The Painting Contract - September 2024

[Big Kim Woof-Woof]

Hello, good evening, and welcome (which was a catchphrase some fifty or so years ago...) 

It's time for The Painting Contract for September 2024! September already? Can that be right?! Apparently so!

The rules, as usual, are:  

- Each month you post a brief summary of what models that you agree to try to paint/build/convert/sculpt. This can be models or terrain for Age of Sigmar, Warcry, Blood Bowl, Underworlds, The Old World, or any other Warhammer-based game. 

- At the end of the month the Contract closes and you can then post your progress images to be critiqued, shared, and boasted about. It's a great way to get involved in the community and to get inspiration. 

We're not going to do anything drastic, like set the gryph-hounds onto you, if you don't meet your contract. It's just a bit of fun to get the hobby-juices flowing and to have a goal to work towards. 

So, pick up your brush, grab that pot of Volupus Pink (other paints are available) and keep us updated! 

[Praecautus]

I intend to finish the 6 zombie linesmen for my necromantic horror team. If I can get some of the positionals done too then that will be a bonus

[RandyRyan]

I’m going to get my unit of Prosecutors done this month then hopefully start on the human minions that come with the Reclusians 👍

[Sparxius]

Got 2 weeks holiday, hoping to finish 2 underworlds warbands.

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

Still working on Endless Spells:

These guys were all done using Molotow Liquid Chrome in different ways.

On the Aethervoid Pendulum is I used it to edge highlight the blade. I think this is a pretty good use for the paint, since it comes in pen form by default so it is easy to control and is notably brighter than "normal" metallics.

For the Chronomantic Cogs, I used it on the "melty" part of the sculpt. This actually looks super good in person, really sells the liquid metal effect. There are not a lot of opportunities to make use of that kind of thing, but it works very well when you have the right sculpt.

The Quicksilver Swords also look OK in person, but not as good as the other two IMO. They are very shiny, but if the light does not hit them right they can look kind of low-contrast.

 

I still have the Spell Portal and Geminids to get through this month. Don't know what I will paint after that. I still have some Stormcast to finish and have a bunch of Cities units to paint. Don't know if I am feeling like painting a bunch of super detailed little dudes right now, though. Maybe the Warhulk.

[Big Kim Woof-Woof]

I'm setting modest goals for myself this month. To start with, this hornblowing Hellstrider, who has already got a lot of preliminary work done. These guys are quite tasty on the battlefield now, so I'm keen to get more of them painted up! 

 

Next up will be some Daemonettes. If there's one thing I know I can paint to a decent standard without any drama it's Daemonettes! Five of them should be an achievable target. 

 

And finally... a 'fun' model if I get bored or bogged down with the rest. And what could be more fun that a Slaaneshi unicorn-beastman with a sceptre! It's another model I've had stowed away in a box for years now, but it's about time it got a lick of paint. 

[MitGas]

4 hours ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

Still working on Endless Spells:

These guys were all done using Molotow Liquid Chrome in different ways.

On the Aethervoid Pendulum is I used it to edge highlight the blade. I think this is a pretty good use for the paint, since it comes in pen form by default so it is easy to control and is notably brighter than "normal" metallics.

For the Chronomantic Cogs, I used it on the "melty" part of the sculpt. This actually looks super good in person, really sells the liquid metal effect. There are not a lot of opportunities to make use of that kind of thing, but it works very well when you have the right sculpt.

The Quicksilver Swords also look OK in person, but not as good as the other two IMO. They are very shiny, but if the light does not hit them right they can look kind of low-contrast.

 

I still have the Spell Portal and Geminids to get through this month. Don't know what I will paint after that. I still have some Stormcast to finish and have a bunch of Cities units to paint. Don't know if I am feeling like painting a bunch of super detailed little dudes right now, though. Maybe the Warhulk.

How durable is the liquid chrome? I thought about getting it for extreme highlights or the mirrors (the refill version, so that I can use it via airbrush or with a normal brush) but since I take it that a varnish will ruin the effect, I‘m worried that it‘ll rub off too easily? 
 

I actually like how the swords look in your image. Chrome in that scale won‘t probably look perfectly right anyways but I‘m already impressed by the vallejo metal color chrome (via airbrush though, else it‘s just another bright silver) and I believe that‘s nowhere as good. 
 

Edit: My goal is to build more scenery. Swamps it is this time. Still got more hills to complete as well. 
 

After that I think I‘ll paint up some of my Chaos Warriors and my Curseling. Fairly simple models I reckon, at least less work than Tzaangors. But I guess they‘ll have to wait til next month, just being realistic. Lots of work, Space Marine 2 around the corner, I‘m a lazy ****** and utterly despicable in general… lots of things speak against it! 😎👍

Edited September 4 by MitGas

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

3 minutes ago, MitGas said:

How durable is the liquid chrome? I thought about getting it for extreme highlights or the mirrors (the refill version, so that I can use it via airbrush or with a normal brush) but since I take it that a varnish will ruin the effect, I‘m worried that it‘ll rub off too easily? 
 

I actually like how the swords look in your image. Chrome in that scale won‘t probably look perfectly right anyways but I‘m already impressed by the vallejo metal color chrome (via airbrush though, else it‘s just another bright silver) and I believe that‘s nowhere as good.

It seems fairly durable to me. The Molotow website advertises some use cases for it, one of which is to use their chrome pens directly on unprimed glass, which kind of makes me think that if the paint can stick to that it can stick to anything. They also explicitly mention that you can use the refill liquid through an airbrush.

I tested the durability of the paint once after getting it, and I did manage to scratch it with my finger nail at some point, but I think the paint was not 100% cured at that point and also I suspect I could have scratched normal acrylic paint the same way. I have a few test pieces at home that are more than a week old. I will try handling them a bit to see how the paint holds up. In any case, you can varnish over the paint if you want, but you know how it is: If you put varnish on metallics it just looks like metal under a layer of plastic.

The swords do look good. They look kind of like a shiny toy, but they are striking. However, when it comes to contrast, I think they would look better if the bottom of the blades was darker (kind of like you'd do when painting a ground/sky chrome effect by hand), rather than also being super bright. The Cogs achieve that effect with the more curved surface, however.

Since you are in Austria, I think there is a good chance that you will be able to pick up one of the Molotow chrome pens from an art store near you. They are fairly cheap in Europe. You should be able to get one to try out for under €10 if you don't want to spring for the €30 refill right away.

[Acrozatarim]

Finally have these clanrats at the finish line. They just need a varnish and some water effect resin on some of the bases, but it's too hot to spray varnish right now.

They don't look like they've be dipped in toothpaste now, at least!

For the first time ever, I have a complete, painted unit of clanrats...

[MitGas]

27 minutes ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

It seems fairly durable to me. The Molotow website advertises some use cases for it, one of which is to use their chrome pens directly on unprimed glass, which kind of makes me think that if the paint can stick to that it can stick to anything. They also explicitly mention that you can use the refill liquid through an airbrush.

I tested the durability of the paint once after getting it, and I did manage to scratch it with my finger nail at some point, but I think the paint was not 100% cured at that point and also I suspect I could have scratched normal acrylic paint the same way. I have a few test pieces at home that are more than a week old. I will try handling them a bit to see how the paint holds up. In any case, you can varnish over the paint if you want, but you know how it is: If you put varnish on metallics it just looks like metal under a layer of plastic.

The swords do look good. They look kind of like a shiny toy, but they are striking. However, when it comes to contrast, I think they would look better if the bottom of the blades was darker (kind of like you'd do when painting a ground/sky chrome effect by hand), rather than also being super bright. The Cogs achieve that effect with the more curved surface, however.

Since you are in Austria, I think there is a good chance that you will be able to pick up one of the Molotow chrome pens from an art store near you. They are fairly cheap in Europe. You should be able to get one to try out for under €10 if you don't want to spring for the €30 refill right away.

Thank you for the detailed response, that's very helpful! 💖 Please try the scratch test on one of your old test pieces again, it would be very interesting to know how durable it is after a few days - so far it sounds like it's not really a problem. Frankly, there's not much that can withhold finger nails if one tries hard enough anyways but I take it that it will show fingerprints and the like so it will probably need to be buffed/polished? That's why durability might be a concern.

I figure it looks like one of the premium Transformer toys that have chrome parts on them. I guess they use lacquers but then again the Molotow paint is a lacquer too I guess.

 

And thank God Tzeentch for Amazon - if the local art supply wouldn't have them, it's always an option to just order it there. I know, not ideal cause local shops need all the help they can get but online stores really brought us up to speed in regards to Warhammer stuff. I can remember the times when I phoned the mail order trolls (dunno if they called themselves that in the UK 😅 - in Germany they actually called themselves that) in Nottingham to order older Chaos minis. I think I was around 13 back then. I'm getting nostalgic but that was something memorable to a kid... who sucked at English back then! Bless this man who put up with me! 😂

[MitGas]

34 minutes ago, Acrozatarim said:

Finally have these clanrats at the finish line. They just need a varnish and some water effect resin on some of the bases, but it's too hot to spray varnish right now.

They don't look like they've be dipped in toothpaste now, at least!

For the first time ever, I have a complete, painted unit of clanrats...

Good luck with the varnish. It's always a bit scary. The newer Vallejo ones (the cans) are pretty reliable in case you aren't happy with yours and don't use an airbrush.

Your scheme makes the ones with hoods kinda look like Nighthaunt but they look good and pretty unique - never saw blue Skaven before. 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

2 hours ago, MitGas said:

Thank you for the detailed response, that's very helpful! 💖 Please try the scratch test on one of your old test pieces again, it would be very interesting to know how durable it is after a few days - so far it sounds like it's not really a problem. Frankly, there's not much that can withhold finger nails if one tries hard enough anyways but I take it that it will show fingerprints and the like so it will probably need to be buffed/polished? That's why durability might be a concern.

I tried one of my older testers again and after fully drying the liquid chrome scratches about the same as acrylic model paint. It is not so soft that you can rub it off by handling it normally or even strongly rubbing your skin over it. It should stand up to being wiped off or cleaned normally no problem.

I found that for a good, mirror-like finish, it is best to apply the paint "wet" in a thick layer and let it self-level. It shrinks a lot while drying and forms a thin layer in the end. It's an alcohol based paint, so maybe that has something to do with it. For best results, let it dry over night. It does still take on finger prints after an hour or so, but not after fully drying.

Edited September 4 by Neil Arthur Hotep

[MitGas]

3 minutes ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

I tried one of my older testers again and after fully drying the liquid chrome scratches about the same as acrylic model paint. It is not so soft that you can rub it off by handling it normally or even strongly rubbing your skin over it. It should stand up to being wiped off or cleaned normally no problem.

I found that for a good, mirror-like finish, it is best to apply the paint "wet" in a thick layer and let it self-level. It shrinks a lot while drying and forms a thin layer in the end. It's an alcohol based paint, so maybe that has something to do with it. For best results, let it dry over night. It does still take on finger prints after an hour or so, but not after fully drying.

Ok, awesome, thank you for sharing your knowledge, will keep your recommendations in mind 🏆 - the self-leveling is just a bonus! Guess I‘ll walk by the art store soon! 👍

[ThalmorRepresentative]

40k terrain project continues to progress.

 

[TrenchFoot]

I am new to AoS, but not painting! One of the things I use to motivate myself is only fielding painted and completed models and I really, REALLY want to play Spearhead! I pledge to get my Flesh-eater Courts Spearhead painted, and then get my Gatebreaker Mega-Gargant Mercenary finished sculpted and to the prime stage. Here are my WiP pics:

[TrenchFoot]

Spearhead progress

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

Finished all my endless spells.

Definitely kinda phoned it in on a few of those, but better done than perfect.

[Vasshpit]

@Neil Arthur Hotep

Nice touch on the portals with the speckled bits. 👍

[Praecautus]

I finished the 8 linesmen for my blood bowl necromantic horror team The Coffin Dodgers

Gory Neville

Jamie Carregore

Ronald Booman

Yaya Gory

+ 4 as yet unnamed ones

I shall extend my pledge to include the two werewolves - Jimmy Graves and George Weahwolf 

Edited September 8 by Praecautus

[adjucator]

Love the magical effects on those portals.

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

10 hours ago, Vasshpit said:

@Neil Arthur Hotep

Nice touch on the portals with the speckled bits. 👍

 

3 hours ago, adjucator said:

Love the magical effects on those portals.

Thanks, you two.

I always like doing that "space" effect if I have an excuse to. I just softly stipple or sponge on purples and blues and flick some white or light blue paint on it from a stiff brush afterwards. I gloss varnished these two to make the colours look deeper and for a "glass" effect.

[TrenchFoot]

Got the Cryptguard done. 
 

last pic is just closeups of some of the new gore effects I’m working on. 
 

i like these models. All in all I’m pretty happy, tho for future regiments I will go a lot paler on the flesh to help the leather and rust stand out a lil better. (Which is fine by me, I want each regiment to have its own story and theme so variations like that are cool.)

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

16 hours ago, TrenchFoot said:

All in all I’m pretty happy, tho for future regiments I will go a lot paler on the flesh to help the leather and rust stand out a lil better. (Which is fine by me, I want each regiment to have its own story and theme so variations like that are cool.)

I think this is a good approach. A lot of people get really hung up on making ever model perfect and matching colours exactly over an army, but personally I always have more fun finishing models and moving on, as well as just having fun with colours without having to worry about exact recipes.

[TrenchFoot]

50 minutes ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

I think this is a good approach. A lot of people get really hung up on making ever model perfect and matching colours exactly over an army, but personally I always have more fun finishing models and moving on, as well as just having fun with colours without having to worry about exact recipes.

Absolutely. I just want to have coherency with regiments I know I’ll field over and over, and I much prefer the warband feel. It’s such fewer models than from when I played before, so I look forward to spending time with them. (I am a recovered speed painter, so only doing ten models at a time is weird but cool!)
 

Plus, They really nailed the look of the newer models and factions. No matter how you paint them, Nighthaunt, Ossiarch Bonereapers and Flesh-eater Courts are thematically pretty uniform. Soulblight Gravelords are a little all over the map but I think still have the classic dead army look thats unique from an old world perspective. 
 

I figured a good way to start my collection was all of the regiments of renown since I can use them in their own armies as well as the other Death alliance armies, and this gives me an opportunity to make little warbands out of the regiments.  (As well as the four Spearhead boxes.) 

 

I especially am looking forward to Veremord’s Shamblers and Jerrion’s Delegation. 

[Big Kim Woof-Woof]

3 hours ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

A lot of people get really hung up on making ever model perfect and matching colours exactly over an army

I used to be guilty as hell when it came to this. I'm gradually learning to break the habit. My recipe book is now a mass of squiggles and alterations that I only vaguely keep tabs on.