The Painting Contract - March 2020

[Painbringer]

I have finally managed to finish my Archaon! Now I can start painting Varaguard (I have 3 at the moment and 3 more will arrive in a few weeks when this whole Covid-19 thing hopefully calms down). The biggest challenge was actually connecting the model to the base - I had one part of the Azyrite Ruins set lying around and then pinned the model to it in order to make it stand.  

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Painbringer

[Fairbanks]

This month’s hopes:
1. Finish painting the Lord of Change (at least basecoats)

2. Assemble more things (With the way things are going with the newborn twins, I’m starting to realize that there’s almost no way I’m getting my start of the year goal of everything done).

3. Start blog about my Armies project.

[ogarrah]

Well so far I've almost completed my contract. I still have to paint up those Raptors, but I don't think that will take to long, so I'm making a new contract. I pledge to complete:

1. Those Vanguard Raptors

2. My last Wrathmonger

3. 4 more Bloodreavers

4. A couple of Bloodletters

[flemingmma]

Slayer/unforged or equivalent

[ThalmorRepresentative]

Nothing exactly new, but I've started to go back and touch up my nine akhelians so far... Right now I'm about through 3 and a half.

[Sttufe]

Ok then so while I have some copious free time due to the isolation, I have gotten a shade paint and shaded my minis to a more or less satisfactory level for where I am at in terms of painting skills (read: oh my god how do I use this stuff). Progress has been made on my gunhauler, which I am painting fully assembled (help me) and because of this I decided might as well get a backlog going again and so I got a start collecting set built and is being primed. Might ass that to my pledge because I have a lot more time from the isolation. 

Some pictures of horrible miniatures, please inform me of what I can do to improve them (other than highlighting and brush control, one I need to order and the other I am working on):

 

The gunhauler, on to the now shaded miniatures:

And all my skywardens completed as much as they are gonna be for a while:

For reference I was using reaper metallics, specifically polished silver and blade steel. Blade steel seems to be good, however I am replacing polished silver because I cannot thin it, and I am having terrible coverage with it and I typically need 3-5 coats of it w=to make it look clean (but then there is 5 coats and it looks bad). Also I am getting nuln oil to put on the metallics instead of earth shade.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Sttufe

[Jymmy]

@Sttufe are you painting directly over the plastic? Some kind of imprimation is suggested before applying any other color. In the case of kharadron, you could prime it in leadbelcher or balthasar gold (but there are other options, lately I,ve been priming my minis with browns and greys). As for metallics, the citadel ones are known for being better than the other alternatives. In an army with so much metal, I would recommend them.

[Sttufe]

1 hour ago, Jymmy said:

@Sttufe are you painting directly over the plastic? Some kind of imprimation is suggested before applying any other color. In the case of kharadron, you could prime it in leadbelcher or balthasar gold (but there are other options, lately I,ve been priming my minis with browns and greys). As for metallics, the citadel ones are known for being better than the other alternatives. In an army with so much metal, I would recommend them.

ya that's what i am doing with the metals. Switching my polished silver over to the runefang silver, which I know is a layer but leadbelcher isn't gonna get the look I want. I only got one primer and it is a basic grey, because I wanted one I could really get a hang of painting on, as I didn't want it too dark or too light. Definitely agree on metallics, the polished silver brings me pain every time I use it. The blade steel works because it's darker and it's nearly the same shade as my primer so it is only providing a metallic sheen. I would love recommendations for another metallic I can use, because I am nervous about using the layer as a base.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Sttufe

[Xelotath]

@Sttufe I think Jymmy meant if you use a leadbelcher primer you can work up to a lighter silver from there. So maybe Leadbelcher>Nuln Oil>Runefang steel.

i would recommend taking a look at the citadel paint app, it’s great for searching different colours and taking the steps to reach that colour. 

[Rizara]

I agree to get the silver you want with depth, I would definitely just start with a leadbelcher primer, add the wash, then drybrush/wetbrush up the metallics to runefang steel, then silver to create a more natural shine.  It would add depth, plus you would still have a silver color, and also not be such a pain to paint.  Especially if you are going with the silver color as your metals and then painting other colors on top of that for other sections.   Me personally if the majority of my model is going to be metal i start with that color as a base and first because it can be a messy step, then I can always color in the other sections and if i need to touch up a metal area, i can then apply the colors while skipping some of the steps i used to touch ups.  In your case you touch up with the runefang/silver if you get other colors on it.  

As for other metals, it can be done the same way.  If the metals for GW feel to thick to you, you can always try Vallejo Game Color.  There metal line has solid coats and feels much thinner to me and i like the way it works.   No matter if I am doing gold, brass, copper, or silver i always start with a darker metal first and build it up with a wash.  The metals look better with depth to it.    

[Sttufe]

Thanks for the advice, I will see what I can do to get some of those colors!

[Artobans Ghost]

My March goals. Even got them based lol. 
working on my Lord Aquilor and 2 more squads of Liberators + 2 Celestar Ballista. 
with all this down time I might get them completed as well. 
 

Using white is almost a verboten for me. It’s really intimidating tbh. If anyone can provide some perspectives or improvements, I’d be thankful. 
I'm looking for a dirty used white - continuous use with little time for repairs or maintenance (being as judgemental as this host is - Knights Excelsior - means lots of time judging 😺) 

I tend to paint very fast so there may be no hope but advise is welcome  

Edited March 20, 2020 by Artobans Ghost

[Jymmy]

@Xelotath and @Rizara  explained perfectly what I was trying to say with my post 👌

[Artobans Ghost]

@Sttufe - I really like that maroon/brown look personally. Goes well with the blue and silver 

[ThalmorRepresentative]

 

Finally got to start up the airbrush for the first time. This is what I achieved with the first victim ;P.

I was only focused on the eel skin, so nothing else has been done yet!

[ThalmorRepresentative]

More progress

Basecoats just about finished.

Edited March 22, 2020 by ThalmorRepresentative

[Artobans Ghost]

Another reach goal. A lord Aquilor and 5 more Liberators 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Artobans Ghost

[Artobans Ghost]

Looks like some artillery made it in too. 
 

[kaaras]

On 3/21/2020 at 8:30 AM, Artobans Ghost said:

Using white is almost a verboten for me. It’s really intimidating tbh. If anyone can provide some perspectives or improvements, I’d be thankful. 
I'm looking for a dirty used white - continuous use with little time for repairs or maintenance (being as judgemental as this host is - Knights Excelsior - means lots of time judging 😺) 

@Artobans Ghost to get a dirty white, depends on how dirty and how white... check out the citadel paint up but I get to get a dirty-ish white:

rakarth flesh, karak stone, seraphim sepia, ushabti bone or even pallid witch flesh could work.

for a cold white: mechanicus grey, drakenhof night shade, mechanicus grey (avoiding recesses) administratum grey, celestra grey, ulthuan grey, maybe white scar to highlight if very thin and specific. 

hope that helps a little. the other option is battle damage. Darren Latham's iron hands yellow shows a really neat technique for (relatively) easy battle damage that would break up that white and dirty it up if that is what you are after.

On another note, pledge as complete as it can be. Wurggog prophet and 5 Brutes completed for this month:

Ok, so not really Brutes. These are 40K Nobs that I have converted. My thoughts on these is that they are newly promoted Brutes, bigger than Ard Boyz and harder but not as well armoured (yet) as the full on Brutes. Breaks up the aesthetic anyway.

Really happy with the Prophet. Lots of holes in this one but manage to get around it a bit. Comments are criticism welcome. Only the Megaboss on foot to go and then some warpaint on my Bonesplitterz and I am calling this army done. At 3000 odd points, thats enough green for a while...

Edited March 28, 2020 by kaaras

[Artobans Ghost]

1 hour ago, kaaras said:

@Artobans Ghost to get a dirty white, depends on how dirty and how white... check out the citadel paint up but I get to get a dirty-ish white:

rakarth flesh, karak stone, seraphim sepia, ushabti bone or even pallid witch flesh could work.

for a cold white: mechanicus grey, drakenhof night shade, mechanicus grey (avoiding recesses) administratum grey, celestra grey, ulthuan grey, maybe white scar to highlight if very thin and specific. 

hope that helps a little. the other option is battle damage. Darren Latham's iron hands yellow shows a really neat technique for (relatively) easy battle damage that would break up that white and dirty it up if that is what you are after.

@kaaras

thank you for the info. The effect I have is not the result I wanted so the paints will go on the wish list  (cold white sounds like what I’m after). I guess I’ll have to wait out the storm first as I have none of the colours required. 😺

[Fellman]

i have failed you Naghasi will not be able to complete all thechainrasps
the two characters are done butt ohhh be merciful o great Nagash

[Skreech Verminking]

Well I kinda lost myself, when it comes down to my goals, buut i was able to paint a whole 2000points army for 40k, this month, so I’m  basically happy with my progress

and here they are my Khorne daemonkin ready to kill any bluish marines with guns 

[Artobans Ghost]

More March madness. 
Krasbog’s Mobile Company (1st squad)

[Artobans Ghost]

This might be it for today. 
Krasbog leader of the Antagonistic Looney’s

[Lowki]

WIP Lady Oly:

Still have to finish a rose (which I had to add after I accidentally snapped off, and lost! the original one), also want to do some edge highlighting on the robe. And maybe I will do some weathering on the robe as well (but first like to test that out)

Next are her Banshees, for which I am waiting for the delivery of some oil paints, for an effect I like to try out on them. And then of course the lady deserves a proper base. That all won't be for this month though, so I guess that is enough to keep me busy for next month