Radical Change

After looking at how my armor has turned out, I realize that I am really unhappy with the colors I have chosen for the infantry.  My veterans are coming along great but my basic troops are not happening for me so I have decided to start them over from scratch with a new look & paint scheme.  It's not as much of a loss as one would think...only a couple squads.  

Besides the colors, I am a little unhappy with the way the replacement heads from West Wind have turned out.  They aren't as detailed as GW heads and are a pain to paint properly.  I'm not knocking West Wind, in this case their heads just don't inspire me.

The mech rough riders are coming along but will be delayed a few days while I re-tool the paint a little. 

Also, I picked up a copy of the 3 DVD set called Hot Lead.  Most of you are probably familiar with this item but I have to sing it's praises.  If you are new to the hobby, buy it.  If you are a painting veteran, buy it.  It has great info for painters of all skill levels.  It's organized & indexed perfectly so beginners can go through each section while veteran painters can skip forward to the advanced parts.  Like many of you, I have danced around buying this set for over a year.  I always wondered, "What's the big deal?"  Now, I know...

That's all for now.  If you know of any cool resources that others might find useful, leave a comment and/or a link and I'll compile them into a database that people can access from this blog.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Ragnarok Finished

I finished the Ragnarok today.  Paint color is Vallejo US Green, which is similar to Catachan Green.  I did some sponging with boltgun metal, I might try something darker next time, like a rust-brown.  I applied Tamiya weathering powder (soot) over the entire hull and then came back over with a dry brush of the green to blend it in.  I didn't find much room for stowage on this tank but I at least found space to hang a rolled up tarp.  The camo netting on the gun is made by Verlinden, it comes in a huge sheet and is pre-stained.  I applied it the same way most do, with some watered down white glue.  Here the pics...

I might still do some more detailing on the battle damage on both sides to make it stand out more.  Here's pick with the armor skirts removed, I'm partial to this look, I think...

That's it for now.  Up next are my mechanized rough riders.  C&C is always appreciated.

The war goes on,

Hessler

War Walker Finished

Basing is complete my war walker, which means it is finished.  Pics...

The barbed wire shown in my previous post worked out great.  I base coated it with Boltgun Metal and then applied a wash of Badab Black and then a very thinned layer of Macharius Solar Orange for a rust effect.  The wire itself hold its shape but it is still a little "bouncy" to the touch.

Thanks for looking, C&C is appreciated.  Next up on the painting table is my Ragnarok.

The war goes on,

Hessler

War Walker (3)

I visited my FLGS and picked up some supplies today, including this...

Almost 30 feet of barbed wire and posts!  For only $9, that's an awesome deal.  I'll be using this on the base of the war walker and I'll have plenty left over for tons of other projects.

The posts are more along the 1/35 scale so I had to trim off the top 1/3 of the posts.

The wire itself is very easy to work with and it bends and hold shape wonderfully.  That's all for now, more updates coming soon.

The war goes on,
Hessler

War Walker Painting (2)

I was finally able to put some camo on the war machine.  I stuck with the colors I used on previous tank but added in some brown for more interest.  On such a large model, everything has to be that much bigger to keep it looking good.  Anyways, here's a few snaps...

I tried to marry the colors better by using my airbrush to apply a wash of Badab Black.  The result was a little dark but I'm looking for a gritty, well-used look so it's not all that bad.  At this point I will give it a coat of gloss varnish and proceed with paint chipping and weathering.  I'm thinking the base will lend itself to something cool...possibly something involving water effects.

As for the Ragnarok, I will be applying a totally different color scheme to it and to the Panzer Russes.  I have decided that I want my tank squads to represent different looks so the Ragnaroks will get some Catachan green and heavy weathering.

That's all for now, C&C is always welcome.

The war goes on,

Hessler

War Walker Painting (1)

I finally found time to unpack my airbrush and compressor this afternoon.  I was able to throw a solid base coat of Vallejo German Grey (Air Color) on both the walker and my Ragnarok.  I will be taking a similar approach to the camo style as I did my last tanks, shown HERE.  No pics today, just a quick update to keep readers "in the know".

I have also decided to re-classify my "monster" as a war machine, as opposed to a Titan Knight.  I have been trying to read up on the fluff and background of the Knight Households and it just doesn't fit in with the theme of my army.  I will still apply the rules found in the BOLS "Lords of Battle", but I will be calling it a War Walker and treat it more like a precious gift from the Tech Priests of Mars.

Thanks for reading...more updates and pics are on their way.

The war goes on,

Hessler