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Hello everyone! This post is to simply explain the concept of what i'm doing. This blog is specifically for the Necron army i'm painting as of right now. I'll be starting off with about 2-3 posts for the first 2 weeks, but once summer hits i'll be painting more and more often, allowing for more progress. Below is a history of what's going on with this army.

I received a large box of Necrons from a uncle about 1-2 years ago for painting. This was about the time I got into the game itself, so I refrained from painting them and simply using them as the models. Along with that, the stalker had a very nice paint job.
But as my thirst for combat waned, (I only have one person to play against) and I discovered DakkaDakka, my desire to paint grew once more. I have since then begun working on this new Dynasty. The idea is that during their hibernation, they suffered great physical decay due to a highly corrosive gas developed by the rise of a Forge World upon their world, seeping into their stasis-crypts causing them to arise plagued with a constant rust upon their bodies. Unable to find a cure, they use the remains of a long-expended energy from their world to conquer nearby worlds to expand their empire and soon discover a cure for this disease.

Color Scheme wise, they have a very rusted metal outside, with a dark blue energy source. The gun casing itself needs to be decided. Now, i've just gotten back into the painting swing, so the first models will be the worst, keep in mind. But, I really do look forward to painting these guys and i've made strong progress already. I should have a example ready later today.

P.S. The name of this dynasty is currently undecided and if you have any ideas for it let me know below. The WIP name is simply "The Decaying Dynasty".

Due to an unexpected computer problem(Thanks HP), Our upload had to wait until now.

But, without further ado, here's our first couple pictures!


Here's all 10 Necron Warriors together, the second rusty one was a test subject ... for a yellow color scheme! (Oh the horror! Seriously, didn't like it.)


Next job: Clean up my Painting area! It needs way more space for paint cans, and just some general tidying up!

I don't know if I clarified when I began this blog, but this is just as much a way for you all to help me improve as it is a way to show my models.

Question wise I must ask, how do I improve on those critiques then? The models were sent to me pre-assembled(this leads to a problem with my immortals), so I don't know if I could change the posing that easily. I agree that my blue could be a bit brighter and could use a touch up. And naturally, how would you think I could improve?

And if I needed to purchase something and I only had like, say, $7, what would you think I should get?

Thanks,
JATW

I'm not sure which critiques you mean? Anyway, your Necrons as shown so far look fine. I guess you'll have to decide on whether to paint the lightning effect on all or none of the models, since you probably want to make it more consistent - at least within the same units.

If you only have $7 or so, I'd suggest a pot of one of GW's "Cracked Earth" technical paints. Probably Agrellan Earth since it's a sandy colour which should contrast nicely with your Necrons. Duncan's video here shows how to use/apply it.




Basing your models makes a huge difference and makes them look much more finished. Paint the bases with AE as shown, then rim them with either a darker brown as in the video, or even black.

Thanks for your input! the lightning effects will have to be something I do later when I have a better detail brush. Also, would you recommend the regular Agrellan Earth, or Martian Ironearth? I feel like the red of MI would provide a nice contrast too, but this seems like your area of Expertise.

Thanks,
JATW

I'd personally go with the yellow mud, but they're your models, so the most important thing is that you're happy with them - not some random guy on the internets.

Do a colour test by painting one of your necrons' bases in a yellow ochre colour similar to the Agrellan, and one in a browny red similar to the Martian Earth, then look at them side by side and choose the one that looks best to you - then go with that one. Feel free to post them here as well for feedback.

I'll be heading down to my FLGS to pick up some MI this weekend. My plan here is to basecoat the base with Caledor sky, and mix in some white and Macragge blue as well, and then use Martian Ironearth above it to create a glowing effect for the energy that runs through the planet

 JustaerinAtTheWall wrote:
I'll be heading down to my FLGS to pick up some MI this weekend. My plan here is to basecoat the base with Caledor sky, and mix in some white and Macragge blue as well, and then use Martian Ironearth above it to create a glowing effect for the energy that runs through the planet

just to point out, depending on what you're trying to do - dirt? rocks? there are much cheaper ways of doing this. Such as, coffee grounds, tea leaves (both dried obviously) and small rocks from something like actual miniature scenery brands (woodland scenics springs to mind), or an old stand by, aquarium rocks. Also can use small bits of cork.

If you're looking for the "cracked" effect that martian ironearth provides, I'd try looking it up on youtube, there was a 'how to' a bit ago I saw, but I sadly cannot recall the details :( anyway, there was a fairly easy way to get the same effect, which also allowed you to paint it the colour you wanted.

If you really want to invest in a couple of useful technical paints, I'd really suggest Ryza rust, and Typhus Corrosion. Both together create excellent rusting effects.

Anyway just some thoughts!

Thanks for your input Guildenstern.
I agree about the Ryza rust and Typhus corrosion, especially with my rusting Necrons. However,i've heard that you can just paint over the original color of MI or AE. and still achieve the cracking of the base. GW had an advent video on Volcanic bases and they painted over black if I recall.Cork is definitely something i'll be using later in this project for larger rocks on bigger bases possibly. Perhaps when I purchase an Overlord, i'll have him perching on an outcropping of cork rock. That's a great idea, thanks

I think your Necrons look just fine. I would carry on as you are until you complete the first squad. You will probably find that ideas for improvement come to mind as you start to paint more of the squad.

I'm not the greatest painter so I try to just get stuff completed and in the same style. I find that as I paint more stuff I find a need to improve some aspect so will research then implement that. In that way I grow organically as a painter and it stops me from getting overwhelmed by trying to improve everything at once.

As others have mentioned, adding some kind of basing would be a great next step to improve your Necrons.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing more of your progress.

Time for an update my friends!
Like many unfortunate high schoolers, I have been hit with the pandemic known as... Finals! This has made progress slow, but somewhat steady. Once we're out of June, it's full steam ahead! Update wise, all warriors have been basecoated with Leadbelcher and Caledor Sky, with 4 having the "decay" on their armor done. Two others are on deck for a good rustin'!

But today, I decided to show you my process for how I get the silver on my Necrons. So without further ado, here's "Decay: The Justaerin Way!"

1. Naturally, we begin with a basecoat of GW Leadbelcher as all Necrons do. As you can see, i've also based my energy tubes with Caledor Sky, but i've learned it's cleaner to do that afterwards, and I recommend that process.

2. Afterwards, grab a sponge of sorts and give it a good amount of GW Gehenna's gold and lightly dab it around randomly on the armor, make sure to leave plenty of silver showing as well.

3. Next, repeat step 2 with GW Balthasar Gold for a darker rust. When you're done with that, there should be a good mix of all three colors on your warrior. Don't worry about covering all areas of the armor if you assembled the models prior to, as certain spots can be a pain to reach.

4.(Possibly) Finally, shade the entire body using GW Agrax Earthshade, giving the different colors a nice blend and dirtier appearance.

5.(Optional) If you feel like brightening up your army just a bit, you can use GW Necron Compound for a drybrush. I used it on one model, and wasn't in favor of it. But it's always up to you!


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and I apologize for the formatting if it's not quite right, as i'm still getting use to the forum. But in other, not Necron news, A Tau Hunting Rifle Conversion i'll use at some point!

Cool looking Crons, I like the rusted look.

EDC

Thank you EDC, I appreciate your support.

After posting the tutorial, I realized that this model is significantly brighter than the others rust wise, my late-night painting sessions are just not cutting it anymore!. I also may need to grab some more AE from my FLGS or Chaosorc, as they sell GW products at a discount.
Side Note for the tutorial, be sure to give it a VERY good wash in Agrax Earthshade, so it truly looks dirty.

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!

Welcome back to Justaerin does finals! I've officially crested the ridge, and now there is progress! after the monotonous and slow pace of the Warriors I had to move to some simple gluing in my limited time. So, the warriors have all been given their basecoats, but need a shade done. That'll be done this weekend now that there is a true weekend. But for now, Scarabs!

Unfortunately, scarabs are very simple to assemble and have very little variety, so the main thing that keeps people interested by the models is the base around it. #Praisebebitzboxes
As always, I hope you enjoy this small update, and please tell me what you all think below!

Looking good. I like the one with the power fist pointing upwards, a nod to terminator 2?

EDC

Didn't quite think of it like that, but that really work out, doesn't it !

It was really meant to be a "help me!" gesture as he was consumed by the pool of energy. But thank you for your support!

Nice, I love working on bases! lots of possibilities.

Looks like you're off to a great start there.

hope your finals went well!

Bases are fun to work with, but I need more materials to make anything interesting. Thanks for asking, my finals went pretty well. Not as great as i'd like, but it was still a good job.

Okay, quick update time. Allow me to explain the situation.
For about 2 weeks, my muse decided to up n' leave. I got very little done, and ran out to funds to improve what I had. Because of this, i had nothing to show you guys, and i'm sorry about the lack of content. But yesterday, I went down to my FLGS and picked up some MI, Teclis Blue, Lothern Blue, and Ryza Rust. With effort, i'll have an update by tomorrow.

Thanks for listening,
JATW

Okay, here's what I got done on my hiatus:

I finally got down to GW and bought some Teclis Blue, Lothern Blue, Martian Ironearth, and Ryza Rust.
After that, I finished the Scarab part of the Scarabs, and tried out my flowing energy-earth base on one. The base looks good, but one scarab got a good bit on him. I don't know how to fix it without stripping it entirely, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. The details on the base will soon follow...
I've also tested the base on one of our warriors. Not quite as visible, but a good start.

As always, thank for listening, especially after that bail.
JATW

Edit: Sorry about the camera quality, my main camera was on loan, and my phone was all I had.

You probably don't need to worry too much as they wouldn't stay pristine crawling through the dust.

You can probably just touch up the paint scheme on the bits where it's really covered. I don't think you need to go as far as stripping it.

EDC

Ok, a little bit of progress today. Bit by bit, but i'll get there.

Here's my first, completely finished Necron Warrior. The energy was given a 'ardcoat varnish to have a "lightning in a jar" feel. Looks pretty good to me!

Next is our second scarab base. By far the best cracking yet... but I forgot to paint beneath it!
I just added some puddles on the outside and some forge world ruins to draw away from that.

I've also been thinking about buying some models from chaosorc.com. Does anyone have any experience with them?

That's all for today guys! As always, thank you so much for listening.
Until next time,
JATW