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INTRO

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Hi all,

Lately I seem to have developed my prefered painting style. It's fast (well, not at the moment, but it will be soon), neat, and generally much more fun than the "normal" way, shall we say. I have but two inspirations to thank for this:

Firstly, The Army Painter. Their products are total magic. Quickshade (in my case, SOFT Tone) is a god-send.

...and secondly, Painting Miniatures Made Easy by Ifurita. Check out this guy's threads here on Dakka, and his website. It proves to show that quantity really is a quality all in it's own way. Inspirational stuff if I say so myself.

I've been thinking lately: "how come I used to be able to paint so many models, and now I can't even manage just a few?" But looking back at my old Enchanted Blue/Fiery Orange Empire regiments, I soon realised that it was all I knew. I didn't know any better than painting undiluted Blazing Orange over a Chaos Black undercoat. I'd never even heard of "washing" before, and what the frak was "edge highlighting"? Well, I would of known if I'd read my WD's in greater detail, and perhaps the old-school rulebooks. But maybe I did, and guess what? I didn't care!

Who wants to paint like the 'Eavy Metal Team anyway? Well, for a whole army I mean. Unless it's your day-job, for us it's unpractical. But it's not even that. Trying to paint to basic table-top quality is a daunting task for us feeble mortals. No, and I'm not talking about you, Space Marine players! I'm talking to the horde collectors out there - Orks, Imperial Guard (infantry heavy), Tyranids, and all the big WHFB ones too.

Now, it's not like a paintbrush and a pot is not unreasonable for painting say, 100 Orks (check out Ifurita's website), but there are alternatives (like The Army Painter). And those are the ones that I've been exploring in greater detail...

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Right, now onto some Imperial Guard!

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I wanted to go for a wasteland camo scheme. Yes it's just one model and it has been dipped. Here's some pictures:

Front View



Right-Side View



Left-Side View



Back View



Personally I LOVE the way the the camo came out. SOFT Tone's suttle on lighter colours and can be combined with other methods. Notice that I've washed the metal ares with a slightly wateres-down Badab Black. The SOFT Tone does not affect this. For example, the flesh areas were painted:

- Bleached Bone.

- Washed with slightly watered-down Orgryn Flesh.

- Finished when dipped.

Really, it that simple, and it looks amazing, if I do say so myself...

Now, compare this guy with another identical Cadian model which has been painted "conventionally"...

Front View



Back View



Which one do you think looks better? Please, comments and criticism are most welcome!

I'll let you all know what I'm going to do next. If you keep me at it I might have some surprises for you! *cough* Sphess Marens *choke*

Hope that this has entertained. Bye for now!

I quitle like the wasteland scheme more then the red and blue because the red and blue looks a bit too much like mario for me.

They both look really good! I agree with indiana1000. But I think the red and blue has some nice highlighting. I like the way blue fatigues turned out. The camo on the wasteland Guardsman looks really good. Are there 2 or 3 colours? I can see the beige and orange. Is there patches of light grey in there aswell? Maybe my eyes are fooling me... Anyway, I'd go with the wasteland scheme.

Oh, btw. Maybe you could paint the eyes? 2 white dots are good enough. They bring the model to life! Subscribed!

indiana1000 wrote:I quitle like the wasteland scheme more then the red and blue because the red and blue looks a bit too much like mario for me.

Hehe thanks!

I personally much prefer the desert camo, it looks far more realistic.

Captain Damian wrote:They both look really good! I agree with indiana1000. But I think the red and blue has some nice highlighting. I like the way blue fatigues turned out. The camo on the wasteland Guardsman looks really good. Are there 2 or 3 colours? I can see the beige and orange. Is there patches of light grey in there aswell? Maybe my eyes are fooling me... Anyway, I'd go with the wasteland scheme.

There's Beige (Army Painter Necrotic Flesh), Astronomican Grey and a "Funny Brown Colour that I Kind of Mixed Together in a Large Quantity". Glad that it fooled ya! That's what camo is for, right?

Captain Damian wrote:Oh, btw. Maybe you could paint the eyes? 2 white dots are good enough. They bring the model to life! Subscribed!

I'll do my best. Eyes are something that I want to get better at. But honestly the eyes on these models are tiny!

Cosmic wrote:There's Beige (Army Painter Necrotic Flesh), Astronomican Grey and a "Funny Brown Colour that I Kind of Mixed Together in a Large Quantity". Glad that it fooled ya! That's what camo is for, right?

Indeed

Cosmic wrote:

Captain Damian wrote:Oh, btw. Maybe you could paint the eyes? 2 white dots are good enough. They bring the model to life! Subscribed!

I'll do my best. Eyes are something that I want to get better at. But honestly the eyes on these models are tiny!

I agree, they eyes are really hard to paint.
Practice on some (if you have any) old rubbish models that you don't mind screwing up on.
It's not my favourite area to paint either, but keep on trying! I used to dip the top of a toothpick in Skull White and just dot carefully on the eyes. Sometimes it works... sometimes not. =P Now I use a really tiny brush.

Good luck!

So what models next?

Did you wash any other parts of the model? Armor, Gun, Fatigues? I'd be interested in using this on my Guard Army!

Well, Mario has some nicer highlights and seems better painted overall...

Whereas Mr. Beige has a better fit for realistic background (less contrast mostly)... So it's up to you, but if I'm right the aim is to gain time, so you should head to the Wastelands!!!

Yggdrasil wrote:Whereas Mr. Beige has a better fit for realistic background (less contrast mostly)... So it's up to you, but if I'm right the aim is to gain time, so you should head to the Wastelands!!!

Don't worry, I'm heading right over to the wastelands!

Yggdrasil wrote:Well, Mario has some nicer highlights and seems better painted overall...

Yes, technically he is much better painted. But I actually think that he looks much less realistic... Thanks for the praise though!

BobboDaGreen wrote:Did you wash any other parts of the model? Armor, Gun, Fatigues? I'd be interested in using this on my Guard Army!

The leather areas were painted Adeptus Battlegrey and then washed with a slightly watered-down Badab Black. They actually look slightly grey in real-life - which I quite like! Be experimental with your techniques and colour schemes, but remember: with quickshade, neatness is the key. The darker the Quickshade, the more it will hide slight mistakes, such as colours in crevices, etc. But be as neat as possible - it's good practice!

indiana1000 wrote:So what models next?

Well, I've got A Cadian Battleforce that needs seeing to, and an old-school Leman Russ Battle Tank too. I was thinking about giving it the same treatment as featured in WD 326. The exact tank is also in How to Paint Cidatel Tanks, I believe. So which is it first? I should probably do the infantry first. I can always do the Russ bit-by-bit alongside them. Yes, that's how I'll do it. (I'm literally typing as I'm thinking.)

Thanks - it's strangely good to be able to talk about it. Keep me on the ol' beaten track guys and gals!

I really am diggin the camo!! Good camo is a hard thing to pull off and painting 50 to 100 times SUCKS!!! If you have it in you to make your whole army camo I say go for it. I personally did one trooper and decided one was just too many. I am sticking to camo vehicles now. Much easier with a 100 guardsmen in my army. Just my opinion, but GREAT WORK and keep up the awesome job. Can't wait to see a whole squad!!!

Mike

Gotta agree with the wasteland scheme, and to be honest i had to look back to notice that the eyes needed work.

and i love your avatar, Morale check vs cat-shock all ways equals failure! Run, Trooper run!!

madmartykmf wrote:I really am diggin the camo!! Good camo is a hard thing to pull off and painting 50 to 100 times SUCKS!!! If you have it in you to make your whole army camo I say go for it. I personally did one trooper and decided one was just too many. I am sticking to camo vehicles now. Much easier with a 100 guardsmen in my army. Just my opinion, but GREAT WORK and keep up the awesome job.

Cheers dude, very kind words there! If anything the camo took the least time and wwas the most fun part of the whole model! The details were the longer bit to do.

madmartykmf wrote:Can't wait to see a whole squad!!!

I'll get right to it! Maybe two squads... or three!

Lord Harrab wrote:and i love your avatar, Morale check vs cat-shock all ways equals failure! Run, Trooper run!!

I'm glad that you like it! I think this avatar's here to stay. The picture truly proves just how terrifying our feline "friends" are. But beware! They're here only to take this planet from us. First it was just the Egyptians, and now it's the whole of human-kind... They may look cute, but no! They're actually daemons from the warp and they want our souls!

My cat is indeed a cheeky little nurgling! Don't worry the guardsman's fine. He was just covered in a bit of slime, that's all...

Bah! just order your Guardsmen to Bring it Down! that is, if they can risist it's inherent cuteness.

I think that slaneesh daemons should be modeled like cats, the similarities are uncanny.

Yggdrasil wrote:Well, Mario has some nicer highlights and seems to have

better painted overalls[b]...

Fixed it for you! Now all he needs is a cap!

indiana1000 wrote:

Yggdrasil wrote:Well, Mario has some nicer highlights and seems to have better painted overalls...

Fixed it for you! Now all he needs is a cap!

At first I lol'd, cause I supposed that was humour... Or so I hope!!!

Er... yeah it was!

Hi again all,

So here's what's definately on the to-do list...

Firstly the short-term goals:

- Assemble and paint 30 guardsmen.

Secondly the long-term goals:

- Assemble and paint another 60 guardsmen. That'll be 90 in all, so that's 30 in each platoon.

- Assemble and paint 9 Heavy Weapon Teams. If I get another two Cadian Battleforces it should satisfy this.

- Assemble and paint 3 Platoon Command squads.

- Assemble and paint a Company Command squad. I'll try and push my painting abilities a little further, perhaps giving some gentle highlights after I've dipped and matt-sprayed them.

- Assemble and paint 3 Sentinels. They're included in the Battleforces so I might as well.

Possiblities after this:

- Add more Sentinels?

- Add another 30 man platoon or two, or bulk up my existing ones?

- TANKS! (You're welcome...)

- Charecters... COMMISSARS FTW!

- Oooh and a few Valkries or two. Or three...

Side project:

- Slowly build up my Leman Russ and get everything ready for painting. It's turret won't look like the newer ones, so I think I'll call it "Old Aggie" or something. No rush here though. It's really important to have a side project to think about when things get a little "tough". These little plastic men can be quite a heavy burden you know...

So I'm gonna get to it! No more updated until then! I'll answer any questions that you have though. Oh and, as for the way I paint metal, here it is:

- Basecoat Astromican Grey.

- Overcoat Mithril Silver.

- Wash with slightly watered-down Badab Black.

- Finish when dipped.

There ya go BobbaDaGreen!

By the Throne, thats a LOT of rank and file guardsmen to assemble and paint. I hope you can do it without going mad! Then again, i assume that's what the sentinels and tank are for, to break up the assembly line a tad.

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooow! Thats a lot of guardsmen mate! Good luck!