Well I couldn't be bothered doing up 50 different blogs because I'm just farting around doing whatever comes to hand, so I decided I'm just going to do a random blog of randomness and put everything in here. So much for order and filing and alpha-numeric cataloging systems - here it is - random.

So far I've been playing around with some bits and pieces, I have a few commission bits to do and some more troops to add to the Iron Warriors army that has been sold, not to mention the army sitting on my bench that is a bit of a fart around while I decide what to do with the rest of the models in the house...

First of all, here is the first batch of Thousand Sons marines based, cleaned and undercoated - I have a total of 36 to assemble, and here are 17 (because 1 sorcerer hasn't been done yet - thinking of how to convert it).



And a couple of Thousand Sons dreads. They are not all stock forgeworld arms, I had to convert a couple out of bits out of my bits box - let me know if they look cool Christo or if you think they need something else





I particularly like how the extended DCCW worked out - I actually like it a lot ATM

Here are the current progress shots of the forgeworld Lightning - I'm going to be constructing a base for it as well as using some of the forgeworld book techniques on this one to get a bit of fun airbrush type painting going

As it currently is (disassembled):



And assembled with the pins holding it together:



Resin isn't a lot of fun to clean up and work with I find, but the model is definitely very cool!

And here are the things I am doing for myself: A Dark Angels Army!





The army consists of somewhere around 30-40 terminators of various types, 2 drop pods, 5 landraiders, 1 landspeeder (so far) 2 basic dreads, 1 venerable dread, 1 heavy weapon dread, 5 vanguard, 5 sternguard, 30-40 basic troops and 1 rhino/razorback interchangeable combo - I think that's about it...so far.

So plenty of stuff going on at this end. This is a big part of what I am playing around with the airbrush for. If I can cut my basecoating time down then it's time to churn out some more armies a little quicker! No more hunting for non-existent paint colours in a can!!!

And maybe some fun airbrush weathering and highlighting techs!

Looking very cool

Here's the latest update - got a lot of stuff on but it's cool

I've been enjoying playing with the airbrush now that I've got the main hiccups ironed out. Next time I fire it up I'll be trying out the Paasche single action to see what difference that makes to the whole process.

Here's the progress - it's mostly on the Thousand Sons:





Second batch undercoated and assembled:



And the 4 sorcerers from the boxes. I've played around with them - it's a bit hard to convert these suckers without major remodelling, but I think I've pulled off the effect pretty well. 4 of the same sculpts with enough variation to make each one distinct:



My only wish is that the heads were separate, that would be sweet. They are a pretty good model and have some nice sculpting on them - I do like the imagery of the sons very nice.

I'm working on attempting to make the weird ball in the hand of the 2nd sorcerer from the right a pulsing energy bolt ready to unleash. I think it's looking pretty good so far...

And some bits and pieces of random extra work I've done in the last 6 months or so - just to add that extra dimension of true RANDOM!

Daaamn son! Snow recipe please?

Seconded.

The snow is pretty basic to make, but a pain to apply. I used woodland scenics snow -soft flake. This is the base, with a batch of that I mix in a little pva glue, some water and then mix it up. This can be tricky so make sure you add a bit at a time. The consistency I aimed for is something like soft sorbet.

After that I take a toothpick, and on the very tip I dip it in a bit of pale blue and mix that in. You don't want much otherwise the snow will go blue. I also mix in a couple bid drops of white paint to keep it white, the tiny drop of blue helps to make it look "frosty".

It's something you have to play with - I mixed up a large batch and stored it in a well sealed container. This allowed me to keep the snow looking consistent over the whole batch of models.

Basically, once that is done I paint up and seal the base as normal - then once it's all dry I apply the snow in whatever thickness I like using some kind of tool - I used a flat ended sculpting tool and used that to gently pat the piles of snow into shape.

Then you just let it dry.

And the most important note - only apply the snow after the model is finished and sealed. If you add the snow prior to sealing the model, the snow ends up horribly discoloured...

The Snow look is great

I think we might do some IG with Snow

Sounds good to me

How are the lads progressing

They're still coming along I've got them all undercoated but it's a bit daunting looking at that sea of blue atm... I'll have a test model pic up tonight or tomorrow. I've also started doing some little details here and there on the models.

The biggest bonus of doing a test model (which I have never actually played around with before) is I get to work out the best and quickest order in which to paint the models.

It's been quite a large project so far - so I imagine I should be finished the first 9 next week sometime. We'll see how my sanity holds out after that as to whether I paint 9 at a time or go for a bigger batch...

I've also got the base for the lightning mostly built - I just need to work out exactly how to mount the plane over the base - I'm thinking a black heavy duty rod it the best plan - that way it's nice and strong.

More to come

They will be great I am sure

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Well - as promised here are some pics. You beat me to it Christo I had planned on an update tonight...

Here are the pics, firstly the mass undercoated lot and the dreads:





And the test model - I have some minor touch ups to do on this one but this is basically it. I intend to use this as the basis of the rest, unless there are some alterations I need to do to the colour scheme. I do tend toward being a little darker in the colours, but I think this one works pretty well:

Coming along Nicely

Loving the bases

Here's what I have been playing around with today. Mostly a lazy day as I'm still looking at the masses of blue Tzeentchy Automatons and still stirring myself up to get them done! I've painted on the silver areas of 3/4 of the lads and one of the dreads. I said to myself I would do them in smaller batches. Myself decided to keep painting the areas that I was starting and keep going.

Wow I must be insane. I can't convince myself to do it on a smaller scale! Lol.

I've also mounted the Lightning onto it's base (damn iPhone - I'm getting lazy with my punctuation because of it's auto-correct!). And if I do say so I think it is looking very nice. Maerlyn suggested the change to the positioning to make it look like it's buzzing a canyon or something and I do have to say it's looking very nice at this angle and height.

Here's the pics of the jet:









I've now had two people say they want this jet when they saw it, LOL I have to fight them off with a stick!

OMG

That is looking Sweet

Great basing and love the Angle

I've currently been going crazy laying on the base coats. I've done the blue, silver and whites now and am up to doing the gold trim. The gold trim is pretty fiddly and I've only managed to get 8 of the guys done in that so far. I think here is where I'll start with the smaller groups of batching. We'll see where that thought goes.

damn that pilot would have some brass ones if hes buzzing that low lol, nice 1k sons very nice blue

I think this is the start of something big

Well the weather has cleared up here finally - so I should be able to get to painting the lightning. Haven't been able to get started there because the overly humid air can stuff with the airbrushing. I'll be definitely doing something with that over the next few days

Lets hope the weather stays fine up there

really looking forward to seeing how it develops

No pics for an update today. Too lazy and on a bit of a downer with this rubbish house buying stuff. Tired of it - I wish it were over.

BUT - I have finished painting on the main colours - Gold Trim, Silver metals, pale grey tabards, black bases and namely the blue main. I've finished doing that for all 37 models including the dreads. I will probably get a pic up and working sometime next week when the colouring is looking a little more impressive.

To be honest I can't believe I have done that for 37 models ALL AT ONCE. That's a new personal best lol.

Thats the Spirit

thats a lot of Blue

I've had a bit of a disaster today. With all sorts of stressful things occurring, I managed to drop the windshield of the ####pit onto the ground. I didn't notice it until after I stood on it. SOOO - I've undercoated the plane but unfortunately I've gotta rebuild the windshield so I'll have to do that this week. Bummer. But at least the main coating will be done. And the windshield is easy enough ... well kinda ... to rebuild. That'll be for later.

All part of the trials and tribulations

just looking back on the picks of the lightning

I am so loving that base

Well I thought I would grace you all with some progress shots. I've repaired/rebuild the canopy of the lightning and gotten a heap of extra work done on the 1kSons. A friend of mine suggested I break up the colour of the bolters, so I've added some extra differently coloured detail to them to take away their pictorial dominance...

Have a look:

they are looking the Goods

Great work fixing up the Lightning

Those Dreads are going to be Special

I've gotten a bit further this week - as well as played around with some other techniques getting ready for the coup-de-grace on the lightning. That'll come soon enough - I just have to (still) work out what order to do stuff to it!





And the near complete first fifteen:

Looking good

Well not really an update but kinda cool...

I never realised how good an army could look in a display case! I always liked my Tyranid army and the way it looked, but have never had it in a display. This week I took it down to our local shop for them to display it as part of a promo for the new nids and WOW! It looks amazing in the cabinet. I'm totally shocked and how much better it looks!

I thought I'd show off my babies with some ordinary looking pics of them in a display case

Well I've been playing around with some stuff today. I decided to practice with some pastels so out they came and I did up the base for the lightning.

Woah.

I love pastels.

I just can't wait until the lightning is to the level where I can weather it with them...and I'm almost there...

I've also done a comparison with two of the Thousand Sons, I weathered one using some pastels to give it a bit of an aged dusty look - let me know if you prefer the effect with the colours dulled down some with the pastels and if you think I need less or more...

Enjoy!!

I thought I missed something...the comparison:

The one on the left please Mr Lemmingspawn

and that Lightning is looking great

Cool I'll just have to test that one with varnish before I commit to it for you Chris. I'm concerned it might change the appearance once the varnish bonds with the pastel. I'll play around with some oil weathering as well if that happens. Heck. I might even play with the oil weathering as well just for kicks

looking forward to our next project Adrian

which by the look of those Nids could be like that

The basing is top notch for the lightning

Ha ha! No probs - I am yours to command!

As a bit of a temporary distraction from the Thousand Sons I've been asked to do a display model up for our local shop. I'm doing a Mawloc and it'll be done up in Phil Kellys' Jormangandr colour scheme I've done the rest of my tyranids in.

Here are two of my carnifexes I did a couple years ago:





And here is the constructed and based Mawloc ready for undercoating:



I attempted to make the base look like it's sitting on the hole that it burst out of. I think I did ok, but if I do another I'll sculpt it with more putty or clay and make it deeper and more convincing.



I cut and redirected the tail a bit to straighten it out and show the hole a bit more. I had to remove 2 links out of the tail to make it work, so I shaved and cut bits of it and then stuck it back together. It's got a slight kink in it but I've managed to straighten it mostly to make it look like it's sposed to be like that

That is a Nasty BUG

wow, just wow!

Could i get a picture of the guard?

Guard? You mean the Praetorians? It just so happens that I did paint those - they were speed painted. And it just so happens I do still have pictures of them











And another tyranid pic I didn't realise I had:



Those girls took me a little under 2 weeks to paint. About the same amount of time to clean up and base. Since GW have been doing more and more plastic models I have been learning to really appreciate how much easier plastic is to use...

I've been doing up the Lightning at the same time as painting up the Trygon and I have to say - the lightning is turning out so much better than I expected! I've been using some bits and bobs out of the imperial armour modelling book and it's helped me to get some bearing on this model. Because it's all experimental techniques I have not used at all, it's been a slower process than I may have taken had I done some more of this type of work. I'll definitely be doing more of this type of painting on the landraiders I have waiting for my dark angels!

Anyways - I talk too much - here are some pics of the model. It's pretty much done - I just need to do two more of the lights and I'm thinking I'll just gloss the two front headlamps, I think they look good how they are and suitably represent unlit bulbs. Let me know if you think I need to do something different with them though.

And there will be some tufts of grass on the base

Very Very nice! I love it!

Absolutely AMAZING

I am Stoked, It has Turned out better then I expected

Ok here is the finished model. Only took a short amount of time but it's done.

WOW, just wow. that is awesome lemming, make me want one. but of course mine wouldnt be anywhere near as good.

Here's some more stuff I've been up to. The Mawloc for the local shop owner is finished and in it's rightful place

Here is the finished line up.





Done in the same style as the rest of my army. The main difference is I did this base with pastels which is becoming one of my favourite basing techniques.

When I first starting assembling the Mawloc I started thinking "wait this isn't much difference in size to a carnifex."

How wrong was I. It's just the proportions which had me fooled.

Getting there with this list of stuff to do! I just keep looking at my Baneblade after the success I had with the Lightning going "Oooh - I really want to do that baby up now!" and make it all dirty and stuff

I've magnetized the baneblade so it can also be the hell - thingy as well. In the process of originally building it I broke/lost/mangled the original coax autocannon so I had to rebuild the gun.











Anyways - that stuff is old news but I felt like posting something

Looking forward to seeing this evolve

I'm kinda tip toeing around it for now while I finish off the Thousand Sons. They will hopefully be done by the weekend or maybe early next week, all things looking promising. I've had a couple good runs of work done on them so they should be getting close to done soon.

And then the next project!

Zeppelin Number 3!

This time I'll actually paint one!

To be followed by a Hive Tyrant to accompany the Mawloc I did and then I think the shop owner has another Mawloc and some ripper bases to do. All fun!