'nids part 380 - Leviathan Tyranids - Chitin highlights 1

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the remains of my Leviathan box set Tyranids. Chitin highlights and I am starting to doubt this is doable by the end of the hobby season. With these done there are 61 steps left to do, 4 of which are the second set of highlights and as part 1 took me 6 days to do I suspect a similar timeframe for part 1. 

That leave me with about 20-23 days to do the remaining 57 steps. 

That's more than 2 things being ticked off a night, with no nights off and that just doesn't seem achievable.

I could be wrong. There's 4 steps to the red [on the 4 different units] and they could be done in one or two sessions.  

16 things to do in such a short time would change the dynamic significantly.

However, I've listed the black highlights as three step and I know it's actually 4 so there are still obstacles to overcome.

I really need to get the next turquoise highlights out of the way and then I'll have a better idea.

It's still doable, and I don't think I'm going to give in just yet, but we'll have to see.

I do have some holiday time at the moment, so who knows I may get some morning sessions in.

So, a quick push to get the next lot of highlights.

But these are definitely starting to look a bit cooler, now they have more detail on.

I just want to be done with 'nids for a while so I can get my Cerastus back on track and my Warlord Titans ready for #DreadTober

'nids part 379 - Leviathan Tyranids - Washes and bone 1

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the remains of my Leviathan box set Tyranids. Here are the shade washes. You could probably achieve this with a Contrast nowadays, without the previous base colour. That would have saved me 16 minutes per Termagant (5 hours and 20 minutes). But I am compelled by the process.

The Vallejo dipping washes I use occasionally leave a similar dusty residue that Seraphim Sepia does. So I mixed in some water and Army Painter Quickshade Wash Medium.

I think this solved the issue and actually created a nice finish, particularly on the blue areas.

It's less of an issue at this stage as a lot of these areas are painted over anyway.

But it's good to have solved an issue that can occur when I'd prefer it not to.

Now the hard yards. It was around 9 minutes each to do the bone highlights on the Termagants.

3 hours to get these done and once again my skill with the brush is being called into question. I do wish I had better control, or showed any signs of improvement.

But I think subconsciously I've just become more comfortable with 'good enough'.

That said the Neurogaunts only take about 5 minutes each (55 mins for the 11 figures)

Back to the Barbgaunts and we already know this is a 15 minute job. 

In fact according to my records I know that it'll take me 6 hours and 20 minutes to get the bone and turquoise highlights done.

 I still have the reds, black, any details like teeth, eyes, glow FX, bases and then varnishes on top

It's helpful, but also daunting. Despite the time estimate, which is clearly doable before the end of the hobby season, I have 68 elements to do to get all of the Tyranids done.

But I only have 36 days to do it [not including nights when I can't paint] and I can't imagine ticking off nearly 2 elements a session.

So what seemed like a shoe-in - remember when I thought I'd be able to paint the Kill Team Typhon box as well?

I'm now beginning to doubt I'll get them done in time. Particularly as I have some other non-hobby projects to do before the end of the month.

Well, we'll just have to have our fingers crossed 🤞, hope for the best 🙏 and crack on where we can 🖌

Von Ryan's Leapers have got 4 hours 12 on the clock to go too! 😫

'nids part 378 - Leviathan Tyranids - Basecoats

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the remains of my Leviathan box set Tyranids. That is 20 Termagants, something I am convinced will break me. I'm certain I recall just how hard this many can be to paint.

And yet I somehow believe adding 11 Neurogaunts into the mix will make it somehow more achievable... I mean it is not. But I guarantee I will feel a damn sight worse if I finished the Termagants and then throw in another 11 gribblies.

So if I'm all in with 31 models then I might as well the extra 3 Von Ryan's Leapers from Combat Patrol.

AND, 5 Barbgaunts too. You may recall these almost broke me as well.

But I have timings for these and I'll soon have timings for the Termagants and Neurogaunts which should provide me with a timescale. Once I have that it makes the whole process that much more manageable. 

Initially getting these basecoats done felt like such a retrograde step - like it was so far from completion. Yet each step, bone, blue and red has been achievable with some concerted effort and focus. The Soft Tone and Strong Tone wash will be relatively straightforward and then it's the highlights that will be the true test. A test of patience and repetition that hopefully I can overcome.

And just as I acknowledge the value in painting all of these concurrently, however overwhelming such large batches to paint present we get this:

Kill Team Typhon from Warhammer Community

Granted we knew it was coming. But I thought it was a few pieces of terrain and 5 Raveners. But there are multiple copies of each and the big tower. Not to mention 10 Hormagaunts and a base of Rippers! So it would appear I now have to get this and paint them all for AoP too! If I'm focused it just might be possible, so much for 'What's on my palette?'

'nids part 348 - Tyranid Leviathan - BIG BUILD BASE TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my #New40k Leviathan box set. As usual, just getting the Red Planet BASE! 🔴 TO DONE!

First up the Psychophage.

NeuroTyrant and Neuroloids.

Screamer Killer

and Screamer Killer 2.0. Everything else hadn't been based so hadn't been primed and if I'm honest I rushed these and the red primer was a bit chalky in places, as you can just make out.

Despite this, I get the Great Big RUSTY Big Build Base Stamp of Approval for the basing!

And with a bit of concerted effort during a week's leave off work - I went on to base the Termagants

All 20 of them.

The Neurogaunts too.

And the Barbgaunts,

Von Ryan's Leapers, and

The Winged Tyranid Prime...

Oh, and an old Lictor I'd reposed years ago, thought I might as well throw it in the mix.

Great Big Big Build RUSTY Stamp of Approval for the build.