Cockroach Coloured Tyranids, a Blackadder Work in Progress

[Blackadder]

Tyranid Cockroaches, Ewhhhhhh!

Well here I am laid up with a immobile shoulder and my right arm in a sling and I tell you I am getting stir crazy. Books, TV, Internet surfing, No porn; right arm remember.............

Anyway visiting my 40K forums I stumble across this fantastic rendering of a Tyranid army by a certain 'DeadMuppet' his sobriquet. He has produced the most realistic Tyranids I have ever seen.

Basing his colouration on cockroaches he has produced the most intriguingly disgusting arthropods I have yet seen so I have set out to duplicate his technique.

From what I have seen on his thread he starts out with a light gray primer, I have gray primer, followed by a khaki base coat. I still can press a spray can button so here goes..............

http://i.imgur.com/9IiFe5m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9IiFe5ml.jpg

I'm starting with the only Tyranid in my possession; a Hive Tyrant recently purchased.

I have very limited experience with painting so this thread will be basically a trial and error excursion into the do's and don'ts of colourization.

It should prove fun..............

[wayne williams]

good luck .i cant wait to see how this comes out .



oh and get well soon i miss your other threads/ projects.

[Chadddada]

Link to DeadMuppet's nids?

[Dlatrex]

Ow. Feel better mate. In the mean time, I always love watching another nid army come together. Just remember to have fun! There is no wrong way to paint nids. =)

[Skullchewer]

Link to DeadMuppet's nids?

Aye, I'd like that too. Google renders hilarious results for "Deadmuppet".
Poor Kermit...

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the replies,

I was hoping to have a better showing of my work but I haven't gone to get my air brush set yet.

Meanwhile here is a sample of Deadmuppet's work just to whet your appetite:

http://i.imgur.com/1JZLImy.jpg

This may be a bit ambitious for a painting tyro such as myself..............

[Blackadder]

Tyranid Basic Paint:

I know I am circumventing conventional wisdom with my painting and am taking too many steps to accomplish that which pro-painters can do with ease. Never let it be said that the Blackadder takes the easy path when the harder is available.

After a coat of gray primer and a coat of cardboard box cover coat (The only tan paint I had) I masked off the areas not needing further base painting and sprayed the chitin carapace areas with a coat of rust brown primer.

http://i.imgur.com/kbwY47Q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kbwY47Ql.jpg

After drying removing the tape reveals I missed a bit of leg chitin. Never mind I can touch that up with a brush.

http://i.imgur.com/6ZwE9Jc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6ZwE9Jcl.jpg

Well these photos came out disappointing; the flash kind of washed out the dark brown primer. The actual colour is more the cheesy simulated leather wood grain table pad hue in the photo.

I've gone about as far as I can go with spray cans, time to break out the airbrush.

[timwrightii]

I'm excited already. I can't imagine this being anything other than awesome.

Additionally, good working starting a Tyranid army before they are released. No one can accuse you of bandwagoning now =D

Speedy recovery on that arm my friend.

[Blackadder]

..................good working starting a Tyranid army before they are released. No one can accuse you of bandwagoning now =D

.............................

Ha I wasn't aware of the contoversy regarding Tyranids:

http://www.3plusplus.net/2013/08/tyranids-the-rumors-and-where-they-are-now/

A short google search gave me the link to the above article. My sudden infatuation with Tyranids is purely a matter of expediency I can't do anything other than paint small items for at least a few more weeks.

Deadmuppet's work gave me a basis to attempt to emulate as I was never really thrilled abut the 'Carousel Pony' paint job featured on the GW box covers. Deadmuppet's original concept gave the 'Nids a real biological image. I also found suitable epoxy clay, armature and joint hinges that would support a 'Nid Titan on the order of 50 Centimeters bringing it to Warlord proportions, my Warlord anyway. Right now I am just toying with the concept.

One thing for sure, I won't be attempting an interior on this one. :P

[Blackadder]

Tyranid Base Coat Part Two:

Removing the masking revealed an acceptable contrast.

http://i.imgur.com/ZKmX73Y.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZKmX73Yl.jpg

The flash show the paint as more red than it is but hey the entire base coat will be covered anyway, this will just give a depth to the final coat.

http://i.imgur.com/4ZDiQRm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4ZDiQRml.jpg

The rust undercoat will (I hope) supply a subliminal ruddy glow to the burnt umber carapace surface pigment.

http://i.imgur.com/FUNmWNF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FUNmWNFl.jpg

Now for the airbrushing:

[Blackadder]

Blackadder Straddling Two Concepts

Originally there was only the one master plan for organic appearing cockroach coloured Tyranids.

Since posting this thread I have be made aware of more. They seem to be multiplying like..........well like cockroaches.

I have narrowed the field to two and will attempt to fashion mine somewhere between them as the first was too light and the last seems a bit too dark.

I am listing the colours I have just ordered for a delivery later this week. I chose Vallejo paints instead of Citadel for no particular reason as I do have a conversion chart from one manufacturer to another which may prove useful to those with a goodly supply of alternative manufacturers paints:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Paint_Range_Compatibility_Chart

The colours I shall be using are as follows:

71024 Khaki Brown
71027 Light Brown
71040 Burnt Umber
71042 Camo Black Brown
71083 Orange
71109 UK Pru Blue
72014 Warlord Purple
72034 Bone White
72050 Cold Gray
72066 Tan
73200 Sepia Wash

And Citadel 21-27 Rakarth Flesh

I bought these paints on Amazon from a third party distributor 'SIFI Comics and Games' who seemed to have the best price and one price shipping regardless of the number of small items ordered which seemed a bargain. This information for any of you that may wish at your peril to follow along on this painting odyssey. I should be receiving my stuff with in the week....

Back to the competing variations on the cockroach theme, Deadmuppet's beautiful work is slightly spoiled by the use of a brush to paint the highlights on the edge of the chitin armour; I intend to use an airbrush throughout even for the highlights using glue tac for the masking.

Another contender used gloss varnish for the carapace which gave a too shiny appearance. I shall be using a satin varnish.

Of course these projects are done and mine are just a figment of my imagination with little hard evidence of my imagined abilities so before I get too deeply into critical analysis perhaps I should actually do something. Ha!

Oh BTW if you intend to follow along you may want to have at least a medium sized Tyranid and an airbrush with a fine tip. Ha!

[Blackadder]

Tyranid Spoiler Alert:

Okay well we've seen my pitiful opening attempt at a cockroach colours army basecoat and the requisite colours are ordered. I have stated my goals regarding plans for a 'Nid army and a Pollyanna speculation on a future Bio Titan so now let's see the immediate painting goals I have set for myself. The way I look at it the small muscle controls needed for airbrushing will help retrain my fine motor skills lost during the current incapacity.

I have state on a few forums I eschew the party coloured 'carousel pony' painted Tyranids for something realistic looking and have set my sights rather high regarding the painting quality of the pieces so pictured below is a sample of what I hope to achieve. How close I come to that goal is what this thread is all about.

http://i.imgur.com/0Zie0Te.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Eizb3ky.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TKzl0wl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Y5MFNJQ.jpg

Good luck on that one Blackadder, yer gonna need it! Ha!

[thebigdog]

If you can paint your nids up to that standard whilst masquerading as a one-armed bandit I'll be very impressed ;) Best of luck mate, I'll be following this thread with interest.

[Ursa]

Awesome. Simply awesome. Best tyranid ive seen yet. Always hated color wheel tyranid.

[daboarder]

Damn man, you just stole my scheme.

Looks great though!

[Blackadder]

Today I received my paint and tried out my new dual action air brush. My old cheap 'Badger' I felt wasn't up to the current challenge.

Damnme if I can get any paint through the dimned thing so I played around with the settings and the air pressure and disassembled the needle valve assembly to no avail finally in desperation I took the needle out of the thing and huge amounts of paint sprayed through. I had the needle set for paint with a mineral spirit base instead of water Ha!

Blackadder, do you really think you are qualified to pursue a project of this caliber if you can't even adjust the spray nozzle?

[phil035]

^ god dam the one time we need a like button

[Blackadder]

Okay so now my acquiring of Tyranid 'Heavy Metal' armour components is relatively complete (albeit still in the kit boxes) With the last night acquisition of a 'Trygon' NIB model I now have that and a Carnifex NIB both of which are in transit; an in house Tyrannafex/Tervigon in the process of being primed and having the arms/armament being magnetically attached (not glued) by installing rare earth magnets (1/8 X 1/16 inch dia. still in transit), a very heavy Hive Tyrant (metal) I won't make that mistake again and a 10 piece Gargoyle set NIB.

That should be enough for the time being seeing as how I have yet to paint a single piece.

So well you may ask that given I have 3 Lucius Titans, More IG Super-heavy Resin tanks than I can count without taking my shoes off and an odd assortment of IG scout bipeds what is my current fascination with a Xeno/Bio army?

In truth I do not know, the spirit just moved me in that direction. I do know this; I have a hankering to do a scratch bipedal Bio-Titan on the order of size analogous to my Warlord. To do that I need good hands on representatives of the Tyranids genera. What better way to acquaint myself with the literally in's and out's of the anatomy than to study some actual Tyranids.

And there you have it, a method and a rational to my personal form of dementia.

[Blackadder]

Trannofex/Tervigon Painting

Since I haven't received my Trygon as yet I'll practice my dubious skills on the Trannofex. Yesterday I primed the model with generic spray paint and a bit later applied a thin coat of flat white also generic (Walmart if you must know) but at $0.99 cents a can who's complaining.

After allowing to dry overnight it should be ready for acrylic airbrushing but first a few pictures of my initial foray into dual action airbrushing.

http://i.imgur.com/e5DkdLA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/e5DkdLAl.jpg

'BuyPainted' (I wish I knew this guy's name) says in his video he uses light gray prime but in the video it looks almost white.

http://i.imgur.com/jCZNpVC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jCZNpVCl.jpg

I personally think the belly colours will be more vivid if applied to a flat white sub-coat. We'll see..............

[Blackadder]

Trannofex/Tervigon Painting 2:

Well that didn't take long compared to yesterday Under the fluorescent lighting the khaki colour seems a bit greenish I hope that won't affect the final result as it is just a base coat.

http://i.imgur.com/dgIAeeQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dgIAeeQl.jpg

This image looks like an arthropod with a kick stand.

http://i.imgur.com/UXePehJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UXePehJl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Trannofex/Tervigon Painting 3:

There's an old maxim stating, "It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools." but the qualifier is, "It's an equally poor craftsman that doesn't realize his tool's limitations."

This airbrush has limited range regarding how fine a line can be sprayed. While it is perfectly adequate for much of the work that needs to be done fine lines of less that 3 MM width are beyond its capabilities.

The bottom line is I need a finer airbrush. Any suggestions as to what brush and dia. tip I should need?

The two images below did not come out too badly but it shouldn't be that hard to render a finer detail line. its like playing the piano with boxing gloves on.

http://i.imgur.com/e5Vy6lH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/e5Vy6lHl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/VAgsRqp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VAgsRqpl.jpg

Otherwise I'm rather pleased with this for a first effort..........

[TheGreatFireDrake]

Looking very nice

[Blackadder]

Hive Tyrant continues:

The best thing about the Metal Hive Tyrant is that being metal it's great to practice on. If I make a big mistake I can just soak it in Simple green overnight and wash the paint off in the dishwasher.

So far no real mistakes but I lack the finesse of a Pro-Painter that and I'm more comfortable with my single action Badger siphon brush

I learned a few tricks on how to isolate areas already painted from overspray, the best being Tack Putty. The only stuff I have lying about was 3M Adheasive Putty but I understand Blue Tack is better.

Anyway I'm prepared to highlight the rib cage and tail so I have the carapace masked off.

http://i.imgur.com/pCZrxF0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pCZrxF0l.jpg

In the back ground you see the Tervigon/Tyrannofex which awaits todays trial and my makeshift paint booth set up.

http://i.imgur.com/gSoeNvk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gSoeNvkl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3aOQF24.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3aOQF24l.jpg

This is all a new experience for me because other than the Warhound Lucie I not had ay experience painting figures with an airbrush.

[Blackadder]

Tervigon/Tyrannofex Paint Odyssey Continues:

As promised an update of today's earlier post.

Screwup repaired there are still errors that need attention but hey you really can't make a mistake with Biological Organisms (my asymmetrically patterned cat for example) anyway its time to explain that the current coat is Vallejo Light Brown over Khaki Brown with Umbral Umber ('Formula mfg' as the dark colour) on the carapace.

As usual I find working on larger models easier than small models so the Hive Tyrant actually took more time and effort that the Tyrannofex.

I've found that with very little effort I have graduated from not even able to get any paint through the airbrush to defining a 1/16 inch stream of paint virtually anywhere on a model. Where was airbrushing (Body Painting) on the menu when I had my 'Career chip Installed?

Anyway after mebbe half an hour of total airbrushing hands on time I managed this: (If I can, anyone can)

http://i.imgur.com/QVe51nt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QVe51ntl.jpg

Look, Compressor industrial quality with 3 gallon tank $50 bucks (at Home Depot,) a gravity feed Master Airbrush $10- 15 bucks on Amazon. Paint is the big cost but Hey you probably have paint. Gad who would paint with a brush?

http://i.imgur.com/6Bi0vfQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6Bi0vfQl.jpg

[dwez]

you really can't make a mistake with Biological Organisms (my asymmetrically patterned cat for example)

That is the greatest advantage to nids. I discovered this myself, they're so forgiving if you muck up and washes work perfectly too. If only you can get over how many you have to paint, usually, and the extra pair of arms. Great for beginners too.

[Blackadder]

Can't believe I wrote "Biological Organisms"! What other kind of organism would there be? In human experience "organism' by definition would be biological.................

Not to say that somewhere in the vast Cosmos there couldn't be say a triological organic system, Its just that it's beyond our experience. 'Nids fall into the former category

[Deadlift]

I've watched the Buypainted Nid painting video myself a few times now. I'm a big fan of his work and I'm interested to see how somebody else does, using his guide.

If your still looking at alternative airbrushes still, then he uses a Harder and Steenbeck evolution 2 in 1. It comes with a 0.4 mm needle and nozzle set as well as a 0.2 mm one. You can also go finer and get a 0.15 mm set as an extre. I use this airbrush too and I think it's perfect for getting the accuracy you are talking about. It's also very easy to strip and clean / change needle sizes.

Look forward to following your progress with this. But I have to say so far it's looking good.

[Blackadder]

All things come to he who procrastinates. Having put off mastering the niceties of airbrush paint for years I finally took pen (Air) in hand to try my luck at state of the art application of pigment to product.

Lo it seems the manufacturing industry has anticipated my requirements and come up with what I believe is the crème de la crème of airbrush goodliness in the form of the 'Harder and Steenbeck Infinity 2 in 1.'

That is what I shall be setting my sights and shekels at.

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/infinity-2-in-1-from-harder-steenbe.html

Hope Santa is reading this....

[energongoodie]

That looks like a cool airbrush :)
I too am in the market for a proper one, instead of the £9.99 one I got off ebay. I was looking at an Iwata hi line but I really like the 2 in 1 action :)

Looking forward to more nid painting action.

[Blackadder]

Still haven't picked out my airbrush but..............

Trygon vs Mawloc

Decisions, decisions why can't anything simple and straight forward.

I finally started assembling my Trygon and there are dozens of extra parts. Thanks GW for all the options; I had less trouble kitting out my car. (Actually the car was a piece of cake I called up half a dozen dealers with the spec's I wanted and one guy said, "They're driving just that vehicle off the trailer as we speak.)

Anyway then I find out that different tails go with the different varients; well F... that I want the forked tail on the basic Trygon. Mebbe he's a 'sport'.

http://i.imgur.com/mxQz7wh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mxQz7whl.jpg

The other thing I can't understand is why do Tyranids have so many scrotums?

[Cpt Codpiece]

The other thing I can't understand is why do Tyranids have so many scrotums?

so they can T bag like a D bag :)

awesome work as usual ;) making me get twitchy about cracking my air brush out (if only i had the time).

i cant give any personal recommendation on air brushes as i am a beginner with 2 cheap Chinese ones myself, but id love a nice badger sotar as ive heard nothing but rave reviews on those for fine line work.

could you not get a finer needle and nozzle tip for now? not sure how doable that is but it should work...... i think.

[Blackadder]

My Neglected Tyranids:

Taking advantage of the mild weather I primed my entire Tyranid company starting with the Tyrannofex/Tervigon on which I already practiced my airbrush technique.

Never let it be said that the Blackadder doesn't jump in with both feet instead of practicing with a cheaper model.

Aside from the body already brushed in the basic cockroach colours I did little else on the appendages until today. So first a light coat of Primer gray then a light coat of flat white for the under belly, arms, legs, weapons, and tail; the upper surfaces will be dark so no need for flat white in those areas.

http://i.imgur.com/QEx64HF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QEx64HFl.jpg

Its a good thing to have everything primed ahead of time. I used standard spray paint primer instead of Vallejo Model Air because its more durable, adheres better to the basic plastic, forms a better base for the water-base paint to follow and a damned sight cheaper than any modeling acrylic paint.

I painted the entire army for two bucks worth of primer and still have almost the entire cans of paint left.

So Tyrannofex/Tervigon above, next the Trygon:

http://i.imgur.com/Z5dvEA2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Z5dvEA2l.jpg

This is the model that impressed me so that I had to attempt a Tyranid army.

and finally the Carnifex which was apparently sculpted by another artist as the body appears less detailed/refined:

http://i.imgur.com/xdbMD2O.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xdbMD2Ol.jpg

[Blackadder]

Peon Army Tyranid Style:

In the hierarchy of the Tyranids there is a gross discrepancy in size and stature so the grunts, pawns, whatever are humanoid sized and are the young of larger and the more powerful pieces as well. An interesting premise.

Here we have relatively tiny beasties known as Termagant broods (which implies immature) which are born fully developed complete with weaponry in the egg pouch of a Tervigon which makes a Tervigon a sort of Termagant APC and a female Tyrannofex to boot or am I in error?

http://i.imgur.com/JFMKM84.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JFMKM84l.jpg

Next we have Gargoyle broods which are legless but can fly. They are the offspring of what? Do they grow as they mature?

http://i.imgur.com/lqLe833.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lqLe833l.jpg

Next we have the Hive Tyrant which comes in two variants winged and wingless midway in size between the humanoid sized larvae and the mature tank sized creatures. What is their role?

http://i.imgur.com/rvl384b.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rvl384bl.jpg

I find the Tyranids the most fascinating of the alien armies which is probably why I departed from my preoccupation with IG armour on this most atypical tangent.

[Blackadder]

A Question of Technique:

Happy New Year,

Since I am up at 4:00 AM New Years Day I decided to paint the base coat on my Trygon and the paint seems a bit heavily applied.

http://i.imgur.com/6RGECba.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6RGECbal.jpg

Since I am a mere tyro at airbrushing my only experience being painting 'Lucie' to date. At that time I used a siphon 'Badger' basic brush with a 0,2 mm orifice.

Now I am using a 'Master' gravity dual action brush and have experienced a devil of a time getting paint through the 0,2 mm orifice on this brush.

I am using 'Vallejo AV' Model Air paint and 'AV' thinner in different proportions BTW the 'AV' paints bottles are excellent for adding discrete amounts of paint to the cup because the dispenser tip allows measured drops of liquid rather than pouring it in as with the 'Citadel' jars.

Back to the question, what proportion i.e. drops of paint/thinner would be correct for applying a base coat and is the AV 'thinner' really necessary or would water or 'Windex®' work just as well?

I have watched the video ad nauseam :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJha39IUztU

and have yet to obtain the requisite ease of application Jaro achieves except when I practice on scrap bits which is extremely frustrating.

Can I get a response from some experienced 'brushers regarding these problems or is it just BA's penchant for 'instant gratification' thats the issue?

[Blackadder]

Mould Lines:

Naturally putting the cart before the horse I 'Grey' primed, base 'Flat White' painted and applied 'Khaki Brown' base coat before noticing mould lines in the castings; two points off for stupidity Blackadder............ Pay attention to the video BA, Jaro even takes the trouble to announce he sands off the mould lines.

http://i.imgur.com/8NQNbgm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8NQNbgml.jpg

Now I have to burnish out the fine mould lines and apply yet another coat of Khaki Brown.

http://i.imgur.com/V5uCtva.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V5uCtval.jpg

FYI Mould lines are fine ridges of plastic that form where the two halves of the mould come together. These should be lightly scraped away with either file or as I shall use a #11 Xacto blade. The above image shows actually a seam between two joined pieces that I shall also have to address but it serves to illustrate what I am talking about as mould lines are far too fine to readily be seen in a photograph.

Not removing these casting discrepancies is just another item that separates us amateurs from the pro-painters

Going back to dress out the seams is not really a problem as I missed painting a few places on the imaged pieces anyway.............

[Patrick Boyle]

Can't help you with the airbrushing questions, but as to the ones on Tyranid heirarchy, there's not really any 'maturing' that goes on. Individual nids are purposely engineered for a given task and are 'manufactured' fully formed by the Hive Mind on the Hive Ships as required; gaunts and gargoyles are regular infantry, Warriors are leaders, Lictors and genestealers are inflitrators, Carnifexi, Tyrannofexi and others are 'living tanks', so on and so forth. There's not really any breeding, or concept of male or female going on. The Tervigon, if I'm not mistaken, carries with it the raw biomass and bio-machinary necessary to manufacture termagaunts on the go.

Then there's the whole Synapse system. The Hive Mind projects itself through various bioforms; things like warriors and zoanthropes. The Hive Tyrant is simply one of the highly advanced 'Synapse creature' types, capable of projecting the will of the Hive Mind to a larger number of lesser organisms. And if I'm not mistaken, an actual tyranid player would probably give you a better answer, synapse creatures have some degree of intelligence of their own. Without the presence of a Synapse Creature, the other bioforms(gaunts, rippers, gargoyles, carnifexi, etc.) revert to instinctive, programmed behaviors rather than being intelligently directed by the Hive Mind. Genestealers exist outside of this heirarchy, as they're intended to operate out of the range of the hive fleets, being individually individually intelligent and working through a brood telepathy from the brood lord, infiltrating worlds and weakening their defenses so the fleet can show up for the buffet.

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the info, I've be so informed by many that my "off the top of the head" speculation was totally in error but it does raise the "Rodan"/"Pacific Rim" conundrum; i.e. if these creatures (Say Harridan) are fully grown when spawned/hatched/manufactured? what spawned/incubated them and incidentally how did that Kaiju become pregnant?

Just another series of thoughts that causes wakefulness in the wee hours of the night...............

Here's another:

The Perineum Mould Line Seam Omission:

:D

Having mostly devoted my modeling to mechanical objects mould line seams have not bothered me greatly until now. Biological structures however are pretty much seamless; I can account for only one on the human anatomy that was missed but seeing "Man" was a rush job to be finished before the weekend I suppose that omission can be given a pass.

At any rate the fact that I missed a few still puts me in rather good company. ;)

Still since I don't want my Tyranids to have overt assembly seams for want of a few minutes labor so dressing the ridges is the course I shall pursue.

[Blackadder]

3M Adhesive Putty:

I don't know if the stuff I have is old and dried out but as it is it is ideal for masking off areas I can't afford to paint. Its dry to the touch softens easily and leaves no residue.

http://i.imgur.com/JU2dByq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JU2dByql.jpg

With very little practice you can pull off ribbons to mould around the to be painted areas pushing the excess into the crevasses as you go:

http://i.imgur.com/5Z5xcth.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5Z5xcthl.jpg

Base painting the Carnifax just now with Umbral Umber:

http://i.imgur.com/wKaFZgR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wKaFZgRl.jpg

[Deadlift]

Blu-tac and silly putty are another 2 that are great for this. Fantastic looking project so far :D

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the information..........

As I said the stuff I have is old, its been kicking around my stationery drawer for years and may have lost most of whatever sticking power it may have had so I cannot vouch for what a new packet's content would be like as far as adhesive qualities.

I see no indication on the packet of a 'Shelf-Life.' I'm sure mine is in excess of 10 years old although the packet had never been previously opened.

That said the 'putty' I am using comes away readily with little residue what tiny bits left in the crevasses can be removed by blotting with some of the same material (putty).

I am told that similar products i.e. 'Blu-Tack' leaves a slightly oily residue that is incompatible with acrylic paint.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-Tack

This is only hearsay as I have not used Blu-Tack.

I am also told the 'Silly Putty' has similar properties; but again, hearsay...............

Heres a bit of additional info, the more you knead the putty the stickier it gets. It comes in strips and I don't knead it at all but apply it direct from the strip by just pulling ribbons of material from the end. That makes for ideal masking as it is just like applying tape.

[Cpt Codpiece]

i have found that if you rattle can spray a mini with blu tac areas then re mix the putty..... the paint kind of stops the residue left behind, still usable but not as greasy.

[Blackadder]

Noted, THX,

I Apply'a Bayzae Cote uv Khaky Bron:

I nanosić warstwę bazową khaki brązowy

Anyone question why Jaro posts his You-tube tutorial in English?

Anyway I applied my base coat of Khaki Brown to all my 'nids and then applied Umbral Umber to the carapaces on all four biguns.

Today I started fine detailing the Tyrgon and practices fine line airbrushing on the Trivigon egg sacks.

Umbral Umber is really thick paint and clogged the tip even when diluted 50/50 so painting detail with it is slow going.

http://i.imgur.com/UdY0MPJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UdY0MPJl.jpg

BTW the five pieces at the bottom of the image haven't been detailed with umber yet.

Since there are only the two colours applied and no light brown highlights done yet I'm rather pleased with the results thus far.

I just hope that it's not going to be too dark..............

[Blackadder]

PZ-360XS

I just got my new airbrush. When I started using an airbrush about a week or two ago I couldn't even get paint to come through the nozzle. Here two weeks later this morning I'm still getting blops of paint, uncontrollable over-spray, in short paint everywhere but where I want it.............

I'm beginning to think I'm inept. Comes the Post; it's the PZ-360XS $29.99 Free Shipping.

6700

I got the quick disconnect with it $1.86 1/8BSP thread with it.

All of a sudden I'm a virtuoso! Fine lines; no problem How thin do you want them? How 'bout the the bony fingers on a Tyranid Gargoyle? I'm painting the individual fingers. This is straight out of the box!

This airbrush is phenomenal, it comes in a nice black case with the 0,5 MM needle tip mounted on the brush. There are two alternate needles 0,2 and 0,3 MM with the corresponding nozzles There is an air adjustment under the cup so you can adjust the airflow with out changing the compressor regulator setting Fabulous!

Now for the real beauty if this unit. There is a knob adjust at the rear of the handle. You use this to adjust the length of the throw on the trigger lever.

I can't imagine what $200 and $300 dollar airbrushes offer but I am quite satisfied with this model.

[Blackadder]

It's a Poor Workman............

The old mechanic's maxim, "It's a poor workman that blames his tools." should be taken with the following corollary; "It's an even poorer workman that uses the wrong tool for the job."

This is the situation I found myself in attempting to paint a masterpiece with a paintball gun.

Below you see my paint area just a simple piece of ribbed cardboard. It's the only area I have been using since my initial foray into precision airbrushing two weeks ago. Before that I did manage after a sort to paint my Warhound with barely satisfactory results a couple of years ago but since then I haven't touched an airbrush.

http://i.imgur.com/mwKyz1T.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mwKyz1Tl.jpg

So you see large patches of brown overspray and tip cleaning patches to free clogged nozzles etc. And overlying that are these round patches or blobs of whitish brown. This was the best I could do with the airbrush in an attempt to define thin lines of colour regardless of pressure, proximity, dilution of paint or needle setting, it was a very frustrating excursion into airbrushing prowess.

So yesterday afternoon I received th "PZ-360XS" $29.99 dollar airbrush.

Suddenly I can paint fine straight consistent lines, swirls and arcs and even write letters in cursive (Aw'right, my handwriting ain't so good!) but you can see that it is the brush that makes the difference.

Anyway yesterday evening I applied light brown to my brood of 'Termagants' etc and the metal 'Hive Tyrant'

http://i.imgur.com/zMrbUEY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zMrbUEYl.jpg

Finally I can paint individual ribs, fingers, paint goes where I want it and in the correct degree of intensity..........

and while I haven't mastered all the niceties of airbrushing I am at last in the right ballpark............

[Blackadder]

Separating the Men from the Boys:

Well the artists from the tyros anyway. My first attempt at emulating Mr Jaro at fine line spraying on the spine of the carapace was a fiasco new airbrush not withstanding.

What worked well delineating fingers and tendons doesn't hold true for the relatively large flat expanses of the carapace segments.

There over-spray sticks out like so many sore thumbs and it's going to require a lot of practice to emulate Mr Jaro's quick and steady hand.


http://i.imgur.com/iyI0FeT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iyI0FeTl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CdYQXTI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CdYQXTIl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qxcauqm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qxcauqml.jpg

I displayed this just to demonstrate it's not all beer and skittles with the learning process and I hope to show better in my next post............

[Darkforge]

I really love the scheme - it really fits the nature of the tyranids perfectly! Great work here!

[Blackadder]

Thanks, I never would have considered making a 'nid army until I saw this colour scheme.......

What a Difference a Day Makes:

After yesterday's fiasco painting highlights I tried again this morning with acceptable results. I will have to touch up the dark after my German Camo Black Brown paint comes. Amazon sent the wrong colour than what I ordered and I didn't notice until this past weekend.

No Problem............

Anyway I acquired a bit of finesse over night and the highlights shaped up better

http://i.imgur.com/6kGsKI6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6kGsKI6l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SB72GfD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SB72GfDl.jpg

so well in fact that I attempted the Trygon carapace as well with better than hoped for results...............

http://i.imgur.com/q0Yi3g3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/q0Yi3g3l.jpg

I'm getting the hang of this I think.

[Blackadder]

Giant Silurian Centipede:

The more I work on this the more I am reminded of the giant centipede Arthropleura which attained a length of ten feet . The Trygon is quite a bit longer but most of it is tail which I consider cheating............

http://azu1.facilisimo.com/ima/i/1/b/b9/am_247367_6580464_125908.jpg

Anyway I have finally put the finishing touches on the basic painting of the Trygon and am ready to apply the various coatings of orange wash, satin varnish, and an oil/brown wash so it's time to pause for photos.........

http://i.imgur.com/4l0nbS3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4l0nbS3l.jpg

I should really have my head examined for practicing on my most expensive piece but it didn't come out that badly for a first effort considering I've only been using an airbrush for less than a month..........

http://i.imgur.com/JZ8mOjV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JZ8mOjVl.jpg

I don't know what I was afraid of, the basics of airbrushing are relatively simple to pick up

Of course I had a good instructor in Jaro and all I did so far is copy his work..........

http://i.imgur.com/u1nqPMp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/u1nqPMpl.jpg

Now I need a course in photography, why did the colour change from red to green and back to red again with out changing the camera settings?

[Matt Byron]

Awesome looking nids! They remind me of the Bug from MIB!

[Pauly Addams]

I don't suppose I could hassle you to show me a picture of the nozzle assembly of your new PZ-360XS gun? I'm also new to airbrushing and looking to add a fine detail brush to my tools, but I've had lots of trouble with the 1st one I brought (which is fine detail), that has a strange inner cone in the nozzle/needle tip area that constantly clogs. If yours doesn't have it, I'm sold. :)

Also, I've been watching this thread and your warhound for a while, great work!

[KrewL RaiN]

I just hope said Warhound doesn't decide to step on all the bugs!

I have been quietly following this little adventure too!

[Blackadder]

No hassle at all thats what I am here for.

Caution; the following is what I have deduced from my VERY limited use and exposure to working with my airbrushes. It is by no means to be regarded as expert or even experienced advice.

If I am in error in any of the following hypotheses I would be pleased to be corrected............

First by nozzle I am assuming you don't mean the protective cone that shields the tip of the needle from damage but in fact the tiny orifice that the needle projects from; correct? If you watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJha39IUztU

you see Jaro constantly interrupting his spraying to blast a bit of paint onto the work platform; this I believe he does to clear the tip of build up and minimize clogging although no where in his narrative does he state why he does that.

Also you see him clean the tip between his fingers periodically which I have found unclogs the orifice although I use a tissue to wipe the tip. I also retract the needle without pressing the trigger periodically to wipe the tip which works for me.

On the chance you are indeed speaking of the tip protector below is everything that comes with the airbrush with the two tips and needles assembled and disassembled.

http://i.imgur.com/eRCWGOE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eRCWGOEl.jpg

Note the unusual four pronged crown of the tip protector.

Also note the air pressure adjustment on the front end of the brush body under the cup. You can adjust the air pressure without changing the regulator on the compressor, an extremely nice feature.

At the rear end of the brush note the knurled knob. This feature I find invaluable at least for me, a novice airbrusher, as by adjusting it restricts the travel of the trigger to maintain a constant width thin line.

Finally note again in the video that Jaro works with the tip protector removed for really close work. This is where the on brush regulator really comes in handy (again for me) so you can paint a line as thin as a millimeter with very little practice. Just be careful to not damage the needle when working without the protector.

Words to live by, "Always use protection."

HTH

[Blackadder]

"Wanna See Everybody From Behind":

Okay three of the major players have their base coat applied. That leaves just the Tyrranofex and the three broods to base coat the carapace highlights. Hopefully today..................

http://i.imgur.com/fT2FLf2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fT2FLf2l.jpg

[Blackadder]

The Broods:

I notice Jaro (whom I consider an artist) confines his projects to the larger models.

I would like to see him tackle smaller figures such as these Tyranid Broods. I find it impractical to attempt to paint the highlights on these with an airbrush so I went back to a technique I call dry brushing.

I painted the entire twenty two pieces with a few drops of paint and a medium sable brush but what I did is drag the brush from ridge to ridge instead of following the line of the ridges. This deposits a fine glaze of pigment on the high spots but doesn't look like a continuous line of paint.

http://i.imgur.com/8YZ2k2c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8YZ2k2cl.jpg

I hope to get better pictures as the brown tones look washed out and blotchy in these images.

http://i.imgur.com/4dWCjwh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4dWCjwhl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VOhTD8S.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VOhTD8Sl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nyseQa4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nyseQa4l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Tyranidae:

My first attempt at orange glazing the highlights has produced mixed results. The recommended paint applies a nice and thin transparent coating to the light brown highlights:

http://i.imgur.com/RHI8bCz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RHI8bCzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CAgcTSR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CAgcTSRl.jpg

The effect looks somewhat blotchy and needs touching up in my estimation but I am going to go ahead with the procedure on a few of the broods to see how they finish up.

What is particularly nice is the satin sheen that the orange spray give to the carapace.

http://i.imgur.com/zbcSIbs.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zbcSIbsl.jpg

Below is the only gargoyle to receive the treatment and I am very pleased with how that is turning out.

http://i.imgur.com/3pljzrV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3pljzrVl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Gargoyles Have an air about them:

Well at least this step is half done. Making the wing membranes look like parchment is a bit of an involved process. After brushing a thin coat of Umbral Umber on the arms and finger bones using a combination of dry brushing, buffing and hard rubbing with my thumb I managed to get an appearance that have prompted some to ask what kind on glazing am I using.

http://i.imgur.com/PEWXKwU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PEWXKwUl.jpg

In keeping with my policy of keeping nothing back......

Much as I hesitate to admit this the truth is I wet my thumb with saliva.

Ewhew! Yeah that's right, he said spit.

http://i.imgur.com/E7yx92d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/E7yx92dl.jpg

Face it, it could be worse...........

Never the less incorporating a bit of DNA into the bio-denizens seems almost poetic.

http://i.imgur.com/BEORZyF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BEORZyFl.jpg

Wassamatter never heard of spit-shined shoes?

[Blackadder]

So I Went On Vacation to Florida:

And all I got was a lousy Bio-Titan

Judging by the responses I could have stayed a few more weeks in Florida but I hurried home with this beauty in my hot little hands. There are significant possibilities in the Florida Flea Markets.

http://i.imgur.com/92j5NJl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/92j5NJll.jpg?1

So it was a bit damaged a few chips here and there but a Hierophant? Come on what can be wrong with a half price Hierophant?

back after a week with a Tyranid bio-titan; does it get any better than this?

[interrogator_chaplain]

You found that in a Florida Flea Market? Holy crap. Serendipity.

Love the look of that Tyrannofex and I'll pay a bit more attention now that there's a Heirophant thrown in the mix. (Although I'm a little disappointed that you didn't attempt to make it out of styrene. :p)

[jonsgot]

You found that in a Florida Flea Market? p)

That's unbelievable best vacation ever! I've recently changed my thinking about bio titans. I did think they were too expensive, now I just think I can't afford them;)
I can't believe you have found time to do these and the titans.

[Blackadder]

Both the Tyranids and Eldar variants have distinct organic aspects that can only be represented to my mind in sculpture (No I don't have any Eldar projects on my immediate agenda.....) but I do have a question regarding renegade tyranids. It seems that there are counterpoint armies to most of the 40K combatants; is there a chance for allied tyranids to the Imperial cause perhaps home grown and programmed to counter the Tyranid invaders? Not being fully cognizant of the actual Warhammer 40K game I don't know if a good tyranid v bad tyranid is permissible.

BTW I think they are 'way too expensive as well but initially I started building and painting Tyranids to get a feel for the concept so I could sculpt a large Norn Queen Titan;

7659

something I believe has not been represented so far.

[miteyheroes]

Your bugs do look very organic and icky! I like it.

[Dimitrios]

This is a thread I simply must follow. Mr Blackadder you have done it again! Great progress and I look forward to your work.

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

Like a Kid in a Candy Store.........

The Blackadder lacks discipline. The problem is I want it all jumping from one project to another but that's the way I work otherwise I just get bored so bear with me eventually all these projects will be completed just maybe not in our lifetimes ;)

anyway I have fun and wheres the harm in that.

This model is probably the easiest FW production I've seen; very few parts and the moulding flaws and flash make it so you really can't make a mistake.

Okay so the tools I used to clean the castings beside the standard razor saw, #11 Xacto blade and 'Utility Knife are:

To properly assemble this model it would be prudent to have the following tools to remove the unwanted flash and vents;

The rotary cutters in the foreground I use in my Dremel; I have the cordless model which saves you fighting with the electric cord and speed control which my previous Dremel had and was a big pain in the @$$. The freedom of cordless is the better way to go and the battery lasts a long time between charges.

http://i.imgur.com/m0qkIWW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/m0qkIWWl.jpg

Back to the cutter bits the three to the left are actually dentist drills I got from my dentist as they were too worn to use for drilling teeth; fine for plastic though.

Also shown is the nail clipper diagonal cutters I use to remove sprues and vents and to the far left the steel emery boards flat and curved for sanding and rounding.

Note on the head the only problem with the model I bought is that the leaf-like structure on the side of the tongue is totally missing and I'll have to sculpt a replacement. All the other chips and bits were with the model and have been re-glued in place.

The image below shows the tail mount with the moulding sprue completely removed and the tail likewise undercut so the two chitin plates match and overlap perfectly.

http://i.imgur.com/V6LzSfL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V6LzSfLl.jpg

I am going to pin the tail to the body with steel coat hanger wire when the time comes to mount it.

Other than that the model is ready to prime.

[dwez]

I'm thinking about getting one later in the year so I'll keep following your progress so I can watch for the pitfalls. I'm currently flitting between my Tervigon and my Skyshield landing Pad walls. Both projects need to be complete for the 21st of March so I know what you mean about jumping form one to another.

I usually advocate 'going with the flow' - whatever is enthusing you is the one you should go with, although at the moment I'm trying to spend some small time on the other, less appealing job, and hope the pleasure from the fun job will carry my through the dull one. Then when the fun job is complete the dull job has had some bites taken out of it and will progress quicker. Managing hobby motivation is a job in itself, not to mention the time and project management.

[Blackadder]

A Sow's Ear:

I begin to make a silk purse of this abomination.........

Now that I have cleaned up most of the casting flaws it's time to address the broken detail which while it would be noticeable to virtually no one my particular form of mania will never be satisfied with imperfections no matter how invisible. Don't you just feel for Mrs Blackadder?

http://i.imgur.com/rq5u6gT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rq5u6gTl.jpg

The red rectangle indicates where the very tips of the ribs broke away a few square millimeters of resin. I made up a strong batch of 24 hour aircraft quality A4 Epoxy and replaced the four missing tips. After the epoxy had hardened a few hours so it was barely sticky to the touch I hand moulded the tips to an over-sized facsimile of the errant rib-ends.

A bit later I attempted the skeletal striations but the epoxy is still a bit too sticky.

Meanwhile the edge of the front fumarole suffered a bit of damage so I built that up as well with an excess of epoxy that when hardened can be sanded and carved into shape.

http://i.imgur.com/5NcUS0x.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5NcUS0xl.jpg

Finally I addressed the missing tongue component which required a complete mirror sculpting of the opposite piece. Again I made the initial missing part over-sized and allowed to harden then shaped the bit and when this is dry I will final sand it to the desired size and secure with cyano acetate glue.

http://i.imgur.com/ZTPcIJz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZTPcIJzl.jpg

This of course is an over exertion for such trivial objects but the practice is the thing. Someday I may need to replace or repair some critical component and the knowledge I can do it will serve me well.

[Blackadder]

Nid Week:

There's a few good Hierophant assembly videos on You-tube and the best I've found is "Nid Week" except for the hour plus run time it is a detailed account of the assembly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlO46OttB34

I can offer one improvement on his excellent discourse. The Blackadder has no illusion about the size of his fingers and watching the struggle the assembler is having picking up and installing the extremely tiny spurs on the underbelly I suggest picking up the spur by the tip by sticking a sharp straight pin in the tip of the spur making it easy to pick up align and install in the tiny cup receptacle on the model. I use Industrial strength Cyano-acrylate glue that dries in seconds and holds strong. The pin can be pressed on to hold the spur secure until the glue holds.

http://i.imgur.com/2aw7EFK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2aw7EFKl.jpg

The image above shows the smallest spur with the pin still impaling the tip. Once dried the pin is easily removed and the microscopic pinhole will be filled with the painted finish.

[Blackadder]

Repair and Detailing:

someone asked me how I repaired the damage on this second hand Hierophant. I used aircraft grade 24 hour epoxy A4 Metalset available on the internet just google, 'A4 Metalset'. The stuff I have expired years ago but is still viable for model work although I suspect it has lost it's original strength for Military Aircraft Spec's.

http://i.imgur.com/sulOu1m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sulOu1ml.jpg

It mixes one to one and by varying the ratio you can lengthen or decrease the curing time. I increase the hardener component so the malleability is decreased to about four hours. Good enough for non-gov'ment work.

In the videos linked above the author installed the forward fumarole in a less than professional manner with ruddy great gaps in the joint to be filled in later with some sort of filler. This gives a weakened joint that may fail after your beautiful paint job is finished causing a glaring seam in your otherwise flawless finish.

http://i.imgur.com/PeWIZsz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PeWIZszl.jpg

I used the Metalset which is both filler and cement in one and has the added benefit of being sculpt-able in it's latter drying period and has very much the same strength as the original resin so in effect the piece is welded to the body.

After the epoxy was completely dried I scoured striations to meld the base with the fumarole with a dull #11 Xacto blade so the seam is virtually invisible.

http://i.imgur.com/F0Minii.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F0Miniil.jpg

[Blackadder]

Restoring a Basket Case:

I strongly suspect there is a bit of a sadistic streak in the FW modelers; they seem to have made this model much harder than is necessary to assemble almost as though they want the purchasers to botch the assembly. While some of the spurs might have been necessary as separate pieces the micro tiny ones were unnecessary in my opinion and were included only to confound the modeler and enhance the part count.

As you may have noticed that after tedious cleaning I primed the entire model with a uniform coat of flat grey primer. There is a reason for this. The model being cast in two colours makes it hard to spot flaws and crevasses were grey resin affixes to the white body component. You will note on the video that even the purported professional author's spurs are misaligned even when contrasted with the white body part. This will become more apparent when the model is painted a more uniform colour and the spurs are picked out as in mine where they will be blue/black. By painting everything the same colour the eye can more readily see the misalignment and correct it before the glue dries.

Above I mentioned using a pin to pick up and place the millimeter sized spurs in place but even that proved inadequate. I now am impaling the the insidiously microscopic spurs on the tip of a NEW # 11 Xacto blade much as I use to install individual rivets on my scratch builts.

[Blackadder]

Head Appendages:

The cheek appendages mount in the recesses below and aft of the eye and judging by the way they are moulded are supposed to angle down a degree or two. There is a left and right mandible so care must be taken that the sculpting of the cheek continues into the sculpting of the mandible, if it doesn't you have them upside down and on the wrong side.

There are square holes in the cheek recesses but no corresponding pins on the mandibles so I drilled and implanted my own 1,5 MM styrene square stock which serves to align and strengthen the glue joint.

http://i.imgur.com/sY7kJLG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sY7kJLGl.jpg

Note the strip sticking out of the right cheek the left mandible already dry mounted.

Here you see the variety of tools I used to fair the mandibles into the cheeks so the glue seam is less visible. Note the cyanoacrylate glue I am using, it bonds super strong dries quickly and is thick enough to be useful as a seam filler that can be sanded and carved

http://i.imgur.com/hxFUPdU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hxFUPdUl.jpg

The trailing edge of the mandibles require some fairing in in spite of my efforts but that could not be helped. the Needle files and diamond files made short work of the indiscretions.

http://i.imgur.com/YwmdaWF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YwmdaWFl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Piece of Cake

As far mas FW models are concerned getting this Hierophant ready for painting was a piece of cake. Right now it is sanded,cleaned, primed and assembled apart from the sub assemblies in a couple of work sessions and it would have been done sooner except I had to fabricate replacement parts. Maybe all totaled 10 hours work.

You can't tell from the photos but the top surface is grey primer and the underside of most of the components are primer white over grey primer.

http://i.imgur.com/5jMhGHb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5jMhGHbl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xdVStx4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xdVStx4l.jpg

In the images below the head is just stuck on with tack putty I'll be painting that seperately

http://i.imgur.com/MF9EpDf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MF9EpDfl.jpg

Note the hole in the second from the front arm socket. For once FW put the vent core in the right area so it can be used as a ready made assembly pin. taking advantage of that will give me a good solid leg mount.

http://i.imgur.com/kN0iOT7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kN0iOT7l.jpg

I'm sure that was purely unintentional or FW would have lopped it off before shipping. Buggers!

[Blackadder]

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat!

Or a least a bigger pipeline to a paint source. I just blew through my entire stash of 'Khaki Brown' base coat paint and I haven't even finished base-coating this beast. I started with full strength "Vallejo 'Model Air' " but ended up diluting it 50/50 or I wouldn't get the basic body parts covered with the what I had on hand. Fortunately I have Amazon prime so the needed paint should arrive tomorrow. Meanwhile I can proceed with the accent P3 'Umbral Umber' brown on much of the model so I won't be held back too much. I have half a vial of that left so not enough for the Chitin back plated but enough to add shadow to the underbelly, legs, head, and tail.

http://i.imgur.com/IDGjvFj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IDGjvFjl.jpg

I think this beast will work well with the colour scheme I have selected but its size may require a lot more detailed highlights for the exposed tendons and connective tissue.

http://i.imgur.com/oBjkAqu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oBjkAqul.jpg

[Blackadder]

The Bigger They Are:

It's as I always maintained the bigger the model the easier to work it. Naturally it requires more paint and the detail will be daunting but for the basic effects say the shadow between the ribs where it was hit or miss/touch and go for even a model as big as a Trygon this model actually required spraying from two directions to cover the shadows.

The images below do not do it justice and I am practicing on the bottom portion of the ribs but the effect is just right to the eye. Once the highlight of 'Light Brown' is applied to the exterior of the ribs there will be a very natural contrast............. I hope, ..... well I'm reasonable certain, ... er or I'm completely blowing it............

http://i.imgur.com/49q1sOj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/49q1sOjl.jpg

I may even need a second application of shadow............

http://i.imgur.com/TBBdeGD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TBBdeGDl.jpg

This is more like a dinosaur dig..........

[Blackadder]

The Roadkill Titan:

Looking for all the world like a roadkill desiccate carcass on the side of the byway. This is after the second coat of ultra thinned Umberal Umber which finally penetrated to the sublevels of the connective tissues.

http://i.imgur.com/PLSVxz8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PLSVxz8l.jpg

This model is an amazing piece of casting. The ribs seem to go down at least two levels below the surface openings between the ribs. How they managed to extricate the mould from the casting is beyond me. Perhaps a variant on the 'Lost Wax' method.

[Blackadder]

Harridan Hijinks

No doubt that GW/FW (tongue in cheekedly)named their flying Titan Harridan in deference to irate spouses haranguing about the money wasted on such childish nonsense. Never mind that she has a closet full of dresses and other apparel that was only worn once but can't be again because everyone has seen her in it while you still wearing the same suit you graduated in and she changes her hair style/colour as often as you change your socks. I consider myself a patron of the arts and the FW Tyranid Titans are definitively that, art.

With that rational set aside I set about preparing the Harridan for priming and painting.

The first order was to modify the wing mount recess to accommodate the excellent root casting vent so thoughtfully provided by the casting.

http://i.imgur.com/VrLXw8d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VrLXw8dl.jpg

After squaring up the plug I sketched in the approximate position for the plug recess. I want my wings detachable you see as the model wingtips are so delicate i'm afraid they might break off in handling

[Blackadder]

Rhymes With Orange:

I went a bit overboard with the orange highlights on the Hive Tyrant and (what are these little dudes) Ah yes Termagants. so before I backtrack and repaint the legs I took some pictures.

Airbrushing highly thinned orange kind of sneaks up on you and the orange looks much more intense once it dries so use it sparingly because if it looks right when its wet it'll be too orange when it dries.

http://i.imgur.com/b4YfYbU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/b4YfYbUl.jpg

While I'm waiting for the Umbral Umber Formula P3 paint to come it's a good time to bring the Hormagaunt brood up to speed. I'm trying to paint everything at once so as my technique improves everything will be at the same level of accomplishment.

Here we see a close up of my first work Termagants left and my most recent work yesterday the Hormagaunts which still need the carapace fringes highlighted and the orange glazing.....

http://i.imgur.com/8ElvTYh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8ElvTYhl.jpg

Termagants much too orange!

http://i.imgur.com/x9s66CU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/x9s66CUl.jpg

and the basic painted Hormagaunts............

http://i.imgur.com/JiRX0Ed.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JiRX0Edl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Oh Yeah:

Finally got my paint yesterday and started painting the upper scoots this morning.

I had serious reservations whether this huge beast would lend itself well to the cockroach theme until I saw these images. Oh Yeah, that's what I talk'n 'bout...........

I painted both sides with about 20 drops of thinned Umbral Umber and I wore my index finger out holding down the trigger; I had to switch to my thumb but the first coat is finally on.

http://i.imgur.com/ilOfHs8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ilOfHs8l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/CX6xcIJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CX6xcIJl.jpg

I still have a concern if the Harridan will look good in brown. I can't do the entire top surface of the wings all one colour and they're too thick for the parchment technique. I'm thinking maybe tiger stripes

[Dimitrios]

Amazing work!! A truly impressive beast.

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

A Tale of Two Titans:

Last night I couldn't get the airbrush to work right so I soaked the components in brush cleaner overnight and everything is working fine this morning.

The image below shows the two Bio-titans bodies, the Hierophant with a solid brown carapace and the Harridan with the beginning of a tiger striped effect that I am experimenting with; I think it needs an intermediate stripe on each scote.

http://i.imgur.com/wduE5xH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wduE5xHl.jpg

The image below shows the Hierophant and the bottom view of it's head which I am having so difficulty. I left the top of the head grey and I feel that if I make it all brown it won't look right as the head is so small in proportion to the body it will be overwhelmed if only picked out in brown.

http://i.imgur.com/oWvF8Dv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oWvF8Dvl.jpg

The legs and weapons on the other hand are coming along splendidly. At the moment they only have two colours sprayed on but the airbrush allows such variety that they look like they required more colours and work than they actually did.

http://i.imgur.com/wIRYPN6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wIRYPN6l.jpg

For someone who in January could not even get paint through the nozzle of an airbrush my technique has improved dramatically. An affect that I can attribute to the excellent "Precision" AirBrush shown in the images.

For thirty bucks US it's an astounding airbrush and bargain plus the shipping is free.

[Blackadder]

A Harridan Cannot Fold Its Wings:

It seems to me a Harridan must fly it's whole life. It has no legs to spring into the air as some birds do or sprint forward to gather ground speed so the wings can assist take off as larger birds such as the Albatross do. Add to that the carapace interferes with the ability to even fold the wings let alone flap. The small rear appendages are not sufficiently long enough to allow the wings to flap in close proximity to the ground so a static flapping takeoff is out of the question as well.

So the scenario is the Harridan is launched from the hive Mother-ship, do what Harridans do and somehow get back to the mother-ship where there are no doubt cradles that house the Harridan where not in active service.

That said this model and the Hierophant is the simplest FW models imaginable. I bought and painted both in less than two weeks of sporadic attention in which I also cleaned and prepped two Warhounds and drove to and from Florida and attended a Baptism.

Below are images for your edification and probably need no explanation:

http://i.imgur.com/XjZ1Bap.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XjZ1Bapl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2UMV0ba.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2UMV0bal.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z1OtvhD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z1OtvhDl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wWqjVo8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wWqjVo8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rfZbm0a.jpg

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Maybe there are tugboat type 'Nids? Big, nonexplosive spore mines that can push Harridans/Crones into the air :3

More on topic, I'd forgotten how great the details on the Biotitans were, and your paintjob really does them justice!

[daboarder]

how are you planning on solving the hierophant leg problem?

[Blackadder]

Right in the FW instructions is the disclaimer that the legs cannot support the weight and a base (Not provided) is required. Once I have finished the painting as as it is I have only applied the base coats to all but the grunts I will mount the beast on it's legs, lope off a sufficient length of coathanger wire and mount the body on the wire with the legs just touching the ground.

[daboarder]

there are other ways to do it if your feeling adventurous.

Such as cutting the leg segments in parts and reinforcing them with support rods. that was you don't have dinky metal rod hanging underneath

[Blackadder]

It's good enough for the Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian, it's good enough for me; 'sides from what I have been reading even the upper legs cannot take the stress of the weight.

[daboarder]

hey its your call.

If you do change your mind

http://www.astronomican.com/showthread.php?8996-How-to-build-a-Forgeworld-Tyranid-Hierophant

[Blackadder]

Yeah thanks I read his article and a few others. I used the sprue port for the front leg mounts and it would be relatively simple to reinforce the legs. I might give it a go some time in the future.

I'm thinking for display purposes the rod will suffice and for gaming we'll see how well the legs can bear the weight for the game duration.

[Blackadder]

A Thirty Dollar Airbrush:

I love my $30 dollar airbrush. I can't imagine what airbrushes that cost ten times as much can do that this little jewel doesn't?

I just returned from a hiatus in Georgia, picked up where I left off painting the Hierophant legs. It's a shame that the camera doesn't pick up the depth of the paint on the legs.

http://i.imgur.com/qLZXWvw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qLZXWvwl.jpg

I can see down three levels of pigment which gives the muscle an extremely lifelike appearance; almost repulsive to see, just what you want on your Tyranid Bio-Titan.

http://i.imgur.com/M1IYslo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/M1IYslol.jpg

I'm not giving any credit to my painting abilities, I give all the credit to the airbrush. I still can't paint for beans with the other brushes I have.

http://i.imgur.com/AyentaO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AyentaOl.jpg

And the Paasche Talon Still sits in the box virtually untouched...

http://i.imgur.com/i5wI2MS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/i5wI2MSl.jpg

If you're having trouble getting the results you want with you current airbrush I heartily recommend the Precision PZ-360XS.

http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Airbrush-Valve-Crenelated-0-2mm/dp/B004KNDQMM

BTW Free Shipping.

[Blackadder]

Here Come's The Weekend Baby What's Goin' On:

Do we put our feet up baby or party all night long?

Well I vote for "Party" but I am frequently outvoted so I retaliated and decided to work on the Hierophant with the following results:

http://i.imgur.com/TRBH7Qy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TRBH7Qyl.jpg

Most threads I've seen show the finished results but I have decided to throw caution to the wind and show the interim steps i.e. the masking because of course this thread is a tutorial and has to show how it's done.

Not that I am to be taken as "God's spiel" being a novice at airbrushing but alternatively a firm believer in, "If I can do it you can do it....."

Anyway (as you may perceive the weekend imbibement is firmly taking it's toll) I have started detailing the painting of the Hierophant

http://i.imgur.com/QftaXyT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QftaXyTl.jpg

The Above two images were from earlier this week but today I started highlighting the scutes with AV Light Brown and it is providing satisfactory results:

http://i.imgur.com/3w0vh9Y.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3w0vh9Yl.jpg

Note the 3M tack putty isolating the areas to be painted from the already painted parts.

http://i.imgur.com/hIm8kYM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hIm8kYMl.jpg

Because this model is so big the process is taking much longer than I am accustom but by Monday I hope to have the carapace completed.

[Blackadder]

Dry Run:

After a week of masking, painting, installing armatures I finally reached a point where everything is coming together.

The Hierophant was the most difficult to do as the chitin segments were quite a bit smaller than the Harridan's on average and the leg armour was quite intricate to get right.

I watch the 'BuyPainted' video over and over with envy over Jaro's seeming ease in applying finely controlled layers of pigment.

http://i.imgur.com/SwmDRCF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SwmDRCFl.jpg

Of course the images displayed here reflect only the two base colours 'Umbral Umber' and 'Light Brown' over a base coat of 'Khaki Brown'.

Hard to believe I am only in the second stage of painting and washes on these magnificent beasts............

http://i.imgur.com/T485Ur5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/T485Ur5l.jpg

I seem to have got a lot of mileage out of two colours and am about to move on to the next layer a subtle orange wash.

http://i.imgur.com/L08Ez4s.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/L08Ez4sl.jpg

More important is the pose I have decided upon; the Hierophant rearing back on it's haunches in a more threatening stance than the typical four on the floor plodding image.

http://i.imgur.com/LD1LXEd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LD1LXEdl.jpg

Hence the armature.............

Next the Harridan which is in about the same stage of completion........

[wayne williams]

love your work as always keep it up .

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

Harridan Wings and Chitin:

After quite a bit of thought I decided to just do the wings in hand rubbed P3 'Umbral Umber.' First applying a base coat of Cardboard Carton paint and letting dry over night

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313%2BGBV1OSL.jpg

which is a flat beige similar to the AV 'Khaki' but a lot cheaper for large coverage.

I then airbrushed on a light coat of 'Umbral Umber' and rubbed it into the base coat while still wet working the paint into the base coat with wetted thumb and palm of hand until excess came off in fine rolls. This gave a glossy parchment texture to the large wing surfaces.

http://i.imgur.com/TP8rEWz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TP8rEWzl.jpg

The large flat surfaces of the wings came out a bit blotchy but that should be rectified by the next coat of AV 'Light Brown':

http://i.imgur.com/KbQOvIR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KbQOvIRl.jpg


The fringe of 'Light Brown on the chitin segments look too perfect to my taste but we'll see when the washes are applied...........

http://i.imgur.com/YHaEoPp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YHaEoPpl.jpg

[scottshoemaker]

I'm diggin on your natural color scheme

[Blackadder]

Thanks, I actually had some concerns whether the 'Browns' would work on the Harridan but it seems to suit it as well................

The Gargoyle Brood:

Well the Gargoyles have finally caught up to the rest of the army; interesting how I found them the most trying to do of all the denizens.

I would be interesting to see these flying in formation with the Harridan on a gameboard.

http://i.imgur.com/a56c9OZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/a56c9OZl.jpg

Figure included for scale...........

http://i.imgur.com/OC9OhJl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OC9OhJll.jpg

So the next step I guess is to finish up the orange wash on all the pieces.........mebbe tomorrow.

A couple of off white balance images to round off the evening:

http://i.imgur.com/yKzQ2mW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yKzQ2mWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kfFsmHD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kfFsmHDl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Hodgepodge:

I needed to see where I stood regarding going to the next step in the sequence of steps to a completed Tyranid army.

okay so the box at the right are the components that still need to have the chitin skutes edged with 'Light Brown' and the box on the left are ready for the 'Orange' highlight. I managed to do about a third today so what is in the box to the right are what remain to be done..........

http://i.imgur.com/Q8xpQkm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q8xpQkml.jpg

On an aside the Bio-titans are ready for the 'Orange' highlights and don't figure in to this and are not in either box.

What are in the box are the:

Trygon 50% ready

Carnifax 50% ready

Tyranfax 50% ready

Hive Tyrant 100% ready

and the Termagant Brood 100% ready.

and it just dawned on me I have to figure out what parts go to what beastie?

Ha!

[interrogator_chaplain]

DAMN! That Harridan looks the business!

[Blackadder]

A Question of Acrylic Paint Thinners:

I'm running out of Airbrush thinner and was about to order some on Amazon but the shipping costs are prohibitive.

Then I read a critique on the AV Vallejo paint thinner and the Tamiya Thinner and was apprised that Vodka was an excellent replacement for the much more expensive commercial thinners

So I am going to try using Vodka to thin my paint........ with

Perhaps a drop or two of dry Vermouth

What next Blackadder; an olive perhaps?

[Blackadder]

Hive Tyrant:

The Hive Tyrant was my first Tyranid unfortunately a metal construct (Metal is good thought I) so it will be the first to receive full treatment starting with the 'orange' highlights.

Spraying on an Orange 50/50 dilute AV Model Air at the lightest spray my 0,5 orifice Point Zero PZ360XS airbrush can achieve deposited just a hint of highlight, my first attempt earlier this year made everything too orange.

http://i.imgur.com/XqcT0Wh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XqcT0Whl.jpg

I assembled the basic 'Tyrant legs, head, and tail fortunately the weapons clip on so but sets temporarily attached:

http://i.imgur.com/ngFwgHW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ngFwgHWl.jpg

This beastie will have wings (purchased separately ebay) so the redundant weaponry is just for show the other CC armoury will be magnetically attached........

http://i.imgur.com/BnVPrRU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BnVPrRUl.jpg

Next will come the satin varnish which I'll apply tomorrow after the acrylics have completely dried.

http://i.imgur.com/x4Cd6fR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/x4Cd6fRl.jpg

Then the fine detail colours; teeth, veins, black talons, pink and purple poison sack etc will be applied. perhaps the points and edges will stop shedding paint every time the model is touched.

Now for a well deserved tumbler of my special blend paint thinner....Cheers!

[Blackadder]

Rhymes With Orange Again:

Was this over the top, I can't tell.

I'm hoping I didn't go too far with the orange highlight and the oil wash will tone it down a tad. I certainly need to blend the tail into the body and the black spurs I hope are not a mistake.

http://i.imgur.com/FlHSjMJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FlHSjMJl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J5XLKfU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/J5XLKfUl.jpg

The red mouth and tongue are only base coated and will be subdued with purples and blues and black oil wash

http://i.imgur.com/Von3NTm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Von3NTml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QW74VuP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QW74VuPl.jpg

Perhaps I should have primed the d-mned thing grey and let it go at that.........

[Azhrarnx]

A very light brown wash should help mute the orange to where you need it. I wouldn't worry too much about it seeming too orange. Most roaches have a strong brown-orange component to them. This whole project is fascinating and shows off your skill. Amazing work and I am looking forward to the day I see the completed army of figures.

[Blackadder]

Hmmm, missed your reply as well Azhrarnx sorry for the delayed reply.....

What Big Teef You Have:

I wanted to show the teeth on the Hive Tyrant before I oil washed it. The teeth on the Gargoyle is done with just AVMC White 70951 but the Tyrant has three paints applied in order; AVMA Light Brown 71027, AVGC Bone White 72034 and AVMC White 70951

I really can't see much difference:

http://i.imgur.com/KJqPHhx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KJqPHhxl.jpg

What is showing up to a distressing degree is the yellow fluorescing of the Orange highlight which I hope is being caused by the combination of Curly Fry lighting and digital flash.

http://i.imgur.com/Kc8umZ4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Kc8umZ4l.jpg

In this third image I turned off the flash and the proper colour is somewhat restored but still looks much more orange than it does in natural lighting.

http://i.imgur.com/XEhaeLo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XEhaeLol.jpg

The Hive Tyrant also has a coat of AV Acrylic Clear Satin Varnish with which I am experimenting. It seems a bit expensive to force water based Varnish through an airbrush when a perfectly adequate Acrylic Satin Varnish is available in aerosol spray cans. Anyone have experience using either?, and the pluses and minus' of each?

[dwez]

Have you spared a thought to how they will be based, or will they follow a similar style to the original inspiration? It'll be interesting to see how a finished model looks on a finished base.

[Blackadder]

Yeah I gotta start making bases for all my models and buy a huge curio cabinet to keep them in.

Home Stretch:

I'm about three quarters way through the second Buypainted video on all my Tyranids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJha39IUztU

Where I just applied the satin varnish to the models, Jaro can talk your way through this much better than I can.

http://i.imgur.com/ycrd3c6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ycrd3c6l.jpg

Now I need only finish the claws, teeth and mouths, apply the wash and seal the models.

http://i.imgur.com/Zx9tvZS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Zx9tvZSl.jpg

This is but a small sampling of the models; missing from the photos are the Harridan, Tyrannofex, Gargoyle Brood, Ternagant brood, and Hergamont brood.

http://i.imgur.com/11N6pfX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/11N6pfXl.jpg

Following Jaro's Trygon instructions and transposing them to the rest of the menagerie I managed a reasonable facsimile of his work; not perfect but better than I hoped for.

http://i.imgur.com/jqD09Y4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jqD09Y4l.jpg

Interesting that the Trygon head is about the same size as the much larger Hierophant's head.

http://i.imgur.com/ztH32OK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ztH32OKl.jpg

The rest of the models after the varnish finishes drying.

[Krefey]

*pretends not to be stalking blackadder*

Still looks good no amtter which forum I look at it on :P

[Darren Richardson]

well I've just sat and read this whole thread this afternoon.....

And once again Blackadder, your work in restoring and painting derlict models is amazing, that paint scheme is just how I would imagine them to look in real life (assuming they were real which would be a horrifying thought :rolleyes: )

Keep up the good work, it gives me hope that if an airbrush amautur like you can pull off such beautifully hidious figures such as these, then there is hope for me yet! :D

[Blackadder]

Wow, Thanks for the endorsement........... These are all new models BTW; the Blackadder indulges himself once in a while :D

Some brain droppings as I wait for the paint to dry................

Tyranid Dentition:

It strikes me as I work on these monsters that they are not all carnivores.

True the Carnifex and Tryannofex have the teeth of meat eaters Theropods e.g. Tyrannosaur, Tarbosaur.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/images/featureimage.jpg?&i=/pages/11035/Tarbosaurus.jpg

likewise the H. & T. 'Gants and the Gargoyles being analogous to Raptors and Pterosaurs although there is speculation that some Pterosaurs were fish eaters.

The Tyrgon and Harridan have the dentition of fish eaters

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Mounted_Spinosaurus.jpg

The Hierophant is decidedly a vegan having small peglike teeth similar to herbevorous Sauropods e.g. Apatosaur, Camarosaur etc:

http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.954.1319710272!/image/Dinosaur.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/Dinosaur.jpg

This goes along with the small head and huge abdomen which would be a fermenting vat to break down fiber the resulting methane could be modified into toxic weapon chemicals and of course flatus........ they never mention this in the codex.

--
E. Blackadder

[theunrealisticartist]

Blackadder, this is the most wonderful thread and you have me very inspired to paint creatures (I mostly paint vehicles). The thing that has put me off in the past is the technicolour paintwork for the Tyranids but your paint scheme is exactly hitting my aesthetic view of these things.

Thanks so much, I'll be continuing to read with interest.

cheers

Paul

[Darren Richardson]

Wow, Thanks for the endorsement........... These are all new models BTW; the Blackadder indulges himself once in a while :D

Oh I thought you said that you got one of the Nid Titans in a flea market....

- - - Updated - - -


The Hierophant is decidedly a vegan having small peglike teeth similar to herbevorous Sauropods e.g. Apatosaur, Camarosaur etc:

http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.954.1319710272!/image/Dinosaur.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/Dinosaur.jpg

This goes along with the small head and huge abdomen which would be a fermenting vat to break down fiber the resulting methane could be modified into toxic weapon chemicals and of course flatus........ they never mention this in the codex.

--
E. Blackadder

Now that's a disturbing image, give a new meaning to the term "Silent but Deadly" :D

[Blackadder]

Oh I thought you said that you got one of the Nid Titans in a flea market....

Actually the two Bio-Titans but they were unsullied by human ministrations........

[Belshazzar]

Wow those look amazing!

[Darren Richardson]

Actually the two Bio-Titans but they were unsullied by human ministrations........

ahh, so second hand un-made un-wanted models then, wish I could be so lucky and find a titan or two myself for a bargain price.....

[Blackadder]

Hey a Rabbit skeleton might be just the thing for a basis for my Nuln Queen Bio-Titan but I think I'll stick with the giant centipede on the first page. That would make a fantastic Nuln Queen.

http://azu1.facilisimo.com/ima/i/1/b/b9/am_247367_6580464_125908.jpg

Picture that rearing up 2/3 meter tall against the Warlord................

Meanwhile:

Trust Me, It's Not That Yellow:

Well at the suggestion of one of my readers I messed around with the white balance and ended up with a blue Hierophant:

http://i.imgur.com/cbHDFwO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cbHDFwOl.jpg

You would think the yellow would change but no just the rest of the model has this weird blue glow instead, Ha!

So I put the setting back and changed the venue and we're back to the orange highlights looking yellow.

http://i.imgur.com/MDgduYn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MDgduYnl.jpg

Meanwhile the Varnishing continues after a deluge of biblical proportions yesterday where I daren't apply varnish in that type of humidity.

http://i.imgur.com/zfj5fb6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zfj5fb6l.jpg

Putting the time to good use priming the Chaos Titan.

[Blackadder]

Hierophant Attaching the Legs:

I used Locktite 5 minute epoxy to attach the legs.

http://i.imgur.com/R6Cl3Rq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/R6Cl3Rql.jpg

The rear legs have a huge attach point cup and knuckle to apply glue so modification was not necessary

http://i.imgur.com/Iz1PxTz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Iz1PxTzl.jpg

but the front legs attach point is rather flimsy so I did the following. When I first received the model there were vent plugs moulded into the front attach knuckle; I left those and instead drilled receiving holes in the cup socket.

http://i.imgur.com/zHvkLFA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zHvkLFAl.jpg

Being rather paranoid about the durability of such a heavy yet delicate model I went further and drilled reinforcement rod holes in the vent plugs and inserted coat hanger wire rods through the body and into each shoulder to strengthen the joint.

http://i.imgur.com/T5PZ75H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/T5PZ75Hl.jpg

Note the hole through the body at the second shoulder recess in this off colour image.

http://i.imgur.com/V3TgazN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V3TgazNl.jpg

Now that this process is documented I can proceed with the actual gluing.

[Blackadder]

Attaching the Front Legs:

Here we see the right front leg attached; I really like this pose compared to most I've seen of the Hierophant. It has an aggressive quality whereas the usual pose has a more submissive/defensive aspect.

http://i.imgur.com/zRIq09o.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zRIq09ol.jpg

The left side view shows of the more belligerent stance to good advantage.

http://i.imgur.com/elTAeBg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/elTAeBgl.jpg

And a close up shows the coat hanger rod protruding from the shoulder ready for the arm attachment.

http://i.imgur.com/JMuJ4GD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JMuJ4GDl.jpg

I probably will be putting the guns on pivots so the can be trained up and down. The model is very limited in how it can be posed so the gun elevation is about all you can make variable.

[Blackadder]

Life Imitates Hollywood:

Rambug
http://i.imgur.com/WpS1Zl5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WpS1Zl5l.jpg

Rambo
http://i.imgur.com/9ABWCes.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9ABWCes.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ups0mQA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ups0mQAl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Jj5TN03.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Jj5TN03l.jpg

[Wolfshade]

I hadn't realised until now, just how advertuerous that pose is.

Wow.

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the reply,

Building a Base:

seeing how this model is so delicate I have to make a proper base; it's as good a time as any to try to make a display scene so the beauty of this model can be appreciated. I first selected a proper base plate which in fact is the largest I have in my inventory.

The plaque I chose is one foot in diameter and 3/4 inch thick made by Heirloom Craft Products in York PA 17402; No google listing so they must be out of business.....

http://i.imgur.com/kk4LqvI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kk4LqvIl.jpg

This base is about three inches in diameter bigger than the work base and should be adequate.

http://i.imgur.com/h0NYgFy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/h0NYgFyl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the reply,

Some Trial Bases:

So after years of modeling I've finally decided to learn how to make bases for my work.

Even though my Titans have screaming need for display stands I figured the Tyranids would be best to experiment on so here's a couple I played with last night and early this morning I thought, "Why not 'Skulls'?"

http://i.imgur.com/GqMdgdC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GqMdgdCl.jpg

Rummaging though the bitz box I found dozens of skulls on various Chaos sprues, clipped them, primed with bone white and placed them on the newly primed bases. Hmmm? thinks I, "Something's missing.....Why not Skeletons?"

http://i.imgur.com/PIAG7gb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PIAG7gbl.jpg


So I whipped up a rib cage out of wire; it's a tad over-sized but not too bad for a first attempt.

http://i.imgur.com/2DpKwZg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2DpKwZgl.jpg

Once I get the procedure down I'll present a demo on how to make 'em.

http://i.imgur.com/VXnUrZW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VXnUrZWl.jpg

I need to find coarser cork but the sand gravel came right out of my driveway apron.

[Blackadder]

Dry Brushing:

Dry brushed bases with grey primer. Time to call it a night.......

http://i.imgur.com/6kCHeCC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6kCHeCCl.jpg

G'night

[Darren Richardson]

Dry Brushing:

Dry brushed bases with grey primer. Time to call it a night.......

http://i.imgur.com/6kCHeCC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6kCHeCCl.jpg

G'night

looking good so far BA, can't wait to see the final base

[Peter Zuidgeest]

Great army so far!! :)

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

Mistakes were made:

Well my first attempt at wash was a wash out. Either I did not dilute it enough or I used the wrong wash but the Hive Tyrant has a bad case of Yellow Jaundice. Fortunately it is my experiment model so worst case scenario I strip and repaint it but since it's metal I'm not going to bother.

The Tyrgon will have to wait until I get the wash right.

Meanwhile the bases seem to have turned out okay:

http://i.imgur.com/TXpY8x3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TXpY8x3l.jpg

In order of application:

A Black overall Prime

Grey Prime dry brushed

VA Game Color Cold Grey dry brush

" " " Bone White Highlight dry brush

VA Model Air Earth Brown Airbrushed fissures

VA Game Color Bone White dry brush rock high lights.

http://i.imgur.com/lyNfwyp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lyNfwypl.jpg

Still have the Trygon mandibles to install but painting wise it's done except for the wash.

http://i.imgur.com/ry6fS2k.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ry6fS2kl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9QQ46jM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9QQ46jMl.jpg

[notwolf]

well, poo. Mebbe it's ComCast, but none of yer pictures are loading for me. ...and i wanna see these bugs!

[Blackadder]

well, poo. Mebbe it's ComCast, but none of yer pictures are loading for me. ...and i wanna see these bugs!

Even if you click on the link above the image?

[Blackadder]

You're Taking Recycling Too Far Blackadder:

No, it's not what it looks like!

Looking for all the world like a dried meadow muffin but in point of fact a wall plaque with cork sheeting and detritus from the end of my driveway.

http://i.imgur.com/qetsBCC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qetsBCCl.jpg

Close up shows the fine sand, coarse sand and pea gravel used to add texture to the fissures

http://i.imgur.com/ODmGEUa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ODmGEUal.jpg

The Hierophant posed on all fours in this instance shows that even a base 12 inches in diameter is inadequate to display this sprawling Arthropod.

http://i.imgur.com/o3qLhrv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/o3qLhrvl.jpg

So the Hierophant is capable of assuming it's intended pose as well as the more dynamic one I prefer.

http://i.imgur.com/BbXSRGX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BbXSRGXl.jpg

And the 'cow pie' in black prime.

http://i.imgur.com/Vh7nADb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Vh7nADbl.jpg

[interrogator_chaplain]

Perhaps you should add an homage to one of your other plasticard projects and find a way to celebrate completing something!

[Blackadder]

Perhaps you should add an homage to one of your other plasticard projects and find a way to celebrate completing something!

I was going to take exception to your admonishment but I see you are a frequent poster on my T'hawk thread, which by the way is greatly appreciated, so I can sympathize with your frustration with me for dropping the T'hawk for this Tyranid menagerie but please understand that this is a hobby with me and I cannot beat my head against a styrene wall forcing myself to work on that of which I have become tired.

It was only just this morning that I was looking at the ball turrets which while I was very excited about the concept could not resolve the rotation/elevation mechanism, that the solution manifested itself to me and I made a quick sketch and note.

Now serendipity in hand (figuratively speaking) I can address the problem fresh and still have the luxury of indulging myself with this hobby.

Patience, I'll get to the T'hawk summarily.

[Darren Richardson]

ahh take your time with the other projects Blackadder, never rush a job, you'll make mistakes.....

Learnt that the hard way with my first batch of Space Marines, paint jobs was aweful so I've had to strip them down for a different paint scheme....

All because I rushed into something!

as for your bugs, damn they look so realistic with your paint scheme, I can just imagine that slithering along a desert or beach... Ugh gives me the hubie jebies....

[Blackadder]

Trygon and Carnifax bases:

First the bases for the two smaller tyranids:

http://i.imgur.com/gqhO5RY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gqhO5RYl.jpg

These are pretty much done except for grasses and carnage.

http://i.imgur.com/68b2rwd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/68b2rwdl.jpg

I was thinking a small toxic waste puddle in the center but the dry basin seems enough. I do need to make more skeletons....

[Darren Richardson]

I was thinking a small toxic waste puddle in the center but the dry basin seems enough. I do need to make more skeletons....

the puddle I feel would detract from the model, as for making skellies, how about just buying a box and cutting them up, save a bit of time and they won't look too bad...

[Blackadder]

the puddle I feel would detract from the model, as for making skellies, how about just buying a box and cutting them up, save a bit of time and they won't look too bad...

Aye, there's the rub; it's difficult to come up with an interesting yet generic base that will go with any battleboard scenery. I suppose there will always be slag residue from tactical nuclear weapons and denuded areas from flamers etc but the coincidence of having a live tyranid occupying the same space is a bit of a stretch; :D it's just that I lack the creativity to come up with something else so far.

What 'skellies' are you referring to that can be purchased? I'm not above taking the easy path. :D

[Fizzybubela]

You could possibly use these ones:
http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Vampire-Counts-Skeleton-Warriors
Or these:
http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Tomb-Kings-Skeleton-Warriors

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the links, the problem with these are the rib cage is solid and the vertebrae and appendages are too thick. Also the skulls are not on a realistic par with the bitz that come with the IM and Chaos tank kits.

But I appreciate the input.

Watch for my tutorial on how I make these from scratch; except for the skulls of course..........:D

[Darren Richardson]

or there are these

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&products_id=231

or these

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&products_id=576

or skulls

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&products_id=230

[Blackadder]

Thanks but I prefer open to solid ribcages; I'll muddle through in my own way.

Lost in the Shuffle:

I took these images a week ago but forgot to post them:

http://i.imgur.com/XJMSB7y.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XJMSB7yl.jpg

A closeup of the base with assorted remains and a few Gargoyles:

http://i.imgur.com/VfrTOFQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VfrTOFQl.jpg

A few tufts of vegetation would not be amiss:

http://i.imgur.com/OUar94H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OUar94Hl.jpg


I greatly prefer this pose to the standard submissive one advocated by FW:

http://i.imgur.com/EVaYgAJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EVaYgAJl.jpg

Of course this type of lunging pose could not be maintained statically any more than a runner can sustain a full trot stance at any split second of his step cycle. It is an instant frozen in time:

http://i.imgur.com/y8nr30j.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/y8nr30jl.jpg

[Darren Richardson]

wow that beastie looks amazing BA, if you wanted to hide that wire, perhaps model a dying marine with a missle launcher at the bottom of the wire, use cotton wool dyed and painted to look like smoke wrapped around the wire, and have an explosion at the top of the wire, it would then make it look like it's rearing up in pain from the missle hit....

Just an idea

[Blackadder]

I've neglected this thread for over half a year; a belated thanks for the reply........

Helpful Harridan Hints:

So you bought yourself a Harridan, probably one of the easiest FW models to build but also one of the most easily broken.

Why, because of its size and the delicate nature of it's parts. The thinly constructed head and sinuous tail stuck out front and back. The talons hanging down ready to snag on a shirt sleeve and that ridiculous stand is an accident waiting to happen coupled with the thick humongous wings; it's totally top heavy.

Well today we are going to address these issues to save you a lot of grief later on when you use it in a game.

First the head:

http://i.imgur.com/03eV8Ws.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/03eV8Wsl.jpg

I'm going to magnetize the head fastenings with two rare earth magnets one 2 MM thick for the head and one 3 MM thick for the neck. I used my Dremel and a drum cutter to cut a shallow well on the head about 2 MM deep. The head material is very thin so I dare not cut deeper than 2 MM. i cut a well 3 MM deep in the neck because the neck material is very thick. This will give a strong attachment but also allow the head to be removed for easy transport of this fragile Tyranid titan.

I put a spot of cyanoacrylate glue to temporarily affix the magnet to the head and neck because I want to see how the head is positioned and that the magnets meet flush before I permanently attach the magnets with epoxy.

http://i.imgur.com/9fr3ljk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9fr3ljkl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MmHAORR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MmHAORRl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FQVP1xi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FQVP1xil.jpg

Well that's just about perfect;

next the tail.

[Darren Richardson]

I welcome this thread back to unlife, it's always nice to see how things have progressed at a later date.

[Blackadder]

I'll try to be more responsive and not leave you hanging for six months. We got the supposed snowstorm of the century today Ha! bearly 4 inches then news over blew it as usual. So I dredged up some of my old threads and did some work on the Harridan which I was aching to put together but for some reason never have the time?????????

Lemme See Ya Shake Your Tail Feather:

The tail is much too long to attach with a magnet but fortunately there's a nice deep socket that it plugs into. It's supposed to be glued into that socket but I have a better way to mount it.

I drilled holes into the tail and the base and with a piece of ordinary coat hanger wire fashioned an internal clamp. Glue the wire into the base and plug in the tail. so it lines up but it's still loose in the socket.

http://i.imgur.com/QgQrmgz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QgQrmgzl.jpg

Bend the wire slightly up so the tail plug is pressing on the top of the socket and there it is, a tight connection.

http://i.imgur.com/XyOVtIO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XyOVtIOl.jpg

That can be easily removed for transport.

Next the wings.

[Blackadder]

The Harridan Née Thunderhawk:

I call it that because as with the Thunderhawk the aerodynamics are suspect. In short it would be impossible for the Harridan to fly as it has neither shoulders nor sternum keel to anchor the flight muscles and the wings are kind of just stuck on through holes in the chitin.

But it's still a cool model.

So here's the completed model sans the brood gargoyles (I've yet to paint them) in natural light..........

http://i.imgur.com/Va4zAxp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Va4zAxpl.jpg

and flash........

http://i.imgur.com/Gjhjq3t.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Gjhjq3tl.jpg

I still have a lot of painting to do but I assembled it mainly with rods and plug ins to show the construction is stable without gluing together the pieces.

Now I can disassemble the components for the final painting.

[Darren Richardson]

yeah a lot of GW and FW so called "flyers" wouldn't be able to fly in real life, but yeah they do still look cool :D