Deathwatch To Done! pt1

I took a shedload [literally, I was in the shed] of pictures of the Deathwatch so I've spread it over three posts over the next three days.

These were a real challenge as each model has so much detail on, far more than a standard Deathwatch Marine, so I was glad to finally get them done.

I'm pleased with the result, a little shocked how busy they all are when the over-riding image of the Deathwatch is black, a silver arm and one coloured shoulder pad.

I threw in a lot of extra colours, which might have been a mistake, maybe I'll find out when I eventually paint up the other set.

I've still to play a game of Deathwatch Overkill with both the completed Kill Team and the Hybrids, I think it'll look fantastic when I do.

I'm just going to let the following shots speak for themselves until the individual model views.

A tale of two pairs of eyes - Ortan Cassius = hate [too much eye shadow], Jensus Natorian = love [its either ethereal glow or crazy Ultimate Warrior make-up, regardless I think it's awesome]

I hate the belted kilts on models, I can never paint them well at all. Dubious purple lizard skin on the Salamander.

Love the Raven Guard, again the eyes on the Blood Angel are dubious. This time no heavy outline but the pupils stand out weird. I tried blue irises but it just didn't work. They're far from bad but just look odd.

Dark Angel came out alright, Power Swords are always an issue. Drenn Redblade however, I'm embarrassed to admit, is my favourite and he's a Space Wolf. It was such a happy accident to actually paint his Chainsword red, the official painted model isn't. I keep forgetting all the names so to paint it red and find out he's called Redblade just made it even more special.

Ennox Sorrlock and Rodricus Grytt. I was pleased with Ennox's skintone, just a little different to fit with the Iron Hands, didn't do his eye but I'm happy with it nontheless. Rodricus came out OK too.

Lastly Jetek Suberei.

He's actually missing some red weathering powder on the wheels for the Ferron dust kicked up by his travels. I'll have to remember when I do my next lot of Ravenwing

Some elements really worked on this guy, some look a little messy but he was the model I was least looking forward to as bikes can be so depressing.

So the success despite the morale check is worth far more than it should be, and for that reason - Great Big Gamboge Stamp of Approval! More pictures to follow, individual front, side and back profiles, then some phone shots.

Deathwatch/wing - Librarianism To Done!

I had the opportunity to catch up with some of my To Done! pics. Again a mixed bag of success on the photography, I've received some helpful comments, but if I'm going to rush through the picture taking process so I can get back to actually painting the figures then I have to be accept the results I get!

Most of these pics are actually off my phone anyway, so again there's not much to justify any complaints. The Space Hulk Librarian was on my To Do List, so it was nice to actually just tick it off - a 'quick win' that had taken a long time to get done ;)

I'm pretty happy with the glow effects too, some of the lightning could be better  but for the most part I think I did a good job.

Not entirely sure if I'll ever use him but if my Deathwing are deployed in force he'll probably be a HQ option I might take.

I was very crude with removing the Blood Angel references, perhaps too crude as they're still recognisable in some places but again the potential use out of the model is so limited it didn't warrant any more effort than I actually put into it.

Happy with the lettering on the pages though.

Job done, so I gets me the Great Big Gamboge Stamp of Approval. More to come as I finish writing up some of my other successes so far this season.

Deathwatch/wing - Librarianism

With Ennox Sorrlock [Iron Hands] and Ortan Cassius all but complete the only remaining squad members are Jetek Suberei [which we always knew would be an issue] and the Librarian Jensus Natorian. And so I returned to my Space Hulk Librarian in Terminator armour... but it's not a problem as many of the psyker effects I'm employing on this guy were to be used on Jensus. But first I painted his Dark Angel tabbard and then it was on to the deathwing symbol.

Once again I've surprised myself and from a distance it's pretty great. Obviously the close up reveals a few mistakes - the top of the wing on the right is angled up a bit, the sword isn't quite in the centre of the shoulder pad and the colours are a bit patchy. But I don't mind it, I like the semi-transparent finish and won't even be addign any highlights as I think it marries up with the slighlty more grungy bonewhite shading on the bottom of the pad. And again, table-top wise you notice none of this.

I'd been debating the 'force' colour choice. Yellow had been one option, red was another but I went with what I'd already done for my Dark Vengeance Librarian - turquoise. Now this was a contentious decision as I need to apply weathering to all the brass and bronze and would need to differentiate between the two effects. My solution was to go bright with the 'force' and darker with the verdigris.

For the force I started with my Army Painter Turquoise as it's the darkest one I have and then used my Do Crafts Turquoise [second highlights on my Tyranid Chitin plates] as the brighter centre, then Nihilakh Oxide and finally white. The little lighning sparks were a mixed success , some a bit chunkier than others but overall I was impressed with the results.

And as promised I simultaneously applied the same effects to Jensus.

The glows around the eyes became a little 'superhero mask' as opposed to glowing eyes but it could have been worse.

This just left the patina and a few bits and bobs, plus another coat or two on the base edges and then Suberei... meanwhile, no sign yet of my Sentinel bases.

Deathwatch - "Woah, we're half way there"

These guys are essentially complete at this stage. Ordinarily I'd have saved the pictures for their 'To Done' shoot but I had to take pictures for a 2 month painting challenge on the Tyranid Hive forum and as I'm short of content I may as well share. I didn't quite get the full squad done but my revised estimate of half was exceed by one thanks to completing the Blood Angel - Antor Delassio.

I'm really excited with these now, I actually can't wait to play Deathwatch Overkill once the entire Kill Team is complete.

So despite my patience beginning to run out I'm really chuffed. They all still need varnishing and some effects with Tamiya Clear etc. Otherwise, V. pleased.

The remaining Deathwatch have had some highlights done so there's just some individual details to overcome - colours to represent Force Weapons and psychic powers being a particular quandry, not to mention Jetek Suberei... They should all be done this week and I can then focus on the Sentinels, three weeks to AoP...

Deathwatch! - Patience is a virtue

I'll be honest, I'm getting a little tired of these. Every night an hour, hour and a half and there still seems so much left to do. As Marcelis says though there's the law of diminishing returns though and I'm of the opinion to just let some of this stuff go. Of course then my OCD kicks in and I feel like I've let myself down by not doing the best I can, but time is running out and if I want any chance of completing the Sentinels for AoP I have to get onto them ASAP. I think at this stage I may well have abandoned the new board, sadly.

Anyway I've inadvertantly split Kill Team Cassius in half, completing the black highlights on these and in an effort to move things on may not even bother with tidying up the line highlights with some additional black shading asI'm not sure it adds anything. You can see from Garran Branatar I followed up on my decision with Green lenses. I still need to done down some of the metals, add the flames and pick out a few details and then it's edge the base and varnish.

Zameon Gydrael is next and as you can see I've tied it into my Dark Angels by having the weathered brass and bronze. He may well join my Veteran Squad should I ever get round to deciding what weapons they're having. I'll have gone through 3 Codices and an Index without settling on something, maybe just the rule of cool? Anyway, I tried something a little different on Zameon's Power Sword. I was looking at Duncan's Simple Power Sword Glow Tutorial, but swapped Guilliman Blue for a thinned Bahama Blue and went OTT with the Nihilakh Oxide. I still wasn't convinced and with so much Verdigris on it anyway needed to do something to make it more 'powered' so brought in the pure white glow. It's still not quite what I was after but it'll do. Zameon just needs his plasma pistol finishing off.

Edryc Setorax had a similar effect on his Power Claws, still need to add the white. Just some very minor tweaks and some bits on the pillar he's leaping off/landing on. Perhaps do something with his feathers again weird 'Ravens' that are supposed to be white, yellow and black...?!

Vael Donatus, I'm less than impresse with his Pteruges [the kilt strip thing] but I didn;t do a good job on the last one I did [some Assault on Black Reach model?] either. All of these need some further tweaks on their bases and all their purity seals need a Soft Tone sepia wash since the little script has been added [poorly as usual].

Rupert Grint is the final of the five

All of these are almost complete and once I've done those bits mentioned and their bases they'll join Mr Redblade in waiting for their varnishing. The rest of Squad Cassius has also had some additional tweaks alongside the Space Hulk Librarian. I'm hoping they'll all be complete [ready for varnish at least] by the end of the week, but we'll not mention Jetek Suberei...