Dark Angels - Ravenwing Dark Shroud part 10 - TO DONE!

And here we are the Ravenwing Dark Shroud is complete. I think I'm satisfied with the result. As usual there are elements that exceed my expectations while there are others that fall short, or are compromised.

But I'm not overly fussed about the result, which I appreciate sounds a little underwhelming. This is a model I need in my army to make the Ravenwing more effective. Their function/inclusion is a key element of taking Ravenwing so he had to be done.

And the result matches my existing Ravenwing so all those boxes are ticked. The black highlights are exactly as expected which is good but as predicted the varnish did show up some brush strokes, but I'll not lose sleep over them.

Almost everything else went to plan, although I didn't take any pictures with the plasma battery.

The red glass windows are another area that falls a little short. A lot of the preparatory shading/highlights have been neutralized by the Tamiya Clear Red X-27, which is a shame. 

I should probably go super contrast next time, probably not even bother with reds, just do pure black and white.

I'll probably use the Heavy Bolter more than the Assault Cannon, but it fits best with the magnets and because I cut off a bit of the rail mounting for the HB which makes it a little unstable :(

2 other elements I'm unsure on - the red edging on the DJ booth. It was just 'plonked' on and I can't tell if it looks it or somehow ties it altogether. 

I'm also sceptical regarding the purity seals and parchment. My other Land Speeders had a sepia tint on them which looked really cool. 

I don't know whether leaving these pure white keeps the palette reduced or makes them stick out unrealistically?

The Ferron Marble was just as I'd done before but appears a little 'busy' after trying to compress so many veins into such a small space. But I'm not sure what else I could have done.

I know a lot of people dislike the design of this model and I wouldn't say I'm a 'fan' but I do like certain elements [although this is perhaps its least flattering angle...]

Whereas the 3/4 view isn't too bad and I do like the DJ booth. That's why I had to get one of the old 'Crayola' Whirlwind launchers, so the deign aesthetic makes sense - 2 DJ bopoths. 

I was surprisingly pleased with the crew. They felt like an annoyance throughout as I kept missing metallic trim and having to repeat steps I'd already moved on from. They're also much smaller pieces than the rest of the model so the sense of scale was difficult to reconcile.

But they all came out OK, with enough unique touches to make them out separately. Job done!

And the Big Teal Stamp of Approval for completing this 'Darn' [sic] Shroud!

The 2019/20 Hobby Season starts soon, join me!

The 2019/20 hobby season will be starting soon so for those alumni who joined in last season it's time to look back at your lists - at what you've achieved, what might have slipped and those lovely unexpected successes that happened despite life getting in the way and loss of mojo - I speak from experience [yet again].

The original plan when I started with 'big stamps of approval' was that I wouldn't do multi-coloured stamps, just alternate between red and green but who was I kidding? So I give you the official 40kaddict 2019/20 Great Big GALACTIC Stamp of Approval! That's right folks I've gone full-on multi-coloured with a background galaxy picture. I was going to go black initially but it just looked uninspired, then black glitter effect but it wasn't much better and then I found this and knew it was right and proper. Feel free to download and use them on your blog as and when you get stuff  'TO DONE!'

Or you can record your achievements with an 'unbranded' version.

And should you feel inclined to differentiate your efforts yet further here 's the major goal stamps

And minor goals.

And I also got the Big Build...

 and Base [and obviously Prime] Stamps done too. I heartily recommend this video from Tabletop Minions to understand where I was going with the 'Big Build' concept, he's touched on and expanded exactly why I created this a few years back.

Just a reminder of what it's about, in 2011 I made my first To Do List, amusingly it now looks like this:

• AoBR Tactical Squad
• AoBR Dreadnought
• AoBR Terminators
• Scout Squad
• Ravenwing bike squad
• Dark Angel Drop Pod
• Purity Seal all of my son's Tyranids
• Gloss Varnish all of my son's Tyranids
• Tyranid Prime
• Mycetic Spore
• Paint Vent Tower
• Paint defence platforms x4
• Complete pot pourri vegetation
• Complete future containers
• Complete 40k Cathedral tower
• STC Single story ruin
• STC Hex Defence platforms
• STC Targus Assault Blockade
• STC Vent tower
• STC Athena plateau
• STC Mercury plateau
• STC 40k Cathedral tower
• 60mm Dreadnought crater

So 4 things still haven't been done and quite frankly never will ;) . The purpose was to try to focus my efforts to outline a list of things I'd love to do over a twelve month period and if I achieved any of them great, all of them, so much better. But more importantly I needed a structure to cling to when my efforts became aimless. That's not to say deviations from the list were forbidden it was more for when I went 'well what's next?'

It became an annual blog post to review what I'd done and set new tasks and throughout the year I would reveal my 'To Dones!' as completed items both on and off the list. Showcase posts are nothing new to hobby blogs but again it was a structure to help build the identity of this blog. Then in 2014 I invited readers and passers-by of the blog to join in. Well, when you have a good idea why not share it around. I got about 10 people joining in and it looked like we were quite a supportive little bunch. I think over time steam ran out a little bit but folk continue to join in each year and hopefully the same will ring true for 2019/20.

To help things out a bit I've created a Hobby Season Facebook group, it's here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278747245819138/

So, if you're joining in just ask and I'll add you into the group, that way you can share your blog posts or any efforts to those also joining in. I hope this platform will allow more interaction for those taking part and keep us all motivated.

I guess the last question is why 28th August as the start/end date, why not January 1st?

I think back in 2011 it was at that time I thought a structure needed to be in place and it was as good a time as any to post a To Do List, afterall the footy season starts around this time too, no one complains about that, do they?

Anyway, 28th August join me for the new Hobby Season :)

GW Manchester Battle of the Brush - July - Squads

Following on from June's Battle of the Brush [or 'Tale of our Warlords', as it's also known], July's category was Squads. I entered my Chosen Axes I did finish Ylthari's Guardians in time but I'd already put the Axes in. My goal is just to achieve the 12 entries over the course of the year and as you can see the standard is exceptional each month so the competitive aspect will be tough, hence why I'm just along for the ride.

First place was this Khorne Warband

Which was really, really good and well deserved.

Part of the Warhammer Underworlds Sepulchral Guard came 2nd.

Armiger Warglaives were 3rd.

These Sylvaneth got the most inspiring award - staff award for hwo they would like to paint that faction should they so choose.

1000 sons.

Steel Custodes.

Kastellan Robots

More Sylvaneth in these Kurnos Hunters, which I absolutely love, hence why I've taken so many pics in previous post of the rest of the army in the store display cabinets.

Iron Snakes for Marcelis.

Fire Warriors on a crackled snow base + matching movement tray.

Some Gobbo fanatics, sadly difficult to see due to reflections and their insane poses.

Homebrew/successor chapter - topical.

Space Hulk Termminators, which had been criticised for lack of bases, but they come with them and primarily for the game this shouldn't have been an issue.

Orkses.

Orkses in dustbins.

Demigryph riders.

Squig riders.

Skinks done with Contrast paints

Some old-skool Marauder Dwarves by the looks of it.

Lastly a unit of Genestealer Neophytes. Honourable mention to the Nagash model which had been entered in the Everchosen competition - it was HUGE! I honestly didn't realise quite how big he was in the bones [cos he has no flesh, see?]

Big models for August, I'm pretty sure I'll complete the Dark Shroud for inclusion, if not I've got Lady Pettorini [who'll be November's entry if the Ravenwing is completed].

Angels - Ravenwing Dark Shroud part 9 - Almost there

The Dark Shroud is almost complete now, for the life of me I don't know what all the fuss was about. The DJ has his orange targeting lenses done, you can also see some of the scribbled oaths of moment on the front of his booth. I spontaneously decided to edge it in red, I don't know why. It harks back a little to the Typhoons, as their launchers are edged red but it really wasn't that considered.

The Icon of Caliban had its Ferron marble painted. It might be a little busy looking but I can live with it. The Calibanite ruins had a wash of Waywatcher green just add a little mossiness to the effect.

I kept the purity seals pure white, that might be a mistake, but again I'm past caring at this stage - I can always add a sepia wash later on.

The glow FX on the battery are a little clunky, not so much on the barrel but the plasma coils. I can always tweak them but I can't imagine using them anyway so it doesn't deserve any more effort at this stage.

The anti-grav glows far more effective and almost the same as my Typhoons. I know it's suspicious it has the same colour as the plasma weaponry and the jet turbines but neregy transfer is a funny business in the 41st millennium! The here orange targeting lenses came out OK, pitty most of that shading will disappear with the Tamiya Clear Orange X-26.

So, tasks left on the Dark Shroud:

• Orange targeting lenses
• Purity seals/scrolls
• Scribbled oaths of moment
• Red tribal markings
• Company numbers
• Orange plasma FX
• Orange anti-grav FX
• Icon of Caliban red marble
• Varnish
• Taniya Clear Red X-27 [windows]
• Tamiya Clear Orange X-26 [targeting lenses]
• Highlight window frames
• Re-varnish

Yep, everything's done and I just need to take pics so I can add it to my Hobby Season Review post. Don't worry, new stamps of approval are incoming...