Starting my Army (Tyranid)

[Emerald Rose Widow]

So I have decided to go with a geological theme with my tyranids, rocks, crystals on the larger creature's carapaces. I have gotten my paints and brushes, lots of black, grey and white paints, also got a brown and a green.

So I am pretty sure I want to start with a black basecoat because of the dark nature of what will all be painted.

I want to essentially have the carapaces of the tyranid to be covered in rocks, and painted to match, dark colours, marbling, anything I can to get it to mimic rocks in any way. As for the flesh of the parts I want to make that more "fleshy" for lack of a better word. So the skin and the like will be a lot lighter, and look more like flesh of some sort. I am thinking of mimicking the colour scheme of Hive Fleet Laviathin for the flesh itself, then go with my rocky geologic motif for the carapace.


Also, as for the crystals on the larger creatures, I am wondering what would be easier/cheaper. Would it make more sense to just put on the rocks and stuff, and paint some of them to look like crystals (not sure how i would do that) or would it be easier to just buy small pieces of quartz of varying colours and put them on to save the painting work.


Any advice you all have I would be much appreciative of.

[Pendragon38]

go to a hobby shop or a medieval shop, maybe use 3/4" clean or washed gravel should work fine to

[Emerald Rose Widow]

good point, those kinda "new age" shops would have crystals and the like. I also found a link on how to paint gems so that might be an option as well.

http://scrollmaster.net/tut-gemstones.php

So I have a few options, I think im going to start in a few days, starting with the base coat. Mostly I think I'll have issues with the "fleshy" bits, so I'm not sure what im going to do with that.

[miteyheroes]

Craft shops might sell beads that could be used as well.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Interesting idea, I will have to check that one out then, hehe, beads, thats actually kind of funny but I bet it would work.

[Rafe_131]

Another easy way to get gem/crystal looking rock is to simply take an existing rock, and hit it with a hammer. now one rock becomes three or four smaller ones, and so on. once done, put them in a filter for a coffee maker and run water over them to clean 'em up a bit. if done right, the rocks will break along fracture lines already in them and take on a more "natural,geological look", with defined lines and a more square-ish shape like a crystal. hit them to hard and they just turn to dust. It's cheap, since you can pick up rocks or stones pretty much anywhere. all you need is a hammer and some saftey glasses. I can't stress the saftey glasses enough. (no reason to loose an eye!)

and as a side note, different types of rock break apart in different ways. play around with different types of rocks and stones to find what works best for your needs.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Another easy way to get gem/crystal looking rock is to simply take an existing rock, and hit it with a hammer. now one rock becomes three or four smaller ones, and so on. once done, put them in a filter for a coffee maker and run water over them to clean 'em up a bit. if done right, the rocks will break along fracture lines already in them and take on a more "natural,geological look", with defined lines and a more square-ish shape like a crystal. hit them to hard and they just turn to dust. It's cheap, since you can pick up rocks or stones pretty much anywhere. all you need is a hammer and some saftey glasses. I can't stress the saftey glasses enough. (no reason to loose an eye!)

and as a side note, different types of rock break apart in different ways. play around with different types of rocks and stones to find what works best for your needs.

wow, I cant even begin to tell you how helpful that is, thank you very much. I am trying to do this in the cheapest/most effective way possible, because this is the theme i am taking on for my entire army of tyranid.

The next step in my learning is how to do the fleshy stuff for the arms and body and the like, ill probably look up the articles for hive fleet laviathin, or i could go with the red from behemoth, who knows, maybe some orange and red to make it look more magmaish

what do you all think

[Rafe_131]

I'd recommend using washes regardless of what color you decide to go with. I can't begin to tell you how much easier 'nids are to do with washes. (at least their "skin".) start with an off white or very light brown undercoat and use the "earthy tone" colors in varitaion to get the result you want. Browns and greens work really well, as they seem to blend with each other to create a "dirty" look. It's what I use on my models that can burrow. (raveners, trygon, etc.)

if you were wanting a brighter color, like red or blue, the above method works just as well. you just have to fiddle with it until you get the look you want.

[TSINI]

I'd recommend using washes regardless of what color you decide to go with. I can't begin to tell you how much easier 'nids are to do with washes. (at least their "skin".) start with an off white or very light brown undercoat and use the "earthy tone" colors in varitaion to get the result you want. Browns and greens work really well, as they seem to blend with each other to create a "dirty" look. It's what I use on my models that can burrow. (raveners, trygon, etc.)

if you were wanting a brighter color, like red or blue, the above method works just as well. you just have to fiddle with it until you get the look you want.

I just want to second the washes, nids just need a rough going over with any wash to really bring out all the contours and shapes in the bonestructure etc.

my nids (http://hivesplinterborlin.blogspot.com/)are done entirely with a single colour under a complimentery coloured wash, camo green with thraka green wash for the armour, and bleached bone with devlan mud wash for the body.

i like the idea of the magma coloured nids with the stark grey rock armour, sounds good to me and i'd love to see it, though the gems might look a little odd against the red, by that i mean any other colour might not pop enough and red may look odd.

I guess the main thing is where do these nids hunt? and what will the bases look like to reflect that?

then simply choose a colour that will look nice between the base and the armour/rock/gems

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Thank you for all the comments guys, these are really helping me get my ideas together. Right now I do not have any washes, hell I do not even know what a wash is to be honest.

What is a wash precisely and how does it work.

[wittdooley]

Thank you for all the comments guys, these are really helping me get my ideas together. Right now I do not have any washes, hell I do not even know what a wash is to be honest.

What is a wash precisely and how does it work.

If you're looking for crystals, you've got everything you need already. Use your left over sprues. Shape them with your hobby knife to the size that befits what you're looking for. Of course, if you want something broader than the sprue, you'll need to use something else.

As for the washes:

They are the regular painter's best friend. If you don't have 5+ hours per model (and who does) you can use your washes to add depth and shading to your minis. The wash will settle in the recesses and create the shading for your instead of having to blend everything up. Wonderful stuff.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

I'll have to pick up a few washes, and excuse my ignorance for I am still learning so much, but what is a sprue?

[Rafe_131]

The sprue is just the plastic frame that holds all of the components for a model. (The thing you have to remove the parts from with clippers) Pretty much every 40k model sprue is square or rectangle shaped. And I have to say, I like the idea of using them to get you basic gem/crystal shapes. (well done, wittdooley)

[FastEd]

The quick and dirty is a wash is a pigment that's been thinned down with some medium, frequently water or something that flows well, and usually leaves it semi-translucent. The idea is that you apply it over an area and it will flow into the cracks and crevices where it will dry, thus shading the area.

GW has a fantastic set of washes I've been toying with quite a bit. You'll also see a lot of people talk about inks when referring to washes, which is just another form of pigment in a medium for the same thing. You can even make washes from paint thinned down with a lot of water if so inclined.

[Crotch Lictor]

Another rock/crystal suggestion, check a pet store and see what kinds of gravel they have for aquariums. A lot of the decorative stuff might fit your need and should be cheap for a big bag.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Ooooo, using the remaining pieces of plastic from the frames sounds like a good idea, and they seem about the right size, I could even fuse a few together to make more complex crystals, if i paint them up right. Also the fish tank stuff sounds really interesting, that might be a good place to check for various materials. The fish tank stuff also makes finding the smaller stones ill need for gaunts a lot more easily done.

Thank you for all of the help guys, these ideas will really help get this project together, I hope to get started soon, and get some pics when i get to a final product here.

Looking forward to posting them.

I am thinking of going with the magma idea, so I will be needing some oranges yellows and reds as far as paints go for that section of it. I already have the blacks whites and grays for the carapace.

I saw some "magma nids" on blue table painting, I could use that as a kind of inspiration for the magma based skin of my geological nids.

http://www.bluetablepainting.com/view_gallery.php?galleryID=1617
those are the blue table magma nids i was referring to, so I might get some inspiration from there.
Although I am thinking of putting less yellow and putting more oranges and a lot more reds, make it darker, like cooling magma instead of hot magma.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

yeah, definitely thinking of going with a cooler magma, not the red hot in that blue table painting one. TBH I think the darker, cooler look, will match with the crystalline theme a lot more and allow the brighter colours of the crystals to stand out.

[Tynskel]

whee!! Rocks!

I am a geologist--- what kind of look are you trying to get?
Crystals 'cleave' along cleavage planes. So want to think about the types of shapes you want.

Look for 'Intrusive' rocks volcanic rocks. These formed through volcanic processes, and cooled underground over a long period of time, allowing the crystals to grow larger.
If you looking at obsidian, the cleavage is curved, and can make good 'shell' like looks (same with quartz--- look for granite type intrusive rocks). Careful, though, the those edges are quite sharp.

garnets have polyhedral shapes- usually found in basalts, but also in schists (metamorphic rocks).
Hornblendes have striations, and are often found in granites.

stay away from galena--- Lead!
and Sphalerite (sulfur~stinky!)

You might want to find micas. They are a sheet silicate, so they can be pealed apart. You could get some pretty cool things going with those. These are often found along with granite rocks.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Well it was suggested I use the sprues from the remaining plastic models to form the crystals, so I was thinking geometric shapes, so garnets as you said. Various shades of course, and modify a few just for shape changes, I wanna make it so no two are exactly alike, and paint them various colours.

I just need to be able to paint the crystals properly, I think that will be the hard part of this whole thing, getting it so painted it looks like it is crystal. I will likely need some glossy colours or something of the like.

I am of course open to any suggestions on that.

[isotope99]

Well it was suggested I use the sprues from the remaining plastic models to form the crystals, so I was thinking geometric shapes, so garnets as you said. Various shades of course, and modify a few just for shape changes, I wanna make it so no two are exactly alike, and paint them various colours.

I just need to be able to paint the crystals properly, I think that will be the hard part of this whole thing, getting it so painted it looks like it is crystal. I will likely need some glossy colours or something of the like.

I am of course open to any suggestions on that.

I have two suggestions on crystal painting that are variations on each other.

1) Paint in rough sloping lines with progressiively lighter colours and some blending with a hard highlight on the edges, a wash and a gloss varnish (see base of lord of change pic below) Crystals made form green stuff cut sharp after having dried.

2) Essentially the same, but combining colours with metallics (e.g. mythril silver) this makes it extra shiny and by using colours e.g. blue/green you get away from the steel/gold look of the base metallic.

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/photopost/data/581/DSC01539.JPG

[Crotch Lictor]

There's a product in the Citadel paint line called 'Ard Coat. It's basically a clear gloss varnish that you can paint on to a surface that makes it look like crystal or glass. I use it for the Gems on Eldar models and Tyranid mouths/wet-icky parts. It works great, and is easy to use. You might check it out. Any other gloss varnish should work too.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

I am very glad I started this threat, you have all given me some really awesome ideas for everything, thank you all so much. I really can't wait to get started, but I need to get a few more tools before I can get started, and also need to pick up some green stuff and a few more paints.

Lets seen, I have a green for crystals, I need a good red and orange for the magma skin. I also will need a variety of other colours for the other crystals, for variety sake. I need green stuff, and a few more tools.

I also need some foam for what I am going to do for my tervigon, I plan to take after a certain one that I had seen.

http://bloodofkittens.com/chaosgerbil/2010/02/08/more-tervigon-pics/

That is the inspiration I wanted to use for my tervigon, though I would put my own crystalline theme to the whole thing. I would need some insulators foam and a lot of green stuff to pull it off. For the carapace on that one I was thinking instead of just making my own carapace for the "womb" I wanted to take those excess carapace pieces that come with a carnifex, and just layer them all across the back of the "womb" which would create an interesting interlocked chitin effect.

What do you all think?

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Posting a little progress.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25867&id=100001728162489&l=266d00cbac

So far the one is painted red on the skin, though it was made purposefully dark, I will be later dry-brushing on brighter red, dark and bright orange, and a bright yellow to make it look like magma. I hope it works out well and I would love to take any advice, though I am only painting the Hormagaunts for now, I will move on to other things later.

Also saw something on blue table painting for a Tfex that is really giving me inspiration for when I make mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyOfnOfUvec&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Kinda like a pyrovore on crack, what do you all think though?