It's "just for fun" painting really .. but it really helps clears the cobwebs - Aeronautica Imperialis (40K)

Sometimes it is a case of an excuse for "freedom of expression" and sci-fi (and I care not what 'how' the figure manufacturers want the figures to be seen to be painted) gives me that (see below, my second Orc Dakka Dakka jet comes off the painting stocks): 

It also allows me to try new techniques .. sometimes fast, sometimes more slower (see below, in the case of Aeronautica Imperialis it is slower, as in the approach I took for this project with a "two milky coats" is better than "one thick coat" so "thin the paint" - at first with water but next I will experiment with the Vallejo medium):   

The result is pleasing as I let the thin paint layer add depth even though the end result is a little cartoony, but that befits the project (see below, in many ways it was an exercise in over-painting a model to then see how much you can take out of the process to leave it with the same effect): 

The end result was a Dakka Dakka Jet "pair" (see below, [milky washes] of Vallejo Game Colour [sic] of Gory Red, Gory Red, Contrast Skeletal Hoard, Scarlet Red, Scarlet Red, Contrast Skeletal Hoard, Blood Red, Blood Red and a final Wash of Skeletal Hoard .. with highlights of Blood Red):  

This gives me three planes (ahem, or rather sci-fi objects) that I can run through the rules with me and the kids .. if I can drag them away from their digital devices (see below, during my painting my technique was to have complete coverage with the first milky was and then selectively paint the stronger areas with the second and then let Skeletal Hoard . aka an aged brown .. shadow the model. The next milky paint layers were applied more and more selectively .. with the final highlight being very selective and minimal .. as were the subsequence applications of .. aged brown wash): 

All in all this "game in a box project" was an un-locker to other more historical projects that had been lying around (for instance Ancients and ACW).

Final Painting Note: My experience with the Citadel Contrast paints was slightly underwhelming, they are certainly no "magical tartan paint" (one coat and a highlight and you have a figure) but, well at least the one I tried (Skeletal Hoard), was a superior kind of wash that I will integrate into my painting technique - when I want to be a bit fussy about the effect I get, And I am almost always a fussy painter. The test of these paints to my mind would be how they perform in the yellows, but they certainly seem to be capable of giving Vallejo's "Wash" and "Ink" range a run for their money (but more expensive) or better still complement them.  

Feel my pain .. "Home Schooling" and another "Dried Citadel Paint Pot"

Hello again! 

One consequence of the dreaded "Home Schooling" arrangement (and I for one will argue that 'this concept [home schooling] does not really exist' or for what it does, it is as much use as 'home dentistry" - all pain and no gain) - is that by the time a "computer comes free" it is always too late into the night for a "good productive stint" .. by which time my butterfly-like attention has drifted off into many others things (such as fixing sand-grit onto miniature bases [useful] and other less fruitful things like washing up [but it is a household "brownie point"]). So posting to my blog has become a rather hit and miss affair .. ho hum, you do your best in such times. On other matters a "universal bane" of mine reappeared .. a dried up pot of Citadel Paint, solid in its pot (see below, rather ironically from their "Dry Paint" range - or rather more looking like Feta cheese, hmm, feels a little like ground hog day): 

Into the bin it goes. I was experimenting with dry brushing the bases of the 1980's US 20mm troops, the light brown dry brush "kind of worked" but not quite it needs a light highlight and maybe a bit of flock, before lashings of varnish

Chainrasps

They are dark evil spirits (see below, Arifix Acrylic Primer, Vallejo Black Wash, Vallejo Wolf Grey and Citadel Base Stegadon Scale Geen - gives a good base foundation layer)

Time to play with the mid-tones (see below, Citadel Technical Nighthaunt Gloom over the light bits and then shading up with Wolf, using Citadel Layer Thunderhawk Blue to highlight the Stegadon, base charred brown and gun metal on other areas):

A touch of of the lighter highlights (see below, make those candles shine):

Before I play with the Citadel Technical Mordant Earth (which gives a broken textured base) I was taught a top tip by a member of the GW staff - paint the base in a light colour you want to seep through the base (see below, I chose the haunting light blue - the first five):

I almost left the bases as they stood as I liked the unearthly feel they had to them (see  below, adding an extra bit of highlight to these as I went along - the last five): 

Thrown into a mock encounter (see below, maybe the Cleric would prefer the Doggelgangers now):

I like the look and feel of the recent GW undead range as them have an excellant fantasy feel to them, useful for generic dungeon fodder!

Painting Reference Books

Ok I now have a GW 40K Ultra Marines/Space Marines Devastator Squad. No, what I have is a major "refinement" on the way I paint which is much more valuable IMHO. Play with those paints according to a recipe devised by the paint wizards, it works wonders. A win-win scenario. The books that did it are old, the 1995 Ultra Marines Codex (plenty of figure examples and tactical markings), the 1994 'Eavy Metal Painting Guide (aka the Bible), the GW 2008 How to Paint Citadel Miniatures Gold Standard and finally the Getting Started with Warhammer 40000, published I believe this year in 2018 - a good introduction to the "new" [to me at least] ranges of  'specialist' paints (see below):

The big win here is that as soon as I finished the last Space Marine [everything you wanted to know about painting mechanised metals and guns but was afraid to ask] I fearlessly switched across to the Malburian Spanish Infantry of the Sun King (France). The next thing to do is pick up the GW Getting Started with Warhammer Age of Sigmar Fantasy .. which I think will be good 'tour de force' for painting Ancients, with respect to lots of techniques and tricks for fabrics, fur and swords!

Paint on!

Playing Around With Bigger Stuff

While I had my 20mm Russian toys out on the painting tray, my children started circling and paying far too much interest in proceedings. Subtle hints like "What's on TV?" and "Do you want to play in the garden?" were to no avail. As a way of  'the last line of defense or rather sacrifice' I threw down my youngest son's Airfix 1/32nd infantry sets (and the Pound Store equivalents) onto the table as a "soak off" offering for them to paint. Not satisfied by just playing with the figures alone they started first PVA'ing them (copyiing me) and then going for the "full-on" painting them. So I surrendered my last few remaining Games Workshop 'wet/damp but getting gelled-up' paint pots over to them and likewise gave the kids a few of my 'larger' brushes to work with (see below, farewell GW paints at least they will be used this way):

The results were quite interesting (see below, Games Workshop Tanned Flesh undercoat, then with a PVA mixed together with a generous "Anita's Acrylic Brown of some description' splodge):

My daughter took particular interest in the classic DAK "grenade thrower" (good choice of figure) and I have to say I quite like the results in a purely "artistic sense" (see below):

At least this allowed my Russian Esci/Italeri 20mm figure to "escape" unscathed ;)

It all comes out in the Wash

Flicking through the Games Workshop guide of "How to Paint Citadel Miniatures" I came across the concept of a Guide Coat (see page 42 of said tome). The idea being that to get really bright in your face colours a White undercoat brings out the colours much, much more but an unwelcome side-effect is that fine detail becomes harder to pick out. Using a wash to slightly discolour the figure helps by allowing wash to gather in crooks and crannies for better definition of distinct areas and detail.

Seeing as I had a few Citadel Washes lying around I thought this was just the ticket for my Eldar impulse purchases. See below for a Vallejo "Bone White" undercoat with a wash of Citadel "Baal Red", for a "slightly pink" Eldar Guardian:

Another Edlar Guardian gets a 'brown effect' with the same Vallejo "Bone White" undercoat and an "Ogryn Flesh" Citadel Wash (see below):

It certainly made a difference in being able to pick the detail out, and I was fairly impressed. No further forward with the real painting but I could see far more of the model. I continued the painting experiment using what paints I had to hand (see below):

I followed the painting guide theme as per the packet illustration using:

• Anita's Acrylics "Earth Brown" mixed with Anita's Acrylics "Dark Red" for the armour
• Mixing in Games Workshop's "Sunburst Yellow" fpr good highlighting effect with the above
• Anita's Acrylics "Midnight Blue" mixed with Anita's Acrylics "Cream" for the weapon
• Anita's Acrylics "Cream" was also used neat for the helmet
• Anita's Acrylics "Metallic Black" was mixed with Games Workshops "Mithril Silver for some 'exhausty' vent things on the back of the model
• Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black X-18 was used on the visor and arm bracelet, the former flecked with "Midnight Blue + Cream" eye slots
• The breast and arm gems were painted with Games Workshop Goblin Green and a touch of Anita's Acrylic "Cream" added for a highlight

So end'eth the 'painting psalm' of the Eldar Guardian!

Starship Trooper for Hire (see above), suits you sir.

Of the Games Workshop Science Fiction "races" I enjoy painting 'selected' items of the:

• Tau
• Tyranids
• Necrons
  Empire Space Marines
• (and now)Eldar. 

I have "odds and sods figures" from all the above without playing the 40K Game System (something on the list to do before I die). To me they are more Generic Sci-Fi figures to be mixed in and matched with any other Sci-Fi kit and rules I have to hand.