Old stuff is good

I find as I do more work on weathering, that I really do love old decrepid decaying buildings.  I also love rust, seeing how it forms, what it does, and the fantastic range of colours.

But that aside, more work on the Rhino, yes.  Completed work on rust, smoke damage, lenses (first for me), and base coat on the tracks.  Yes, the tracks are bone coloured, as my army is based on limestone/sand, and as such the tracks have been discoloured.

Weathering powders up next. 

 

Vehicle weathering

These are my first attempts at weathering a vehicle.  Thus far I done rust with some water marks, mainly on rivets and as of last night chipping.

WD40, Stat!

Ahzek Ahriman says Happy Birthday Aaron!

So, my good friend Dan surprised me with a commissioned paint job of my Ahzek Ahriman figurine for my Thousand Sons Army, and today I have just received pictures of the final product and I am totally blown away.

Sweet baby jesus, he is a thing of beauty.  I cannot wait to field him as the proper center piece of my army.

Thank you very much Dan B, for the gift and Dan W, @ ValhallaGames for the truly awe inspiring paint job.  I thoroughly recommend people use Dan's services.  Top job and a top guy to deal with.

Psychic Scream, to, the face.

Done, done, done, he is done!

Yes that is right, I am quoting a song by the Madden Brothers.

But anyway, the big boy is finished!  Without further ado, here he is.

Only get the left side of my face paparazzi!

Photo bombed by white plastic walls ;(

A jump to the left

The progress continues.  Continues to be drip fed onto the blog as well!  Legs, tail plug and smoke stacks on!

I really like the soot effect I have on the top of the stacks.  It is not as shiny in person as the picture makes you believe.  It really is quite sooty and powdery.

Does anyone else smell bbq?

Moar Maulerfiend progress

Hot on the heels of the Aspiring Champion, the Maulerfiend torso nears completion.
It does look a tad bumble bee-ish, but when sitting on its legs it looks more like danger lines.  Honest.
Oh look, a lolly.

Buzz buzz.

Completed Havoc's Champion

Finished the model and took advantage of natural light + light box to get some pictures of Jeff.

Jeff's best foot going forward.

Rusted Necron heads make good boot toe jam.

Mmm Combi-melta is like a wheat bag on my bad back.

Dear zooming in, I hate you.  Signed visible mistake #762.

Hah! And you thought the next picture would be of a complete Maulerfiend

Well you are wrong!  I have been doing work slowly on this guy.  You know the old, hmm left over gold from that section, so I may as well start his backpack etc.

I thought I should put in a concerted effort and finish him completely.

Pretty happy with the results.  However his axe arm has moved back unbeknownst to me as the glue has set.  I think it is still okay looking <_<.

Troll with axe.

Yet more body parts

A few more pieces of the Hound of Anubis finished.  I must say I am really looking forward to the end of this bad boy.  I love the model.

Tongue the balls...of my feet!

How is our beast coming along Herr Doktor

Well, I must say, I am very pleased thus far with our the Maulerfiend parts are coming along.  All the different techniques I have tried and envisioned for this has worked, thus far.

I have nearly completed the neck and the two magma cutters.  They need some tidying up, the top blue cell shading and the effect on the cutters.  I am leaning towards red, orange, yellow on the tips of the cutter, like I did the power cables on the Terminator.  Thoughts, suggestions, criticisms?

One of those cranes is leaning boss!

WIP Shots

I have nearly finished my first two full Thousand Sons.  I have had a few issues, as I normally do, but points I have noticed.

Failcast is horrid!  Check out how smooth the helmet is.  That is not layers of paint on the forehead making it look funny.  There are also gaps in the the joins on it and twists and goddamn it is rubbish.  For my own well being I am going to have to track down some of the OOP metal & plastic kits.

And next, the hot fix super glue I have is vile.  It is too free flowing and even a touch of it destroys paint.  It is like acetone on steroids.  Plus I currently have no fingerprints on my left-hand because of it.

So, it has been a fun few weeks.  All that aside, some shots of one of the nearly finished article.  His brother is currently in the shop.

All is dust, or failcast.

Hmmm, green bugs.

Terminator and Cultists

I have completed my first Terminator, with Combi-melta and Chain-fist plus another batch of five cultists.  Really happy with how the terminator turned out, the picture most definitely does not do him justice.

For added nerd points, if you can tell me what the Chapter and Company of the Spesh Muhreen helmet on the trophy rack is, Ill send you a prize.

Glory, here they is.  I have not included the other three cultists as they are all the same as previous.

You're only taller because of the statue you are standing on!

Now I really need to do camera practice ;(

New first unit completed...

I have done it.  I have completed the first unit in my army in the new colour scheme, and it is one I am totally in love with.  Yes, it is only the cultists but they are a taste of things to come.

I could not be happier with how these guys have turned out.  I really have pushed myself on these and learnt a few new tricks.  Now to just keep the momentum going.  Five marines are already on the chop for next.

Thousand Sons cultists!

As they grew organically based on a rough guide I thought I should write down just how I did them.  Man, talk about a long document.  All up thirty different paints, more if you include the layers on the base.

The rubble like sand on the bases, that is kitty litter ladies and gents.

Why anyone would want to be a cultist I do not know.  Poor medical and dental plan, crappier gear, poor chance of survival and an even less chance of progression.

Cultists now form a gang.

Another WIP of the near complete first unit of cultists.  Just a shot taken late last night.  On completion I will do some shots in the light box.

Sven is not happy with his short mount!

Thousand Sons, paint schemes and crisis of faith.

So I have had a crisis of faith with regards to my chosen paint scheme for my Thousand Sons.

I know, it is probably not the time to use that saying, especially as it is only in relation to my nerdy hobby, but it still expresses how I feel.

I used to dislike the more traditional variations of blue/gold of the Thousand Sons.  This is what pushed me down the path using the pre-heresy colour scheme.  However as I wanted to see what the Dark Angels robed bodies were like I thought I would paint one up more traditionally.  I tested out some blue, and some gold.  Then at Paul's behest weathered up the robe and used a mega dry brush on the edges of the armour (mimicking edge highlighting).  It needs a weapon, and a bit of tidying up, but the result is below.

Traditional colour scheme with robes.

And this is where I came to my crisis.  I was surprised how much I liked the traditional look, more so than the red I have been painting.  After much soul searching, deep thinking, and random dice rolling, I have finally decided to go with it, and eventually strip and repaint the old red guard.

My final products will be a slightly different blue, as I am going to use the Army Painter Ultramarine spray over a dual primed model.

A few questions now remain.  Should I do the lines on the headdress yellow or gold?  It varies on units and images you see.  And what should my dry-brushed highlight colour be?  I feel the green is probably a bit too alien next to the Ultramarine.

First complete unit in the house!

Yes, you read it here.  I have completed the first unit in my Thousand Sons army!

Perge ad gloriam!

That is two Raptors with bolter + chainsword, two with meltaguns and the unit champion with bolter, chainsword and meltabombs.

By the pricking of my thumbs. Something wicked this way comes.

Very nearly at the end of the Heldrake road.  At this point it is still WIP, but unless I change anything I will be sealing it this week, glossing up his tongue, and getting a professional photo shoot in the weekend.

Left the cheese out did you humans!

I think I left something burning.

Looks like a crab from up here.

Statue bro?

Winging It

Bar the top wash, I have finished the left wing of Mr Hell Turkey.

If anyone else ever buys one of these things, paint it all before assembly...I beg of you.

I both love and hate the model designer!

Thousand Sons Heldrake

And so it begins..

The dreaded helturkey painting starts.  Given all the gilding it will have, doing it in pieces is going to be good for my sanity.

Here is a WIP of the neck.  A few more layers of gold, washing and lots of touch ups to go.  But you get the idea.  I really like the red wash on the exposed neck tendons/pipes.

Heldrake neck piece, or a tie, you choose.

Blue can suck it!

WiP & Progress shots of final paint scheme for sons.  As per the headline, blue can suck it.

Five headless horseymens!

Avast there be heads!

The bodies continue to elude the heads.

Midway through metal work.

End of gold.  Camera does not show how different it looks to the above, but it is vast.  Golden Griffon rocks!

Bunny ears located.

Backpack + body =/= happiness.

Rocketman, burning out his fuse up here alone.

After issues with jetpacks, gloss varnish and supreme lack of skill, the Raptor has moved along now to this.

Still some Mithril Silver drybrush highlights on the gold to do, and finish the base.  May as well make this post live now though.

طير جارح (Bird of Prey)

Nearly there..

And done.  I present my first completed unit in my Thousand Sons Pre Heresy Paint Scheme Army.

 

Changed and added after comments.  Painted external parts of teeth, and fixed the soft metal under bolt pistol arm.  I think I got better pictures too.