'nids part 387 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - TO DONE! 🔴⚪

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. As the project came to an end I was lax again in keeping track of timing. I did record the red fleshy highlights though.

Red highlights 1, was 68 minutes. Red highlights 2. was 50 minutes. I didn't keep track of anything else.

Further highlights, shading, matt varnish, gloss varnish and Tamiya Clear Red X-27 followed. Really happy with the final result, but I ummed and ahhed for quite along time over the 'value' in hobby points. 

The biggest spires are as big as an Imperial Knight but are they worth 20 points each? I figured the two of them were worth 20 points The medium ones are they 10 points each? If so they're effectively the same value as the big ones. I did think not to worry about it and it balances out only giving the big ones 20 points. But in the end I valued them at 5 points each and the small ones at 2 points each.

Add the 5 point Terrain bonus and the entire suite of towers was valued at 39 points. The MESBG terrain was 80 points [plus 5]. This does feel like half the amount of effort, maybe a little more... 🤷What do you think?

A Great Big Chrome Stamp of Approval adding to my spreadsheet this is worth 39 points [plus 5 bonus terrain points]. Therefore, this brings me up to 289 points for the season so far.

And against the white background. Probably could have done to add a Termagant in for scale but forgot.

'nids part 386 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - Chitin highlights 2

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. Honestly, I've been busy, although it has been somewhat tedious. There's not a huge amount to show because the highlights and dots are all done. I've been doing some other projects inbetween to avoid burnout, but I can't really share those yet. The Cerastus Knights do have hinged hatches though! I continued to keep track of how long it took me to paint the striations. 

• Big tower 1: striations 105 minutes + dots 55 minutes = 160 minutes
• Big tower 2: striations 113 minutes + dots 66 minutes = 179 minutes
• Medium tower 1: striations 64 minutes + dots 32 minutes = 96 minutes
• Medium tower 2: striations 48 minutes + dots 28 minutes = 76 minutes
• Medium tower 3: striations 59 minutes + dots 25 minutes = 84 minutes
• Small tower 1: striations 28 minutes + dots 20 minutes = 48 minutes
• Small tower 2:  striations 36 minutes + dots 22 minutes = 58 minutes

That's a grand total of 701 minutes, or 11 hours and 41 minutes on these 2nd highlights alone!  I then did the 2nd bone highlights with the big ones taking about 34 minutes, the medium 22 and the small 15. Another 179 minutes [3 hours]. 😳

But, there is only the red fleshy bits left to do now [plus matt and gloss varnishes]. You can already see I've put some thinned red between the chitin plates to look like it's raw between them. It also helps define each plate. I've also highlighted the red with both Vallejo Game Extra Opaque Heavy Red and then Mephiston Red. The stretched bit will be highlighted again up to white specular highlights similar to my Tyranid Void Shield Generator fleshy bits. Then the textured bit will have more shading added, which will be enhanced by the Tamiya Clear Red X-27. Nearly done, but you can see just how much effort it has taken.

'nids part 385 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - Chitin highlights 1

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. I kept track of how long it took me to paint the striations. 

The big towers were 123 and 132 minutes.

 A medium tower was 105 and a small one 42. 

Roughly 654 just short of 11 hours to do the lines! I also did the first highlight on all the spikes and the bonewhite Wraithbone chips on the base.

Then when I came to do the spots I decided not to bother keeping track and now I'm really annoyed with myself because that took far more time than I expected. It definitely would have been handy to know for the 2nd set of highlights. 

2nd highlights feel quicker as you can see where you going to put a spot or line. But, it actually requires you to be much neater and controlled. That way you don't completely cover the first stage work. Or else what's the point?

I've had 2nd stage sessions that have been much faster, the same or even taken longer, but a rough estimate is always handy. Second stage next and then maybe some very minor 3rd stage highlights, the red fleshy bits and 2nd stage bone. Lots to do on the Chitin, but then it feels like it's downhill from there.

'nids part 384 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - shade and BASE - TO DONE!

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. First up sepia washes, and you can see it has not gone well. My Vallejo dipping wash is behaving just like Seraphim Sepia. It's starting to do this more often now. But I was sure it wouldn't be a problem as the AP Strong Tone wash [Agrax colour] would cover the dried out powdery bits. Except I ran out of Strong Tone.

So my solution was to mix Dark Tone [black] with my sepia to give it the higher quality glossy finish. 

For the most part that worked. I was able to cover up most of the patchy bits.

But I definitely need to start making a list of paints I need as I keep forgetting. The I order something, throw in a few paints and then when it arrives I suddenly realise there were a couple more I needed. 

Oh, and I did the Red Planet BASE! 🔴 too.

Which secures me a Great Big Chrome 'BASE' Stamps of Approval.

Terrain is everything - Crisis Protocol (and Star Wars Legion) Cosmic Terrain - TO DONE! ⚪

Afternoon, you may recall I had been volunteered to paint the Crisis Protocol Cosmic terrain pack. But in the style of my Star Wars Legion Rebel Barricades. I am really happy with the results, although 'finished not perfect'.

There are some areas I could have spent more time on, but I was looking at the diminishing returns and wanted to get them done in time for our next shed session.

Then it turned out it was delayed a week as Ben and Otty were attending a midweek MESBG at Warhammer World.

Still, by accepting they were good enough I can now move onto other projects. And this building is worth 10 hobby points. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's not worth 5 and not 20pts either.

Getting to focus on my Adeptus Titanicus stuff now will really help get my head in the game for my #DreadTober Warlord Titan.

But yeah, I still wish the door was green, to reflect the shed. 

But I know it works better in red and is a nice additional accent colour across the set.

The neon green signs came out OK.

But my gloss varnish did not give the flat surface I was hoping for. There are far too many brush strokes and surface textures which make it a bit dissapointing.

I also think the shutters could have done with 'more'. But they're so hard to see what would be the point. I'd also like to have done a graphic logo in the space below the counter. Too late with all the grime on it but it would have taken far too much time as well. 

The power cells/converters are much better now with the weathering and additional glows on the black strips. Worth 10 hobby points [2 x 5pts]

I just used gun-metal drybrushes to highlight the black as a cheat. I feel guilty as it was a shortcut but I'm not sure anyone is going to criticise.

Similarly the tubing, with just contrast. Liam and Ben are totally into contrast paints so I doubt they're going to see it as lazy. It's not what I'm used to doing but I do conceded it looks like greasy rubber.

The broken wires look OK though. The yellow and black wire seemed slightly more 40k than Star Wars, but I think the addition of the blue, red and white wires helped to keep the Star Wars palette.

The barricades are cool. I did a few weathering highlights on the bone colour. Worth 8 hobby points [4 x 2pts].

I was lazy and didn't highlight the orange weathered areas. I should have done for my own obsession, but no one will be noticing it amongst all the other details.

The holo-adverts, giving strong Necron vibes. Worth 4 hobby points [2 x 2pts]

I'm not sure if the black is too dark and more green would have helped sell the look I was after, but the green glowing letters are cool, if a bit messy. 

Again, the gloss varnish let me down. At least I have chance to get some more to try and fix them before they go to the shed.

And the floor lights/force field emitters.

I didn't bother with any highlights on the weathering.

It just seemed unnecessary. I just love the Aethermatic Blue though.

It's not like these will have any in-game effect, just decorative scatter terrain. They're worth 4 hobby points though.

But they look really cool and will add ambience and narrative to our games. 

And the first of this season's Great Big Chrome Stamps of Approval. FYI, according to my spreadsheet this set is worth 41 hobby points [plus the 5 point terrain bonus]. That's a pretty good haul, when my non-binding goal is 100 points! So I'm off to a great start this season, especially as these weren't a project I'd started in the Season of Wood and capitalising by finishing them early in The Season of Chrome. In actual fact I'd have liked 41 points at the end of that season to break the 500 point milestone. Still, it's not a competition, just a record of achievement.