Showing posts with label defence line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label defence line. Show all posts

Wednesday 6 July 2022

'nids part 337 - Modern Synthesist's Tyranid Barricade - TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on Mr Pink, aka The Modern Synthesist's Tyranid Barricade. And this was just another evening's work to get it done. There were a lot of striations on the chitin plates, that middle one in particular, but otherwise it was eerily familiar.


As I was painting the edges it almost felt exactly the same as my own efforts. As each paint stroke went on I could almost feel the process of the sculpt, which brought back those first-hand memories of sculpting my own Tyranid defence lines.


I explored some additional redness to the bonewhite on the inside. Watered down Vallejo Extra Opaque [I know it's a contradiction to water it down] Heavy Red does an amazing job of adding that raw soreness to the interior. It looks like the bio-organic growth is painfully rupturing through the ground and the additional tones make it more interesting too.


The tiny little dots inside some of the furrows are a really nice touch. Adding the odd highlight to them to stand out, as if they are seeding spores - it's a nice touch. The Barricades are not just defensive structures, but also organisms to further xenoform the planet they've infested.


It's been an absolute joy to turn this round so quickly. To Take Mr Pink's model blend it with my hive fleet and further expend my on repertoire in how I paint my nids.


It's made me think again about scratchbuilding. I really need to think about my next effort - the Tyranid Promethium relay pipes. My priorities are all my Ravenwing and Death Guard to do for #ArmiesOnParade but once that's out of the way I should explore the joys of scratchbuilding again.


So, here's my Great Big BLESSED VERDIGRIS Stamps of Approval! 

Monday 4 July 2022

'nids part 336 - Modern Synthesist's Tyranid Barricade - Base, Prime and Basecoat

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer, you may or may not recall a year or so ago that Mr Pink, aka The Modern Synthesist sent me a gift. I was so inspired by his Tyranid Barricades back in the day I took a leap of faith and sculpted my own, with no prior experience. Following that I made Tyranid Bastion, Capillary Towers that would form a Skyshield Landing Pad and eventually my Tyranid Void Shield Generator.

My inspiration by him was something he wanted to reward and so he sent me this resin cast of one of his barricade as well as a couple of his original sculpts. I revered these items, but the cast felt like it should be more. It wasn't enough to remain in the slightly dodgy black primer it was languishing it. It deserved to be taken into the Hive Fleet and become part of my own army. I mentioned this to Mr Pink and he was perfectly happy to take it further, it was mine to do with as I wished.
It took a while to both build the confidence to do this and find a spot, but with the Halflings done why not just throw in some Tyranid. So I'd added sand to the base, to match my army and then primed it Red Oxide... That's when I discovered the original  Black Primer was even worse than it's finish portrayed. I don't know it was an enamel primer, but it reacted badly with the Halfords primer and blistered and puckered like fingers that had been in the bath too long.
This quick side project was rapidly deteriorating. So I swiftly decided to strip the worst of the effected areas with acetone free nail varnish remover and then primed it again as you see here. I then Red Planet BASEd the edges.

Bahama Blue Craft Acrylic on the chitin plates, you can see it's still wet!


Bonewhite on the inside and I picked out some of the guitar wire ripping in Khorne Red.


A sepia wash, followed by an Army Painter Strong Tone Wash to give the blue depth.


And on the inside too. I think this was just an evening's work and I'm already onto highlights - good progress.


Here's my Great Big Big Build Base BLESSED VERDIGRIS Stamp of Approval.



Wednesday 9 June 2021

Inspiration is a chain

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity in July 2012 we were just getting 40k 6th edition. I'd fallen off the hobby wagon a couple of years earlier. The painting aspect was progressing - I was happy with my results and being productive. I'd also started a blog, designed my own terrain templates and built some of my own Imperial terrain but I wanted to do more. Combining my first major success - conversion of a Tyranid Carnifex to Tervigon and 6th edition's new found love of fortifications and it was potential Tyranid structures that caught my imagination. I searched all over the place, well Google did most of the heavy lifting and I came across these by Mr. Pink [a.k.a. Modern Synthesist]. The idea of using fruit pots as a base for more organic alien walls was genius. I have an A-level in Art, had specialised in sculpture and clay, I could find a way to mold some of these out of Milliput.


Within a month I had started my own. The naivety of using greyboard as a base - convinced it wouldn't warp [it didn;t reall, I was very lucky]. The ingenuity of stapling the reversed pot between the two main pieces. The stupidity of using your own Aegis wall templates as the scale, when you'd got those sizes wrong and essentially built a defence line that was just too big and legally you would never be able to use all 4 long pieces! 😫


And they came out pretty cool, even if it was before I settled on my Red Planet BASE! showcase pics, enjoy the pleather!


But that gave me the confidence to go even further with my next build - Tyranid Bastion. Arguably my most difficult build ever, but at this stage I had no idea what was still to come.


I built 6 Capillary Towers with a secret agenda all along that nobody twigged.


I had a shadow project running all along - making a Tyranid Skyshield Landing Pad that slid into slots in the Capillary Towers to create the platform. It would even get fleshy walls too, eventually. Completed over 6 months on and off - testament to perseverance and patience.


I'd spend another 6 years [more off than on, obviously] realising another vision of a Tyranid Void Shield Generator. And I think it was this that kind of brought some of this full circle.


I'd repeatedly shared comments with Mr. Pink about his inspiration all those years ago and he also bought the Necron half of my Indomitus box, which I sent to Canada for a crazy new future at his hands. Shortly thereafter he messaged me to say he had something he wished to share with me, and eventually I received this in the post.


What treasures lie within?


Inspiration come home...


Yes indeed, one of the first casts of Mr Pink's alien barricades.


All primed and ready to go.


But that wasn't all...


How about the original sculpt as well, so I can see in detail how it was made in sections.


Using a mix of Apoxie sculpt and green stuff.


Additionally, there was an alien xenoforming pod. This one is slightly unfinished but I think the completed ones had LED tea lights in to glow with an alien light.  


As you can see part of it needs filling in and I may one day consider doing that and even painting them up, but for now I'm just overjoyed about the generosity.

 

Compared with my own efforts - a little taller and much more detail. There's even some guitar wire in there for extra alien ribbage.


The inside detail is amazing in comparison. I'd say I was just starting out, but I'd probably still do much the same nowadays anyway!


And comparing the xeno-pod with my own Quad-gun.


I'd probably start with a fruit pot like this second time around. Using a plastic cork resulted in the 'mushroom-esque' shape of mine, when a blob would have been better.


Mr Pink described this inspiration as a chain - linking us across an ocean. How he inspired me and how I may well be inspiring others. That's the greatest gift of the hobby - sharing what we do. Being brave enough to put it online. Not worrying if it follows any prescribed lore but scratching that creative itch in our brains - the vision you cannot just leave there. How you sketch it in a noteboook. Buy fruit pots and noodle bowls because you can turn then into bizarre alien constructs and when the dust [or slime] settles you look back at your creation and realise you made it, as well as painted it. You made it from scratch, from bits of rubbish, clay and string and all because you saw someone else do something similar. Have a think and see if you want to be part of this chain too.

Wednesday 19 May 2021

Terrain is everything - Aegis Defence Line - TO DONE! [White Pics]

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity #TerrainWednesday again and here are the Aegis Defence Line pics on a white background, you know if I was ever to send it in to White Dwarf, which I won't, so I'm not sure of the point of it but whatevs...


The great big irony of this is that I think I have another Aegis Defence Line knocking around completely unpainted.


I'm pretty certain if I plan to use this in Armies on Parade one line will be enough but part of me is thinking about the second. The results speak for themselves and a second set would look [mathematically] twice as good.


But I just can't justify why I would start such an enterprise right now.


Many of these projects can be done before Oct/Nov [whenever the next AoP lands] but I doubt I can do all of them. If I was to prioritise anything it'd be the Macragge Squad 


The Munitorum Containers might also fit into it but I'm not entirely sure if that is part of my vision yet.


We'll see, but I'm so chuffed to get these completed. They just happened organically and I'm really happy with the results.


It does mean I'm back on the Aberrants though and then I'm running out of 'in progress' projects.


I think the Adeptus Titanicus Titans will be next, then that blasted Land Raider - it too is taunting me now. 


Then it'll be a choice between Macragge Tactical Squad or my Halfling Blood Bowl Team - I may at least do a test model of them at some point as a palette cleanser and get my head round the recipe.


Which pretty much undermines my concern about starting a second Aegis Defence line! Ha, ha! The hobby is full of inconsistencies.


Regardless, I've got about 6 weeks until my son returns from uni, and I know I can be most productive during this time. So I need to pick my projects wisely and get as much done as possible. This hobby season is already awesome, lets see what else I can bring to the table,

Monday 17 May 2021

Terrain is everything - Aegis Defence Line - TO DONE! [Red Pics]

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity #TerrainMonday again and I have finished the Aegis Defence Line! It has been a long time since I did this sort of terrain [excluding the servo-haulers that is], when I did the Bastions.


It was such and odd decision to take these on, but the Aberrants were presenting with issues and I just needed something to break that lock.


I had picked up a green spray can [not a hobby manufacturer] ages ago and given them a zenithal highlight [after all the texture FX and basecoats] but somehow forgot to take pictures. 


And there they were, sat in a plastic takeaway tub - taunting me. Maybe that's a thing - put some long term WiPs that may have stalled in your field of vision.


There's nothing like a constant reminder they are incomplete to get you to just put them to bed, once and for all.


Obviously it's the combined Valejo Rust wash and Secret Weapon weathering powders that elevate these. Whether they're naturally accurate or just a caricature doesn't matter I'm really pleased with the result. 


I had forgotten that a subsequent varnish would reduce the potency of the weathering. Not so much that this was even more extreme.


But it actually removes some of the subtlety. Where there is extreme orange that remains, but where it faded to brown the varnish manages to absorb that somehow and you are just left with a huge contrast.


I may have to remember that in future as I may add the varnish first and then do the weathering. There's always the question of how to fix the powder, but as I'm mixing it with the rust wash I think that is fixing it as its applied.


I thought I'd just set up the entire defence line with the Comms Relay and a small squad of marines.


The base of the relay has a little more bronze elements that I've simplified on the defence line but I won't lose any sleep over it. I mean who's going to take me to task?

 
I'm having a thought for my next Armies on Parade that I might do my Dark Angels Vs my Tyranids on a narrative board. I may need to finish that Macragge Tactical Squad though, to have more greenwing.


As I want to set up a defensive position, the Ravenwing might not fit that, well the bike as least. I want to ensure everything on the Tyranid side is full to the brim.


With Hormagaunts, Termagants and Genestealers at the walls about to overrun the position,


Then I can have all the bigger creatures at the back so the entire horde scales back. I could even use some of the Capillary Towers in the back ground, just for a bit of context.


Sadly, I don't think the Void Shield Generator would make any sense but we'll see,


I might even consider getting the cardboard red planet play mat as a base. I know it's not ideal but the wider space might offer me more opportunities and I really can't make/store another base at the moment, but we'll see. 


Anyhoo - Great Big Granite Stamp of Approval - TO DONE!