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@JoshInJapan: Yes, layering looks better in real life. You can see every mistake in the full size uploaded images though. Good for finding room for improvement, not worth dwelling on. I keep telling myself, this *is* the first miniature I've painted in, five years or more? It doesn't need to be perfect (and has no chance of being either.)

@monkeytroll: Good to be active again, and welcome back to you too! I see you have entered the Dakka Painting Challenge as well - good luck . Hopefully the stripey tusked overlords will get some more love soon, if only so I can decide what undercoat to use on Rippa's Snarlfangs (although so far, Mechanicus Standard Grey is looking pretty good...)

@Gitsplitta: Welcome! Your entertainment is obviously the super secret primary goal of this thread . There will be no Bushido though . I plan to also join the Fight the Pile of Shame in 2020, which mostly amounts to *stop purchasing*.

Latest progress on the Deathwing Terminator:

Bone completed. Starting base colours on details - Leadbelcher, Mephiston Red, Mechanicus Standard Grey, Rakarth Flesh (I'm waiting on Caliban Green to arrive this week....)

This was going to be the last update for the week, and I was just happy to finish the bone before heading back up to the big smoke. However, my work has decided I may continue working from home next week, so I am feeling optimistic on finishing on time (before end of month.)

As I basecoat the detail areas, I just keep finding more and more detail - he has feathers on his right foot, a sheathed dagger under his right arm and purity seals *everywhere*.

Thinking about a Necromunda blue base - althought silver / bronze would probably be safer - any thoughts?

Progress steps from last time in spoiler (with many step by step progress pics):
Catchya,
Arakasi

Welcome back! The terminator is looking great! Sad about the boars not being a real thing.

--Brian

Looking like the Terminator will become a triumphant return! Really nice blends between the layers. I’m liking the step by step pics in the spoilers too, it’s good getting an insight in to how others work

Nice work on the layering.

Good to see you painting Arakasi!

The termie is coming along nicely and I feel your pain about painting bone. Not that it's much use to you know, but I know some people throw a layer of mid-tone brown between the black undercoat and first bone layer. Helps give it an intermdiate stage and helps with shading later on.
But those DV models are super detailed, there's bits to paint everywhere.
A Blue or blue-grey base would nicely for him I think. Give a bit of contrast to the bone. Even better if you haven't used blue else where on him.


As far as the boars go, I'm inclined towards the black undercoat. But then I prefer darker, "realistic" paint jobs. So YMMV of course. For actual fur colour though, I'd be using a couple of differen colours. Stick with the brown or two and then throw in an orange or a tan every now and again to break things up.

JoshInJapan wrote:Before I read your captions, I was impressed by the bold direction you were taking with those boars.

monkeytroll wrote:And I for one welcome our stripey tusked overlords

Briancj wrote:Sad about the boars not being a real thing.

I'm feeling like I need to make sure I go crazy on something in the future, on purpose. Apparently it is what the readership demands?

Snrub wrote:But then I prefer darker, "realistic" paint jobs.

Snrub wrote:If you're feeling reeeeeally adventurous you could try something like this...

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8QwEhRHGT8/

I'm sensing some Jekyll and Hyde? (although that link probably is a black undercoat...)

Seriously though...

@Briancj - Thanks and welcome!

@gobert - Thanks. While I mainly provide step by step instructions and pictures for my future self, I do greatly appreciate it when I come across it in other blogs too for the same reason. It's quite a bit of extra work though, so I fully understand why everyone doesn't do it!

@monkeytroll - Thanks.

@Snrub - Thanks. I still have the other four terminators, three of which are similiarly prepared (just not the duplicate), so still time to throw a layer of mid-tone brown on the next one. Even then, the advice wouldn't be wasted - who knows who else might be in a similar situation? I'm still up for the blue/blue-grey base. It is actually constructed with broken tiles and I have been wondering what to put beneath - black, brown, or currently thinking a dark metallic - and maybe hazard stripes across the thin border... As for the boars, I need to put another layer over the black so each base coat is working from the same foundation. I'll then be trying different colour combinations on top of each to work out which I prefer - so never fear - they were never going to remain a single colour .

And now, to the progress segment.

I received my Caliban Green, and now I think everything (except the stormbolter casing, which is waiting on finishing the the stormbolter metal, oh and the dagger tassel, I think that's it...) has been base coated. The purity seal parchments required multiple layers of Rakarth Flesh to cover the black, but most of the rest went over in one to two layers, although I'll probably give the purity seal seals another coat of Screamer Pink. Some Abbaddon Black in the joints too. The Caliban Green, Leadbelcher and Mechanicus Standard Grey has all been washed with Nuln Oil, while the purity seal parchment and Balthasar Gold has had an Agrax Earthshade wash. I'm leaving the Mephiston Red until I get the stormbolter casing done. It is really starting to come together now.

Finer progress steps and pictures in the spoiler.
Catchya,
Arakasi

That termie is looking good. All that layering on the armor is really effective.

Now that's lovely Arakasi. Really nice work.

Looking great Arakasi.

Cheers,

CB

Please tell me there's an orky dark angel in there!

I really appreciate blogs that include experimenting and working through problems! I'm impressed by the thought going into the fur design for the wolves.

As has been said, and warrants saying again: Dark Angel looking fab. In particular, your painting is very neat - you clearly have really tight brush control (this is also evident on the boars' stripes). Impressive that it was all done with a layer brush!

Looking forward to how this progresses!

I think it's safe to say that a certain percentage of the readership craves crazy of varying degrees....

Coming along nicely.

Thank you for all of your comments!

@JoshInJapan: Thank you.

@Gitsplitta: Thank you.

@Captain Brown: Welcome and thank you.

@CommissarKhaine: Welcome back! An Orky Dark Angel would not be found dead in such a clean, unkustomised piece of kit!

@Don Qui Hotep: Welcome! Brush control - or patience - must come with age. Either that or I am suitably rested from my long break in the hobby . Hopefully I can get back to the boars before the next round of the monthly competition. Thank you.

@monkeytroll: Indeed, and thank you.

I think I'm done! Well, apart from getting some proper photos / trialling the lightbox I bought ages ago.


Progression pictures (and what I remember of the steps, lots of small steps across many areas!) in the spoiler:
Catchya!
Arakasi

Lovely!

Good job

Ooh. The blue works so well with that. Nicely done, mate!

On today's episode, I will attempt to prepare better photos for judging in the competition / gallery. The best of which may be seen above.

First, thank you Gitsplitta, monkeytroll and Snrub for stopping by with your comments.

I knew where my lightbox was (not a given), but I thought I would also seek out my Dreadfleet drop cloth as it would probably make for a good background. Little did I know, I was also to discover...


...long lost styrene supplies (and model kit instructions) - bonus!


Here is my lightbox, packed up as it has been for over three (possibly eight?) years.


Unpacked. I know it is less than eight years old, as it has Australian and not UK power plugs . I had forgotten it comes with different back drop colours, so I may not need the Dreadfleet cloth afterall. There are also a few other pieces that I think may have just been packed with it during a move and are not related at all.


The lightbox set up, including my painting light for a third light source. I didn't seem to be having much luck with the light sources outside the box on the left and right, but directed in from the front seems to work.


I used a packaging box to lift the model off the table so the light would strike it rather than go over it. It would also allow me to take pictures from directly in front rather than from above. Here I am all set up for the first shoot.


However, the result did not work out quite as well as I had planned / hoped .

I switched to the dark blue back drop, brought the lamps in closer, and did my best to focus with my iPhone. This ended up with the first image in this post and the two below:

Side and back.

Other photos did not make the grade and have not been uploaded to the gallery or here. Mainly issues with shadows or focus.

My next step is to decide whether these three are good enough to submit as is, or whether I want to create a collage. I'm leaning towards the collage. Let me know if there are any details you think I should definitely include or not include, or make a better attempt at photoing.

Next round looks like it will be an open / pile of shame round. Jadenim suggested a sub challenge of "find the oldest mini that you've never painted". I have a couple of untouched Chaos Warriors and Marauders tagged 1985 that might just do...

Catchya,
Arakasi

Definitely works well with the blue backdrop, very nice.

Bonus find on the styrene

I have that exact same light set up. My problem is with the bulbs... they have all kinds of strange shades coming out of them that really alter the color of the models I've been trying to photograph with them. Had to switch to other lights.

I think I can live with the above .

Thanks again monkeytroll.

Gitsplitta, the lights do appear a little weird, but I'm happy with the outcome for now. I guess I should look for matching bulbs across all of my lamps and see if I can do better.

Catchya,
Arakasi

In today's episode, I'd like to introduce you to:


Gladstone the Large, Chaos Warrior (including a better angle to view his shield.)


Cedric Hammerhand, Chaos Warrior.


Zarygor Bloodrage, Chaos Warrior.


Lunkop Banesmite, Chaos Marauder.

These are currently my planned entries for round 62 of the Dakka Painting Challenge (TBA), pending the theme remaining as open / pile of shame and making sure I have all of the paints I'll need - either new, old and still viable, or actually purchaseable given the current environment. They meet a possible sub theme of "find the oldest mini that you've never painted" - none have ever seen paint (which ruled out my stripped miniatures earlier in this thread - if I'm being strict - as well as some even earlier miniatures I put in the Show-Off Your Retro and Out of Print Models! thread) and have tags of 1985. Yes, there are four. I can always enter less if timing becomes an issue.

Interestingly, according to Chaos Marauders - F5, the original Chaos Marauder range were placed into the Chaos Warrior and Chaos Thug ranges in the 1988 Citadel Catalog. This is why Zarygor Bloodrage is listed online as a Chaos Warrior, even though his tab says Marauder. It looks like some of my stripped Marauders (by tag) are actually Chaos Thugs (online) for the same reason. Not that it seems to matter for anyone other than Zarygor - all of the other Marauders appear to have been classified as Thugs (I think the dividing line might be full armour or not), and Thugs seem to fall in line with the new Marauder concept... Long story short, I'm now educated and less confused... and maybe now so are you .

Dilemma number one - which shields to equip Gladstone and Cedric with? I've pictured them with the ones I'm leaning towards, based on online research, but I have more options as shown below:


Additional shield options for Gladstone and Cedric.

Dilemma number two - bases. They came with square bases (of course!). I have them in 25mm round slotta bases for photography only. To match a possible future Chaos Army (ignoring Warhammer The Old World), I'm thinking of keeping Lunkop on 25mm round to go with current Chaos Marauders and moving the other three to 32mm round to go with current Chaos Warriors. For some reason I appear to have 32mm round (non slotta) bases. I wonder what I am stealing them from?

Dilemma number three - paint scheme. Given I started my new paint journey with bone, how do I up the challenge from there? White of course! White armour, gold chain, rivets and details, dark brown leathers / cloth, red bloodied hand print on helmet, possibly shields. I haven't really decided on the colour of the weapons, or base, other than they will probably need to be darker to offset the white. I can mix in purple for any robes in the future. Oh, and I plan to beat up the armour with scratches (dark brown to silver) and small amounts of blood splatter.

That's all for now.

Catchya,
Arakasi

I'm a fan of the embossed sheilds, but I can see where the mounting might get weird and the sheilds a bit large.

Bases wise, honestly I'd stick with 25mm round or square, probably square for overlap reasons, you can always up 'em on a bigger insert or a placeholder base if you need to use them with the new stuff (on the other hand, I'm a bit of a grog, and don't really plan to do much with AOS, so it may make sense to move 'em up--I'd just be worried they'd end up looking a bit puny and lost.)

Ahh, some old-skool goodness indeed.

No real idea on the bases as I don't p!ay, but I'd probably switch them to round myself.

Love all the old shield designs - choice wise I'd say it depends on whether you want to attempt some green and on the embossed versions of not.

Bold choice with white. You're definitely looking to push it up there - which is after all the point of a challenge I guess

I love those old Chaos models. I keep mine on square bases because of nostalgia, which is also why I use the older, non-embossed shields. I've never seen Chaos warriors in white armor, though, so that should be a treat.

Deathwing came out really good! The blue base works for it so well.

Love the old school chaos range. Lots of really good characterful sculpts. Probably may favourite line of all the old-hammer. And I am 100% all for square bases. They just don't have the same zazz on round bases.

@Vejut: Yeah, those embossed shields are quite large, and the old Chaos Warriors on the smaller side. Perhaps better suited for some old Chaos Knights, but, I have more embossed shields than old Chaos knights, so that doesn't rule them out. When I was playing with it, I think I can get the smallest embossed shield on Gladstone without it looking too large, and without too many difficulties. Cedric's mounting point is in a tough position that favours narrower shields. The one I have him pictured with was the widest I could easily muster, and mainly because of the notches. As for the bases, I was only concerned Zarygor might look a little lost on a 32mm - Gladstone already extends past 25mm and Cedric's hammer and shield do too - but Zarygor seems fine too. I haven't made up my mind yet.

@monkeytroll: I think auto correct might have done a number on your shields thought - I can't quite work out the guist of it!

@JoshInJapan: Given they are unlikely to be played as well (and I can always rebase and perhaps repaint them later if it became an issue), maybe the nostagia of square bases wins out? Do I even attempt to have them able to be lined up?

@Snrub: Feeling like a general, well, perhaps stronger, consensus towards square bases - I'll give them another whirl.

Thanks for the feedback,
Arakasi

Of COURSE you make them so they rank up. If you're going in, go ALL the way in.

--Brian

Good lord, those chaos models are nearly as old as I am I too would go with square bases, if you don‘t plan on playing with them. Looks more old school and as others have said, you can still rebase later.

And nice work on the Dark Angel terminator, armour in that color is no easy feat!

 Arakasi wrote:


@JoshInJapan: Given they are unlikely to be played as well (and I can always rebase and perhaps repaint them later if it became an issue), maybe the nostagia of square bases wins out? Do I even attempt to have them able to be lined up?

Arakasi

In my experience, these old Chaos models rank up pretty well if you treat the unit like a jigsaw puzzle. Just make sure to mount Cedric and Lunkop diagonally.

Cool Oldhammer, I think square bases are the right way to go on minis that old. Really intrigued to see how the white armour comes along.