'nids part 350 - Tyranid Leviathan - Psychophage first and second highlights

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Psychophage. When I realised the Deathwing were not achievable there was genuine comfort in not having to fit all the WiP posts before the end of the hobby season.

Now I do the Psychophage and suddenly I'm going to miss that deadline.

Anyway, all bone highlights are done and more Bloodletter Glaze on the abdomen, with some additional definition.

Still no idea about the smoke plume.

First set of chitin highlights.

Suddenly I remember how tedious this is.

It's such a strange set of emotions - satisfaction for the progress but genuine boredom.

It does help to do it in sections though, to identify edge striations, middle ones, then the middle between those and then fill in all the other 'tweens'. It makes it easier as the first set of middle tend to be longer and so deciding on sizes becomes easier the more you go through it.

Then the second set of highlights is easier still, because you only have to match what's there.

Naturally you try to be smaller, inside the previous mark but I probably cover far too much of the previous stroke than I should.

Not that I mind - it's all looking pretty standard for my nids nowadays.

So, although I feel a little exhausted with all the turquoise the results are exactly on point. Black talons next, tentacles and the smoke plume...

And the decision is going to be yellow! Didn't see that one coming did you?!

'nids part 349 - Tyranid Leviathan - Psychophage basecoats and washes

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Psychophage. I knew I couldn't get my Deathwing done, but I was sure I could get basecoats on this beast.

The eye-popping Bahama Blue art acrylic and then AP Skeleton Bone on all the bone bits.

I wanted the abdomen to be VGC Pale Flesh colour - trying to replicate the emitter folds on my Tyranid Void Shield Generator. Thin coats to add a mottled effect and just a touch of Bloodletter Glaze for some variety.

It's less dramatic than if I'd gone with a red abdomen but the front end with all the tentacles will be where the danger is at, so hopefully I'm making the right choice even if it already seems a little diminished.

Washes next - sepia wash first and then a strong wash.

It's a mess at this stage, always is, but hopefully I can bring it around.

Not sure about the noxious fumes, what colour to do them - either follow the simplicity from my Halflings, or Nihilakh Oxide - although there will already be turquoise in the chitin striations so not convinced on that point.

I added more highlight to the abdomen to make it paler and more grotesque. 

Also added some red and purple washes to make it more raw and angry looking.

Darkened all the orifices on the side too.

Really enjoying cracking on with this. I may have missed the deadline on my Terminators but this is a great alternative to succeed at.

The 2023/24 Hobby Season starts soon, join me!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #warhammercommunity the 2023/24 hobby season will be starting soon so for those alumni who joined in last season it's time to start looking back at your TO DO lists - at what you've TO DONE!, what might have slipped and those lovely unexpected successes that happened despite life getting in the way and loss of mojo - I speak from experience [yet again].

The original plan when I started with 'great big stamps of approval' was that I wouldn't do multi-coloured stamps, just alternate between red and green, but who was I kidding? I absolutely loved the Great Big RUSTY Stamp of Approval, and my own upcoming review of the 'season of rust' feels so satisfying. But what of the official 40kaddict 2023/24 Great Big Stamp of Approval? Well, feel like I've come full circle and it's back to red... blood red! That's right folks, the Season of Blood is upon us and Bloody Great Big Bloody Stamps of Bloody Approval all round. Now to fit all the splatter and such in they're technically smaller [inside the same dimensions] but I just wanted to try it for once. Feel free to download and use them on your blog as and when you get stuff  'TO DONE!'

Or you can record your achievements with an 'unbranded' version - which I can't decide if the old blood looks better?

And should you feel inclined to differentiate your efforts yet further here's the major goal stamps

And minor goals [which I occasionally find a use for].

And I also got the Big Build...

 and Base [and obviously Prime] Stamps done too. I heartily recommend this video from Tabletop Minions to understand where I was going with the 'Big Build' concept, he's touched on and expanded exactly why I created this a few years back.

Just a reminder of what it's about, in 2011 I made my first To Do List, amusingly it now looks like this:

• AoBR Tactical Squad
• AoBR Dreadnought
• AoBR Terminators
• Scout Squad
• Ravenwing bike squad
• Dark Angel Drop Pod
• Purity Seal all of my son's Tyranids
• Gloss Varnish all of my son's Tyranids
• Tyranid Prime
• Mycetic Spore
• Paint Vent Tower
• Paint defence platforms x4
• Complete pot pourri vegetation
• Complete future containers
• Complete 40k Cathedral tower
• STC Single story ruin
• STC Hex Defence platforms
• STC Targus Assault Blockade
• STC Vent tower
• STC Athena plateau
• STC Mercury plateau
• STC 40k Cathedral tower
• 60mm Dreadnought crater

So 4 things still haven't been done and quite frankly never will 😉. The purpose was to try to focus my efforts to outline a list of things I'd love to do over a twelve month period and if I achieved any of them - great, all of them, so much better. But more importantly I needed a structure to cling to when my efforts became aimless. That's not to say deviations from the list were forbidden it was more for when I went 'well what's next?'

It became an annual blog post to review what I'd done and set new tasks. Throughout the season I would reveal my 'To Dones!' as completed items both on and off the list. Showcase posts are nothing new to hobby blogs but again it was a structure to help build the identity of this blog. Then, in 2014 I invited readers and passers-by of the blog to join in. Well, when you have a good idea why not share it around? I got about 10 people joining in and it looked like we were quite a supportive little bunch. I think over time steam ran out a little bit, but folk continue to join in each season and hopefully the same will ring true for 2023/24.

To help things out a bit I've created a Hobby Season Facebook group, it's here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278747245819138/

So, if you're joining in just ask and I'll add you into the group, that way you can share your blog posts or any efforts to those also joining in. I hope this platform will allow more interaction for those taking part and keep us all motivated.

I guess the last question is why 28th August as the start/end date, why not January 1st?

I think back in 2011 it was at that time I thought a structure needed to be in place and it was as good a time as any to post a To Do List, afterall the footy season starts around this time too, no one complains about that, do they?

Anyway, 28th August join me for the new Hobby Season :)

'nids part 348 - Tyranid Leviathan - BIG BUILD BASE TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my #New40k Leviathan box set. As usual, just getting the Red Planet BASE! 🔴 TO DONE!

First up the Psychophage.

NeuroTyrant and Neuroloids.

Screamer Killer

and Screamer Killer 2.0. Everything else hadn't been based so hadn't been primed and if I'm honest I rushed these and the red primer was a bit chalky in places, as you can just make out.

Despite this, I get the Great Big RUSTY Big Build Base Stamp of Approval for the basing!

And with a bit of concerted effort during a week's leave off work - I went on to base the Termagants

All 20 of them.

The Neurogaunts too.

And the Barbgaunts,

Von Ryan's Leapers, and

The Winged Tyranid Prime...

Oh, and an old Lictor I'd reposed years ago, thought I might as well throw it in the mix.

Great Big Big Build RUSTY Stamp of Approval for the build.