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Today's update (2/1/07):


Step 5: interior squishy bits: (I'm jumping back to step 5 from yesterday's post to show a close-up of the interior bits after the purple ink was applied)



Step 8: interior squishy bits: (jumping back to step 8, I complete the interior bits before I get too far on the skin tone, that way any mistakes I make I can cover up with further highlighting of the skin), 50/50% Liche purple/ Warlock purple highlight


Step 9: interior squishy bits: Warlock purple highlight




Step 10: interior squishy bits: 50/50% Warlock purple/Tentacle pink highlight




Step 11: interior squishy bits: Tentacle pink final highlight (and the interior squishy bits are done!)



Step 12: skin: (back to the skin now) Ultramarines blue highlight



Step 13: skin: (specifically the tail) heavy blending from Regal blue up to Ultramarine blue




Before I get to the really top highlights of the skin, its time to move onto the red Carapace (coming soon).

Very, very sharp work. I like being able to follow on the progress of this army.

Do you like to use a lot of Regul Blue?

I think Yakface should should trademark the "regul blue" name.

Also, Blackmoor should get Yakface to paint his Nidz, that way he will not get such poor painting scores with his Nidz.

BTW, great painting Yakface!

Darrian

GO, YAKFACE!

Nice. You paint all your models in such depth? I barely have enough time to give mine 3 minimum colours

Edit: decided on the wings yet?

Fourganger:  I've used pretty much this same painting method for all of the Tyranids I've painted. I'm doing a few more steps of highlighting on this model but it's 90% the same.

As for the wings, I've pretty much decided on the same blue for the wings as for the skin since the model is already got so much red on it. I might make it a slightly lighter blue, but I haven't gotten to that yet.


Anyway, here's the update for today.


Posted 2/3/07:

Step 14: Carapace: Scorched brown basecoat



Step 15: Carpace: 75/25% Scab red/Scorched brown highlight




Step 16: Carpace: Scab red highlight



Step 17: Carpace: 50/50% Scab red/Red gore highlight



Step 18: Carpace: 50/50% Red gore/Blood red highlight

Not a complaint, or even a disagreement; I just want to know:

This painting style looks lengthy and over complicated, even for a showpiece miniature.

What would happen if you missed out the first two stages or browns/red? Say painted it scab red, inked it brown in the recesses and highlighted with scab/blood red? What would be missing?

The ink would give the carapace a very different look, and there would be less texture and depth to the colour.

Looking good. I miss painting big models...though ym old Nids could do with a few additions.

Edit: Curse the unholy alliance of Insaniak and Yakface. After swearing off buying any new models for at least half a year, your skills now make me look at my old 3rd Edition Flyrant and sigh. Oh well. I always knew I'd go back to my Nids at some point...it may as well be now.

man that red looks snappy!

Orlanth:

A one stage red with ink over it and then a highlight would be a rather different look than what I've done. The thing about red is that it doesn't completely cover whatever you put underneath it (at least not with one or two coats), so what color you have underneath shows through and can be used to create a subtle (hopefully) layering effect.

The thing you can't see all that well in the pictures is that with each stage of red I add, Ieave a little bit of the last color showing near the cracks. So when all is said and done, the cracks go from black to brown to scab red to red gore to blood red.

Removing all those steps is certainly do-able, its just the red won't seem as red (because it doesn't have enough coats to build up a good red color), and you won't have those subtle shades in the recesses.


Anyway, I'm now finished with the Carapace. Here are the pics:


(posted 2/5/07):


Step 19: Carpace: Blood red highlight





Step 20: Carpace: 50/50% Blood red/Blazing orange highlight



Step 21: Carpace: 50/50% Blazing orange/Fiery orange (final carapace) highlight



Step 22 & 23: Carpace: 50/50%  Red gore/Scab red in select touches to break up the orange highlight & black wash in armor cracks to make them stand out

(final carapace from the profile):



Next up:  Eyes and the final blue skin highlights!

This step-by-step painting guide both makes me want to finish up my Nids and makes me cry that I can't get remotely near this quality.

Good work so far! Can't wait to see this bad-boy finished!

Wow... That carapace really pops!

Posted By insaniak on 02/05/2007 7:35 PM
Wow... That carapace really pops!

Is that 'pops' in a good or bad way?

I must say that I was so focused on painting the layers that I didn't stop to think that the fact that I have so much more Carapace to work with than any other model I've done so far meant that there would be so much more red than ever before.

When I got to the second to last stage of the Carapace I was starting to get a little depressed that it wasn't looking like I had imagined it would. But once I put on the final touches I must say that am now rather pleased with it, despite the fact that the model is much, much more RED than any other model in my army.

So what do you honestly think?  Too red?

 

 

I don't think there is such a thing as too red. (I like red armies.)

He's the biggest baddest bug of the lot and it should show in more than his size.
Of course, a picture of him with the rest of the brood would help.

I like the red, it's very striking without being over the top. It contrasts well with the blue and honestly, given the fact that it's a tyrant, it deserves to stand out more than anything else in the army.

Posted By yakface on 02/05/2007 9:18 PM
Is that 'pops' in a good or bad way?

Definitely a good way!

He's much more red than the rest of the army, but that's part of what's going to make him stand out.

I think an entire army painted with the same would be a little too much, but on the one model, as a way of saying 'Look at me, I'm special!' it works superbly. Should make him a perfect centrepiece.

Okay, here's a question:

Any votes for what chapter of Space Marine the Dreadnought remnants on his base should be painted?  I've ruled out Ultramarines (too bad because I hate them the most) and Blood Angels because I already have too much blue and red on the model.

That leaves as my front runners:

Dark Angels (green)
Black Templars (black)
Space Wolves (grey)
& Imperial Fists (yellow)


In terms of personal history, I used to have to play Space Wolves like every 2 out of 3 games (two of my friends both played Space Wolves) so I kinda hate 'em. Now that the Templar codex nuetered 'em I don't have the irrational hatred towards them anymore (and I think black would be kind of boring).

Imperial Fists (yellow) sound like fun, but I do have the orangish trim already on the model. . .

So really it's Space Wolves (grey) or Dark Angels (green) with Space Wolves being the personal favorite for vindictive (rather than aesthetic) purposes.

Any votes or other suggestions?


Here's today's update. I'm now finished with the eyes and (blue) skin. All that's left is the claws/spikes and teeth/tongue (plus the base and of course the arms/wings I have yet to do).

Posted 2/6/07:


First off, the eyes just with the black undercoat



Step 24: eyes: Golden yellow basecoat



Step 25: eyes: yellow ink (not pictured)


Step 26: eyes: Sunburst yellow highlight



Step 27: eyes: 50/50% Sunburst yellow/Skull white final eye highlight



Step 28: skin: (back to the blue skin for the final highlighting steps) 50/50% Ultramarine blue/Space Wolves grey highlight



Step 29: skin: 25/75% Ultramarine blue/Space Wolves grey highlight



Step 30: skin: Space Wolves grey final skin highlight

Wow...Just wow...That is awsome...I love your paint scheme...My vote would be Space Wolves...My brother is a huge Dark Angel Fan...so on my Tyranid bases I painted the various marine bits in DA colors...he liked it, but not much!

Keep it up...I can hardly wait to see this guy done.

Chappy P!

Yak... your model is very bright, so I'd go with a Salamanders dreadnought... as I think Snot Green would stand out from the model.

Looks fantastic.  I wish I had that kind of patience.

I tend to just want to keep painting as I get near completion on a model, and this one is no exception (I just decided to skip sleeping). Yet another update:

Posted (2/6/07)

Step 31: spikes and claws: (I'm just going to show pics of the head spike to give you an idea. Also, when I took these close-up pics my white background no longer worked as a white balance point. That means my colors in some of these pictures varies) 50/50% Scorched brown/Graveyard earth basecoat



Step 32: spikes and claws: Graveyard earth highlight



Step 33: spikes and claws: 50/50% Graveyard earth/Kommando Khaki highlight




Step 34: spikes and claws: Kommando khaki highlight




Step 35 & 36: spikes and claws: 50/50% Kommando khaki/Bleached bone highlight. Tongue: Red Gore basecoat




Step 37: spikes and claws: (big head spike only) blending between Kommando khaki, Bleached bone and Skull white




Step 38: spikes and claws: (small spikes only) Bleached bone highlight




Step 39: spikes and claws: (small spikes only) 75/25% Bleached bone/Skull white final highlight



Step 40: tongue: red ink (not pictured)


Step 41: tongue: Blood red highlight



Step 42: tongue: 50/50% Blood red/Tentacle pink highlight



Step 43: tongue: 25/75% Blood red/Tentacle pink highlight



Step 44: tongue: Tentacle pink highlight



Step 45: tongue (final step): light red ink (to mute the pink a bit and to create a 'wet' look for the tongue)



Step 46: teeth: Graveyard earth basecoat



Step 47: teeth: black wash (not pictured)


Step 48: teeth: Bleached bone highlight



Step 49: teeth: Skull white final highlight




So there you go, principal painting of the model is done. 49 easy steps! So here's where the guy stands without his base painted and without any arms:

Wow.

Just... wow.




For the Dread, I'd probably lean towards Space Wolves... DA green would clash a little with the colours you already have. SW grey is a little more neutral, but the slight blue tinge to it would help it mesh with the model.

I'd hate to face this on the table.

*inferiority complex*

On your dreadnought victim:

1. What coloour will the rest of the base be, grass, snow, sand or ash? It might be worth doing the base before the dread, it might choose the colour for you.

2. These are dreadnought bits, so the standard colour will be scratched and twisted metal, not paintjob.

3. Any reason why the dread is definately loyalist. I cant see from the pics. Also do you hate Iron Warriors enough.

Awesome work Yak! You're one of those people that can paint now too!

My vote for Dread color is go with the Space Pups + rusty ruination. I'm not sure how the rest of your army is based, but any green flock and what not will act as a natural counter balance to the big nasty himself, no need to make the the dread green too (nor yellow, which would be too much). Great looking paint job!

The Tyrant will be based essentially the same way as the rest of the fleet (brown dirt & static grass):

www.dakkadakka.com/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/8/postid/123678/view/topic/Default.aspx

@ Ortlanth:

2) I know it will be badly dinged, but I stilll plan on having a bit of paint on the Dread.

3) I do hate Iron Warriors quite a bit, but I don't really care for their color scheme. The bits are pretty small and could be Chaos, but they don't have any spikes or mutations (which most Chaos Dreads are covered with).

That is brilliant, it has been great watching this come to life. That will be a fantastic centerpiece model, well done. and the step by step is really helpful, i will deffinately use some of your techniques in my own painting,

space wolves

Posted By yakface on 02/06/2007 4:03 PM


The Tyrant will be based essentially the same way as the rest of the fleet (brown dirt & static grass):

www.dakkadakka.com/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/8/postid/123678/view/topic/Default.aspx

Ah, then definitely the Space Pups. If your friends are still playing them, they'll chuckle at the reference, and it will also be more visually appealing (overall) without distracting the beastie above. Good stuff!

Okay, I think Space Wolves it is.


I'm not sure how much I'll get done tonight. I only got 3 hours of sleep before heading into work today, but I'm so jazzed about finishing this model I actually can't wait to get some more painting done! If only I could somehow magically have all my models immediately near finished, I enjoy painting so much more when the end is in sight (where your hard work really starts to take shape into something you can really see).

I guess that means I'd probably like painting those AT-43 prepainted minis, because I could just jump right into highlighting them. . .