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Looks like lego's fix didnt work as well as i hoped.....page rollover BEGONE!


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And to your actual post...

Haha no worries my friend, always happy to help

I'm still watching, and movated again since your back. Love the new mantis Chain Swords

Thanks Styro, wonderful to see you commenting! I think this is the 4th version of them (the swords) I've tried... and the first one I've actually liked from a mechanical perspective.

Well done, Gits!

very nice all around. Love the color.

It's always a privilege to see your wonderful technique for yellow, even if it makes me miss my 40k stuff rather dearly (it is currently in loft storage while I'm at university). They look wonderfully eye catching with their refined shadow

Can't wait until you add the camo details.

Thanks guys!

@GS: Good to see you again mate. I'm glad I took the time off from the marines... I'm looking forward to painting them again and have regained that "spark" that I think inspired my better work of the past. It also helps that I don't have a ton of figures to paint for Adepticon, which means I can enjoy the process a bit more.

Unfortunately I've been battling a cold so bed times have come early (i.e. no progress). I'm kind of scratching my head as to how to paint the plasma cannons... not the coils but the rest of it. Got a supply drop from Chicago Airbrush Supply which was sorely needed. OH, and I did find a brown primer that with a little modification, should work well as a base for the yellow. Hoping I can get something done tonight after work.

 Gitsplitta wrote:
I'm glad I took the time off from the marines... I'm looking forward to painting them again and have regained that "spark" that I think inspired my better work of the past.

Oh I know that feeling all too well. Before my hiatus I was working on lots of blue Chaos Space Marines (Chosen; Regular and Berzerkers) and in large quantities all that smooth armour just breaks you. Thankfully I had a lot of old metal Flamers that were lying around, so painting daemon flesh was a nice change in dynamic (even if they were also blue... ) And I got to discover the joys of painting things under pressure in preperation for a tournament that I wasn't even competing in (I was bailing out my sibling, like any kind/gullible older brother would do).

And be sure to rest up good Gits, so that you can be fighting fit for further painting. Hmmm... I have to admit, I'm not sure how you should tackle the plasma cannons either. Silver as the base with further details, such as a brass or copper muzzle would compliment the yellow nicely. Or copper, brass or gold as the base, as a means of "blending" in with the rest of the marine, perhaps with camo details? Or leave the majority yellow and use the camo details?

Or you could just go with the purple that you've been using with the other plasma weapons in your army, even if it's a direct contrast with yellow... slightly removing the plausibility of the marines being stealthy.

That's not a bad suggestion, I'll think on it.

I have been making progress guys, just incremental. Been getting up a half-hour early and sneaking in a little painting before heading off to work. As such, I'm just picking out little projects each morning that I can complete... grenades, holster, metal parts of the chainswords, etc. So while I am moving forward, it's not very photogenic. Perhaps one more day will provide enough interest for a pic.

That's dedication sir! I wouldn't give up 1/2 hour of my morning snooze to paint!

Mostly because I say up too late painting

Agreed, the morning snooze is very precious to me...!

That is a good way of donig it though if that is how you choose to, small 'objectives' will help keep your motivation up as well (i hope)....

Morning snooze!? what the hell is that? i'm always awake when you slackers are sleeping! probably because i'm at work when everyone sleeps but that's no excuse! ;-)

Started to pick out the details on one of the plasma cannons. This is still very WIP. Plasma coil is not in it's final color, though this is an interesting effect. I have made similar progress on both other figures, but not quite to this extent.

Looking good as usual! I like the effect. its like they are turned off or powering down.

I want to see the Camo

Plasma cannoneers are looking great so far, well done on getting up extra early to get some progress in - I couldn't function on a level required for hobby stuff till I've been up a while, had tea etc.

@Styro: Thanks! Yeah, it's kind of a neat look, but I had my heart set on trying to airbrush some glowing plasma coils on these (they're so big... should be easier than normal). However... we'll see if I chicken out at the last minute. As to the camo... yeah, they're pretty boring without it. I do like the way the near-black handle on the knife came out. It's much more military looking than my usual wood-brown handles. He's getting close though... chapter badge, eyes, fix up the skulls. Then just the two "problem" items remain... the nose of the plasma cannon and the coils. The camo used to be something I stressed over but now I've done so much of it that it's not an issue any more.

@mt: Thanks mate! I never do anything too complicated in the morning... but since I have to get up fairly early for work (5:30 AMish), I actually tend to be a bit more intellectually sharp then. Unfortunately my eyes aren't usually all that great early on... they seem to need a couple of hours to "warm up" and start focusing correctly (well, that's a relative term), so I keep things simple in the morning. Base coats, highlights, washes... That's 90% of it anyway.

Looks like you got a few "wash rings" where the wash dried funny on the gun and lower leg as seen on the pic to the right. Curse those close up photos!

I actually broke out the air gun for the first time to base my gargoyles, tervigon, ect for this weeks tournie. Can't say that it was quicker than spray primer I normally use. It did come out smoother. Also, the Valejo Surface Primers don't bond as well as the Krylon Rust Tough Primers(which normally perform smoothly). Much easier to scrap the more rubbery Valejo primers off.

I know you mentioned using the Valejo Surface Primers. Did you encounter similar issues? Are you using a different brand?

I didn't even see the knife until you mentioned it.

Yeah, the inside of the legs elude me when I'm checking for drips and rings. I'll fix that, thanks for the heads-up. I agree with your assessment of the Vallejo primer, but for my money, the purpose of the primer is to make the paint stick... not to be scratch resistant. I'd rather have a fine coat that doesn't obscure detail. That... and the fact that I can mix my own primer colors makes it my primer of choice. Can't do that with a spray can.

Yeah, I've found the Vallejo primers much better than my old rattlecans. I've never experienced any rubberiness like you spoke about. It's always very, very fine, and even on metal models, I don't get those damn corner nicks with it like Rattlecans.

Are you using water to thin your Vallejo primer? It's best to use a real acrylic thinner with Vallejo primers, because of the chemical tech they use to make it airbrushable.

I wonder if wyfox's bonding issue is really just a reflection of primer thickness. Unless it's actually flaking off, I wouldn't think it's the bonding... it's just a much thinner coat so it's easier to scrape off.

I still use cans when I'm really in a hurry, feeling lazy or am working on something I know won't be painted beyond a basic tabletop level (like Thing 2's Nids). But for my best work... the air primers are the only way to go.

No, I wasn't using any thinner. Per the directions on the bottle you are suppose to use it straight up.

I have found Krylon can primers to be very difficult to even scrap off with a tooth brush after several hours in simple green...and even then it often permanently stains the plastic. After 30 minutes in simple green, the Vallejo primer washed off with a simple water rinse (had to redo the job because I got the paint on too thick and had a few runs). Definately less tackier.

The Krylon Rust Tough cans normally go on smooth as well. I can give you my two Tyrant sword arms, one done with Krylon and the other with the airbrush, and you wouldn't know the difference.

heh..Krylon is meant to be used on outdoor things, surviving weather and all that, it fills too much detail for my tastes.

I've certainly had good success with canned primers over the years. The main advantages to the Vallejo primers that I find attractive are...

- goes on fine
- very little waste of paint
- mixable to a wide range of colors
- no propellants or cans to dispose of

All done save for the camo, OSL and fixing the sepia drip on the lower leg of one of them... which I already fixed once and managed to muck up a second time.

Hmmm. I can't see the OSL?

All done save for the camo, osl, etc.. It ain't done yet lol

Looking good now!

Getting them to this point is actually the hard part. The camo goes on quick and is easy once you get the hang of it.

liking it, and im looking forward to the OSL as well (and i love the completed Tranquility scheme )