Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels - Pilot's lounge

I think these are almost done now, which is why I'm picking out some of the finer details in the cabin. A quick Incubi Darkness drybrush, followed by Dark Reaper is all I wanted to do.Then the dials and lights, just simple RAG rated [in reverse ;) ]. Hindsight I could have added some yellow on the inner walls so that just the console equipment was black but I'll live with it as is.

The other console on the left, just glowy dials. It's fiddly to get in so this was the best I was after.

I then decided to add some Gunmetal scratches and scuffs, particularly on the feet and ball joint.

Really glad I did now as I think it adds a lot. Ordinarily I might have applied some extra shading behind it but this looks more natural than I usually do. You can also see I've started to edge the base with Valejo Heavy Red, so you know they're almost complete now.

I think the Flamer is a bit too grunged and the fuel tanks are slightly incongruous but some scuffs and Typhus Corrosion have blended it back into the whole a bit.

The exhaust stacks had a little Abaddon black drybrushed on the ends, for soot.

The pilots look identical, they're both 'Turqs' [vat-bred genetic-xenos hybrids]. I had some fun with my lime green paint making the glow effect on the visor and controls.

The pilots have both been varnished with Army Painter Anti-Shine, ready to be glued in place once the Sentinels have also been varnished. While I’m at it I’ll get the Deathwatch done too, which begs the question – what next? I probably have enough time to do the new AoP base, but having dismissed the possibility I now feel less inclined to make the effort…

Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels - Moar grunge

So the decision was made and I sadistically chose the finest number out of them all. I spent a significant amount of time cutting it out as a stencil and then the Martian Ironearth texture rendered it almost useless.

What I could see of the black that was stippled through was sufficient enough for me to free-hand the rest of the number. The results are pretty good, all of the alternatives would have been just as effective and there are possibly different layouts I could have tried but this delivers everything I expected so I need to crack on. But for a nights work - red stripe, two numbers and a black wash...

This is two nights on and I'm a little annoyed with myself for missing the intervening WiP. The main issue is the night before I'd applied Typhus Corrosion and Strong Shade and at that stage I could visualise that the addition of Ryza Rust might be a step too far.

Unfortunately I didn't record that step, but having added the Ryza Rust I knew I had to tone it down somehow which is why you can see the wet reflection off a further sepia wash that has helped blend the dry weathering with the existing grunge.

The exhausts stacks definitely look better rusted but still need toning down. I'll be adding some more Typhus and washes but I'm reaching a point where I might be adding stuff for the sake of it. If the Rust felt like a mistake I need to consider quitting while ahead.

There are still bits to do on the base and the Flamer and chainsaw need a bit of work.

The Pilots have also been painted and their cockpits need some of the lights and dials picking out but I can't see this more than a few more nights work.

If that's the case then I'll get them and the Deathwatch all varnished up and everything will be good for AoP. I must admit I never expected these to go so smoothly. I love the model I love how easy they are to paint. I could definitely see me wanting more, but must resist the temptation, although I'd love to do one considerably more grunged and rusted up...

Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels - Shading and the return of the abomination that is Seraphim Sepia

Last Fridays post and we left the Sentinels ready for some definition. I was feeling a little disheartened I'd covered some of the Red Oxide underpainting but hoped a fine sepia shade might fool the eye into thinking the yellow was warmer than it had become. To that end I considered the use of one of the few products that I'd sworn never to to use again - the abomination that is Seraphim Sepia. It's slightly lighter and brown/orange than Army Painter Soft Tone and the arch-deity Duncan had just used it in a video to great effect.

NEVER AGAIN! You can see the plastered powdery scum appearing from nowhere. I shook it and applied thinly - the common advice that those who defend this product suggest is a requirement to do it's sole function. But still no joy! I'd say it was just this batch but I know others have been caught out, hence all the helpful advice instead of just 'don't use it'.

That said, the residue did act as a substrate to which the further application of Army Painter Soft Tone would adhere to.

However, the Soft Tone is darker and the addition of the residue just meant it absorbed far more wash than without and so it was darker still!

Ultimately it was fixable, mainly because I was aware it might happen and was prepared to give it another chance. Sadly I really want some of the other shades but I just don't trust the product so I'm more likely to look at some of the other Army painter washes if I need a coloured one.

Other than that they're coming along great and the warmth of the yellow seems to have been restored thanks to the increased contrast.

Rear shot.

And the Photoshop samples I asked on facebook on how to add markings and numbers. Don;t worry I eventually made a decision.

Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels - Jaundice

I was pretty pleased with myself at this point the mix of Iyanden Dark Sun and Gamboge was producing some half decent results and I could be as messy as I wanted to be so there was a lot of freedom in the process.

I'm not sure the subsequent set of highlights have helped. Its a subtle difference but the underpainting from the Red Oxide seems to have been covered up a bit which makes me sad :(

The gun metal bits are also a bit glaring at this stage but I'm going to do a sepia wash next. I'm gong to do it selectively though, just in the crevices, which I predict will be a little tedious and potentially slow but I imagine I can get through at least one in an evening. I also need to decide on some of the markings I want on it. I imagine a vertical red strips on the left front panel but I also want a white number which will obscure most of the red line as the number has to be big...

Meanwhile you can just see in the background Jetek Suberei is on his base, just some details to finish up on it and he'll be complet, which surprises me too!

Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels - Base/Basecoat

The last thing I did the other night was a Strong Tone wash on the bases so it could dry and I'd Red Planet BASE! them the following night. Jetek Suberei's base was also in the mix. You can see I've completed the four sets of highlights on the red and blocked in some grey, green and bronze bits. That debris will add a bit of extra effort on the bases but I must stand with the decision to go down this route.

With the bases mostly done I decided to just apply some Iyanden Dark Sun to the cab to see how it would look. A few stipples and already I think you can see where this is going. I'd managed to remove the pilots/drivers - never underestimate the effectiveness of a screw driver in removing glued components [stronger, more effective and less dangerous than a blade]. So I'd applied some black inside the cab and on some areas on the legs and body. Nothing tidy, as the yellow is going over it, and where it's been stippled on you can see the varied tone underneath, which I like.

I also dabbed on some yellow on the second Sentinel, mixing some Gamboge craft acrylic into the mix. It's amazing how thick that paint is while going on almost like a glaze. It really made the Iyanden Dark Sun richer.

Really this was just messing about so I didn't even complete everything that needed to be done. I'll finish it off next session, all the yellow blocked in. With that done I'll do some limited highlights, don't want it getting too pastel yellow. Then I'll be adding some sepia shading to define all the edges and then some of the rust effects.

OK so the basecoat isn't complete but I'm really pleased with the progress, how quick and how effective it already appears. I may well just get these done in time

Dreadtober 2017 - Genestealer Cult Sentinels

I must confess [because it's the name of the blog] I was starting to get a little antsy that these guys had remained without progress. I'd asked on the Facebook group whether it was daft to have saved so much on ebay with the two sentinels only to buy three bases for £8, near enough wiping out the savings and Marcelis pointed out 'a saving is still a saving'. So I ordered the three Battlefield Debris 60mm bases from bases4war.com. They still appear to be the best value resin bases online. The range hasn;t grown but what they have are great quality, great designs and most of the lines are comprehensive in whichever size you need. It was about five working days delivery, but it's sent second class post which is FREE, so can't complain. I really didn't imagine using the big cog base on the right but it worked so well with the pose I had to use it. You can also see I removed the cab framework. The top of the framework was missing and I'd seen plenty of examples go down this route, it seemed the quickest solution that try and source a replacement.

You will also note that after the Red Oxide primer I've used some extra products. I have some Valejo Red Oxid [sic] paste, if you're after texture paint and need a decent quantity you can't go wrong with this. I used it to fill in some of the flat areas around where I'd sanded the base to attach the feet. I also thinned it down to add rust texture on the body. I then added Martian Ironearth in places because these are going to be all kinds of battered.

This is the plan - I'm going for a very battered yellow, which I appreciates fits very differently with colours of the rest of the Free Radical Collective but these are all construction vehicles and just because you're driving around in a CAT or JCB doesn't mean your work clothes are bright yellow.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonvscanon/6411013369

Bottom line I want to do yellow vehicles, I may live to regret the decision and the Red Oxide looks cool so far it seems odd to make it yellow but I will push on regardless.

Deathwatch/wing - Librarianism

With Ennox Sorrlock [Iron Hands] and Ortan Cassius all but complete the only remaining squad members are Jetek Suberei [which we always knew would be an issue] and the Librarian Jensus Natorian. And so I returned to my Space Hulk Librarian in Terminator armour... but it's not a problem as many of the psyker effects I'm employing on this guy were to be used on Jensus. But first I painted his Dark Angel tabbard and then it was on to the deathwing symbol.

Once again I've surprised myself and from a distance it's pretty great. Obviously the close up reveals a few mistakes - the top of the wing on the right is angled up a bit, the sword isn't quite in the centre of the shoulder pad and the colours are a bit patchy. But I don't mind it, I like the semi-transparent finish and won't even be addign any highlights as I think it marries up with the slighlty more grungy bonewhite shading on the bottom of the pad. And again, table-top wise you notice none of this.

I'd been debating the 'force' colour choice. Yellow had been one option, red was another but I went with what I'd already done for my Dark Vengeance Librarian - turquoise. Now this was a contentious decision as I need to apply weathering to all the brass and bronze and would need to differentiate between the two effects. My solution was to go bright with the 'force' and darker with the verdigris.

For the force I started with my Army Painter Turquoise as it's the darkest one I have and then used my Do Crafts Turquoise [second highlights on my Tyranid Chitin plates] as the brighter centre, then Nihilakh Oxide and finally white. The little lighning sparks were a mixed success , some a bit chunkier than others but overall I was impressed with the results.

And as promised I simultaneously applied the same effects to Jensus.

The glows around the eyes became a little 'superhero mask' as opposed to glowing eyes but it could have been worse.

This just left the patina and a few bits and bobs, plus another coat or two on the base edges and then Suberei... meanwhile, no sign yet of my Sentinel bases.