13 year blogiversary

Morning #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been blogging for 13 years now!

That's right, 13 years! I've said many times over that I do the blog purely as a record of what I've achieved. The fact it's proven valuable and entertaining to other hobbyists is an absolute bonus. Although I have no interest in the pursuit of numbers or followers I am fascinated by them, in part because my job requires some awareness of social media and a limited knowledge of metrics. When colleagues asked if a website we'd been doing for a few months was successful with 21,000 page views I wanted to check the blog as I roughly knew I'd been pootling along on 10-15k hits per month! And discovered last month I'd broken my previous monthly record with 58,860 views!

On what I have no idea. I can't work out which posts in September were so popular, although my free templates seem to have had a resurgence. So, although I will have a small whoop of achievement, I don't fully trust the numbers anyway, which brings me back to not caring one way or another. I'd still be doing the blog if no one was reading and as much as sometimes I feel like taking a[n extended] break you can clearly see some months I don't necessarily post as much as I have done. The bottom line is the blog is an outlet, not a chore and as with the rest of the hobby, I think I'm in a place where I can do as much or as little as I want without feeling guilty if I don't.

I've mostly kicked my Twitter habit too. Posts are still automatically going there and I check in once a week or so but it again speaks to the neediness for approval that I am uncomfortable with. That's not to say I don't appreciate all those that still visit the blog, or take time to comment - I really do. I'm just grateful that it's never been a driver for why I do this.

So, 13 year's on and I'll still be doing the hobby, blogging about it and sharing it with anyone who has a casual interest. There's not that many of us that have this kind of longevity, who are happy to share our hobby diaries in such an understated way. But if you're new to hobby blogging that's the lesson. You can enjoy it just as much with no followers, no views, but just pouring your creativity out for anyone to find, or not. Regardless, keep at it.

'nids part 359 - #DreadTober High Rule Dude - TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity it's the 30th of #DreadTober and I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Tyranid High Rule Dude and here we go, with a final surge of effort I got this over the line.

It's turned out awesome even with a TO DO LIST of 32 parts I feel almost satisfied for my season with this alone.

There are some issues, I would have preferred the head to be a bit further raised. The magnets aren't as effective as usual, but I think that's because the ball joints are perhaps too big for the sockets.

Whatever issues I had with the painting have been resolved thanks to the subtle red/purple shading on the undersides of the arms and legs.

It adds just enough of an additional dimension to help add volume and variety to an otherwise 'samey' bone colour.

The reds have come out really well and despite my concerns about the green glow - I'm always concerned about glow effects.

I think it's turned out fantastic.

Just enough green to add some variety, with the red and yellow adrenal glands.

He's an absolute beast and weighs a fair bit too - as a chonky bit of resin!

I've not idea if I'll ever play him but it's such a cool model and I think my colour scheme adds just that extra bit of detail that perhaps the simplicity of the original sculpt lacked.

I love it, but there were certain elements that could have done with a bit of texture.

I'm no fan of the Forgeworld Hierodule, but it did add texture to the sculpt that the plastics are only just beginning to add [with the new Termagants].

Arguably it doesn't need it with my paint scheme and thankfully it manages to fill the wealth smooth of smooth surfaces.

I love these guns, no idea which is the better - Barbed or Scythed?

But nothing beats its mutant Strawberry squirt gun!

So, the High Rule Dude is complete [white background pics to follow] and I get a, Bloody Great Big Bloody Stamp of Bloody Approval but did I finish the Screamer Killers too, or were they a stretch goal too far? Come back tomorrow to find out!

'nids part 358 - #DreadTober High Rule Dude and Screamer Killers Flesh and Talons

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity it's the 24th of #DreadTober and I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Tyranid High Rule Dude and I've been so busy I didn't have time to post this update last week.

My focus has been on highlighting all the red fleshy bits.

Then all the black talons, claws and spikes.

I got all the adrenal glands highlighted too as well as the eyes and teeth.

The rotting strawberry of doom.

The teeth have made such a huge difference and this is literally just VGC Stonewall Grey and then white. No shades, washes or wet blends! And yet I'm convinced it's somehow tied everything together.

All the chunky brushstrokes look like some comic-book style colouring.

The spikes too, it's all coming together now and I can't wait to put some gloss varnish on all those spikes.

I did the legs, but foolishly did not consult my Tyrannofex blogpost beforehand to give me the exact recipe of how to create the angry red effect. 

It's hardly different but it would have made a bit of sense given I actually noted how I did it. And also it was DreadTober2020 which has a nice continuity to it!

And the massive talons, I've done much lighter highlights on the red than usual. 

I'm not sure if I'll live to regret that or not, but it all matches on the model, even if it's not as consistent with some of my other big bugs.

The talons too are a bit clunky with the highlights but I just wanted to get it done at this point. I'm not sure about the veins on the shoulders, if I need to do anything to blend them in a bit...?

Regardless, there's still some shading to add in places, but I'll do that when the model is fully mounted and I can decide on how I'm going to shade it.

Now the guns mostly match the Hierophant, at least I consulted the blog for this.

That said, I'm not sure what I was thinking that the underslung pipe/strut should be green like it's delivering bio-plasma to the gun, when it fact it ends in a bayonet talon! Still I'll do it green.

And to the Screamer Killers - both got their highlights.

And I now fully understand why the legs don't work. Firstly, there are 6 armoured plates on the thigh and 4 on the shin, when usually it's 5 and 3.

Those additional plates fill up the space more, rather than show bits of the fleshy joints or weaker armour. It creates a solid armoured leg.

Which I suppose for the function of the creature makes evolutionary sense but it's diverging from the Tyranid design language in a way that looks plain odd.

From the side it's not too bad, as you can see the other colours from the scheme.

But from the front, and particularly how the angle of the knee bends back in such a way as to make the armoured plates look continuous from a tabletop perspective, well they just look like trousers.

While the new Norn Emissary, as a bigger creature still holds to the 5 and 3 rule. Has a slight taper to the plates too, so you can see the weaker armour at the sides and the knee bend is in such a way as you can see the top part of the shin. 

When I get the Norn done you'll see what I mean.

Anyway, this has all worked out pretty well. Green and blue plasma to do next and then some shading.

The heads have worked really well and once again the teeth just make it so comic-book.

As much as I'd love to do something more grimdark and downright scary I love how this is straight out of Ben 10 or some other kids cartoon.

It's still cool, even if it's toy-like. As I come to terms with what I'm capable of painting nowadays I'm just grateful it has come together despite it.

I mean even all the dark blue, thanks to the washes, has somehow worked out OK when pre-chitin highlights it looked really dodgy.

Nearly done, just the glow FX, shading, some details on the bases, varnish and TO DONE!

Can't wait to see them finished.