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Muted, colour leeched death guard are fine by me

Graven': That's all fine then, everything's fine...

Y'know how I said about them all converging in colour and that I'll typically be far too subtle with it... Well, it happened...
Getting photos to show their actual colour is a challenge, as evidenced by some not even matching in the front and back photos: the actual colours are somewhere between the two... maybe...














I will continue these as individuals from here onwards, so they may diverge a little more and I may come up with representative photos at some stage too...

Now to spray a crisis suit before converting my desk back to hairy-brush mode.

Have you considered a hairspray later on these bad boys to crackle them up somewhat?

Great to see all your conversion work in place, I am really looking forward to seeing some paint. What is this hairspray technique?

Thanks Graven'. I hadn't. I've tried hairspray once before (on my War Walker), and I prefer sponge and paint for weathering. These don't really have the space to really make the best of hairspray anyway.

Thanks Yorkright. The Hairspray technique is (briefly) a technique for producing realistic-looking chips and worn paint; where you paint the model in the undercoat / rusty surface first, then cover the model in hairspray.
Once dry, paint over that with a clean paint job.
Once that's dry; in the places you want the paint to be damaged you soak the surface with water (wet cotton bud is fine, don't go dipping it in the sink), then scrub / scratch / lift off with sticky-tape / etc at the paint, it'll come away easier than you may expect.
This is due to the water dissolving the hairspray layer which loosens the paint layers above it, but leaves the first layers of paint untouched.
Similar to the salt method, now I think about it (I've not tried salt myself though) but without any added texture.

Anyway, I've been blocking in the metal areas.
Brass/black on the brass areas (to be covered with verdigris later),
Gunmetal/brown, and brown/red on the rusty metal parts (to be made the full range of rusty colours later).

















The good thing with Nurgle is that you don't actually have to be that neat with your painting, it's all going to be dirty later...

Thanks for posting about the hairspray technique, not sure I will try it. Telling my wife I am borrowing her spray for painting may bring about eye rolling and a shrugging of shoulders .

Deathguard are looking good, I like how you get them all painted up at once.

I like the subtle color difference you started with, gives them each a little bit of nurgle blessing. You could also try different washes. Do some null oil, some agrax earthshade, some purple, some red and orange, or just tiny spots of color around the armor breaks.

Yorkright wrote: Thanks for posting about the hairspray technique, not sure I will try it. Telling my wife I am borrowing her spray for painting may bring about eye rolling and a shrugging of shoulders .

It's slightly better than getting a funny look from a shop-keeper... (assuming that you don't have luscious locks). Explaining the above to someone that is not in the hobby can be tedious, it's probably best to just say it's for the wife, even if you don't have a wife...

Deathguard are looking good, I like how you get them all painted up at once.

Thanks. Well, while you have the paint in question out (and/or have mixed up a specific colour) you may as well slap it on all the models that require it. They will diverge as painting becomes more specific, I'm still basecoating things.

Thanks Theo'. Yeah, that is the plan. Once I've got them all up to base-coat level I can start doing the more interesting things to make them more unique... subtly...

No words without pictures (if I can help it):
Blocking in more areas...









Slowly getting there, bit by bit, Soon the fun can begin and I can start on some details and weathering.

This is coming along nicely!
I look forward to see this baby finished

Just love that combination of colors!

Hi Klaus, Thanks. These should start to accelerate from now on as the base-coating is done (although I keep finding details I've missed; like skulls or tentacles...).

Thanks Gits'. There's a few more colours to add in, but only as spots, and then it'll all be tied together with dirt, rust and pus...

As I was taking photos to have a good close look at what I've done today, I may as well show you lot.

Working sensibly, I've started with the "inner-most" items; those in the deepest of recesses. Eyes/lenses (gone for red) and hoses/armour joins (gone for black).
I've also done some black-lining / shading and finished blocking in all the areas.









Back to it...

Looking great, I love the colour combos. And wow, you work fast as well. Do you enjoy batch painting?

 Scarper wrote:
Looking great, I love the colour combos. And wow, you work fast as well.

Thanks. To me they seem to be taking a lot of time. I do have all day, every day to work on them (instead of looking for a "real" job ), so it may seem like I get a lot done on a day to day basis, but I don't really.

Do you enjoy batch painting?

"Enjoy" is such a strong word... I think my personal army blog shows my true feelings for regimented, uniformed armies...

It is useful though; when they are all going to be painted the same colours it saves time to do them all at the same time, it saves on paint wastage (I always mix too much up for a single model), and it's more time efficient for paint drying times. For making money, these are all more important than "enjoying" it. But if I didn't like it, I wouldn't do it.

The hoses have been finished up with the outer covers painted in yellow (to contrast with the black, ribbed inner parts). I went for a dull, dirty yellow... of course.
And I've highlighted the armour.








Next, I think I'm going to do the fleshy parts and tentacles, before weathering the armour (chips and scratches)...

Very nice/nasty, the red eyes have arachnid qualities that really work.

Thanks Graven'. Blank, red eyes are great for the "I'm going to kill you in a particularly nasty way" look.

Progress on the fleshy parts. Not done; there are some blue and/or green washes I'd like to do, try and get a mottled look, but this is a start to "unhealthy flesh".


Still got to finish the blend into the purple as well as the washes.

Man those tentacles are so disgustingly good makes me want to redo my Deathguard. Looking good Dr. H, thanks for sharing.

^ Agreed. Pustules are particularly good rust is starting to look excellent also.

Truly gross in just the right way. They are looking fantastic bud, think I am going to have a go soon so will be stealing much from your inspirational work.

Excellent nurgle. Looks nice and nasty, and the armor color is nice and muted.

Their coming along awesomely Doc.

might steal some ideas for mine

Cool looking marines Doc !

No major progress in the past few days, busy with other things. Still, skin is done below...

But first:
Thanks Yorkright, hopefully even more disgusting now.

Thanks Graven'. I noticed that with the rust too, I've not done anything to it, that's still the basecoat... although they are Nurgle, maybe they continue to rust by themselves.

Thanks Cam'. Nurgle will suit your painting style (yes you do have a style, shut up about not being a painter ) really well.

Thanks Comrade'.

Thanks Joe'. Steal away, this is why I share.

Thanks Big H.

Skin has had patchy blue and green washes; both pale, not light tones.
Re-highlighted in places.
And some veins added.
And the tentacles have been blended back into the flesh. (suction cups not done yet)
That should be the fleshy bits done (although some tongues may get a bit of red at some point).


I think it's armour weathering next...

They look downright mean, and the flesh colors are brilliant.

I'm currently blessed by Nurgle with a cold and very thankful that I don't have tentacles like these guys.

Thanks Theo'. All hail the Plaguefather. May you get well soon pass it on to as many people as possible.
Tentacles are great, tentacles are fun, tentacles for everyone. Where's Monkeytroll when you need him, he knew what was what when it came to tentacles.

Speaking of tentacles, I'm now looking at you all through a wire. I got fed up of inconsistent wifi signal and bought a 15m Cat6 cable to run all the way to the router. Only needed to enlarge two holes that already have wires through.

Rusty progress.
And all but #2 now have their backpacks on.















Cloth and wood parts next, before I can add streaks and stains.

Very (un)nice! Really looking the part!

Dr. H is now wired, we always knew he was wierd . These guys are coming along great. Will you be using an oil stain or just regular GW washes?

Man those are looking good Dr. H! Keep up the fantastic work!

Thanks LT. They are looking "worse" every day.

Thank you Theo'. Thanks.
No GW on these, I still use Humbrol. A wash for me is just diluted paint, which as I use white spirit is effectively an oil wash.

Thanks Gits'.

Leathers, cloths and woods done...ish (I've seen a few bits that need some work in the photos):
I have again attempted to paint texture on the cloth, may give it a bit more on the extreme highlights.



Also gave this chap a red inside to his cloak as he is the squad leader.




It's tricky to get the right angles for the photos to show what's been done with some of these models.








I think it's horns, skulls and teeth next...

Indeed they are.

All looks good, and the blending in of the tentacles came out great, but still it is the corrosion what I like best, a real tetanus posterboy!

The rust effects are very cool, how did you achieve them? Cloak turned out very grimy on the champion and the plasma marine.