Imperial Guard Commission

This is a test miniature for an upcoming commission I have been contacted for. The customer chose the color scheme and logo and they are known as the Cadian 722nd "Hurricanes."

Showcase: Raptors Drop Pod

Here is a Raptors Drop Pod I recently completed. Though technically complete, I was thinking about adding some streaking effects with oils. I also had concerns about the brightness of the chapter iconography and Aquila, so I look to address that in the coming days. All and all, I was pretty please with how this model turned out and I learned a ton about painting a model of this size.

Tutorial: Chipping Effects with AK Interactive Chipping Fluid

So this is my first tutorial and the topic is how I use AK Interactive Chipping Fluid to create some nice weathering effects on tanks. Read more after the break.

Raptors Progress and Other Things

I have completed the Raptors drop pod and I hope to take some photos of it sometime tomorrow. I feel that it turned out pretty well and it was definitely a learning experience for me since it is the first non-Rhino vehicle I have completed.

Due to another round of winter weather this weekend, I managed to get a significant amount of work done to the Land Raider Crusader. I completed the rusted undercoat and the green top coat along with some black accents. I documented my progress on how I accomplished the undercoat and I hope to put together a nice picture tutorial in the coming days.

In a related note, I accepted a commission from member of DakkaDakka. It originally was going to be a small Warhammer Fantasy Battle dark elf force but my client has asked if I would paint his Imperial Guard battleforce instead. I am looking forward to receiving the models and getting them painted for the client. I also had spoken briefly with the owner of Huzzah Hobbies about my jump in to commission painted and he offered to funnel me work if I desired. I see this as an exciting advancement for me in the world of miniature painting and I'm excited about what the future might hold.

Be on the look out for a more constant stream of updates in the near future!

WIP: Raptors Drop Pod

While I was waiting for the glue to dry after final assembly of the Land Raider Crusader hull, I happened to come across a drop pod on my shelf that was partial painted blue. I had already assembled a majority of the kit, at least to the point where I could paint it in sub-assemblies before completely assembling it. It dawned on me that I should use it as a full scale weathering experiment before I finished the Land Raider (it doesn't help that I also have a bad case of hobby ADD). This model also harkens back to my beginnings in the hobby and it was obvious I didn't really know what I was doing then, considering all the mold lines that were left on it and the bad glue job. Some of the pieces were painted ultramarine blue so I decided just to paint over them seeing as how the entire model was going to be heavily weathered. Here are a few WIP pictures:

Land Raider: WIP

I've been on nights this week so my time to work on this model has been shorter than I like, but I did manage to finish the twin-linked assault cannon today before I went to work.

 

 The cannon was primed with Vallejo Surface Primer Black and then give a coat of P3 Pig Iron with an airbrush. Though not visible from these pictures, shadows on the cannon were painted using thin coats of VMA Burnt Umber and VMA Black for the darkest shadow. Scratches and edge highlights were made with GW Mithiril Silver and the cannon body was given a pin wash of Secret Weapon Miniatures Armor Wash. The barrels were given the heat-distressed look using the method described by Ron of From the Warp blog fame.

Land Raider WIP: Weathering expirement

Based on feedback I've gotten on other models I've completed, I decided to go full bore and weather this tank the way it should be. I have tried it before on a Rhino I completed for a local painting contest a year and half ago (I had only been painting for 6 months and it was my first completed vehicle... I also won for best vehicle!). The last time, I was pretty conservative on the application of the weathering, but since then I have gained a little more confidence and expertise so I will attempt a more through effect. I did a test piece this morning to see how it would turn out and took a quick snap with my phone (it turned out slightly blurry, my apologies). This is the shroud for the twin-linked assault cannon:

It was primed with Vallejo Surface Primer Grey then given an base coat of VMA Hull Red with an airbrush. I then added spots of VMA Rust and VMA Italian Red, also with an airbrush. I sponged on some GW Blazing Orange and VMA Camo Black Brown. To bring shift colors closer to an oxide rust and to kill the intensity of the orange chips, I used Vallejo Model Wash Rust sprayed through the airbrush as a filter. After everything was dried, I sealed the paint with a couple of coats of Liquitex Matte Varnish. When the varnish was dried, I applied three coats of Heavy Chipping Fluid from AK Interactive. If works similar the tried-and-true "hairspray technique" that AFV modelers have been using for years, with the benefit of not smelling like hairspray. After the chipping fluid was dry, I proceeded to work on the green using my normal method for Raptors, which is RMS Olive Shadow, RMS Olive Drab, and RMS Worn Olive for the shadow, base color, and highlight respectively. When that was completed, I got down to the chipping. Using and old brush, clean water, and a modeling tool, I went to town on the weathering. Using the brush with clean water, you lightly humidify the top coat of paint so that the water seeps down to the chipping fluid. After a couple seconds, you can use the brush (or a toothpick or modeling tool) to scrape away the top layers of paint, exposing the "rust" layer below. After everything was dry, I sealed the entire piece with a couple of coats of matte varnish.