'nids 301 - Tyranid Warrior & Hive Guard conversions TO DONE! Red pics

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranids. These were almost complete for #NomVember #NidVember but I just missed the deadline and as my blogging was tied up with Armies on Parade there was less incentive to get them completed.

So when I had other priorities just getting those last bits, like the teeth, varnish, even some of the bone chips on the Hive Guard, was just to much to contemplate.

The festive period has gifted too much hobby time, but that's OK. However, I usually like to build something at Christmas but that didn't end up on the cards, so the least I could do was get these finished.

It was a few nights work, that first one with the the teeth and varnish and then I realised I hadn't done the bone chips and the lone toxin sac [I know they're not an option, it was already on the donor Warrior when I did the conversion and I couldn't be bothered to remove it].

So another night to finish up the painting and one more session for all the flock.

One bonus for the night of flocking was I had leftover PVA, which prompted me to soak some string fibres and actually add some nerve fibres to my Tyranid Void Shield Generator!

That's right folk I have some progress and I think I may well get some more done on it ready for an attempt at the final few nights of sculpting it needs!

I really like how this Warrior turned out, the pose in particular feels quite threatening.

He'd definitely be in my Kill Team if I did one, surrounded by Termagants, although he'd probably have been better off with a bonesword perhaps, maybe a lash whip. I don't know I never run them with anything other than Scything Talons.

A few of my other mid-sized beasties in the background.

Y'know for desktop patterns and such.

And the Hive Guard.

And so I gets me my Great Big Granite Stamp of Approval - TO DONE!'

HAPPY X-MAS

Good morning #warmongers and #warhammercommunity  and a merry X-Mas from Professor Egon Seuss and the rest of the Magos on Ferron Proxima. Additional felicitations from the guys and gals at the Vulcan Institute of Techno-Archaeology. May all your X-mas wishes be plastic [or resin]. 

In case you're not X-mas orientated please accept the following good wishes:

I had planned a 'what's on my palette?' or even a 'where's my head at?' but this will do. Following all my efforts for Armies on Parade, #DreadTober, #NidVember #NomVember I've gone through a fallow period. I wouldn't describe it as burn-out, certainly not with the hobby, but my routine has shifted a bit. With my son home from university we've been back watching TV shows - Raised By Wolves and the Mandolorian [currently]. This has impacted my hobby time and I'm getting tired in the evenings too. 

So, although I'm desperate to crack on with things - my Tyranid Warrior and Hive Guards have been sat with just teeth and varnish to do for weeks now, I'm also happy to just take a break. There's a little worry that once these are done I'm not sure what's next. I've some bits of terrain that I can crack on with, my Nurgle Blood Bowl Team, Genestealer Aberrants, Adeptus Titanicus models and then sculpting my Tyranid VSG. So there's plenty to do, I just need to find time and [head]space.

I have my hobby spends post for the end of the year, but if I don't write another post this pestilential 2020 you know why. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Swapping to a new calendar may not bring about a change in fortune for us all but hopefully there is more potential compared with what has gone before. Enjoy the festive season as best, and as safely as possible. 

'nids 300 - Tyranid Warrior & Hive Guard conversions washes and bone

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranids. It seems like forever since I last posted on these Warrior to Hive Guard conversion, unless I have overlooked an update.

This is just the Bonewhite highlight on the body, but I don't think I even updated with the washes all over. I can't find a post anyway.

Warrior too, I love the effect on his sternum.

 

And it's almost unnoticeable where I had to cut and shut the tail, when I'd originally planned this to be the Hive Guard conversion. 

Now I picked up some new paints. This was Miniature Paints, they're a company in Bootle, Liverpool. I've a few of them already, my Turquoise is one. They're £2 for about 30ml, they have a slight satin finish to them, but they're really durable [compared to craft acrylics]

Not sure if this is a retail only site but if you're interested here's the MP range and it comes in 30ml, 90ml and even 500ml. I also picked up a matt varnish to try. If it's good that 500ml might be tempting...

Anyway, this 56 Cream is a bit lighter than the highlight I previously mixed for my nids.

The Hive is evolving and so you will see some difference between old and n

Even moreso because my old Hive Guard conversions don't seem to have had that second highlight at all! I was so devastated when the Purity Seal frosted them, I could never imagine at the time going through the process of repainting them. But I can realistically contemplate that in the next year or two, depending on how they are treated in the next Codex.

The Warrior too appears super pale.

 

But I do love this pose.

I mean just look at the difference so far, that one on the right is 10 years old.

They'll definitely need a touch up at some point too.

P.S. 300 posts on Tyranids [and their genestealer brethren]! Man, what a ride. 17% of my posts on gribblies! Who'd have thought...

'nids 299 - Devgaunts - TO DONE! #NidVember #NomVember

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer, I know it's a little late now but the Devgaunts got finished and I'm only just getting round to blogging about them.

It was quite the little challenge in the end.

It doesn't seem it but getting my head round painting some of the elements required a force of will just to get me over the finish line.

I was then hit with the crappy matt varnish, that started to peel off like a thin veneer of rubber on the base edges.

That setback, so close to the end and alongside the Tyrannofex just made it so hard to pick up a brush and re-varnish them with Army Painter Anti-shine.

Also, I randomly decided not to gloss the Adrenal Glands... I dunno. Despite all other Termagant glands being glossed I just didn't do it.

There's no rush, I can always gloss them some other time.

I think the addition of that black around the edge of the Devourer really helps set it off.

The highlight is helpful also in defining the weapon.

On my original Devgaunts I just covered them with Tamiya Clear Red X-27 so it was nice to have a little more definition in their weaponry.

Obviously the 3 Hormagaunt bodies are nice in adding a little variety to the profile of this brood.

Obviously they're known for tipping over [even more so with the big Devourer gun] so hopefully the slate ont he base and the more upright poses will help them balance.

They look good from above.

And make a really nice little brood.

And so I gets me my Great Big Granite Stamp of Approval - TO DONE!'

'nids 298 - Devgaunts - progress

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Tyranid Termagants. Now these were actually done for #Nidvember and #Nomvember but I just didn't get chance to blog about them at the the time.

There's not much to say really, I was just getting all the elements moved on, bone and turquoise.

There was also a little more contrast added to the Devourers, because I know Tamiya Clear Red X-27 works a lot better when it has some black to gloss over.

Anyway, short and sweet. They're completed in the next post and I can lament the use of that dodgy matt varnish that I used on them before coming to my senses and returning to Army Painter Anti-shine.

Sector Mechanicus Galvanic Servohaulers - TO DONE! White pics

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer Galvanic Servohaulers. Here's the pics on a white background, because that's what I do.

I'm not going to add much further commentary. I said pretty much everything on the red background pics.

But the white background suits some people better so here they all are...

Just a note regarding these red glass insulator coils on the front of this servohauler. I didn't take this shot in the red pics.

And the crane carriage alone, so you can see the detail on the crane ring.

It was quite the challenge to break this up - the yellow frame, the [almost] black rusty wheels, the weathered brass construction plate, brown rusted crane turning ring and orange rusted coil springs [?]

So you can see how the rusty brown carriage turning ring demarcates the two pieces. Separating the crane from the carriage. This was the intention but the end result is far more effective than I had imagined, so a lot of luck more than skill.

As the great Bob Ross would say - 'a lot of happy accidents'. Which, to be fair, was the intention. This is not the common way to do weathering, but it's a way that works for me. It is a challenge, but it's dynamic and has risks. However, it's weathering, rust and grime, so you can always add more powders or washes and it will sort itself out. Quite looking forward to the terrain next.