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Wow really good models!
I might try that soon....If Im good at it?...Ba who cares Ill give it a go!

Hey Eggroll, this is simply amazing stuff. It's reading blogs like these that makes me want to push my skills and do better, because having minis looking like this, I wouldn't care if i get beaten to shreds on the board :p

I was already considering getting an airbrush, but now its a 100% sure, I'll get one of those bastards as soon as i can afford it, just too bad that the iwatas here in Denmark seem to cost atleast double, than they do in the states, and I'm not too keen on going with a no-name brand.

Anyways, inspiring stuff.

Egg, can you walk us through how you did the wings on the sanguinary guard? Specifically, did you start from blue then go to white or the other way around? In either case, how did you mask them so you kept the dark blue in the recesses between layers?

Thanks

Very nice army indeed, the sanguinary guard look fantastic.

Wow! You work is incredible!

I've been using an airbrush for the past 6-8 months and been watching many YouTube videos, reading countless blogs. And I saw your blog and been reading for the last few days and you make it look so easy, and simple.

So what am I doing wrong? Can you link or suggest learning material that helped you?

You mention Mathieu Fontaine, I found a few written tutorials but no videos. I did read his article on Airbrushes and as soon as I get off work I'm going to buy a few things.
I like Les's videos, but he is saving the 'good stuff' for a DVD for purchase. (which I prolly would buy if he finishes)

I'm also trying a little OSL. I tried w/ a brush and diluted paint and testing out on soptlights and headlights, but its not turning out. I noticed your headlights and OSl so I'll prolly try it w/ the airbrush. Did you use a quick burst on the lights or a small hole on a stencil to get a soft edge? I think the yellow on you headlights might be a little too strong. I'd like the same effect, but more of a white w/ a hint of yellow.

HAZZER wrote:Wow really good models!
I might try that soon....If Im good at it?...Ba who cares Ill give it a go!

Good stuff, you'll only get better if you put in the time.

hemlighest wrote:Hey Eggroll, this is simply amazing stuff. It's reading blogs like these that makes me want to push my skills and do better, because having minis looking like this, I wouldn't care if i get beaten to shreds on the board :p

I was already considering getting an airbrush, but now its a 100% sure, I'll get one of those bastards as soon as i can afford it, just too bad that the iwatas here in Denmark seem to cost atleast double, than they do in the states, and I'm not too keen on going with a no-name brand.

Anyways, inspiring stuff.

Haha thanks hemlighest. If it's more pricey in Denmark, why not just buy one online and get it shipped? Shipping shouldn't be too bad especially if you buy it from a company in europe. I'm not so sure about the no-name brands either, I read they're a hit or miss so I opted for a lower tier iwata which works very well so far.

king88mob wrote:Egg, can you walk us through how you did the wings on the sanguinary guard? Specifically, did you start from blue then go to white or the other way around? In either case, how did you mask them so you kept the dark blue in the recesses between layers?

Thanks

Sure. The wings where sprayed with black primer, then with white primer from the top so the undersides still had some shadows. Then I airbrushed enchanted blue in between two of the bigger feather sections. After that, I manually painted each feather tip so that it goes from the enchanted blue to pure white. I also did try doing some smaller angled strokes with the white to simulate feathers but that got mostly covered in my next step where I did a final spray with watered down white to tone down the blue and smooth out the transitions.

GiraffeX wrote:Very nice army indeed, the sanguinary guard look fantastic.

Thanks!


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Styrofoam04 wrote:Wow! You work is incredible!

I've been using an airbrush for the past 6-8 months and been watching many YouTube videos, reading countless blogs. And I saw your blog and been reading for the last few days and you make it look so easy, and simple.

So what am I doing wrong? Can you link or suggest learning material that helped you?

You mention Mathieu Fontaine, I found a few written tutorials but no videos. I did read his article on Airbrushes and as soon as I get off work I'm going to buy a few things.
I like Les's videos, but he is saving the 'good stuff' for a DVD for purchase. (which I prolly would buy if he finishes)

I'm also trying a little OSL. I tried w/ a brush and diluted paint and testing out on soptlights and headlights, but its not turning out. I noticed your headlights and OSl so I'll prolly try it w/ the airbrush. Did you use a quick burst on the lights or a small hole on a stencil to get a soft edge? I think the yellow on you headlights might be a little too strong. I'd like the same effect, but more of a white w/ a hint of yellow.

Thanks styrofoam! The youtube video are nice but what actually prompted me to get an airbrush and try things is the dreadnought tutorial from M. Fontaine. It's produced by Miniature Mentor and you can buy the digitial download. Les' videos are nice and you can't beat the youtube price but this video imo is way better as he goes over in detail the equipment, operation, paints and various techniques as well as using oils. I'd definitely recommend it.

For my headlight OSL, I do quick bursts w/o any stencils. It is a bit too yellow and I have been playing around with the colour combination in subsequent vehicles though it's something I'm still experimenting with.

Stunning work; wish I'd found your inspiring blog before now!

Love the army shots. What a fantastic looking army.

Thanks inmygravenimage and hits_the_spot.

Hi Eggroll,

I've been following this army on various sites and must say it inspired me to follow your techniques. I run a world eaters army and was looking for a speedy way to get a quality paint job on my models. So far I have primed with the dupli-color rust and picked up the createx red and black for the shadows. I believe you said it was a 50/50 mix of the opague red and black for the shadow highlights.

I was wondering when diluting the blood red (for the top highlight) what was the ratio, and did you use any flow improver? Also when diluting the opague red for the wash what was the mixture?

Do you happen to have any step by step shots of the jump pack technique? I am referring to the Enchanted blue>Ice Blue>skull white booster area, also what the dilution ratio was for each color.

Thanks for any info you could share. This army is sweet looking, keep up the good work!

twin_linked wrote:
I was wondering when diluting the blood red (for the top highlight) what was the ratio, and did you use any flow improver? Also when diluting the opague red for the wash what was the mixture?

Do you happen to have any step by step shots of the jump pack technique? I am referring to the Enchanted blue>Ice Blue>skull white booster area, also what the dilution ratio was for each color.

Thanks for any info you could share. This army is sweet looking, keep up the good work!

Thanks twin_linked. For the blood red and all my other paints, I almost always dilute 1:1. Sometimes this will change if I'm using foundation paint which is thicker. For the opaque red filter, I used 2:1 for water and paint. I never really measure actual volume that accurately, lately I've been putting the stuff directly into my cup instead of premixing it before hand. I usually throw down a few drops of water, then take a brush and load it up with paint, dip it into the cup and stir.

I don't think I can put the whole dilution ratio down into specifics as too much of it is dependent on your airbrush type, PSI settings and paint brand/type. Some paints of the same brand will have different consistency depending on the actual batch. Best thing to do which I always do is do test bursts and check to make sure it's coming out smooth and go from there.

The jump packs I don't have step by steps but the general idea is to start with the darker colours (enchanted blue) and work your way into the brightest (white or white/ice blue). The hottest areas are always represented as the brightest so using this, you can translate it to any light source.

love the singuinary gaurd the wings look fantastic. was just wondering wether you use a matt coat laquor after you use the air brush im finding the colours are looking a little dusty is this normal thanks m8 take care

Brilliant stuff thanks a lot for the tips, especially on the Youtube videos. I now know where to go first before plonking down the cash. I especially like the Death Company dreadnaught the colours really makes the claws look menacing.

Blood Of The Fallen wrote:love the singuinary gaurd the wings look fantastic. was just wondering wether you use a matt coat laquor after you use the air brush im finding the colours are looking a little dusty is this normal thanks m8 take care

Thanks. They're not varnished. The dustiness look comes from my gw white primer, it's been coming out really grainy and I need to throw it out.

Llamahead wrote:Brilliant stuff thanks a lot for the tips, especially on the Youtube videos. I now know where to go first before plonking down the cash. I especially like the Death Company dreadnaught the colours really makes the claws look menacing.

Thanks Llamahead!

I think if i'm not mistaken, correct me if i'm wrong anyone, but...... Eggroll you need to post up more awesome models my friend! :-) i'm having withdrawals!

nerdfest09 wrote:I think if i'm not mistaken, correct me if i'm wrong anyone, but...... Eggroll you need to post up more awesome models my friend! :-) i'm having withdrawals!

Haha, soon. It's only been about a week since my last squad I think. I'm working on a 10 man squad of devastators right now. Hoping to get them done in about 1.5 weeks. Hang in there nerdfest!

Phew! thanks Eggy, i was getting all jittery for a second there! i'll be watching, waiting :-)

Eggroll wrote:

Blood Of The Fallen wrote:love the singuinary gaurd the wings look fantastic. was just wondering wether you use a matt coat laquor after you use the air brush im finding the colours are looking a little dusty is this normal thanks m8 take care

Thanks. They're not varnished. The dustiness look comes from my gw white primer, it's been coming out really grainy and I need to throw it out.

sorry m8 i ment with the ones iv sprayed up so far didnt know weather it was something i was doing wrong

Just out of curiosity do you have any other armies or is this your first major one?

One word: Stunning!

Killmaimburnkillmaimburn wrote:Just out of curiosity do you have any other armies or is this your first major one?

First major army that I've collected. I've already bought most of the blood angel units now so I started buying Grey Knights which I have a few of now My painting hasn't quite yet caught up to my buying yet

CT GAMER wrote:One word: Stunning!

Thanks!

We all have the paint-lag problem Eggroll, and I think it more than fair to say that we don't produce results like you. That being said though...

MOAR!

Thanks Cypher, I'll be posting "moar" soon enough

Been a long time since my last update. Haven't got any progress to show yet though, only have some basic work done on a 10 man dev squad. Also busy painting up a Librarian in Terminator armor (metal version) which should be done soon. This post however is geared towards my airbrushing gear since I got some new equipment recently and figured I'll document it here since I've gotten quite a few questions recently about what I use.

First off here a shot of my airbrushes. From top to bottom:
1. Iwata Revolution BR (0.3mm)
The Iwata has been my only airbrush until about two weeks ago. I still love it and it's definitely a workhorse that produces excellent results. An awesome beginner brush that produces great results. Recently the trigger has been sticking more often and requires more tear down cleanings which has been a pain.

2. Harder and Steinbeck Infinity 2 in 1 (0.15mm) (Includes larger paint cup and a 0.4mm needle and nozzle)
The H&S Infinity is an airbrush I bought 2 weeks ago which is an amazing piece of precision machinery. The fitting and finish on this AB is incredible and the 0.15 nozzle atomizes the paint very well. It does tend to be a bit more finicky though probably due to my inexperience with the brush at this time. Out of box results have been fantastic though so it was definitely worth the $280 price tag. Also includes some cool new features like the adjustments at the back of the brush.

3. Veda WD-180 (0.2mm Chinese Airbrush) (Includes quick release (MAC Valve) and 0.3mm needle and nozzle)
The last one is the Veda airbrush which is a chinese airbrush. Just got it in the post today and it came with a 0.3 needle/nozzle set and quick release set with the air adjustment valve. The brush has a built in MAC valve near the nozzle which I tested a bit. This is a ripoff of the MAC valves found on the Iwata Microns. Not sure how well it works on the Micron but front the 5 min test I did with it, it didn't see all that useful. I'd rather adjust the PSI from the pressure regulator attached to my desk. The finish on this airbrush is a bit more rough, you can see the machined areas and the thing is definitely heavy. Feels almost twice as heavy as the infinity and might get uncomfortable during long painting sessions. The needle also seemed to have more of a rough finish and the test results reflected this. The paint atomization is less fine and it seems to spit and clog more often than my normal iwata. I'll have to see if I can polish the needle later but overall, for the $50 bucks it wasn't a bad deal. Also great was the included quick release set I bought along with it which I've attached to the other brushes as shown in the pic. Now I can swap between any three very quickly without having to unscrew/screw the hose.


Next pic is my airbrush holder that's secured to the side of my desk. It holds up to 4 airbrushes though I only have 3 slots installed. Also holds my air regulator and moisture trap. Black hose from the regulator also has the quick release valve end installed.


Here's a shot of my main air compressor. It's a Campbell Hausfeld 3 gallon hardware compressor. The thing is LOUD, not sure about exact db but I'm guessing it's in the 80's. Charges up to 100psi in about 3 minutes so I usually run it during the day to charge the tank and run the AB from the tank at night. The blue coiled hose from the compressor runs to the air regulator that's on my desk from the previous pic.


This show shows the modified fittings I put in after I got my new Grex compressor. The Grex is tankless so I wanted to be able to use the Grex to charge the 3 gal tank when I run it during the evenings. The Grex runs at 55db so noise is not an issue thankfully. The Grex will charge the 3 gal tank up to 60psi in about 4-5 minutes. In the picture I took out the safety release valve, installed a T fitting in place, reinstalled the safety valve at the end of the T fitting and a quick release coupler at the other end.


When I use up the pressure and want to use the AB more during the evenings, I just attach the quick release coupler from my Grex to the tank and charge it up to 60psi that way. Works perfect!


The whole setup looks like this: Grex Compressor -> 3 Gallon CH Compressor -> Air Regulator & Moisture Trap -> Airbrushes
That pretty much sums up my whole setup right now. It's pretty elaborate but in no way necessary for achieving good results. I worked off the CH compressor and Iwata brush for over a year before getting the recent upgrades.

Thanks for that detailed run-down, very interesting!

Nice setup Eggroll! Thanks for sharing. Grex looks happy as a clam there. I used to run a hardware compressor just like yours (different make). Not bad in a pince & if you own your own place so you don't have to worry about disturbing your neighbors... but now that I have a hobby compressor, things are much better all-round.

Eggroll I do not know how I missed this thread!? Beautiful work great blending using your airbrush. Looking forward to more of your work. SUBBED!!

Not a problem Vitruvian.

Gits - Thanks! The Grex is great and seems to be working well. Hopefully it'll be reliable in the long run.

GreyDeathOne - Thanks!

Btw shane, you made me go completely full slow and order an iwata micron cm-c + .

My wallet says eff-u.

My hobbying says youdaman!

wow wow wow wow wow wow those look amazing, awesome, cool, nice, red and so much more.
it seems to be that you like dreadnoughts
do you play battles with this army?

Haha, Tom I didn't say anywhere in my log to buy a $500 iwata . Heard lots of good reviews for it though, just make sure you baby it, the replacement parts cost an arm and a leg.

Brennian - Thanks. Dreads are cool for sure I don't play the game, just into the hobby side of painting and collecting.