Dark Angel Conversion

 

Yes it’s another finished model!

This guy is converted from an old metal Space Marine Standard Bearer, with the addition of Commissar Yarrick’s Storm Bolter, and a power sword from somewhere.

I used a converted backpack form an Azrael model to give him that all important Dangles look to finish him off.

It’s a simple paint job, not my best, but I’ve painted him now, so that leaves me just two more models to go.

Keep posted for the last two.

Happy Birthday to my Clean Slate Challenge

It was exactly a year ago last Friday that I started work on this project. Unfortuneatly with work, social and family commitments this is the first chance I’ve had to get on a computer and write a post.

Firstly thanks to everyone who has come on and had a look around my blog over the year, because it’s really encouraging for me to see that someone has taken the time to look at my articles and pictures. So again thank you to everyone who has visited, helped, advised or given me words of encouragement over the year.

I was really wanting to get everything painted before the end of the year, and I’m sorry but that didn’t happen. Instead I pushed myself to get as much done as I could, and I managed to get another eleven models completed off the list. This has left me tantalisingly close to completion, with just nine models left to paint.

In the big scheme of things that’s really not so bad.

  

Over the last few days I’ve managed to get my five Drakkarim models painted (and yes they are pink as requested by Dan, who kindly gave them to me for my Birthday on the understanding that they would be painted pink), an Imperial Priest, the last two Hasselfree miniatures, who bear an uncanny resemblance to the guys from Shaun of the Dead, and I painted and converted two of the three Space Marine Sergeants into Plasmagunner Space Marines for my Dark Angles army (one of the three sergeants  was so badly damaged after stripping I had to throw him away, as he was unsalvageable) .

All in all it was a pretty good attempt at getting as many models finished before the year was up.

lets have a look at how the list currently shapes up:

Things Left To Paint:

3x Ravenwing Bikes

1x Dark Angel Captain

1x Space Marine Captain

1x Librarian

1x Converted Marine Standard Bearer

1x Chaplain on a Bike

1x Cthulhu

This is a total of 9 models left to paint from an original list of 378, meaning I’ve painted a total of 369 models so far.

That means I’m 97.6% complete.

Now I agree that’s not the 100% we were looking for, but what’s 2.4% between friends.

So what happens now?

I plan to finish these last 9 models in the next month and then I can start looking at the future. I’ve lots of fantasy models to paint from Mantic, as I did their Kings of War Kickstarter, I have few 15mm models that need finishing off too.

What I think I will most likely be doing is ‘project based’ work for 40K; so for example I want to do a Veteran Squad with Combi-Weapons for my Dark Angels, and I can now plan and execute that project in one go, without being held back by being distracted by all other things that need to be finished off first.

Yes I will still keep updating the blog as I get these ‘projects’ completed, as I know the reality is that any 40K army is never really finished, you are just pausing between the painting new units.

Thanks again for reading

Andrew   

The big push at the end of the year, and image dump.

It’s almost been a year!

I started working on my Clean Slate Challenge on October the 11th 2012, and wow the year’s gone quickly.

I wanted to get all my models painted in a year, and I have to facet the fact that it simply won’t happen.

BUT that hasn’t stopped me trying to get as much done as I can before the year ends, and I still have a week.

So for the last few days I’ve been working very hard to get as much done as I can, and I’m pleased to say I’ve painted all my Grey Knights, a Dark Angel, my Scrunts and some of Kev White’s excellent Hassel free Miniatures, and I will keep pushing to get as much done as I can before the time runs out.

So excuse the massive image dump, but I’ve been painting flat-out to get as much done as possible.

If you have any questions about any of the models please feel free to ask.

Enjoy

 

Dark Vengeance: Interrogator Chaplain

 

This model was an absolute pleasure to paint.

My friend Jim gave me the Dark Angel models from the Dark Vengeance box set, and part of that was the limited edition Chaplain.

All the models from this set are so nicely modelled that it’s great to paint them.

I went fro a simple paint scheme and I think he turned out really well.

The smoke wasn’t hard to paint, and I was a bit worried about painting it, but I decided to go for simple white/grey smoke  rather than something crazy.

Again a very enjoyable model to paint.

Dark Vengeance Deathwing Models

 

These are the Dark Vengeance Deathwing models from the 40K box set, that I was given by my mate Jim at Christmas.

I used a Skeleton Bone spray from Army painter, and brown washes and some dry brushing with bleached bone for most of the models.

 

There is nothing too complicated for the rest, Leadbelcher with black wash for the metal a bright blue with a wash for the laser targeters, red robes are Scab Red with Mephiston Red Highlight and a Baal Red wash.

I used a thinned down Dark Angle green for the green feathers, to tie them back into the rest of the army.

I really like these models, it’s not my best paint job but I’m pleased with them.

 

 

 

These are the

Space Marine Librarian

 

This guy has been in my army for years, and I felt he needed a spruce up. I originally painted him in the 90’s and he had an….interesting paint job, done more with enthusiasm than ability.

Now one thing I regret is not striping the old paint off the model before doing the new under-coat.

There are some techniques out there that allow you to strip the old paint of your models quiet easily; I’ve used Fairy Power Spray with success, have a look on line I’m sure you can find a demonstration somewhere.

So instead of stripping the model I just did another base coat, and I lost some detail as the paint was too thick. Its a little regret, but one to remember for the future.

I gave the model a base coat Skeleton Spray from Army Painter then did successive blue washes to get the depth of blue I wanted, then finished with a final black wash into the recesses. The metal is Lead Belcher and Black Wash, the red is Scab Red with Mephiston Red, the bone and cloth was Bleached Bone with a brown wash, then highlighted Bleached Bone. All very familiar to those who read my blog.

Considering how he looked after I re-under-coated him I’m very pleased (surprised) how well he turned out; a very simple paint job but looks mint.

Space Marine Scouts with Sniper Rifles

 

These guys have been sitting around in my box since the late 90’s, and I have just never got around to painting them.

I always intended to do them in camouflage and it wasn’t till I saw some pottery in Arizona that I was inspired to do a test model.

A Bestial Brown base , with stripes of Bleached Bone and then on top of those a Scorched Brown stripe, finished by the Army Painter Dark Tone wash. Metal is the classic Lead Belcher with black wash, and I picked out the sights and goggles with a light blue with a  blue wash.

You can see it better from behind.

The Sergeant  was Bleached Bone followed by a Brown wash, then Bleached Bone highlights, all very easy. I converted him to have a sniper rifle too, and again used classic Lead Belcher with Black Wash.

I’m very happy with these guys, and glad I finally have them painted.

Dark Angel Assault Squad Without Jump Packs

These Guys are very much like the squad I posted yesterday without jump packs, and in hindsight I probably should have put them up then.

Anyway read yesterdays post to see how I painted these guys, as it is exactly the same.

Again I’m very happy with these guys, I feel I have really got the Dark Angel colour scheme sorted now.

Dark Angel Assault Squad with Jump Packs

 

Now Dark Angels are not noted for their assault squads, but I like to mix my lists up every now and then and add something unexpected to my games.

Theses eleven chaps were an easy paint job, first undercoat black then highlight with Dark Angel Green, then a mix of Dark Angel and Goblin Green (keeping quite dark still) then add a black wash. For the guns etc…I used that old favourite Lead Belcher with a black wash. The red was Scab Red highlighted with Mephiston Red and for the skin I use Dwarf Flesh highlighted with Elf Flesh with a light brown wash. The bone colour, and scrolls on purity seals are Bleached Bone with a brown wash, highlighted again Bleached Bone.

Nice.

I’m very pleased these guys look great.

 

 

Thanks Jim!

We had a little Christmas get together this weekend, and we had a small gift giving thing amongst friends.

Well I thought we were friends!

My ‘friend’ Jim has given me the Dark Angel models from the Dark Vengeance Box set as a Christmas present  what a g*t!

He single-handedly undone all the good work I’ve done on my clean slate challenge!

I got :

5 Terminators

3 Ravenwing Bikes

10 tactical marines

1 Librarian

I Space Marine Commander

I Interrogator Chaplain

Yes, best of all it was the Limited Edition set with the Chaplain in, because  I needed another Chaplain; this is my seventh Chaplain.

The models of course are  amazing, if you have not seen the models from the Dark Vengeance box set let me tell you they are some of the best plastic models I have ever seen.

And I could not buy them myself because of my challenge, how frustrating.

Thanks Jim 🙂

P.s. I just did some maths and I have painted 18 models so far; Jim just gave me 21 new models. That means after two months I’m 3 models down from from where I started from!