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Greetings guys and gals.

I'm about to get started on the first pair of heavy support tanks for my Vostroyan I.G. army after recently completing a pair of Chimera transport tanks.

(Here's a picture of the Chimeras so you can see them and get a feel for the paint scheme.)



Now, here's what's next on the chopping block



Specifically, I'll be starting on the left most tank in that image, this one.



Stage one will be airbrushing both tanks with a base layer of Karak Stone and then going forward from there on the tank above. Will update with photos as I finish each of these tanks off.

Thanks for looking, and I'll catch you guys and gals on the flipside.

-Red__Thirst-

Very cool! Looking forward to seeing them develop!

Update! After an evening of airbrushing with my buddy who owns the airbrush (Long while, got both Griffons, Two Leman Russ's, and a Valkyrie/Vendetta) most all vehicles are now base coated with a nice coat of Karak Stone.

Here's the first Griffon about to be started on now. Very happy with how the Airbrush got a nice clean coat of paint down.







More to come soon as I can get more work done. Will be busy with work this weekend but will update this thread as often as I can with WIP shots.

Thanks for looking and take it easy guys

-RT-

Those are nifty griffons, what pieces do you use for the cannon itself? I don't recognize the bits. Also another question, that karak stone paint, I was told it was almost identical to the old kommando khaki. Is that true?

 Boblogik wrote:
Those are nifty griffons, what pieces do you use for the cannon itself? I don't recognize the bits. Also another question, that karak stone paint, I was told it was almost identical to the old kommando khaki. Is that true?

Posting from my phone, forgive any misspellings in advance.

Firstly, the Karak stone is essentially the same shade as kommando khaki. I'll show an example of the difference between them if you'd like, just let me know. They're so close in shade yould be hard pressed to see a difference.

Secondly, the cannon, and recessed flood plate, I got off of eBay. They are resin recasts of the old school GW metal griffon mortar kits that are no longer in production. They fit very nicely into the new school chimera chassis as you can see. There are a few bubbles in the resin here and there but nothing earth shattering. A good pain job and/or a little green stuff is all you need to fill the gaps.
Just search for Imperial Guard griffon on eBay and you'll likely see these resin conversion kits up for sale

Hope that helps ya sir, and thanks for looking

Take it easy, more updates soon.

-RT-


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Got an update here for everyone who may be watching. First, the pictures.







As you can see, I've not started on the cannon yet, that'll start when I do the Boltgun metal areas of the tank itself.

What I've done so far:

Hit the entire tank with a good thin coat of the Old Kommando Khaki color (I've got a little left, trying to use it up, and it covers nicely) paying special attention to the flat/large surfaces.

Next, using a little blue painter's tape, I got the red front sections of the tank completed. Have a couple of touch ups to do on that but will do that towards the end of painting.

Lastly, I hit all the areas that are supposed to be Hashnut Copper with a thin coat of Baylor Brown to help the color pop a bit more. I learned this trick while painting my Vostroyans and it helps the copper really stand out. (You can see what the finished product looks like on the Chimeras in the opening post, as well as on the Vostroyan infantry in my gallery.)

Next step will be the Boltgun Metal metallic areas then the Hashnut Copper after that (Getting the mortar itself painted, primarily) and from there it'll be on to weathering and fine details.

Will update with more pictures once the Metallic work is finished and I'm moving on to the next steps.

Take it easy and thanks for looking.

-RT-

Thanks for the tips!

 Boblogik wrote:
Thanks for the tips!

You're very welcome Sir. Hope they help ya!

Take it easy.

-RT-

Finally! An update!

Took a while, Holidays and work being what they are. That said, I've finally juuuuust about completed the Griffon. All I have left to do is finish the mortar itself, The tank however, is completed. Without further ado!

From the front:



From the top, showing the detail of the back section of the tank:



Left side:



Right side:



Posterior:



And last but not least, showing the Mortar in place:



I'm about to do the details on the mortar now and get the tank wrapped up, so I can start work on the second Griffon. (see the pair base coated above)

Thanks so much for looking and I look forward to seeing what people think. Please feel free to offer any critiques!

Take it easy,

-RT-


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Update:

And now, we have the finished product, mortar painted and in place.

Tell me what you guys think if you'd be so kind!











Thanks for looking, and I'll update again when I get some progress on Griffon # 2

I'll catch you guys on the flip side.

-RT-

It's really nice thank for sharing!

Ok, one down, one to go!

Here's the second griffon, basecoated with a nice airbrushed layer of Karak Stone.

I'm about to get started on getting a nice layer of Karak stone on the large flat surfaces by hand and then it'll be on to getting the red onto the front of the tank.

Here's the tank as it sits before any work is done, I'll update as much as possible with progress as I can.







After this tank is completed, I'll move on to my first Leman Russ. Excited for that

Take it easy everyone, and thanks for looking!

-RT-

The first one is looking good! Keep it up!

Thanks Barksdale Appreciate the support sir!

Quick mini-update. Got some headway done, namely hitting the entire tank with a nice thin coat of Karak Stone and then doing the red sections on the front of the tank. Compare the difference on coat of paint can make:



Vs. the first image:



And, showing the red sections on the sides:





Thanks for looking! The next step is going to be using Balor Brown on all the areas that are going to be Hashnut Copper, and then after that it's on to getting the Boltgun Metal on the tank. I'll do the actual copper sections last, then it's on to decals and ink/weathering before doing final details such as gem work on the lenses. Looking forward to getting this tank knocked out so I can move on to my larger vehicles, namely my two Vendetta/Valkerie flyers waiting in the wings.
(Get it, wings, they're flyers, it's a play on.. Oh Nevermind )

See you guys soon. Thanks

-RT-

Greetings everyone Time for an update!

I've gotten the boltgun metal areas mostly done, (Still have to paint the floor grates on the rear section, but will do that shortly.)

Then it's on to the bronze areas. (Everywhere that's painted the darker yellow shade will be bronze.)

Before I do that, however, I'm going to put the decals on in just a few minutes after posting this. Will apply them and paint around the edges so they're suitably blended with the rest of the paint job on the tank.

Will post update pictures once I get the metallic work done with the Boltgun Metal and Hashnut Copper.

With that all being said, on to the pictures!







Thanks for looking, and I hope to have more work done on the tank this afternoon/evening. Will post update pictures as soon as I can.

Take it easy.

-RT-

Merry Christmas! Update time once again!

Got some pretty good headway done on the tank over the last week (Though, not as much as I would have liked! Christmas kind of kept me a little busy as usual.)

I got the decal work done, touched up, and finished off the metallic colors for the most part on the tank itself. Will be working on the actual mortar bit soon once I finish off the tank itself. (I have a touch of cleanup to do, but not much.)

The next step will be the weathering, doing the armor chipping, and hitting the tank with a nice sepia wash. Then it's gem work on the lenses, and from there, it's on to finishing the actual mortar and the tank will be finished. The next update will (hopefully) be the finished tank, and then I'll try and do an overview shot of both Griffons, as well as all four of the tanks I've completed so far (Both Chimera's and both Griffons).

So, without further ado, here's the updated pictures!









Thanks for looking and I hope to have finished pictures of the tank up as soon as I can!

Take it easy for now

-RT-

Ok! Update time!

The Tank chassis itself is *finally* finished! Now all that's left to do is finish painting the actual mortar, which I will finish tomorrow I hope.

Let's get on to the pictures, shall we?









Thanks for looking, and I'll post up another few pictures tomorrow showing the mortar complete and in-place, as well as the pair of Griffons together, finally complete!

See you guys soon, take ti easy for now.

-RT-

Really cool seeing these babies come together. Looking forward to the finished results!!!

Thanks Barksdale! I appreciate you saying that

I got a little more headway done on the actual mortar bit last night, and will, in theory, be finishing it today. I'll get pictures of the whole tank and put them up if as soon as I finish it, and also, perhaps, snap a picture of the next thing on the 'ol chopping block for painting.

More updates to come soon. See y'all shortly.

Take it easy.

-RT-

Finally! Finished with both Griffons! It took a little over a month, from 11/21/2013 to 01/08/2014, but they're both finally finished!

Here's the Final Griffon.










And now, without further adieu, both tanks together.









Thank you all for looking, and I'll update this thread soon with my next project; A good old fashioned Leman Russ.

Catch y'all on the flipside soon! Take it easy for now.

-RT-

Awesome results! Looking forward to your next project.

Thanks for that, Boblogik

I'm going to keep up the steam I've got going and get cracking on a Leman Russ next. Will edit the first post's title to reflect the new vehicle coming down the pipe once I've gotten a picture or two of it up in my gallery and posted here. My goal is to have all my tanks (and both flyers if I can really crunch and get them done) finished by the time the new I.G. codex comes out in March. We'll see if I can manage it.

I'll keep you guys posted and will get the next project started up shortly. Be looking for an update post to come soon.

Take it easy, and thanks for looking!

-RT-

They look great shooting there together! My only comment would be to just tidy up the line with the red. Maybe it's just me but some of them look a little wobbly to me.
In any case looking forward to the next project!

The lines are straight, on my end. It may be the angle of the picture and the fact that it's going over several small sections of armor.

The line is straight (trust me.. as much time as I took to get them straight, they better be..)

Glad to hear you like the work so far Barksdale Thank you, and stay tuned for the Leman Russ.

Take it easy for now.

-RT-

Ok! Now we come to the next project!

A standard pattern Leman Russ (the first of three!). The second will be a Leman Russ Vanquisher, and the last one will be a Leman Russ Vindicator.

Here's the before picture (just snapped one, about to head to bed. Will post up more pictures after I get the base coat of Karak Stone down over the airbrushed basecoat.

Take a look



Thanks for looking, and I'll see you guys soon with more updates

Take it easy,

-RT-

Ok! Been working my tail off the last two days to get some good progress on this Leman Russ. It's my goal to have at least two tanks finished this month, this Leman Russ, and one other I hope. If I can maintain this headway, I just might be able to do it!

Without further adieu, I'll get to the pictures!









As you can see, just like my previous two tanks, I laid down a good layer of Karak Stone to get the color even. I then went ahead and got the front portions of the tank that are supposed to be red painted. Next, I went in with the baylor brown to prepare to paint the areas that are going to be hashnut copper (Or in the case of the belts on the tarps, dark brown leather). My next step will be the boltgun metal (tracks, hull heavy flamer, misc bits as well as the grating on the rear engine cover and exhaust pipes). After that, it'll be on to applying the the hashnut copper, then decals, and finally I'll be finishing it out with ink work and weathering

Now, I hear you asking, "Where's the turret?" Well, I've got a treat for y'all. I went ahead and cranked out the turret to about 95% complete. All I've got left to do is the armor chipping and the turret is finished. Behold!







I was going to put a decal on the turret, but after looking at it, I just couldn't find a good spot I wanted to add anything that I couldn't put on the hull.

Any feedback thus far is graciously and humbly appreciated. Be looking for further updates over the weekend or by the middle of next week. If I can, I'm going to try and get this puppy finished up in the next few days. We'll see if I can keep my momentum up in any case!

See you guys soon! Take it easy for now.

-RT-

Awesome, I was wondering when you were going to post the update! Nice progress on the tank body, and the turret looks great! I can't really see a decent spot to put a decal either. Out of curiosity, what one were you going to use?

One small suggestion though, is that you replace the plastic antenna with small wire. With those bad boys sticking out like that they are going to get broken. Might as well hit them with a pre-emptive strike.

Hey Barksdale, thanks for the kudos

I thought about putting a "1" behind the imperial Aquila on the side of the stowage box (next to the pick axe) but I just couldn't convince myself to put one there.

I may yet go back in and put something there.. not sure yet.

As for the antennae, I kind of do what you're talking about but snapping it off and drilling down into the 'base' of the antennae a good distance and sliding the antennae down into the new hole. Makes the antennae shorter, and surprisingly sturdy compared to the original placement. I can also pull the antennae out for storage purposes or replace it with an actual wire later if I so choose. Good suggestion though for sure! This is the only Leman Russ I'll have with an antennae, but both of my Chimeras, and both Griffons are sporting some kind of aerial antennae so I wanted to keep with the theme as much as I could.

Be looking for more updates over the weekend (hopefully) or by Monday at the latest.

See y'all soon, take it easy.

-RT-

Keep trucking. Your progress is inspiration for me to get my stuff done.

Ahh I didn't think of the antenna on the griffons because they are a wee bit smaller. I guess you could just wait, but trust me they will snap at some point!

Hmm, maybe you could put a decal on the body of the tank rather than the turret?

Small update! I've been steady at it, but a pretty beastly cold has struck and I've been running a fever all weekend. Ugh

Safe to say, I figured I'd (finally!) get an update on here for the tank. I'm nearing completion on it, and expect I'll have it wrapped up in the coming few days, barring this cold hurries up and gets the heck out of my system!

I've got the metallic work finished, and am working on the inking now. I've done the bottom, front, top, and back of the tank's ink work and have it mostly finished, barring a few clean-ups here and there with the Karak Stone. Once the ink work is finished (All that's really left to do is each side, and the tracks really) I'll hit the tank with a coat of sepia wash and it'll be finished! The only thing holding me up at this point is decals. I've used up all the 'small' Vostroyan V's from the two baneblade/shadowsword transfer sheets I own, and have managed to get a couple of more off of Ebay. They should be here in short order I expect. I'll be adding said decals to the left and ride sides of the tank, just behind where the red sections on the front.

I also finally decided to add a decal to the tank's turret, the 'name' specifically. I'm actually very happy with how it turned out! I'll be hitting the part the decal is on (and paint around said decal) with another coat of sepia wash once I get to that step on the hull.

Without further ado, let's get to the pictures!





Not a ton of progress is apparent/visible on the tank here, but at least you can see the tank's name now. "the Duke". I felt it was a fitting name for what is eventually going to be the lead tank in a full squadron of Leman Russes.

Next up:



Yes, I realize the inside of the barrel is not painted. I'll be adding some chaos black down the barrel an inch or so to cover the bare plastic. Just overlook that element if you would please

Lastly, my personal favorite picture of the bunch:



Showing the detail of the engine cover and exhaust/stowage box on the back.

There's still some clean up to do as I said, but I'm in the 'home stretch' as it were here. Hoping to have this baby wrapped up by week's end.

Thank you guys for looking, and the encouraging words also! It is greatly, and humbly, appreciated.

More to come soon! Take it easy for now guys.

-RT-

Duke is really starting to come together! But now are you going to name all of your vehicles??