The objects of my obsession

If you may recall when I 'celebrated' the blogs Birthday and treated it to more sporadic posting and less content [what a gift] I revealed a little about my passions, nay obsessions, nay addictions! Which came in three flavours:

1. www.pitchshifter.com
2. Kendo
3. Games Workshop

And these addictions have come about and chopped and changed for priority over the last 20 or so. Each one having it's time to shine. My favorite band Pitchshifter is still very much under the radar, a new album is in the works but the guys are taking their time as there's no pressure in their lives for it at the moment. Which left me with the other two. GW which I think about an awful lot, even though I'm in that floundering period between completing projects and being inspired to get stuff done. And lastly kendo, the martial art I gave up for nine years only to regret every lost second.

If you reread my post on Hoshi Komi you will get a bit more insight into where I was at with it. For the past five years I've been an active member of Liverpool Kendo Club and due to the usual loss of members etc. I was elevated to the position of Sempai, that's the guy below the Sensei who runs the class, not teaches the class. I was all set to attempt my 3rd Dan this March but due to some changes in the symptoms of one of my persistent injuries I went back to see the consultant.

Long story short [too late] as of last week I had to retire from kendo. Well, retire from being hit at least. It was possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do but we shall have to move on and with all things the waning of one thing brings about the waxing of another and it appears I now have a free evening a week that I've secured with the good lady wife to indulge my hobby. So, next week I will be sloping off to my local gaming club in Ainsdale, a small village not far from where I live where both my Grandparents and my Great Aunt used to live. Coincidentally the club is held in the same church hall my Grandparents used to attend and my Grandad did the quantity surveying for. Destiny? or the ruinous power exerting their will over my life?

How this will impact the blog I don't know. I'll certainly be more hobby orientated, maybe have tales to tell of the new 'gaming crew' I've joined. Can't say I'm not just a little nervous, it's been a long time since I was 'the new boy at the club' especially when I was essentially 'top dog' at kendo, although my sparring never reflected that, ha, ha! Anyway I'll keep you all updated on my jaunt.

PS, you can see which one is me in the pic right?

Quick and easy sand sieve

The other day I was on Terra Genesis and someone asked if there was an easy way to grade sand. I recalled the solution I came up with back when i first started collecting cheap terrain materials. You don't really need any specialist equipment, other than what you may have in your hobby arsenal - I got a small plastic bottle, similar to the kind you get chewing gum in, I cut a hole in the circular lid and filled it with sand. Then I sandwiched two layers of granny grating inside the lid.

The grating was rotated so that the hole from one is partially obstructed by the next layer. By twisting the layers you can change the gauge of the apperture from fine sand to big particles. Then shake out into a box.

I keep one box with the chunky pieces then pinch and scatter those on my bases so they are 75% covered, then I bury the remaining 25% in whatever I can get. As you can see in the pictures it's missing the second layer but you should be able to see How it's made.

I'm sure any other brand of chewing gum bottle would make do.

Here's an example of how the sand is graded. Clearly the basing helps pick out the variety but it's there in spades!

And more recently:

Anyway, just thought I'd share a quick tip.

Terrain is everything - Dawn of War Plasma Generator part 7.

Have I screwed this up? No, well I don't think so. I think the weathering is great and aside from the lack of green [due to Ferron Proxima fluff] I think I've done a passable version of the rusty yellow I see at Appley Bridge Station, which of course was the challenge. However, I feel it's too pale in places. The age old problem with that colour. I kind of miss the Iyanden Darksun, but then I also like weathering, so which is best? There's only one way to find out - FIGHT! For those who don't know Harry Hill I suspect that's lost on you, nevermind.

Additionally, the choice of white and [soon-to-be] black chevrons feels like a mistake. The shaded red oxide previously was quite a contrast and perhapse worked better. Still the Aquila has come out well thanks to the weathering.

I think perhaps the drybrushing enhances the defects in construction here... at the top

and here... at the bottom, but perhaps because there is more grimes/rust applied I think it's more forgiving to the shoddy masking tape. So for what I have lost i think I've also gained - equilibrium?

Not sure why I have these two nearly identical pics but theres a slight change in lighting that might enhance some detail in construction if you're that anally taking notes. However, the big issue might be that when I come to add the plasma tubes do I make an effort to add a glow effect on this base and on the inside edges of the uprights? Would it be an effect too far? I'm already trying to justify the weathering, will it confuse/detract/ruin the current state. Is it better to just leave it alone and make do - here lies the stumbling block that could stall this project altogether!

Now, at least in this pic you can just make out that the textured folder card is slightly visible in the top right. Not so sure about that bit of masking tape edge though :( It's a choice between capping the entire edge including reinforcement, that looks neat on the edge but scruffy on the side or the alternative, just visible on the right background upright - caping just the foamboard so you're left with a slightly shoddy looking edge but clean finished sides.

Deathwing Progress - they're on Ferron Proxima

Just a little update, but what a difference it makes - Vermillion art acrylic is in place and these are starting to make a bit more sense visually, regardless of any reservations I may have with the actual style and cohesion with the rest of my Dark Angels. Ron at From the Warp discussed the topic of painting bases first. Much like painting faces/eyes on a model they can really set the tone but equally you run the risk of spoiling your efforts by paint catching in the wrong place. It's a difficult choice, maybe we should just be better alround huh? Should we try that?

Still to work on the lenses and the Sergeants skin tone, not so comfortable with my brown paints, the mix isn't very good but we'll get there.

Up next, some battle damage *eek!* I've never done it before and if I cock it up it's going to be a bugger to fix. I saw some Crimson Fists on GW's website that resolved how I would tackle the battle damage. Each chip on their armour was rendered in the darkest shadow colour used on the armour with a highlight. I figure if i follow the same idea I should be OK, fingers crossed...

Let's just say my experiment isn't a huge success...

Terrain is everything - Dawn of War Plasma Generator part 6.

Iyanden Darksun for the yellow! G.O.D. I love stippling, it really allows other paint to show through and adds texture as well areas of more/less opacity.

I'm thinking I could have added a couple of Imperial Fists symbols on the two plain sides, as they came with my drop-pod, but I suppose it's a bit late now. I think this is the point where you clearly see those joints, edge covering that work and those that don't. I think the biggest area of concern is not in fact the laminate reinforcements which could be explained as seperate pieces welded on [as in fact they are in real life] but some of the shoddy masking tape work on the four upright pieces that lead into the plasma tube holes. However, as exciting and keen as I am on this project as I near the end of it I can feel my enthusiasm wane. It's always the way and as far as I can tell equally common among other hobbyists

Here's where the stippling looks coolest, but what will remain after I put my next lot of weathering effects in place?

Terrain is everything - 2nd man-made hill gets paint

Red Oxide primer, seriously, if you haven't got Red Oxide Primer in your life you're doing it all wrong. For whatever building you are doing, once you've done a black undercoat to seal any possible foam [I've mentioned my 'special mix' many times] adding this colour allows so much variation to what will come after. Most buildings benefit from tonal variation, with all that flat surface in play it's a great way to add more detail without much effort and as the mand said - 'more detail is more detail'. The next plasma generator post will show better how Red Oxide is such a perfect base for your painting, so look forward to that

Following, the Red Oxide next up was some more of my Early Learning Centre black poster paint. Trying to get it in all the grating crevices and the modular socket door so it looks like it's been scuffed as it slides open. Of course there's plenty more coats of paint to go on yet but as I've said before I'd be more than happy to leave this as is for your average gaming club terrain. As it is I will be drybrushing the grating with silver, painting the socket door and drybrushing more Vermillion on the edges

I may also look to paint the cable ties a different colour. it might be a nice feature to draw attention to the detail, or if the paints too thick it might fill up the detail I was so keen to add. I should know after the Vermillion has been added. Of course this looks really cool with the Plasma Generator in place. I think a second red one may well be something I'd like to explore [here's where I hear a little voice shouting "why?"] with some added detail, maybe when I've finished my To Do List perhaps, treat myself.

I really should work on the STC for the hill as well...

Terrain is everything - Dawn of War Plasma Generator part 5.

Typically I've started with a red oxide undercoat. Sure I've decided not to make another red building but it'll make a perfect base for stippling yellow on top of to get that weathered look I'm after.

Early Learning Centre poster paint was used to shade certain areas. This stuff is still soluble when dry so can be a useful technique for adding variation to colours that go on top. It also gives a nice matt, 'soot-like' finish, which is also handy for weathering. As you can see some of the card gaps are still visible but part of me like the look of separate pieces of metal, not one solid cast. I think this would be better justified with some tiny rivets, but as I don't have any I can live with it.

Here's a top view which, to be honest, isn't pretty. The masking tape on the edges isn't great, but then capping them would have been really fiddly too. Ideally a + shaped piece across the top would neaten this all up but I'm still struggling with taking it apart and rebuilding it repeatedly for painting and photographing I can't be bothered with another piece to paint and attach once the thing is complete.

You can clearly see my issue with the sloping lines of the generators profile in the following pic. The extra detail on the vents draws the eye along the same path. But I don't mind it so much now, again I can live with it's imperfections.