'nids part 292 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week2 pt2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 2. I was seriously flagging after the first set if of turquoise highlights, so much so I didn't take any pictures of it. I was half way through at the half way stage. And yet that half way point doesn't include all the details, FX and varnishing!

So despite the enormity of what remained I cracked on with the turquoise highlights. I even broke out my Army Painter Insane Detail brush to get some fine striations. Unfortunately it just won't hold its point. I don't know whether it's the brush, or the paint that makes the point eventually get splayed. Water helps bring the point back but this paint does not like watering down. The surface tension complete breaks and it'll bleed everywhere. So it's quite a challenge to achieve the opacity I want in the sizes the brush will allow.

And there are all those difficult bits to get to round the vents. I know sometimes it's like painting with my eyes closed, reaching in and hoping the line isn't too splodged on. It was quite the challenge and perseverance to get to this stage and even though there's less to paint it take's only  little less time to do it. Granted I've got the first highlights as an indication of where to put the second but it requires patience and steady hands not to just obscure all the first coat with the second!

But I did it and got the Rupture Cannon done too.

As well as a Khorne red highlight on all the fleshy bits.

Acid Spray also got highlighted.

Chitin and the first bone highlights.

Which was also applied to the Fleshborer Hives [Devourers with Brainleech].

Bone highlights next, so long as the paint lasts... 😩

'nids part 291 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 2. OK, I know we're onto week 3 now but it's challenging getting all this blogged up. So I'm onto the turquoise bits and I've got the legs and tail done.

This is the easy bit, it's the carapace, mainly the vents that get  wearisome as I'm fast remembering.

I really hate those vents, when I've got some of the paint left over I'm doing the no brainer items, like the top of the vents and ridges. All the other striations require some thought how the shapes fit together and interact with the shape of the part of the model they're on.

I also got some of the bone highlights finished on weapons too. It's easy to forget these need doing as well and they're big pieces too. They're bigger than Tyranid Warriors for example! 

I'm beginning to have doubts about completing the task now. I'm also a little distracted because I wanted to do something for the #PitOnParade community thing and it would have been nice to get my Servo Haulers done for my own #ArmiesOnParade but I don't think that's realistic in the remaining time.

'nids part 289 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week1 pt2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 1 and I'm cracking on with the bone. At this stage I wasn't paying too much attention to what I was doing each session but I think I recalled it all when I started on the chitin in the next update.

I was also beginning to regret a little bit that the model was glued together. Of course it's not glued to the base and that helps to get underneath but it's still a little awkward to paint.

But getting the pose right wouldn't have been possible if everything was painted and I was gluing it together at the end.

I'm not sure if having all the pieces separate is the best way, it was certainly easier last time when I did the Tervigon. 

I have got my Tervigon out for reference which is helping me make decisions.

The lines of bone to add texture is a lot better than my previous Tervigons, although the tail has some very ropey bits, luckily hidden from view [which explains why they were difficult to paint].

I got a bit giddy in some places with the bone, caught the blue areas which is a nightmare to fix. 

I think I just added some black wash in places to try and obscure the mistake and hope the turquoise obscure the fact it's not even blue.

Quite pleased with all the different colours. I'm running out of my bone 2nd highlight mix. I think it's be Citadel Pallid Witch Flesh now, previously I just mixed a pot but I'm even running out of white it's been so long since I bought paints.

Anyway, teal and turquoise next.

'nids part 288 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week1 pt1

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 1 and I'm off to a pretty decent start. Granted I'd got the basecoats, base and washes all done beforehand but there is still a lot to do with my scheme so it's challenging nontheless.

First bone highlights on ribs and body. I really like this part. It can be messy and still look awesome. I can make decision about just how much shade and shaded bone is showing through.

All the thorax spikes will be black, the central ones and the side ones.

I added the extra adrenal glands on the legs just for variety. I doubt I'll ever use the biomorph but I love the idea of these symbiotes crawling all over the bigger beasties.

I highlighted the hive nodes too and all the wraithbone chips. I actually think there's a bit more pumpkin orange highlight to do on those rocks too.

Another head start [pun intended] was on the head. I'd managed to include this in my Carnifex heads and so it's pretty advanced at this stage.

There are some extreme turquoise highlights that need doing, the eyes, maybe some other bits but it's almost complete.

I've quickly noted down a progress diary that I'll include in a future post so you can see what is being achieved during a session. I forget how useful these can be as knowing how long a set of first highlights takes and the 2nd set isn't usually quicker means I can set goals for what gets done in subsequent sessions. Having those goals means you can better access the endorphin hit of success. It's also easier to pack in for the night when you hit those targets or add a stretch goal for greater high if you make better progress than you planned for.

#Dreadtober

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer and #DreadTober begins this week. If you want to join in hop on over to dreadtober.blogspot.com and leave your 'pledge'.

I'm committed to painting my Tyrannofex. I've obviously got a head start on this, because I know what my pace is and I need it. However, I am doing all 3 weapon options so that makes up for the advanced state of progress.

And should I get through this quicker than I thought I've plenty of other dread sized things to keep me occupied

In fact I picked up a couple more Sentinels for my Genestealer Cult. I'm not sure why but two for £14 was an absolute bargain and I love them. As a stretch goal I only plan to get them based and primed but again I'm fine with that.

'nids part 282 - Tyrannnofex base colours

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my Tyranid Tyrannofex. I took a week's leave around this time and had promised to paint the kitchen. It's been needing it since I painted the back room, which was another project that was delayed year's after I vacated it, hobby-wise, into the man-cave. Lets just say it was overdue and over 4 days days I got everything painted - 4 thick coats on the walls, all the wood work fixed some cracks and other general wear and tear. Hobby wasn't particularly high on the agenda, certainly not when my back had gone on day one. Luckily the effort helped it strengthen over the days rather than make it worse. But I found time to put some base coats on the Tfex

It's not actually stuck to the base so I was able to get underneath for all the bone and chitin. I then added the first sepia shadow wash, with a strong tone wash to follow.

The head was also brought up to speed and with a little more effort it'll slot in alongside the numerous spare Carnifex heads I've also had on the go.

It's pretty much just an oversized Carnifex head afterall.

So the Tfex is now in the same state as the rest of the Tyranids I got primed - the Hive Guard conversions, the Warrior and the DevGaunts [although they've had some highlights]. More floating projects I'll dip into, or use to avoid, when I'm stuck on something else [Lnnd Raider Redeemer].

'nids part 280 - Tyrannnofex Big Build Basing TO DONE!

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my Tyrannofex. In particular I got it primed and Red Planet BASED!

This thing is quite hefty now, thanks to all the slate. I had to add in some Milliput in places to blend in the Hive Nodes then used tile adhesive/grout for the uneven ground before I added all the basing material. Then it was my usual Red Planet BASE!

Obviously the Hive Nodes still need picking out alongside the Wraithbone chips but this is where I usually pause on the base. The Tfex remains unglued so I can get access underneath to paint. I've a number of thoughts about this: I recall how much I hated painting the first Tervigon, then I think how comfortable I am painting my Hive Fleet colours compared to anything else on my To Do list! I'm also once again reminded how cool this model is, how big and also how much model you get for your money.

All those reasons create a pretty heady cocktail of motivation to throw some more paint on it. For now the Base is done and I get my Big Build  Basing Big Galactic Stamp of Approval!

'nids part 279 - Tyrannnofex Big Build TO DONE!

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my Tyranid Tyrannofex. I've had this fella for a long time, he was originally bought to kitbash as a Dimachaeron, I've seen plenty of conversions where the body is tilted up as the legs are almost perfect. Anyway, I realised it was far too much effort to create something that doesn't appear to be a great unit. A Tfex however is something I can get behind. Unfortunately I had made my other Tervigon's as proxy Tfex, thanks to extending the Acid Spray to fit around the Tervigon birthing sack.

Unfortunately this means the only way the Acid Spray could fit on this model is by building up the weapon mounting points on the Tfex and also extending the feeder pipes on the Rupture Cannon. That seemed like too much effort. So this will currently either be Rupture Cannon or Fleshborer Hive, with the Tervigon Proxy as Acid Spray and Fleshborer. I may look to get some more Acid Spray weapons so it'll fit this model

I still think this is one of the best Tyranid models, you get so much bang-for-your-buck with it. Cheaper than the newer big models and probably much better in the new edition, thanks to the update to Monsters rule about firing in combat. I just need to clean up the base, prime, basecoats and washes and then it can go on hiatus alongside the other Nids I have as fillers between those other tasks I really should be finishing first.
Here's my Big Build Big Galactic Stamp of Approval - yay!