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So, taking advantage of the new forum software, I figured I'd start posting this...

I've always been really slow as a painter, so the decision to do a horde 'Nid army was always going to be something that could well take the rest of my natural life. However, unlike a lot of my other stuff this was always intended as a playing army rather than something to sit in the cabinet, so it's going to be done during this edition of the codex

Part of this is an attempt to speed up a little more than normal. I'm not resorting to mass drybrushing, but rather cutting down a little on the level of highlights - generally around a wash and two coats. I've also tried to restrict the pallet quite seriously.

In addition, the ground effects have been done with the intention of never having to flock them ever again... It's not a perfect snow effect, but it looks pretty good and it's damned robust.

As might be obvious below, the colour scheme has been inspired by the old Space Hulk Genestealer colour pattern. The blue is a little lighter, but it's cold in the snow Only the 'Stealers have kept their pink heads though - partially because I feel that fits their potentially human heritage better, but primarily just because I tried it on everyone else and wasn't very keen.

The carapace is Basecoat Snakebite Leather, first highlight Bestial Brown, second highlight Bleached Bone (both relatively heavy), third highlight Skull White/Bleached Bone (much more minor).

Just water the paint down a lot, use a fine detail brush and thin the flow a little on the pallet, and then just make lots of strokes down,l and vary the length a bit.

The pink is Tentacle Pink, followed by Purple Wash, then Tentacle Pink again and two highlight coats of TP with increasing amounts of Skull White.

Now, the first warrior unit - I guess the most interesting feature of these two is the heads - since Warriors can't have feeder tendrils, I've used them here to represent enhanced senses. They're cut from the Genestealer heads and greenstuffed on.

The observant amongst you may have noticed that this unit is, well, stupid. It's actually going the start of two different units, but I didn't notice there was only one set of rending claws in the box until I put the first Warrior together. So the next unit will be two warriors with RC and leaping and one with enhanced senses and a deathspitter, and then they'll play swapsies to make two units that will actually be useful.

The second pic is an example of how I paint the carapace.

Here are some pics of my 'Fex - wasn't intended as a GD entry, just for the army. I entered it to get in early and it placed as a finalist!

I was somewhat conflicted on putting both guns on one side, but I think it just about works. However, I need to do one more 'Fex, so that one will likely get the guns put on seperate sides and some resculpting work. It'll make them look more individual even though they'll have exactly the same armament. I had to redo the feeding tube to the venom cannon with some wire covered with greenstuff, otherwise it completely blocked the field of vision.

This model has three coat highlights rather than the two coats used on the rest of the army so far - that's simply because it's a big larger and more coats were required to look as smooth. Given this is a centrepiece model that also seemed appropriate. I imagine the other 'Fex, Tyrant and Broodlord will get the same treatment.

My greenstuff skills need a lot of work, but the reinforced chitin looks okay. It's broadly inspired by the example on the GW website. I think the painting helped bring it out there much better than I thought it would do after I'd finished the sculpting, which was cool, but it was hard work - it was a really complex to try and get the various directions to look natural, but I hope I managed it.

The hill on the base does break my three colour rule a bit, but I tried to keep it to very desaturated colours so it didn't stand out and seemed more naturalistic, and I think it was the right thing to do.

Eagle eyed views of the first picture might notice I used some flesh hooks on the waist to represent straining muscles holding that carapace together. I originally did it thinking I might use it to represent the chitin biomorph, but decided against and sculpted that on as described above. I kept the hooks though, because I felt they added some interesting character.

Very cool to see the space hulk stealer scheme applied to other nids, particularly the fec and warrior. All the colors have come out superbly - the bone, the blue, the purple/pink. Congrats on the GD placing, look forward to seeing some unit / army shots in the future

- Salvage

I am a big fan of the classic 'stealer colour scheme and you have done a great job making it work across the range of bugs here. I feel your pain as I am also a sloooow painter and have a pile of nids just waiting for me. I made the mistake of getting some of the FW ripper swarms though, so the 120 rippers* have held everything up by about a year so far :S

*20 to a base

Very nice! I too am a slow painter, but you really have something nice to show for it!

These look really great ^_^. Another slow painter here too. It looks like you've got a really good method for these guys that isn't going to take you a month each piece x.x..

I think being a finalist in the GD is telling you somethin ^_-

looks really great.

I like everything but the pink. I think it contrasts badly, especially on the hands and heads. Don't like it on the Feeder tendrils. On the weapon 'guts' it's good. The whole scheme does however look good on the Carnifex.

It looks great on the genstealers very old school very nice done but I cannot adjust with the rest. But just personal taste.

I wish my Nids came turned out as well. Good job!

Very very cool ^_^

I love seeing the classic Genestealer scheme on the new model. I also tried to "stealerfy" my Tyranids, but after doing a Termagant it occurred to me my Swarm would take forever to finish. I might just use it on my Stealers though after seeing yours.

Keep it up! (and give us more)

Usi

Thanks for the kind words.

Moving house has really knackered my painting plans just recently, but hopefully I'll be back into the swing soon. I am pretty close to finishing the first two broods of gaunts, so I'll get some group shots when I can.

So, moving house was a complete sod.

Then I had to move house again.

Then everyone I knew got married in like six months.

Then I got married.

Then I had to move again.

However, all that over with, and I've actually got back to this army slightly. Nothing too exciting to show at the moment, but here are some finished broods.

Phazer

Great... Now I'm having flashbacks of my Tyranids. Same paint scheme, same everything. Thanks. lawl

-J.

Looking great. Quite a striking paintscheme. well done for placing as a finalist in GD!

Congratulations on being a finalist dude!- I hope this fuels your inspiration further and you post some pictures of some other great models.
Well done.

wow thats a greaty pink you did there, how'd you do it?

Very cool nids you've got there. I hope they're not tooooooo time consuming!!

I'm interested, do you play on an ashwaste themed table? The bases look great, its quite an uncommon scheme! Much better than grass IMHO!

enmitee wrote:wow thats a greaty pink you did there, how'd you do it?

Tentacle Pink -> Purple wash -> highlight Tentacle Pink -> highlight 2 four parts Tentacle Pink/ one part Skull White -> highlight 2 three parts Tentacle Pink/ two parts Skull White.

Phazer

wow, thats all i have to say..............wow, i thought i was on to a nice sceme (i say sceme as in just colours not painting skills lol) but this looks rediculious

Extremely nice bone colours. Will probably have to steal that scheme from you...