Dark Angels - Jetfighter - Tail lights

I decided to do some freehand identification markings, this is 2nd company 5th wing, Alpha Squadron, craft PSI [cos who doesn't like a Pitchshifter reference] or somesuch vague meaning. The cool thing is that new flyer book suggests all markings on ravenwing flyers are meant to secret and hard to fathom by outsiders.

Once again i was struck by how much easier it is to pain numbers than roman numerals. To be honest the sides are different, this side is a bit taller and more tightly spaced, which isn't quite as nice as the other side. I could have probably done a little more to construct a grid to ensure they were better matched. But, you can't actually see both sides at once so you wouldn't really notice, maybe if I do another one?

Having started to apply some of the orange OSL on the jets I suddenly realised how the open jet engines wouldn't work - gaping black holes that are all lit up round the edges. So I resolved to fix it, albeit a little late. I stuffed the engines full of rolled up kitchen paper. I must have forced about two paper towels in each engine, it's amzing how much space is inside these! I;d originally though to use tin foil as it compresses harder but there really was too much volume to fill, and it'd have been harder to do. So instead paper and to cap it of I plugged it with DAS air drying clay. A small blob and then a damp end of a paint brush rounded it off.

The next night it was simple enough to paint over, no primer necessary, orange highlights up to yellow with some bright white blobs and I'm pretty happy.

The jet vents were alittle more understated than I'd planned but I was finding all the orange OSL just looked wrong, so I was able to remove it with just a hint of glow which I think works better. Also of note is the three 'bear claw' tribal stripe motif on the tail. This is only on the right side, if I get another flyer it'll be marked on the left and a third [for a Silence Squadron] will be the leader with both left and right markings. I later took time to add the same markings on the Jetfighter tail but asymmetrically on the left side. This will again be mirrored on a second flyer also with both sides marked on the third. Also worthy of mention are the red windows on the Dark Talon stasis cell. These will be picked out with Tamiya Clear Red X-27 when done. I even decided the conical 'dome' was tempered stasis glass too. The picture makes it all blend together quite well [much better than reality].

I've spotted a couple of things in this picture I can do to help blend it into the fuselage a bit better, despite already varnishing it. The Anti Shine has not gone on well. As expected I'm seeing brush strokes and tide marks in the Anti-shine. It catches the light funny and makes a mockery of the effort spent trying to make the black as flat as it could be.

I can only think a second coat might even things up or alternatively sprayed on, which might mean cranking out the air brush. I'll try a second coat underneath first to see if it helps. Regardless I;ve still to paint the glow on the rift Cannon and finish of the Blackthorn missiles then it's done!

Dark Angels - Jetfighter - None more black?

I've been struggling to accept the black on the Jetfighter. It's still not the flat matt black I hoped it to be and all the efforts with watered Army Painter black and Abaddon and resulted in a finish I wasn't 100% happy with, not even 80%. I even tried thinned black with Lahmian Medium and even Army Painter Dark Tone [black] all of these produce 'tide marks' which you should be able to make out below.

Eventually th best result, or the least offensive to me involved adding Citadel Technical black primer to the centre, then 'drybrushing' it overthe edges. Now the Technical paint can be a bit funny. It needs a vigourous shake, there's thick black sludge and thin black but I've found the thin black goes on wet and can be pushed around with an old brush. The brush I have is quite wide and flat but with a rounded tip. It's about 8-10mm wide and the bristles are quite gummed up - that measn I can be quite forceful with it. With a flat blade I cut in thin areas and also blend wider bits.

It's by no means perfect and I'm sure my matt varnish will add countless tide marks too. With hindsight I should have stuck with my idea to texturize the fuselage, but it just didn't look right. However, a rough texture hides a multitude of sins and I must have painted the black about 4 times with successive thinned coats to get the black with only the Technical paint even approaching satisfactory. I;d even tried it in the past without joy but this time I at least wasn't offended by the result.

Finally, some Dark Reaper has been added to the edges and joints for the extra highlight. Some further pin highlights will be added on some of the most prominent edges, but I don't want it to be too bright, so it will be quite sparing.

The Jetfighter still has a way to go.

1. I've still got the underside of the wings to blend. 
2. Then it's 2nd highlights. 
3. Then pin lights. 
4. Then patina AND weathering. 
5. SFX (need to decide on colours for vent lights and the colour of the rift cannon). 
6. Other lenses and lights. 
7. Markings and litanies... 

And there was me thinking I was getting close to finished!

Anyway, quick mock up for the Rift Cannon, what colour do you think is best? Answers in the comments

Dark Angels - Jetfighter - Red or Dead!

So with red red wing done I went on to do the second wing but was undecided as to where this is going to go. Firstly I thought the red was too much, hence why I didn't paint the leading wing edge, but will that be black, or bronze? It certainly won't be white, but the red isn't great and in some respects the flyer looked overall too bright...

... at which point I inexplicably look up 'red marble' in google images. Can I just say ever since I saw the first painted example of a Jet Fighter with marble panels on the wing I thought they were downright stupid. Sure the 40k universe is backwards, inexplicable and filled with anachronisms but no one would be stupid enough to put stonework on a flyer! Then I saw this and thought what the hell, why not?!

So I looked at a couple of YouTube tutorials, Duncan at WarhammerTV was particularly useful regards the striations that are within the stone [but I was always going to stick to water instead of Lahmian Medium]. I also checked out the painting Buddha guys, but it was above my pay grade really. However Jay Adan had a tutorial with sponging that better matched the example above and so I used the piece of card I prepared to do this test piece which I was well pleased with.

So on to the model, where I immediately deviated from my test and did not thin my ever trusty Vermilion and so sponged on some pretty great [but not what I'd intended] texture, almost like the sandstone back on my Oneplus One

You should be able to see the grainy relief in these shots.

The next night I sponged on some Vallejo Heavy Red and black in varying degrees. This darker texture was to try to bring the tone down and reflect those darker grains in my inspiration image.

Luckily that took the tone down because if I was concerned about Khorne Red being too bright Vermilion was definitely out of scope, albeit fluffy and ties in with all the other Red Planet BASE! elements

I followed up that gorgeous dark with adding more light! Yep some Bonewhite micro-fragments courtesy of my sponge [I wonder what else I can do with it, obviously weathering but I love the minute detail here].

And here come the striations. Lesson learned - it's really important to go in thinned, then you can build up where it's lightest. But if you put too much paint down you can use water to then spread the paint and streak it out so you get those thinning tendrils.

Although I was really pleased with the results I thought it needed something else and as per the google image certain areas above or below the striations had a darker red.

This added extra depth and dimension to the marble. So, some thinned black did a good job of replicating that. I must admit the wing on the right below I think is more successful. The other wing seems to have too many striations, it looks a bit forced and unnatural. I may try and fade one out a bit.

Here's a close up of the finished effect

I'll admit that I am thoroughly happy with what I've achieved and how close it is to my source and yet retains my own aesthetic. But I'll also say that I'm not sure about it, it'll obviously stay because it came out so well and really stands out but that's the point. For my dark and brooding jetfigther - bright red and white wings is that really what I should have done? Its all a bit gaudy. Part of me wonders if I get another, and I would ultimately like three, do I try a bronze version or even a black marble version? And then I conform and realise I've done this and this is how they will all be patterned, like it or lump it! We build our own prison cells and some are clad in Vermillion marble...

Where's my head @?

On this here blog I have my regular 'what's on my palette' posts that informs and structures what I'm doing and where I'm at. But I also have 'Where's my head @?' which is more to do with how I'm thinking and feeling about the projects, blog and all the great mysteries of our time.

Despite juggling a number of projects to keep my mojo going there is always a despondency after completing one, in this case the Ravenwing. So I thought throwing the Land Speeders into the mix would continue that momentum but as alluded to in previous posts the whole bronzing task fills me with the urge to do anything but move the speeders along.

So I shifted my attention to another onerous task. I'd tried to crack on with the Genestealers before I went on holiday. I'd made some serious in roads in the first set of highlights on the chest and back, well beyond my expectaions. Then I started to do the legs and these are much more laboroius, with the first gen stealers having three parts to their legs I managed to do only two on top of five 2nd gens before I gave up! So I committed to painting the remaining 1st gens as the newer ones are a fraction easier and I think I can manage the 15 left in one sitting and then it's the arms, which are even more depressing.

I have taken the opportunity to do the odd arm here and there so the little surprise of a model being complete is discovered during the next batch session but once it's done I have to do it all again with second highlights :( but here's the progress chart so far which somehow seemed doable before the end of the hobby season, now less so.

I've even took to throwing some paint down on the spare weapons for my Knight Paladin. It's definitely worth acknowledging that this is another diversion from more pressing or essential tasks. I've been mentioning those a lot in recent posts so it just goes to show how much of a mind game getting on with your hobby really is. 

I really want to achieve a few more things - the Knight, the Dark Talon, perhaps the Land Speeders before the end of the season [August 28th] but I'm sabotaging that goal by doing other things. Granted I'm doing things also on the list but I only have a finite amount of time and effort and it looks like I'll end up a number of 'nearly finished' items. Which will make 2016/17 look pretty impressive if they're completed next season but I did have plans to crack on with other projects.

The problem with how I write my blog, sometimes in advance, sometimes 'live', is that when I have a moment of doubt that it can be reconciled within 24-48 hours. Having near continuous hobby routine - 1.5 to 2 hours a night, when I struggle one night it can be resolved the next. As the downer from achieving the Ravenwing hit I struggled through all the above and then suddenly the Dark Talon/Jetfighter raised me up. I progressed, almost autonomously because the black shading and subsequent painting are pretty straightforward. Before I knew it I was out of the doldrums and [semi] focussed, semi because I threw in the remaining legs on the Genestealers.

So my head is back in the game and I have sufficient willpower to get the flyer done and we'll see how far that momentum takes me on other projects.

North West Open

 
One of the next tournaments coming up is The North West Open. It's the brainchild of Acefacehickers with the support of Martin from Wargames in Southport.
It's 1850pts Warhammer 40k Tournament using ITC rules. 2 days 5 games. Loads of fun. £60 per ticket price includes food and drinks Lunch time on both days.

23 July - 24 July
23 July at 9:00 to 24 July at 18:00

All the details can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1011176782286528/

And Martin posted up this YouTube video of the efforts to prepare it for the tournament ans also so you can have a look at the venue, which I've been really impressed with every time I've been.

Currently though it's unlikely I'll be able to make it. Ironically the most local big tournament ever is taking place when I was actually supposed to be on holiday, 350 miles away in Cornwall! So I was not likely to attend. However, the situation was already in flux as my wife was due to work a shift on the Saturday we were supposed to leave. Now it transpires my mother-in-law is having carpal-tunnel surgery and so the holiday has been cancelled so we can be there for support.

That kind of brings my attendance back into the realms of possibility. Unfortunately as the wife has difficulty changing shifts she may not be able to swap the Saturday out, she would for a family holiday but for me to play toy soldiers, well it's currently a big ask. Bottom line, the event sounds awesome, I'd love to attend and if I can I will. In the mean time check it out

Dark Angels - Jetfighter - Back in Black!

I've started blending the black into my first level highlight. You can see this has been done on the left side - smooth blending compared to the right wing. It's actually really simple and easy to do, there's just a lot of it on this model, which is why it's a little daunting. The thing is it's not difficult so I'm stunned at how I could theoretically strom through this but the amount is what's hampering progress.

By the end of the evening I'd got the rear wings done and most of the tail section 15-20% of the Jetfighter, so it's not too hard. I also tried a little Dark Reaper highlight on right wing so again it's a simple, enjoyable but large task ahead.

So, to try to break everything up I decided to paint a wing. It was always goign to be red, I pondered bronze but thought it's be a pain and too much. Dark red might be more interesting, as I'd never seen a Jetfighter with red wings. But now I look at it and I'm unsure...

I'm reminded of this:

But it's not really a decision that's at stake it's a maelstrom of thought's, ideas, preferences - could I do this? What about that? Eventually I made a decision [did I not just say a decision was not at stake?]. Rest assured the next post I think is a doozy, possibly Bastion growth pt8. level so look forward to how I took a simple red wing that was supposed to be flat and dark and brooding and painted it into something completely different to my own plans/expectations. You've got to love the unexpected things that happen when you're painting and in the zone.

Look Around You

This is a post I've had in draft for probably four years at least. It was actually only the last couple of pictures that constituted the post, hence why it had never got past draft state. But I did at least a couple of these back when I was creating my STC terrain templates. When you're in the business of making templates you really start to take notice of buildings and structures to help with ideas of your own. My recent holiday to Wales was great for pictures and I thought there was sufficient to add to this post to make it worthwhile.

So we had the opportunity to return to Portmeirion, famous for featuring as 'the Village' in The Prisoner. I cannot emphasise enough how much I love this place. It may be a pastiche of a real Italian village and some of the elemtns are clearly 'home made', bodges even but in some respects that makes it even more special because it feels like a scratchbuild by those artists who lived and worked there. Anyway, this sculpture captured my attention for obvious reasons.

In particular it highlights that some areas do not weather at all. Should I go all out verdigris it's definitely something to think about, although to be fair I have already been there with my Honoured Imperium Statue [and I added rust streaks too!]

Funnily enough this was 'Atlas' [?] when we went in 2005!

So if you ever get chance to go to this place I heartily recommend it, they even hold a music festival in the summer. We've been about 5 or 6 times now and aside from Warhammer World it is probably my favorite place ever.

But to get back on track about finding inspiration in the places we go I did discover this awesome rust that could be recreated with a variety of weathering powders, technical paints and what have you. It may even stand out [just] on Ferron Proxima as the yellow rust might just show up against the red, which might get 'swallowed' by Red Planet BASE [but then that is the point of the fluff about my modular hills...] And some Nurgley rust too!

Now, speaking of rust brings me back to the original inspiration for the Look Around You post. This is a car park next to my office and it's always struck me as very grimdark .

Of course the use of Cor-ten weathering steel helps, but it's also the variety of shapes and textures. It may not be some high gothic, but it definitely smacks of underhive.

These pics were actually taken a few years later. I took them so I could get a close look at the textures and weathering

Perhaps they'll be inspirational for your own hobby projects.

And this is what inspired me back in the day. It's my stalled Maufactorum STC. It was really just supposed to be a framework with the gridded area used to create the patchwork effect seen on the car park. Cutting various pieces of board and corrugated card to duplicate all those textures and surfaces. One day I'll get round to completing it...