'nids part 292 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week2 pt2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 2. I was seriously flagging after the first set if of turquoise highlights, so much so I didn't take any pictures of it. I was half way through at the half way stage. And yet that half way point doesn't include all the details, FX and varnishing!

So despite the enormity of what remained I cracked on with the turquoise highlights. I even broke out my Army Painter Insane Detail brush to get some fine striations. Unfortunately it just won't hold its point. I don't know whether it's the brush, or the paint that makes the point eventually get splayed. Water helps bring the point back but this paint does not like watering down. The surface tension complete breaks and it'll bleed everywhere. So it's quite a challenge to achieve the opacity I want in the sizes the brush will allow.

And there are all those difficult bits to get to round the vents. I know sometimes it's like painting with my eyes closed, reaching in and hoping the line isn't too splodged on. It was quite the challenge and perseverance to get to this stage and even though there's less to paint it take's only  little less time to do it. Granted I've got the first highlights as an indication of where to put the second but it requires patience and steady hands not to just obscure all the first coat with the second!

But I did it and got the Rupture Cannon done too.

As well as a Khorne red highlight on all the fleshy bits.

Acid Spray also got highlighted.

Chitin and the first bone highlights.

Which was also applied to the Fleshborer Hives [Devourers with Brainleech].

Bone highlights next, so long as the paint lasts... 😩

'nids part 291 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 2. OK, I know we're onto week 3 now but it's challenging getting all this blogged up. So I'm onto the turquoise bits and I've got the legs and tail done.

This is the easy bit, it's the carapace, mainly the vents that get  wearisome as I'm fast remembering.

I really hate those vents, when I've got some of the paint left over I'm doing the no brainer items, like the top of the vents and ridges. All the other striations require some thought how the shapes fit together and interact with the shape of the part of the model they're on.

I also got some of the bone highlights finished on weapons too. It's easy to forget these need doing as well and they're big pieces too. They're bigger than Tyranid Warriors for example! 

I'm beginning to have doubts about completing the task now. I'm also a little distracted because I wanted to do something for the #PitOnParade community thing and it would have been nice to get my Servo Haulers done for my own #ArmiesOnParade but I don't think that's realistic in the remaining time.

'nids part 290 - Tyranid Termagants

Afternoon #warmongers and just prior to #DreadTober I had been #paintingwarhammer on some 5 Devgaunts. I'd totally given up on forcing myself to get the Land Raider done and just went back to what I knew - Tyranids.

Now this may have been a mistake, my #DreadTober pledge was the Tyrannofex and it might have been easy to get bored of painting my 'nid scheme having done these.

Luckily I did not 'focus' on these and was doing them alongside some other bits and it felt very easy to get from the washes and first teal highlight through to the second turquoise and first bone highlight.

I also managed to do all the black claws, hooves and talons. This was all a by-product of the Rippers. As there are only 5 of them it wasn't too hard to just paint them together. Obviously the bone is a little more substantial so that's why it's not quite complete but it won't take much for the 2nd coat.

I also highlighted all the Adrenal Glands, again these are only for unit markings. I went a little more extreme shading/highlights on the Devourers for when the Tamiya Clear Red X-27 goes on.

It won't make a difference to my previous painted Devgaunts but I did want these to be the blueprint for future gaunts, not that I have any intention of getting anymore.

'nids part 289 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week1 pt2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 1 and I'm cracking on with the bone. At this stage I wasn't paying too much attention to what I was doing each session but I think I recalled it all when I started on the chitin in the next update.

I was also beginning to regret a little bit that the model was glued together. Of course it's not glued to the base and that helps to get underneath but it's still a little awkward to paint.

But getting the pose right wouldn't have been possible if everything was painted and I was gluing it together at the end.

I'm not sure if having all the pieces separate is the best way, it was certainly easier last time when I did the Tervigon. 

I have got my Tervigon out for reference which is helping me make decisions.

The lines of bone to add texture is a lot better than my previous Tervigons, although the tail has some very ropey bits, luckily hidden from view [which explains why they were difficult to paint].

I got a bit giddy in some places with the bone, caught the blue areas which is a nightmare to fix. 

I think I just added some black wash in places to try and obscure the mistake and hope the turquoise obscure the fact it's not even blue.

Quite pleased with all the different colours. I'm running out of my bone 2nd highlight mix. I think it's be Citadel Pallid Witch Flesh now, previously I just mixed a pot but I'm even running out of white it's been so long since I bought paints.

Anyway, teal and turquoise next.

'nids part 288 - Tyrannofex #Dreadtober week1 pt1

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Tyrannofex for #DreadTober week 1 and I'm off to a pretty decent start. Granted I'd got the basecoats, base and washes all done beforehand but there is still a lot to do with my scheme so it's challenging nontheless.

First bone highlights on ribs and body. I really like this part. It can be messy and still look awesome. I can make decision about just how much shade and shaded bone is showing through.

All the thorax spikes will be black, the central ones and the side ones.

I added the extra adrenal glands on the legs just for variety. I doubt I'll ever use the biomorph but I love the idea of these symbiotes crawling all over the bigger beasties.

I highlighted the hive nodes too and all the wraithbone chips. I actually think there's a bit more pumpkin orange highlight to do on those rocks too.

Another head start [pun intended] was on the head. I'd managed to include this in my Carnifex heads and so it's pretty advanced at this stage.

There are some extreme turquoise highlights that need doing, the eyes, maybe some other bits but it's almost complete.

I've quickly noted down a progress diary that I'll include in a future post so you can see what is being achieved during a session. I forget how useful these can be as knowing how long a set of first highlights takes and the 2nd set isn't usually quicker means I can set goals for what gets done in subsequent sessions. Having those goals means you can better access the endorphin hit of success. It's also easier to pack in for the night when you hit those targets or add a stretch goal for greater high if you make better progress than you planned for.

'nids part 287 - Rippers - TO DONE!

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Rippers. These are my original Rippers, almost a decade old and I was just refreshing them alongside their more recent siblings.

Actually, lets just take a moment to let that sink in, almost a decade since I originally painted them!

Came out alright in the end

At least I can do these without any hitch or crisis of confidence.

That's always a relief I can fall back on something to get me back in the groove. 

As the Free Radical Collective would say "progress is progress".

Top view so you can get a better view of the carapace chitin.

And alongside one of the more recent Rippers. The only noticeable difference being the slightly less saturated bases. 

However, if I keep these three together as a brood that might not be so apparent on the table. Here we go with all ten bases of Rippers.

Great Big GRANITE Stamp of Approval!