Confessions of a 40k addict

Wednesday 17 February 2021

'nids 313 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 14 - TO DONE!

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've finished #paintingwarhammer my #Scratchbuilt #Tyranid Void Shield Generator. As you can see, it matches my previous scratchbuilt Tyranid terrain perfectly.

I was a little sparing in the end with the Tamiya Clear Red X-27 as it didn't seem to do much. Thankfully though I don't think the gloss varnish has 'ruined' it.

It's part of my scheme afterall - the mix of matt and gloss finishes to create additional textures and visual queues.

With hindsight, I may have considered the base of the battlements in the same fleshy colour as the folds around the well. But I wanted it to match the Skyshield.

I have this idea that the 'sprout' emitter moves up and down on the stalk and can be retracted all the way through the folds of flesh 🤮

I mean it is pretty grim, I wonder if it sets off people with Trypophobia? Sorry.

And although it's not the glowiest of orbs I've ever done and is very much a sprout in appearance I'm pretty happy with the emitter. The stalk is a little too uniform. I should have added some bits to it to mask the uniformity of the cylinder. A lesson learned for the future.

I thought I'd pop some Termagants on the 'battlements' just to illustrate the original plan.

Of course this is now unfeasible in a tournament list, definitely modelled for advantage. However, it depends where you centre the effect of the void shields. If its aura is from its centre it's probably at a disadvantage, because the model itself takes up space that units could use.

But if the aura is from the model then it's added a further 2" to the effect. I'd go from the centre, but even so, it's footprint is pretty large and provides a lot of LoS blocking elements that probably wouldn't go down well.

There's only so much 'rule of cool' can overcome. Then again, I'm not the best of players and this is overcosted and far from optimal. Someone might object initially but by the end it would be seen for what it is.

So I'm chuffed to bits with completing it. I have identified this intense satisfaction is in part because I BUILT THIS FROM SCRATCH! Indeed that creativity from concept through to completion is beyond compare.

Now there was a lot of effort to get to this point but I definitely need to think about another scratchbuild project, as I have nothing in the pipeline... and the Prometheum Relay Pipe is the natural solution.

So, I'm thinking more seriously about it, thanks to this experience, and I urge any and every hobbyist to consider trying some form of scratchbuild in the future. It's is hugely rewarding and creative, I promise you won't regret such an undertaking.

And so I gets me my Great Big Granite Stamp of Approval - TO DONE! One that is unbelievably special to me.

Monday 15 February 2021

'nids 312 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 13 - Turquoise highlights 2

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my #Tyranid Void Shield Generator. I almost feel guilty on this post, as with the final turquoise highlight the VSG is essentially TO DONE!

There is some glossy bits and Tamiya Clear Red X-27, maybe some odd bits of yellow flock, but other than that it is finished.

It's also a little difficult to see the progress from highlight 1, but trust me, it was quite a challenge to do it as its quite an unwieldy beast to paint.

I am however, a little worried that I will lose some of the contrasting colours and depth when I start applying the gloss varnish and Tamiya Clear Red X-27.

Whish is why I had to take these pics, at least as a record that they existed.

It's also bizarre how all that effort on the blue, the washes etc and in some respects it's essentially black.

Although close scrutiny does reveal a wealth of midnight tones behind the turquoise.

I'll talk more in the final set of images about my emotional satisfaction from this piece but rest assured completing this has brought me more pleasure than I could ever have imagined, just at the right time.

Despite no other scratchbuilds in the pipeline or schedule it has made me think harder about what my next project should be.

As alluded to, maybe that Tyranid Prometheum Relay Pipe needs some careful consideration now...?

Friday 12 February 2021

'nids 311 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 12 - Turquoise highlights 1

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my #Tyranid Void Shield Generator. Oh we are getting there now - turquoise striations and dots. The striations themselves took 12 minutes to paint on the bottom plate alone!

But I persevered and here we are with all panels done.

The dots were also challenging. Once again i employed a cocktail stick to do them.

Cut in half, for the big dots and then one pointy end trimmed half-way down the point so I had big, medium and little dots.

You can also get intermediate spot sizes thanks to how much paint you put on and pressure.

But I've discovered this is the most effective way to do it, given most of the dots end up uniform and less damaging than doing it by brush [damaging to the brush that is].

I might have gone a little bit too overboard on the bigger dots, but it's too late now.

2nd lot of highlights to do now and then varnishing!

Oh, I also added a bit of green OSL - I know it's far from perfect but I think it works from a distance anyway.

So close now folk. Can't believe this is nearly done!

Wednesday 10 February 2021

'nids 310 - Tyranid Void Shield Generator part 11 - Apples, peas, sprouts & red laces

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've been #paintingwarhammer on my #Tyranid Void Shield Generator. All the pinks are done! And so I started on my greens

All the little 'peas' on the fleshy sacs around the base of the chitin supports were done.

Some nice acid/lime green highlights alongside the finished pinks.

Here's where I thought it was a pile of red apples, peas and red laces.

And yet i had not noticed the big sprout on top! Talk about 5 a day!

Close up of the pinks and greens. Far from tidy work but it's all coming together as a whole.

The pinks are definitely working now, particularly when compared to my original Capillary Towers.

That was something that had disappointed me originally, that the veins didn't quite stand out enough.

These do, it might be quite a variety of colours in such a small space, colour theory might have gone out of the window. But again, it's 'nature' and sometimes colours clash.

There's still more to come with the turquoise and the Tamiya Clear Red X-27 that will change things too.

I've at least decided not to gloss varnish the growths this time. I don't think it will add anything in this instance. Afterall, they're not varnished on my Tervigons...

And here is where the sprout really came into its own. Thanks to a friend I could now see it. The original plan was it would have been much brighter, but I have kept a lot of the darker areas for the contrast and that doesn't fit with the glow so much. I still like it though.

Despite it not quite matching the original concept, perhaps an airbrush would have helped me achieve that result? I am still please with where it is at and ready to move onto the chitin. I think I've been avoiding this as I had thought all these turquoise striations my break me. Although I'm always loathe to leave the worst element to last in this situation I think it was the right one. I really didn't need something to take all the wind out of my sails and spoil my momentum. So buckle up and strap in, it;s striation time next!

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