Blood Angel Scouts – Test Paint Part 2

Back to metallic they go!

Excuse the random mid-week post, but these guys spilled over form the weekend and have only just been photographed.

Back on topic – these guys are back in metallic, with an attempt at (/sigh – odd prhase) “True Metallic Metals” trust me, that is what those in the paint forums call “painting metallics without being lazy and shading it properly”

 

It’s harder than it seems actually, because while black for instance blends in well to make a dark, shadowed tone, and while washes work well to further dirty down; the bright points don't react well to white, so the brightest silver you currently have on your shelf is the high point of your highlights. clearly I need new paints :)

(damn that stray blob on his hair, only just saw that.. grrr.. *gets yellow paint out*)

 

Okay so kindof overkill on the pics, but hopefully the point is made, I’m going with this for all these guys then, and hopefully I’ll learn some new things along the way.

Oh, Sarge here has also had that problematic mold line removed, and I'll get to blending in the red next time i have the colours mixed to the shadows.

Feedback welcome!

Blood Angels Scouts – Test Paint

So I set to these chaps last weekend, and while I am annoyed with myself (I didn't clean all the mold lines as I was intending to just slap on some paint as a test) because I quite like the result-

I’ve used some new paints on these chaps – more on those in a later post, but suffice to say I’m quite happy with them.

I’ve also tried to strike a balance between decent looking and not to onerous to paint. for example, his squad markings (hi right pad) are freehanded, whereas his chapter badge (his left) is a decal.

Oh the text is a technical pen too :)

 

And his buddy -

same deal.. freehand…..                                      and Decal

 

I painted these guys in metallics, as I wanted to try that for speed and effect.. then I did an odd thing.

 

I repainted the metal areas in NMM so see what I preferred.

I struggle more with steel than with the gold, I think my current recipe has too few colours in it, and it shows on large areas like this blade, but it certainly makes the areas pop more,

 

Of course i can also see areas for more focus, I could always use more contrast in general, and especially in lenses and gems etc, those need work,

I’m okay with gold tho, I feel. though with this level of contrast in the metals, it shows up that the whole mini would benefit from more contrast.

So there we have it, some paint experiments. next up for paint will be a few tac squad members, but I've got to show you all some of the build first ;)

Question is.. To metallic, or not to metallic?

Blood Angels Scouts

Witness here my secret shame -

Painted about 20 years ago, and treated poorly since. these might get stripped and repainited if i can resolve the following issue…..

See these are the second gen of scouts that were made. and the current gen plastic kit looks like this…

I mean, I need this customisability for the characters – my sgt is overpriced for a scout having both a grav pistol and a powerfist.. but they are a little chunkier that the more characterful metal counterparts.

The question is, is the disparity too great to have these guys in the same unit once stripped and repainted?

I vacillate between thinking it’s fine, and thinking they are too small…

Blood Angels – A New Old Army

One of my first fully completed armies was Blood angels, back when the “angels of death” codex had two whole armies in it for a tenner..

It goes further back than that for me tho, the first marines I ever painted were the RTB01 box. After looking in the Rogue trader book at the space marines page, I chose to paint my RTB01’s as Blood Drinkers.

I don't really have an remnants of that army left, except a few scouts and a few unpainted old metal minis, but with a new codex, and let’s face it some lovely looking new models, I felt the need to put together a small force (1850) to add to my growing armies of the Imperium collection. It also begins to develop my collection in an armageddony direction as I've always liked that fluff and those armies.

I’m also going to be using some boxes Ive had for a while with either plans to develop as wolves (which lets face it I already have too many of) or no plans at all.. so this is what I plan :

It begins with a tactical squad, hvy flamer, flamer and hand flamer and power sword on the sgt. In a drop pod. A sanguinary priest will accompany them.

The second troops choice from this force org will be the Baal Death company (Raphen’s)

Fast attack gets a grav biker squad, with a MM attack bike.

The elite slot gets a Furioso, and a terminator assault squad, led by a Termie Librarian. These will ride in a Stormraven bought in from the Stormwing detachment getting me two Stormtalons which will all be painted as BA models

An allied BA detachment brings a second sanguinary priest leading a scout squad, CC with a grav pistol on the sgt.

It’s not meant to be optimised, but should be good fun and will allow me to add some more death company or assault squads at a later time if I want to. I already have most of this, with the termies and libby on order so should have some builds to share soon, if not paint. I’m not going to rush this as I want them to look decent.

One thing I haven't decided yet and am throwing out as a question – Do I use metallics, or NMM for the gold and silvers on these chaps?

Modellers Manifesto for 2015!

So it’s time for the obligatory annual reflective/planning post wherein we ponder the yer gone, and the year to come.

Fear not, for some hobby activity is underway!

Allbeit hampered slightly by the stunning game offering that is Dragon age inquisition. after a feeble second offering, this game really surprised me, as it’s a corker.

Last year-

I got a lot done, and managed to blog a lot of it coherently. it’s only really this last stretch up to Christmas where but my modelling and blogging activity waned, and even then pre-planned content almost got me there. If I had gone for 1 post per week instead of two, I would have filled the year easily.

The guard I have are much easier to paint than the wolves, so I’m going to look at how to get paint onto the wolves in a way that pleases me both result and time wise. this will be an ongoing thing.

So to plans then.

I am going to buy less new stuff, and make more progress on the crack pile. the new wolves offered me very little I wanted to add to the force, ditto the new guard, and both forces are quite large now. my orks lie fallow and its likely that will remain the case – I may have to decide whether to part with what I have or to keep them around.

This notion of not buying new stuff has some exceptions – I’m going to allow myself to buy things that are need to complete units. whether that's bitz or boxes, i’m also going to buy hobby sullies that are needed.

Two other exceptions – I’m going to allow the purchase of plastic sisters if any come out and are good :)  if progress is good I will allow myself to put together that inquisitor i keep talking about for the armies of the imperium I seem to be gathering.

There were also some Christmas purchases that are on the list, but they don't count see, cos they were last year :)

The todo pile is quite large and looks kindof like this:

New army (yeah, i’ll make another post about that) to build, paint

Mansions of madness box to paint

Imperial assault box to paint

Super dungeon exp,lore box also for paint

Cadian heavy weapon teams to paint

Elysian sentinels and tauros to paint

Space wolves, loads to paint, like, loads. oh dear.

WW2 US airborne in need of paint.

some terrain still to assemble and paint for desert board.

A few guys in the bitzbox that aren't quite units yet who may get some attention of time/motivation blows that way.

See to me, that’s a full year of hobby stuff, even If I make lightening progress, so I shouldn't need anything new. there's enough variety there too so I wont get bored, and keeping to the rules should be fairly easy, I may need the odd guy here and there to fill out a unit or some bitz to finish a conversion, but that's all within the plan.

So that’s my manifesto for the coming year, I’ll set up some posts, one a week most likely Friday– to be done during holidays where I get a lot of hobby done, then I’ll make an additional post on Mondays if I’ve done anything that weekend. so it will be 1 or 2 posts a week. that should be achievable. :)

Here’s hoping we all have a healthful and prosperous year!