Denied... again.

So my last post about IT issues revealed I could no longer blog within my IT network whilst able to see the images pulled from Google Photos. I ultimately resolved that issue by using our standalone laptop that makes use of a WiFi dongle not connected to our 'managed network'. Everything was fine, I was writing once or twice a week which would cover me for 2 or 3 posts on the blog. Unfortunately a new issue has arisen. It would appear that our little £15 WiFi dongle has been somehow monopolising the IT network after a recent powercut. When all the servers came back on it somehow became the default that all the rest tried to connect to!

Anyway, our local IT guys, who are genuinely cool, still had to find a way to limit it. Fundamentally that doesn't change anything. It took a few weeks for them to reconfigure the device but their bosses have suggested that it's use is curtailed. That means I can turn it on occasionally to still blog but it is a bit of a palaver, again, and something I'm sure they would prefer not to be used. I mean I was using that WiFi dongle all the time, saving my data on my phone, so now that's a challenge too 😉.

In conclusion, I can still blog and you may not even notice any drop in service, but once again there is another hurdle which makes my blogging more difficult and might be less frequent depending on how often I can access the kit.

Dreadtober 2019 - Metallics

#Dreadtober continues inexorably but as expected my progress is slow. In fairness this has nothing to do with the model or even the usually problematic brassy bronze. No it has been impacted both by the weather and general fatigue. Heavy rain has meant the garden has flooded and wading to the Man Cave in my wellies has often been sufficient to discourage me even attempting to crack on with my Dread. One night I braved the elements to get out there and slap on some Balthasar Gold on top of the Warplock Bronze.

Weapon options too. Originally I hoped to throw in my Deathwing Knights as well, as they are at the same stage but half an hour was just about as much as I could do before I felt it was time to go to bed. I've been monitoring my sleep again using Google Fit, I think I've made a little improvement in my sleep schedule. There are still the occasional late nights but I think they're more uncommon now. I've had some early nights too, which doesn't help the hobby obviously but should help me long-term.

Another night I got out to the shed and managed to sponge/stipple on some Retributor Gold. I'm a little uncertain on some areas of metallics but I'll continue on until they're all done and then decide if they should still be bronze or in fact green. I'll need to cover splodges anyway so it's no real hardship.

The guns are coming along too.

And the Fist, which I'd been rather impressed being black next to the green body but immediately decided I would not eventually keep it, but will quarter it so the fist is the 5th Company symbol. Really pleased that decision just came to me in a two step realisation. No doubts, no prevarication, just that looks cool, oh, or that would be cooler!

Another set of highlights to do, then shade washes to balance the colours.. This might then require some small highlights to sharpen things up and then it's some limited verdigris and on to the greens.

Blood Bowl - Human Team Original Middenheim Marauders

I know it's Dreadtober but I had been working on these Blood Bowl humans prior to that and it was a roller-coaster of emotions in the few weeks beforehand. It's amazing how you can go from such a hobby high - absolute motivation and feelings of success to nothing. I have no idea why, I'd been sticking to a number of my processes and techniques to feel fulfilled, then I started painting my Blood Bowl Human team and it all seems to have evaporated. Despite being on my To Do List and being what I wanted to paint, even if they weren't the priority items I'd originally identified, it hasn't helped sustain my mojo.

I had just felt I could do the base coats and there was no pressure, I could predict how much progress I could do and although the output is 'samey' - the team is all dressed identically, how is that different than painting 10 Termagants?

But I did progress nontheless, but perhaps at the expense of my mojo... Despite feeling 'this is what I wanted to do' and being impressed with the results.

Khorne Red and Valejo GC Stonewall Grey.

I managed to get them all basecoated and would go on to do the flesh-tones across the team.

Then it was Army Painter Strong Tone [Agrax equivalent]. Foolishly I did the Bronzed Flesh guys with that, when a Soft Tone would have been better.

With them shaded I then added Stonewall and Khorne Red highlights [on the one on the right].

A single thin coat in places, stippled on to add some texture/dappled weathering effect.

Now this highlight takes an evening, so I could predict 12 nights work but I wanted to progress one of them with the second set of highlights - white and Valejo GC Bloody Red and part of me felt I'd gone too far, particularly on the red. I think I've lost something in the rich scarlet. So whatever motivation I had for these has waned somewhat. Luckily I have other priorities to jump to but what do you think? Which works best...?

Single set of highlights on the left, double highlights on the right?

'nids part 272 - Tyranid VSG part 3

Dreadtober starts tomorrow, but I mentioned the other day I had been sculpting the Tyranid Void Shield Generator and so thought I'd just slip this in before I can start sharing my Dread progress. I had been putting the VSG off, for over 3 years now, purely because I wanted to video how to do some of the tendon bits. I finally did the clip and I desperately want this complete, but among so many other projects Dreadtober included there's quite a competition for my limited hobby time.

Here's how I sculpt a tendon:

And static shots from the completed spine in the video.

The inner spine is [almost] complete though.

It's not perfect by any stretch but after the gloss and Tamiya Clear Red X-27 it doesn't have to be.

My next stumbling block is how it interfaces with the ground. I was going to use some of the wood chips I used on my 'ground-bursting' Trygon but I still need to add some lava stones to look like alien growths. It's a fair bit of work and not without challenges, hence why it has almost caused my renewed efforts to stall...

The emitter node also needs adding to the pen tube so I can then add veins and whatnot before I then try and sculpt the inside of the battlements. 

The black mark is for one extra tendon that needs to be sculpted in place. I've got some concept elements for the battlements - which is an odd situation as in 8th edition the building rules are far more streamlined now with less room for interpretation. It's still possible to position models in the standard Imperial VSG but nowadays this would probably be considered modelling for advantage. 

I mean I did specifically build it to fit a brood of Devgaunts in but that was perfectly legitimate with the prescribed rules in 7th. Anyway, I doubt it's ever going to a tournament so it's not really an issue.

Anyway, not sure when/if I'll do some more on this, Dreadtober is my focus but I will have some extra hobby time between writing this and it's scheduled publish date, so I might have one update soonish or none for six months to two years...😂

Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 1. | part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. |

Tyranid Void Shield Generator Chapter 2. | part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. | part 10. | part 11. | part 12. | part 13. | part 14. | part 15. | 

Dreadtober 2019 - A 'cheaters' guide...

Dreadtober begins next week and I have this Redemptor Dreadnought to do. Now it's supposed to be you build and paint your Dreadnought [or equivalent] in the month but I know my hobby pace and knew building it in advance was a minimum.

I also got it based, primed, base-coated and then painted the base [along with a lot of other models]. Now this took a significant amount of time to get to this stage, so I wouldn't have achieved this and potentially finish the model in month otherwise. At least now I have a fighting chance.

All the brassy bronze is the next priority [ I will start that on the 1st] and my prior brassy bronze exploits will reveal this can break me, so I need to hold strong and get all those bits metalled up so I can enjoy painting the greens! And we all know how much I love doing that - just a bit above Ravenwing... is there anything I actually like to paint? Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through all this if it's all so difficult, but we rise to the challenge and maybe that is the reason - the constant striving to overcome hobby inertia...

GW Manchester Battle of the Brush - August - Big Models

Following on from July's Battle of the Brush [or 'Tale of our Warlords', as it's also known], August's category was Squads. I entered my [still wet] Ravenwing Dark Shroud - a model in the category completed in that month! 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.

I've had a number of technical issues, hence why it has taken so long to get these pics sorted. Hopefully that's all fixed now and the winner for August was this fantastic Renegade Knight

2nd was this Repulsor tank.

3rd was yours truly with my Land Speeder Dark Shroud. I must admit to being honoured but a little 'unmoved' by the accolade. As much as I anticipate the reveal of the awards each month it would be disingenuous after my assertion I'm only in it to take part and then jump for joy when I win something. It's difficult to reconcile, I hope I'm explaining it enough, emotionally there's a lot of baggage. Anyway, the Slaaneshi Greater Daemon got the most inspiring award.

I'd taken these pics on another occasion because I was so impressed.

The creative use of sprue on the base was also a nice touch, and if you check out the new terrain elements for Warhammer Underworld's - Beastgrave you will see a definite similarity!

Other entries included this Invictus suit.

A couple of Deff Dreads.

Kastellan Robots and their 'handler'.

Venerable Dread and Abbaddon.

Another Venerable Dread and Mortarion.

Greater Daemon of Khorne.

Shadowsword.

With LOTS of weathering.

Magnus [who did a number of things wrong].

Giant [Mangler?] Squig?

Greater Daemon of Nurgle and the Night Haunt gibbet guy.

Arch-Lord Discordant.

And another pic of my own entry.

Once again I was compelled to take pictures of the store armies. I may well have taken the same pics previously but never mind enjoy once more Ork Speed Freeeks

And the crazy insane, Chaos Necron Tau conversions, which I have more pics next time.