Deathwing Squad Complete

So, after over a month of hiatus the Astronomican is back, and back with some progress! The first Deathwing Squad is complete!

For some reason I cannot fathom its taken me over 3 months to paint 5 models - in my opinion shockingly slow work, and something I'm going to have to improve on in my up coming 'Tale of Painters' project. However, the models have still turned up very well in my opinion and include a simple banner conversion and my first attempts at faces and detailed power weapons.

The one obvious glaring omission is an actual banner. I am working on a number of ideas for this. Freehand painting is at this stage out of the question (though check out this obscenely good freehand banner - be sure to scroll down the page to be see a step by step picture). I am looking at either a high quality print out that would be PVA'ed onto the banner or using a one of the plastic icons from the Ravenwing boxed set. I'm leaning towards the former option, simply because I really want to use the actual Deathwing Banner.

I also intend to do a full set of highlights on these guys in the future, but for the sake of my own sanity I want to start on the rest of the army!

I seem unable to make these photo's into attachments, but more detailed versions can be viewed at my Picasa Album.

Anyway, be sure to read todays two other posts, comments and criticism are always welcomed.

Painting Power Weapons

So, continuing with the theme of trying out new techniques with this army I did some work before tackling the Terminator Sergeant's power weapon. 

In the past my Imperial Guard power weapons have involved nothing more complicated than a coat of Enchanted Blue, hardly something I wanted to desecrate the Deathwing by doing - these are the Emperor's finest and deserve a good lick of paint and some effort!

After doing a number of searches on the Internet and scouring my codexs for simple power weapons techniques (as usual not having a clue where to start myself!) I stumbled across this blog entry at The Painting Corps. While it links to a number of helpful articles I really liked the method Grey_Death used and decided to give it ago myself. I also managed to find the collection that Grey_Death found the technique in, which funnily enough also contains some well painted Deathwing. Its well worth a look and can be seen here. 

So anyway, here was the challenge, to try and recreate this:

So, settling on a purifying blue scheme I assembled my colours:

 

Using the fine new Captain model from the Assault on Black Reach as a test model I managed to churn out this: 

Not bad for a first attempt I thought! Oh, and be looking out for this model on the blog in the future, I have great plans for parts of it...

So now, on to the Terminator Sergeant. Using the same technique as before I produced this:

To be honest the Terminator's sword is a bit sloppier than that of the test model, but I still think it's turned out well enough. It is a really nice contrast to the rest of the colours in the unit - making the power weapon stand out as it should! I've just realised I haven't taken a picture of the reverse side, but its largely the same. 

See below for the paints used and a rough idea of the method. Any comments or criticisms? 

Step 1: Base coat of Necron Abyss.

Step 2: Mix 50% Necron Abyss & 50% Regal Blue - Trying to blend the colours into the base coat, start from about 20% up the length of the sword and paint to the tip. 

Step 3: Regal Blue - Start further up the sword and again try to blend into the previous layer. With so many coats of paint try to keep them thin, or the tip of the sword may resemble a club!

Step 4: Mix 50% Regal Blue & 50% Enchanted Blue - You guessed it, as above just further up the sword.

Step 5: Enchanted Blue Layer.

Step 6: Mix 75% Enchanted Blue & 25% Ice Blue - Keep to the real edges of the blade for this layer.

Step 7: Paint an thin line of Enchanted Blue right the way down the middle of the sword from tip to base. Go over the top part of that line with Ice Blue, allowing it to fade as you reach the deeper parts of the sword. 

Step 8: Use the same technique to produce the 'offshoots' of energy. Use darker mixes of blue the nearer the base you are (e.g. lots of Ice Blue near the tip, hardly any at the bottom). If you want you can do a thin banding of blue on either side of an 'offshoot' - keeping it darker than the offshoot but lighter than the surrounding sword, this creates a nice effect.

Step 9: Highlight the very edges and tip of the sword with a mix of Ice Blue and Skull White.

Step 10: Hunt the Fallen...

Tale of Painters (ToP)

For me the main challenge of 40K is actually painting the models. I consider myself to be alright at the game itself, but win or lose I am pretty much guaranteed a good time. Painting however is a whole series of highs and lows and sometimes really isn't fun. But, the gaming experience is vastly improved by good painting and so we solider on.

In an effort to help with the process I've signed on the The Tale of Painters Project on Librarium Online. Check the links for a full look at how the project works, and be sure to sign up yourself! In summary it is a 6 month project were participants are tasked with painting 200pts of models a month in order to have a legal 1000pts army by its conclusion. Now the mathematically astute of you will notice that 200pts a month for 6 months should make 1200pts, however participants are given on 'free' month, or Joker, where they can paint nothing and not go out. This is to allow for busy home lives that occasionally take precedence to little models.

There is of course no forfeit for dropping out, this is supposed to be friendly motivation after all. But there are competitions for Best Army and Most Improved etc. (not that I'm planning on winning!), and there is a lot to be said for submitting work and seeing what people think - it is after all why this blog exists!

So, in an effort to complete my 1500pts Dark Angels List I've signed up (under the username sovietspace) and made myself a time schedule:

Month 1: 10 man Tactical Squad - 205pts   

Month 2: Rhino, Attack Bike & 3 Ravenwing (1 with Meltagun) - 200pts   

Month 3: Three Ravenwing (Sarg. & 1 with Meltagun) & Land Speeder - 200pts   

Month 4: Four Terminators (including Cyclone Missile & excluding Apothecary.) - 192pts    

Month 5: Belial & Terminator Apothecary. - 203 pts

This gives me a 'Joker' month, that no doubt I'll need for the Terminators, and leaves a Land Raider to finish whenever I have time. Look out for a work in progress thread on Librarium Online should you be a visitor. Also go and have a look at their previous ToP, there has been some great work and some even better excuses!

It's also worth noting that the ToP's organiser, Cyric the Mad, has been working on a mammoth Dark Angels army that can, and should, be viewed here. 

Wish me luck, I'm off to paint some Tac. Marines!