Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins TO DONE! #Dreadtober part 9

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'ninth' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. OK, I hold my hands up, it's a big jump from my last post, sorry.

Once I started with the battle damage there just didn't seem much point in intermediate shots, they looked almost complete.

 

I did promise myself I might cover in detail some of the process in the TO DONE! post, but I'm not sure what to add really, but I think it was about my yellow so perhaps it was this:

I noticed that my Instar Vintage IV-16 - Iyanden Darksun equivalent appeared much lighter than my VGC Sun Yellow.

From where I had the yellow previously I would blend in some IV-16, but then when I added the Sun Yellow it would actually make the IV-16 darker.

Well, darker is misleading, the Sun Yellow would act almost like a glaze.

 

So it took the blend and left the lightest part and just made it such a vibrant bright yellow, rather than the sandy yellow IV-16 is.

 

When I'd originally put the IV-16 on I was quite dismayed about the all the tones in the shaded Gamboge that was disappearing.

But the Sun Yellow gave me a completely different colour that was more in keeping with the rest of my Knights.

I am considering that will be the bulk of the Adeptus Mechanicus terrain I will do, no IV-16 but some Sun Yellow in places for edge highlights - the best of both worlds.

 

This chevron Knight has been an Armiger pilot so long that his red Raven armour has almost been completely replaced with yellow and black.

 

He really stands out among all my knights because I used so much of the pattern.

It's jarring in a way, but I don't regret it.

I wanted to experiment and I still have a sadness about not doing House Hawkshroud. 

I love their special rule and would rather have had the half-damage because I think that makes a Knight army much more usable.

I know Raven has excellent rules, possibly better, but personally that durability is something I really envy.

Oops, close-up shows up that trapped hair on the lense. I might have to find a way to remove or cover it. 

The bases are also something I'm not wholly happy with.

On their own they're not bad at all.

The resin one is really great, but the gravel is a slightly different scale to my others.

The scratchbuilt one is also much better than I hoped but I didn't think it through and try to match my existing Warglaives.

They used a similar mix of sand, but also some bits of rubble and debris, which I didn't use on either of the Helverin bases. So, despite managing to keep the reds consistent across all four we have two matching bases and two random ones that don't. We have three red Armigers and a random yellow one. 

I'm over the moon with them, but I would mark myself down just for the lack of consistency as a group. Again, nothing I really care about, just a critical observation.

This is the first thing I've completed for my Hobby Season, so I get my first Great Big BLESSED VERDIGRIS Stamp of Approval! I got my Serotonin high but I also felt quite drained by the process. I had hoped this would kickstart my hobby mojo but I think I may need to take it a little more slowly. I hasten to add I've had some migraines recently [minor ones, but uncomfortable nonetheless] so I could probably do with getting my head right without feeling pressure to paint. So, I feel especially proud of both the models and the stamp because I did it despite how I was feeling. Anyway, more white pics to follow...

Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins Blessed Verdigris #Dreadtober part 8

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'eighth' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. It's Blessed Verdigris time - thinned Army Painter Hydra Turquoise gives me the darker verdigris I so crave.  

Of course I could have done more highlights to the brassy bronze but I made my decision and I'm sticking to it.

Torsos also got weathered.

The legs took a bit longer - I managed one set and the two carapaces in one sitting.

  

  

I pushed on a bit the following day and was able to do the second pair of legs

 

 

And we hit the wall again. The shoulder pieces were weathered and varnished and then I decided to see what they were like in their holes - which happily stripped all the paint off the edges. For flips sake!

I'm pretty certain it won't make any difference, you won't see them below the edges but it feels utterly crushing for it to just slew off like the paint was never even attached. Nevermind, I'll keep on regardless. Fingers crossed the rest of the model is less vulnerable, but I won't hold my breath.

Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins shading #Dreadtober part 7

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'seventh' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. I'd been avoiding the marble tiles, I'm not sure why, my marbling skills had been pretty successful so far. But I girded my loins and gave it a go.

 

Some smooth Bonewhite lines, like organic lightning.

I tried to fade things a bit so it similar to what I'd done before. Naturally, I didn't refer too closely to those previous examples, even though I was attempting to recreate them.

I added some shading in and managed to achieve what I feel is the worst marble out of the three I've attempted so far - yay me!

I'm not entirely sure what the problem is but it just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe the pattern is too big, or the contrast is too high but it's not what I expected. Fudge it, I can live with this sort of underachievement.

Meanwhile, I'm adding sepia shading all over the metallics and debating whether I'll sponge any additional Runelord Brass onto it...

And I don't think I will. Having compared it to my previous Armigers, which were almost pure Warplock Bronze on the legs, making the legs any lighter just feels unnecessary.

 

Carapaces also got shaded and also the reds got highlighted.

And we're done. Well, not done, there's still loads more to do. But the majority of the highlights are there, so it's Blessed Verdigris next and then highlighting the yellow.

So, a mixed bag of progress, success and some minor disappointment but getting there.

Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins Runelord Brass #Dreadtober part 6

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'sixth' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. It's the third set of highlights - Runelord Brass. Ordinarily this would be a mix VGC Polished Gold and gun metal but the new pot of Runelord Brass gave me a chance to experiment.

It would definitely be a better highlight drybrushed directly on top of VGC Rough Iron or Warplock Bronze, now shade wash necessary.

 

As it is I'm not sure how it looks. The Hammered copper is very Red and the Retributor Armour is very yellow and then the Runelord Brass is desaturated. I'm going to add a AP Soft Tone wash to try to equalize things a little bit.

I'll then decide if it needs any more metallics on top.

I also need to add some gun metal nbit on the lower legs, it's the only place I use it. I have discovered the original Warglaives legs were possibly just Warplock Bronze on the lower sections, so that silver shin really stands out. It's also quite the difference to see the range of metallics on this Helverin in comparison.

As I have to do the red highlights on the carapace I thought it best to still keep the shoulders separate so I didn;t accidently catch the metal with red.

Guns are also highlighted, but I have to tidy them up in places and noticed some areas where the paint has already scratched off.

I was a little disheartened about how easily the paint was getting scratched off, thanks to the Simoniz matt black spray I primed it with, when clearly it's not a primer. Home Bargains has finally had a delivery of its £1.99 sprays and primers, it's too late now but at least I'll be OK if I need to do anything else. But back with the Helverins I needed to take a few days away from it to destress. However, I think the next update will be significant as I was actually then able to spend some real solid focused time on it to move them on. Sure, these look well on track and even the next update seems almost done but there is so much still left to do - highlights, all the weathering, decals, the battle damage, glow effects and finish off the bases. It's not as foregone as it may appear.

Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins Gold #Dreadtober part 5

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'fifth' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. It's the second set of highlights - Retributor Armour.

Again, the gold is applied as scruffily as I can but it still takes an entire evening to get all the elements done.

I'm also leaving some areas untouched as I know that armour plates are going to cover them up. I think the leg plates will be glued on soon, when I'm doing the shadow washes as that will help define them more on the model.

I still need to do the marble tiles though... not to mention all the debris.

Can't wait to get to highlight the actual panels on these and start applying transfers too. 

Torso pieces, most of the highlights are done now, just the smoke stacks and some of the more protruding elements will be highlighted further.

Unlike Tyranids these smaller highlights do get quicker and easier, just because I do them so roughly it doesn't require much care and isn;t particularly time consuming.

The carapace weapons also got primed and I started to highlight them. Even at this stage I'm considering painting the barrels of the Helverin Autocannons silver. However, none of the Icarus Autocannons are silver so I'm not sure.

I use a tiny bit of silver on the legs of the Armigers, so there is a precedent to using some metallics that aren't brass or bronze. I 'm just undecided at this point. I may carry on and decided at the end. Until then it's Runelord Brass, next.

Imperial Knight - Armiger Helverins Bronze #Dreadtober part 4

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity it's the 'fourth' of #Dreadtober and I'm continuing my #Imperial Knights Armiger Helverins. VGC Hammered Copper, my slightly more red equivalent of Balthasar Gold is next. 

A mix of drybrushing, wetbrushing, stippling and any old way to get the paint on.

It's got another 4 or 5 coats of paint to go on over it so it can be rough as anything. Retributor Armour is next, then I'm going to try Runelord Brass, because I got a fresh pot with Imperium issue 2. 

Then a sepia wash and perhaps a Strong Tone wash afterwards. There may be an additional light sponge of Runelord Brass just for some additional nicks and scratches, we'll see.

Armour plates are fiddly and I did catch some of the coloured bits with metallics but I'm comfortable now with how I'll cover that up.

Carapaces were done too, still not 100% about the vents on the back sometimes. I suppose I could have deviated and painted them to match the full carapace but it's done now.

Rest of the torso quickly highlighted. Again, this is messy and most of it just needs one level of highlights just to help the shadow wash have some extra contrast for when the wash settles.

But, the wash will help even things out, so even the messiness now will be smoothed out eventually. Most of it is hidden, or overshadowed by the armour plates, so you can get away with a lot.

And the guns. Not just the Helverin autocannons, but a couple of Quad Guns [or two Twin Guns?], that I separated and magnetised. Add that to my Icarus Autocannons and now I can field all of my Armigers as Helverins, should I wish.

Retributor Armour is next. I know it's a lot of progress this first week, again because I gave myself a headstart. But, a lot of work still to do and it also allows me to take a night of should I need it so I don't feel pressured. Conversely I do want to finish early so I can have them ready if there is an instore Armies On Parade in Liverpool. It'd be my first time parading there and I'd love to have the full House Corvus group in it.