Tetanus Bridge, fait accompli

Yes, Tetanus Bridge is done:

 The part I've come to consider as the "back side".

 The top. Lots of real estate for shanty buildings and barricades.

 The nominal front, without the extra parts.

 And with the extra parts.

 And together with the terrain I had already built. As you can see, the bridge links between two of the hazard-striped steel tape sections.

 And with my Slag Barons "negotiating" the price of an off-world shipment with my Void Crows salvage crew.

 

 And some gratuitious close-ups (fuzzy because my camera won't cooperate...)

See you next time!

Tetanus Bridge

So, having a few extra days off this week, I decided to push on with the Necromunda terrain piece:

Base colours and shading are done on the metal parts of (and around) the bridge. These are all over a layer of chipping medium and will be heavily weathered, before getting dulled down with wash and some drybrushing/sponged on fresh rust. So they may seem a little bright and cheery (which the camera for some reason has amplified...). Next step for them is chipping al the paint and sealing it all with matt varnish. After that it's all hand painting to go.

As I had some spare time and a full compressor tank when this was finished I also primered the 20 Chaos marines I had ready for the army speed build project, and gave their shoulderpads their base colour and shading with the airbrush. Next step for them is airbrushing the main colour and then handpainting the details.

See you next time!

Long time, no see!

Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it?
I guess that's the summer for you...

I haven't been completely idle on the hobby front, I've just been working in short bursts and have neglected to take photo's and post about it. Sorry about that!
Now, what have I been up to?  Read on below...

Whatever floats your boat...

So, another multi-week update it is!
I've been less active hobbywise a little bit lately, more hours at work and the missus' new job means we had to re-arrange our daily rythm and tasks a bit, leaving me with less energy for the hobby.

But that doesn't mean I've been sitting still completely.
I've made some progress on the Grav-skiff/"float boat" for Mare Solum/Inquisimunda/Necromunda. The grav-panels and propulsor engines have been installed:

 
  The prow is nearly finished as well: Mesh windows, and a twin autocannon turret:

The picture above is missing the searchlight that's magnetised to the little dome on top of the cabin.
The autocannons are magnetised to a metal strip (the white part) in the turret, to they can be positioned and, more importantly, swapped out for other gear. (Please excuse the black smears, to prevent the inside of the ship showing through  the mesh, I had to primer the interior black, a few wayward fingers left evidence of their passing...)

I'm currently building the attachments for the two ball-turrets in the front of the hull, these are also magnetised to accept either: a pair of electro-goads, a barrel for either an odd pattern of autocannon or maybe chem-sprayers and a pair of directional shield-generators. The latter I still need to build.

The ship also needs a steering station on the rear wall of the cabin, where there is precisely space to place a 25mm base. I'm thinking of adding some sort of steering/stabiliser fins to the spots where the original model had it's propellors.
The turret still needs it's alternate gear: a twin-linked harpoon cannon and an elaborate sensor-suite.
And then there is making the thing look like a working vessel: Tarps, tools and cabling here and there, as well as the (remains/attachment points for) gear that shows that this is a retrofitted civillian/working vessel. Oh, and a definitive base.

The idea is for this ship to be able to swap equipment so that I can use it as a harpoon-hunting vessel, a research vessel or a gunboat, or any hybrid of the three, depending on what the scenario/story requires at any point.   I can see this thing hunting Sump Spiders on Necromunda, or transporting a covert Inquisitor for a raid on a remote island base or for explorers or salvagers to gather intel on some strange readings just of the coast off some island on Innsmouth Secundus/Mare Solum... ;)
It's not for a particular warband or project, just something that caught my imagination on the Mare Solum Facebook group and I just had to build.

Aside from this project, a friend bought an Imperial Knight (just a week before the new releases were announced by GW) and asked me to help assemble/magnetise it. Here's the carapace pieces and the mechanical skeleton separated out after assembly and before painting.

It;s a really cool kit, great to build. If I weren't "forbidden" from buying it before my birthday next month by my wife (I swear she's up to something... ;)  ), I'd have pre-ordered the Imperial Knights: Renegade box for myself.  I've always liked the 40K Knights, and with previous releases I've managed to stay sensible, but this year's Knight releases may push me into starting a Household of my own!

As I was inspired by the big Knight, I decided to assemble (and mildly convert) the tiny ones I do have:

After all, if I do cave, I can use them as colour scheme testers, or if I end up not starting a Knights army, I can use these to play "travel" Imperial Knights: Renegade. Just get the rules from somewhere and replace inches with centimetres.

See you next time!

Time for an update!

So, it's been a few weeks since my last post. But I haven't been idle. (Just lazy with posting... My apologies!)
Time to catch up. What have I been up to?
Mostly, I've been spending my hobby time experimenting with the airbrush and finding it quite entertaining.
Here are some of the projects I've been working on, most are an excuse to get time in with the airbrush, get used to things.

A Zero:

 This plane is a trial run for the J7W1 Shinden kit that I have. I want to get colours and techniques sorted out before I start on that kit. At this stage it needs decals and brushpainted details.

To keep in the Japanese theme, I've also been slowly but surely working on a 90mm display model of a female Samurai. With this one I'm taking my time as I want this one to be display-worthy, not just a throwaway practice project. The model and subject simply deserves it. To that end, I've also made a (simple) display plinth for her:

(As you can see in the background, I also hammered out a quick squad of Necrons for 40K/=I=Munda skirmishes.)
The lady Samurai has also reached the brush-painting stage this weekend, so I'll be spending some time with her on the painting desk over the next couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to the final result, but I'm not willing to rush the model. Best take my time for optimum result. With this model I've really discovered the joys of Blu Tac masking.

The final (current) airbrush experiment has been a Warhammer 40K Eldar Vyper. I don't play Eldar, or own any more models of them beyond this one. I just got this one once from someone who knew I was "into that Warhammers stuff", and maybe I could do something with it. So a good excuse to tackle a model and a colour I wouldn't quickly choose for other projects:

Main lessons from this one: Airbrushing is really, really cool (but that's really a lesson learned from all these projects!), have the patience to wait for things to dry, and don't remove masking until you're ready to either stop painting or can safely put the masked item aside from any overspray....

I've also been building some Deffkoptas and painting another trio of Meganobz for my Ork army.

And with the weather being as nice as it is the last few weeks, I've also taken the occasional night off for some late night flame staring sessions:

I've missed out on Militracks this year, due to budgetary and planning constraints, but will be sure to rectify that next year!

What is in the project qeue after these? 
There is still a piece of Necromunda terrain to airbrush the base colours on, my Goliath gang needs finishing, I'd like to do some more on my Orks, especially the Stompa is starting it's siren call for the airbrush... I still want to build a skimmer boat inspired by the Mare Solum facebook group (an alternate Necromunda setting, placed on an ocean world, really intriguing stuff!). And I have a pair of larger scale Battletech/Macross robot kits that I'd like to paint. GW has announced Adeptus Titanicus for August and the models are looking mighty appealing.
Plus I'm still combing through my stockpile for quick projects that allow me more airbrush practice...
Whew! I need longer weekends!

Here we are, all caught up...

See you next time!

Howling at the moon, in a big way

Not a lot of juice/time for hobby stuff the past few weekends. Nevertheless, as part of my journey of discovery concerning the airbrush, I've been thinking about and revisiting old (often) stalled projects that could benefit from a little airbrush action.
Mainly as I don't like practicing for practice's sake (just spending an afternoon doing dots and lines would drive me mad!). Doing a project that would otherwise languish gives me a purpose to trying things out, as well as getting that little bit more from the WIP Cupboard to the display cabinet.
Before w continue, this post requires a song...

I've had a converted Inquisitor scale Space Wolf in the WIP Cupboard for ages ("I bought the figure when Inquisitor came out, and did the conversion while Inquisitor was still sold in the stores"-kind of ages...)
I'd always balked at actually painting him, as I didn't know how to go about smoothly shading and highlighting such large expanses of grey. But, guess what? Airbrush! :)

Here is my own hero of Fenris:

 And to show what a beast a marine is, next to a "normal" human:

The greys, power axe and the yellow on his kneepad and shoulder have been done with the Airbrush, everything else is done by brush.

Fenris Hjolda!
See you next time!

Part two: Colour Conundrum: Space Hulk (seeking advice!)

In attempt to settle matters for myself, I've painted a pair of test models for the alternate colour scheme today.
Here's a few shots of the old and new scheme to compare them:

The new scheme:

My version of the classic scheme:

And both side by side:

Of course, I'll have to stare at them a bit, to see which way the coin falls. On the one hand the classic scheme does have the weight of nostalgia behind it. On the other hand, the new scheme looks rather cool, and the speed at which I can knock them out.
I'd like to have your input, which colours scheme would you prefer?

See you next time!