knee and elbow joints)

(mistakes can be fixed with wraithbone and if appllied carefully can look like a highlight)

Shade – Gore Grunta Fur (leather bag)

See above how to paint the troopers, just add Gore Grunta  to the straps which I really want to be seatbelts.

Prime White

Wash – Seraphim Sepia

Paint – Khorne Red (Random Panels)

Shade – Black Templar (Weapons, Footbars, Cabling)

Dry Brush – Squig Orange (Over red Panels)

Dry Brush – Ushabti Bone) Over entire Miniature)

I’d recomment keepig the crew off the vehichle and super glue them down after this stage.

To Bulk out my force I purchased another BARC Speeder and the Phase One Specialist. These were painted the same as below but with extra red to differentiate the Specialists. The skirts were painted red with a white trim  orignally but this gave them a distinctive Santa in Armour look so I added Basilicanum Grey to the white trim which just about fixed this. I would probably paint it all red next time.

ObiWan Kenobi, it was a nice change to focus on one character, I kinda painted him from memory with the colour scheme suposed to be the bit where he fights General Grevis in Episode III. The below paints are GW Contrasts unless stated otherwise:

Primer – Wraithbone

Hair – Gore Grunta Fur

Face – Guiliman Flesh

Armour – Apothecary White and Wrack White Drybrush

Belt – Basilicanum Grey

Outer Robe – Skeleton Horde

Under Tunic – Skeleton Horde and 3 layers of Agrax Earthshade

Lightsaber – Vallejo Deep Sky Blue (Blade)/ Wrack White (Tip and Base)

Lightsaber Handle – Leadbelcher Base Paint and Nuln Oil Wash

Overall not bad, especially considering my cat ate him at one point.