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Here's the short version:

I have 4000 points of Sisters of Battle and Space Marines to paint. I'm already a decent chunk into the sisters but still have plenty of work to do. I'm still a rather new painter, so by starting this blog I hope to increase my own accountability to keep my tail in gear on the painting as well as get critique on my work. I also have a pair of Dreamforge Games Leviathan Crusaders coming in some time in December or January to become lovely counts as Warhound titans.

Completed:
Approx 30-40 Sisters of Battle, including all my Sisters Superior
8x Seraphim with BA Sanguinary guard jump pack converion
1x Rhino
1x Immolator (new kit)
1x Exorcist conversion
1x Penitent Engine
1x Special Character - Counts as Knight Crusader
1x Standard Bearer conversion (the Crimson Banner)

Currently working on:
Err nothing right this second, I just finished the penitent engine yesterday but I'm going to start batch painting my Retributors and the rest of my battle sisters today most likely.

And now photo spam, photos are spoilered because some of the images are rather large.
Battle Sisters:


Rhino, Immolator and Exorcist:


Seraphim Conversions:


Penitent Engine:


Conversion/Special Figs:

Looks nice for just starting out. I recommend you wash and highlight your hair. Its just too flat. Also if you can you should try to use a light grey highlight on the black. Will really make it pop.

I think your going in the right direction. Keep it up!

I'll see your comments and raise you some finished bases.

Seriously, the bases are as much a part of the mini as the mini's weapons or other parts. Finishing them off will really bring your army up a few notches.

Basing is actually a goal once I get the entire army complete. All three of my loyalist armies are going to get a matching theme en mass.

^^; yeah highlighting is definitely on the list, whenever I try it though I seem to brutally mess it up. Any tips?

Depending on the tone of hair color you want. You should start by a wash,

badab black and devlan mud will work great. gryphonne sepia or ogryn flesh for hints of red hairs. any other washes work as well if you want something more original
thin your washes a bit with water or flow improver and you'll get a lighter tone/shade in the recess.

Once that is done, a light drybrush of white will make the strands of hair pop back out.

Easy techniques and easily applied to Sisters, they have some very textured hairs.

With a new year comes an actual update! I was waiting on the new camera I got for christmas. However it is quite an update as I've finished my Sisters of Battle and done two test models for my Space Marines that I'd be extremely happy to get some feed back on. Still having issues doing the hair for the sisters... I fail at dry brushing. Challenge wise I have to say that the sisters repentia were some of my favorite models I've painted yet results wise, but blood of the God Emperor were they painful to paint. I won't bore you with a bunch of photos of the rest of the battle sisters, I haven't changed anything from the last set.

Images are spoiled for the huge.

Sisters Repentia:


Retributor:


Sister Hospitaller (Done because I liked the model)


Shadowwing Space Marine:


Shadowwing Space Marine Veteran:

Whew! It's been a busy month and very productive month so far and I've been hard at work on my new chapter of Space Marines.I got a wee bit out of order for my "scheduled" painting plans, skipping the second tactical squad in favor of painting the Venerable Dreadnought which honestly was a lot more fun any way.

A brief run over on my paint scheme for helmets. Veterans (who have helmets) all have silver painted helms indicating membership in the sword brotherhood. (Fluff ignore it for now), Candidates for elevation to the brotherhood have a silver helm with purple stripe. Normal marines have a black helm with purple stripe. It is possible to become a sergeant without joining the sword brotherhood, but it's rare.

As per the last couple times images have been spoilered to save everyone loading time.

Company Champion 1:


Company Champion 2:


---------------------------

Mortis Dreadnought 1: Front View



Mortis Dreadnought 2: AC arm



Mortis Dreadnought 3: Rear view



---------------------------


Venerable Dreadnought 1: Front View



Venerable Dreadnought 2: Rear View



Venerable Dreadnought 3: Dreadnought CCW



Venerable Dreadnought 4: Lascannon Arm



Venerable Dreadnought 5: Plasma Cannon Arm



Venerable Dreadnought 6: Assault Cannon Arm



---------------------------

Veteran 1: View 1


Veteran 1: View 2


Veterans 3/4


Veteran 5:



---------------------------

Tactical Squad Sergeant (Sword Brother):


Tactical Squad Weapons Specialists:


Tactical Squad:

The pics are broken mate. Otherwise nice basecoats and ti needs shades and highlights. On the immolator try washing the gold w/ badab black and highlighing w. mithril silver.
Why am i american?

Looking good, making lots of progress. I am re-learning to paint as well, getting in some good practice on some WFB archers - practice thinning the paints our & using multiple layers...it takes longer than you think. I am definitely finding it to be an exercise in patience!

konst80hummel wrote:
The pics are broken mate. Otherwise nice basecoats and ti needs shades and highlights. On the immolator try washing the gold w/ badab black and highlighing w. mithril silver.
Why am i american?

Links are coming through on my end, maybe you're having some internet issues? Highlighting's the one thing I'm really having an issue with I'm trying to find a class around here to actual learn how to do it instead of guessing/watching youtube for it.

 hdbbstephen wrote:
Looking good, making lots of progress. I am re-learning to paint as well, getting in some good practice on some WFB archers - practice thinning the paints our & using multiple layers...it takes longer than you think. I am definitely finding it to be an exercise in patience!

Yeah, the purple is layered, but it was two layers and it should probably be three or four... I haven't been having any luck thinning metallics. I've tried a few times now and it always looks terrible.

Metallics are tricky, I used to run a printing press and you have to get the right balance. The reason metallics work is because of the reflective flakes suspended in the paint. Too thin and the flakes wind up being too far apart, too thick and they just pile up on each other, both reduce the reflective qualities of the paint.

Oh, and try to keep an eye on the room temp, not sure where you are, but generally, the warmer the better. I noticed a big difference in changing ambient room temp from 67 to 71 degrees.

Finally, let the thinned paint sit for a bit, 10 mins or so. It helps to smooth out the consistency and get better coverage. This banner is the result of four coats/applications of purple.

It is kinda chilly here, I'll have to check my temps.

I should really start using a wet pallet again, I got kinda lazy there for a bit.

I think this one came out a bit better! I'm really happy with it over all.

So a spurt of good weather and an eight or so hour painting marathon has produced another IC Padraig Cétchathach, my Belial counts as and Master of the Sword Sworn (who uses a hammer, because he's actively trying to challenge himself or some such fluffy nonsense) and Terminator Squad Intrepidum

Belial Counts As:


Terminator Squad:

And finishing up the month in style:

Images are spoiler'd for size.

Company Commander:


I think this is the first model where the blue toned look I go for on my power swords has really come out in a photo.

Terminator Squad


I tried to do my best to differentiate them from my other DV term squad, the weapon swap for the AC term on the first helped a little I believe.

Attack Bike:


This is gonna sound really dorky, but the bed roll on the back there? It's one of my favorite details I have ever painted on anything EVER. OD green, leather straps, actual "metal" buckles, etc

Biker Sergeant and Alt:


Really happy with how the conversion came out. I built my SM force out of a pair of DV sets so I had two biker sergeants and I needed another "generic" marine to round out my guys. Glad I left the sword handle on there to give the bolter a "custom" feel.

So with this update I just have to finish up the four remaining SM biker squads and I can start on my Titans. Going to be on an enforced break starting the middle of next month though. I'll be undergoing surgery on my Mark I eyeballs so I won't be able to paint because I won't be able to see briefly.

Completed!

4440815_1070329366_n.jpg




Now then, on to the Titan Manufactorum!

Damn, it's been awhile since I updated this! I've been busy though! The god machines walk! Well... one of them does any way, the other is still sitting on it's sprue waiting for continued assembly. This is a photo heavy post so as such much of the contents have been spoilered to keep things simple.

Current "To Do" List:
Space Marine Veterans 12/12
Special Kitbashed Assault Marine 1/1
Sisters of Battle Canoness Juliette Le Ortega 1/1
SM Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer 0/1 (Mostly assembled)
SM Razorbacks 0/2 (Ready for Paint)
Sisters of Battle Rhino 1/1
Sisters of Battle Classic Immolator 1/1
DFG Leviathan Crusader 0/1 (Still on Sprue)
DFG Leviathan Weapons Arms 0/4 (Awaiting Delivery)
Objective Markers 0/5 (Ready for Paint)

Titan:



Titan "Gunslinger" variant:



Finished up some more stuff for my Sisters of Battle.

Canoness Juliette Le Ortega:





Rhino 2



Old School Immo*




*The plan is when I'm fielding everything this will run as an Immolator, and the actual Immolator will play as a "counts as" Repressor. Makes since since I've honestly always pictured Immolators as small, fast scout/attack vehicles.

And some more Space Marines goodness.

Special Kitbash assault marine:




various weapons vets:



Power Sword vets:



Assembled Company veterans:

Today's update!

The Forge Worlds have been busy knocking out two rhinos (two of which can become razorbacks) and a Land Raider Crusader. Next up is my first commission... which I'm honestly shocked about, cause really? Me? but any way a friend wants me to paint up a Death Cult Assassin for her to use as a figurine for a Dark Heresy game. Lots of blues will be involved, so it'll be a nice change of pace from the blacks, red and purples that have been my standard recently. I'll be painting the commission while I knock out my objective markers that I mentioned previously. I have four "ammo dumps" and one SM relic.

Spoiler tags as usual to make it a little easier to handle... and a little less painful to load.

Land Raider front: Banner reads "Absolution"


LR Left Side


LR Right Side


LR Back


LR Top View


LR Tech Marine Meltagunner Front



LR Tech Marine Meltagunner Back


Razorback Fronts (scroll reads "Aegis")


Razorback sides


Razorback Backs



Armored Unit Moving Out

Мужчины Третьей ударной армии! Вперед!

The bulk of my Soviet FoW army. Tanks. More tanks, and some more tanks. Infantry are for greasing treads.

T-34/85s from the Soviet Guards Tank Regiment box set. This unit was a true pain to assemble. 21 T-34 hulls and 42 turrets as the Mid-war turret is also provided. It's very useful as I now have a decent sized Mid-War force but yesh.



The Commissar M.A. Dedeov Soviet hero unit. He'll mostly be serving as CO for my Tank Regiment, except for when I'm actually using the hero unit






Heavy Tank Company, IS-2 line breakers will shatter the Hitlerite's lines!



Heavy Assault Guns, even the biggest cats tread in fear of the glorious Guards ISU-122s.



SU-100 истребителей танков. May all Hitlerite armor know fear under the guns of our Танк охотников!



M-3 Half Tracks from our American allies. With these our tanks shall have no fear of the Luftwaffe's accursed fighter bombers.



Героев Красной Армии! Для Родина!

And now some 40k objective markers



Space Marines Relic



Space Marine ammo dumps




Teleport Homing Beacon



Imperial Guard ammo dumps

My painted game pieces for Firefly: The Game


The complete collection. Including the MTG magazine promo "The Artful Dodger". All the Firefly class ships paint jobs were based on their art on the game cards. The Alliance Cruiser was based on the show's cruisers, and the Reaver ship's paint job was just me getting creative.




The Serenity herself, she's much plainer in the show and on her card then any of the other ships, and she got a brown wash as opposed to the black wash of the other ships to show the more run down condition everyone's favorite firefly class ship is in.



The Yun Qi



The Bonanza



The Bonnie May



The Artful Dodger, the MTG promo ship.



Alliance Cruiser



Reaver Cruiser



Engine detail



The Game



An example of an unpainted piece

Here's what I've been working on recently


Light Elf Mage: Avatars of War series


Colonial Marines 1: I started calling this one Riddick after awhile. She was a lot of fun to paint, especially because I was able to give her tattoos. The squadies are from Hasslefree.



Squaddie 1: Battle Ink


Squaddie 2: For some reason she was always the fire team leader. While the "Riddick" mini always was mentally a convict they were using as a local guide of sorts.


Squaddie 3: The Medic, also where I got into some more crazy basing concepts, the yellow piping on the side of the base is actual wire, used here as a large fallen cable.


Squaddie 4: Smartgunner.


Squaddie 5: Comms specialist, also has the squad grenade launcher.

Finally Major Katherine from those fine people over at Privateer Press. I wanted to paint me some ponies so I did! I did however modify the Major a bit to fit in more with my Sisters of Battle as I don't intend to start playing Warmachine any time soon.

very nice, i like the relics and such.

Back with more work!

Space Wolf with Thunderwolf (Thunderwolf alt from War Gamma, buy their stuff they're awesome!)



Brief review on the War Gamme Thunderwolf: The models are gorgeous, incredible detail, takes paint very well, but assembly's a bear. Some serious flash clean up to be done and some of the detail work are locked in with molded blocks that can be very difficult to remove without damaging the detail they put into place. The teeth in particular are a rough patch for this. The provided legs work well but on my particular model didn't seem to "lock" into the saddle as tightly as I would have hoped.

Arcadian Color Sergeant

Yes this is the Con exclusive model. No it's not one of the resin ones.

This is how the model looked originally. Tap the spoilers to see how she looks now.

My favorite of the Wolf Guard



The only one dumb enough to roll without a helmet.



I touched the eyes and "nose" up a little after I took this. The distressed look is intention on the lower right side of the breast plate



The Lord and his Wolf Guard


So with that done, next up on the painting agenda is my female IG squad, then my SoB Exorcist conversion, followed by my Clanner Assault Star. After that, it's going to be a coin toss between 40k (Sisters of Battle models), Fantasy (HE Cav), and random project pieces (namely the D&D and the newly rebased Musashi's Duel)

Finally 100% done.... >.>; I am my own worst critic.

Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵) duels Sasaki Kojiro (佐々木 小次郎) at Ganryu Island (巌流島). This is the final piece after sealing it and of course adjusting a few small mistakes I made during the initial painting. I believe I am now prepared for the Nan Desu Kan painting competition! かかってこいよ!









It's a super small detail, but I'm immensely proud of the fact that I was able to paint in the rayskin same under the cotton ito wrap. (Those itty bitty white dots in the grip of Musashi's wazikashi) They're almost pointless except to people who are seriously looking, and easily get lost next to the brass kashira (pommel) and tsuba (guard) but I felt bad ass doing it. Also I don't know why Sasaki-san's hair is getting white tracings there, pretty sure it's just light reflecting, because the colors aren't there when I go look...



Imma go get my whompin stick!



Aerial view of Sasaki Kojiro moments before getting whomped with a stick.