Blood Ravens - a painted army in 2 weeks

[nik_]

I've been a long time WHFB player, and I've also collected a Space Marines force on the sideline. The SM have always been a way to have some games with my mates, they've never been painted and many of them were picked up in poor 2nd or 3rd hand condition from trademe.

Last year I entered Battle above the Brynderwyns (a 40k tournament in Whangarei), where I had a really great time. For that I planned an army list, bought a few more models, assembled, based and undercoated the army. I used the GW spray gun and many many cans of propellant to spray it all red, and painted a bit of white on the shoulder pads etc. There was no painting requirement at the tournament, and I probably got a better painting score than 25% of the armies there

8th edition WHFB isn't as enjoyable for me as 7th was, so I've started playing some more 40k. I've entered Over the Top 40k, which is on the 12th and 13th of February, and requires painted armies, 3 colours minimum.

Needless to say, I have a bit of work to do

The whole army


The one squad that has 3 colours so far (apart from the Sergent who was still 'in surgery' when I started painting the squad)


The same squad with no flash. I'm not aiming for the worlds best photographs here so I haven't cared about the lighting too much, but want to give an idea of the actual colour red.


The test model that I did to get an idea of the colour scheme (bolter blue tacked on)





I plan to go with real metallics rather than the grey shown above, as well as some black around the chips. I also got some good advice yesterday about applying the dirt with a sponge rather than a brush, and highlighting it with some lighter colours to make it stand out from the armour more.

As you can see I'm after a fairly dirty 'real' looking army. All the vehicles and bikes have mud all over the tracks and tires, and all the armour will be chipped. This will be a fairly speed painted army and I'm not looking to win best painted The 3 foot effect is all I'm after. 3 colours and basing on all models is the minimum I'm after for now, but ideally I'd get some more detail and dirtying done by the time OTT comes round.

I bought a new compressor and air brush off trademe last week, but it arrived broken so I'm still waiting for a replacement one. That should make doing the rest of the red fairly easy. I may also look at using it for some of the weathering/dirt effects on the tanks.

Feel to leave some comments, criticism, feedback or merely encouragement

[Sectiplave]

That example model looks good for a speed example (hell it looks better than mine and I spent like a couple hours per marine), if you can get them all looking like that you'll have your minimum requirements met and it should look very cohesive on the table. Keep us updated I'm interested to see the Rhino's and bikes completed and I'm painting them myself right now for Battlecry tourney

[HarasinCreed]

I think it looks quite good the base coat looked very even when i saw(?) your guys in reality. You dont happen to have a real airbrush(not GWs ones) because that can really speed the painting prossec up. I can do 30 marines armour in about an hour with the airbrush and the highlights look rather smooth. Just an idea if you want to get these guys done really fast. As to the final paint squeme i like it but mud or oil stains seam to be covering too high up on the model.

Just my 2 cents
Edmund

[juiced]

i like the grey instaed of metal esp on the bolter......ma ybe i'm just sick of metal.
and you are right ithe chips would look better with dark edging the same with the eyes, but it is something that can be done at a later date if you are pressed for time.

[nik_]

Cheers for the feedback so far.

I'm interested to see the Rhino's and bikes completed and I'm painting them myself right now for Battlecry tourney

Working on those now

dont happen to have a real airbrush(not GWs ones) because that can really speed the painting prossec up.

I do, and I will be able to use it once my replacement compressor arrives. Keen to hear any tips+tricks you have

As to the final paint squeme i like it but mud or oil stains seam to be covering too high up on the model.

Good point, I'll look at reducing it a little

i like the grey instaed of metal esp on the bolter

Ok, you've convinced me to have another go at it

[nik_]

Rhinos and bikes got a little bit of work last night.
Added black everywhere that will end up black or metallic. Technically it makes it 3 colours but I plan to get at least some mud on there, as well as the required devlan mud wash.
Unfortunately you can see the dodgy construction that comes with 2nd hand models, and the huge amount of fluff I managed to get on this model while it was drying...





As for the bikes, I feel like I need to get some more cream colour in there, on the body of the bike. Any ideas where it would look good?

[richardbarby]

looking good matey do you want my space marines to fill out your army?

[NeckFace]

i reckon the cream may look good on the cowling just above the engine, with the little skulls on them.

[Big D]

For the bikes i would suggest painting the front fairing and the sides of the front mud guard cream

[Big D]

i reckon the cream may look good on the cowling just above the engine, with the little skulls on them.

That would be the petrol tank 

[NeckFace]

shh, only the tech adepts are meant to know that 

[nik_]

do you want my space marines to fill out your army?

Got plenty to paint already thanks

i reckon the cream may look good on the cowling just above the engine, with the little skulls on them.

Mmm yeah that might break up the model a bit

For the bikes i would suggest painting the front fairing and the sides of the front mud guard cream

I assume the fairing is the top bit with the headlight?
Why just the sides of the mudguards?

Spent a couple more hours painting tonight and only managed to get 2 more bikes done with the black. Not fast enough! Hopefully the bikes are one of the slower things to paint and I can make some faster progress on the razorbacks or speeders

[nik_]

For those that are interested, this is the list I'm taking

Captain   
   Storm Shield
   Artificer Armour         
   Relic Blade         
   Bike            
               
Librarian   
   Bike   
   Bolt pistol
   Force Weapon
   Null Zone   
   Smite         
               
Bike Squad   
2   Additional marines
   Power Fist      
2   Plasma gun   
               
   Attack bike   
   Multimelta   
               
Bike Squad   
2   Additional marines   
   Power Fist         
2   Melta gun         
               
   Attack bike               
   Multimelta                  
               
Tac squad            
5   Additional marines            
   Flamer                  
   Plasma Cannon               
   Power Weapon               
   Plasma Pistol               
               
   Razorback               
   Twin linked Assault Cannon            
   Extra armour                  
               
Tac squad            
5   Additional marines            
   Flamer                  
   Plasma Cannon               
   Power Weapon               
   Plasma Pistol               
               
   Razorback               
   Twin linked Assault Cannon         
   Extra armour                  
               
Scouts               
   2 BP+CCW                  
   2 Shotguns         
   Power Fist                  
   Combi Flamer               
               
Landspeeder Storm      
   Heavy Flamer               
               
Landspeeder         
   Typhoon                  
               
Landspeeder         
   Typhoon            

[Sectiplave]

That's coming together damn quickly, you should easily hit the 3 colour requirement with time to throw in extra details here and there.

I'm having the exact same problem painting my vehicles and getting mystery fluff on them, I'm painting on a clean wooden table, don't wear long sleeves and use printer paper to wipe off or dry my brushes as it doesn't have many loose fibres, still manage to find little bits of fluff here and there though

That list looks pretty solid on the mobility and shooty front, close combat is gonna hurt, but that's the whole point of a shooty biker army, fairly easy to out maneuver your opponent.

[Big D]

Yes, the fairing is the bit around the handlebars and headlight.

As for the front mudguard, I say on the side only for two reasons. A) I've seen pretty much the same scheme on the 20th anniversary 750 Honda Shadow and it looks sweet, B)it also mimics the cream shoulder pads of the rider.

[Vaul]

Feel to leave some comments, criticism, feedback or merely encouragement

DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR!!!

[Big D]

Feel to leave some comments, criticism, feedback or merely encouragement

DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR!!!

I'm Big D and I endorse this party political message. 

[Simon]

good luck~ thats a lot of painting in 2 weeks

[nik_]

DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR!!!

After OTT you'll have to back that up on the gaming table with your chaos marines

good luck~ thats a lot of painting in 2 weeks

Yeah - I know it! Lots of late nights and early mornings... look at me now, posting updates at midnight...

I think I'll take both suggestions about the cream on board, paint both the gas tank and the sides of the mudguard white. Make it look even more like the Honda 750

More progress from today, got all of the first bike squad blocked in with 3 base colours (apart from the extra cream - will leave that til I'm sure I have the time)


Also did some work on the Librarian on bike - proving that yes, I can paint something that isn't a flat colour

[NeckFace]

yo yo yo, you got a deathwatch shoulder pad on that boy, you should paint that arm silver

[nik_]

Bah, that'll teach me. I picked it for the 'looks prettier than a standard shoulderpad' reasons, not realising the implications.

[NeckFace]

well, who cares really.  its just a nice little fluff addition that would make sense for your libby - you know the background around the deathwatch right?  could add some cool background for him.

and of course paint it however you want, it doesn't really matter

[Sectiplave]

It works man, he is looking good, you should be well on target. Where did that helm come from?

Ohhhh a 40K challenge placed against Vaul!

[Solarian]

I like the style of this army, pretty offensive for marines.

[nik_]

Cheers for the feedback so far.

Where did that helm come from?

It's actually a marine shoulder pad, trimmed and sanded. The original version had pipes etc but I just couldn't get the greenstuff to look neat enough, so I scrapped them. If I was to build it again I'd use some wire or something else instead.

Over the last few days the Scouts got some attention. I like the models so much that they got a special treat - not just 3 colours, but 4! Also painted up their Landspeeder Storm transport.

[juiced]

MMMmmmmm choclate Christmas Santa's....with bolters.

I'm actually going to go buy some from the dairy now it's made me want chocolate that bad
keep up the hard work your gonna get there

[nik_]

Finally a new replacement air compressor arrived, so I could do the airbrushed basecoat on the rest of the models

With the aid of

I turned these

Into this


Absolutely the best hobby purchase I ever made. Those of you who have ever wondered about buying an airbrush setup, I have only one thing to say to you - Why haven't you done it yet!!!

While waiting for the compressor to arrive I spent some time touching up the shoulder pads (cleaning up the very messy black/white border), cleaned up the white/red border on the razorbacks, and painted the base 3 colours and basing on the other squad of 10 marines.

Left to do is:
* Paint the razorback turrets, paint mud on the treads, and give the razorbacks a devlan mud wash.
* Devlan mud wash the tac marines, scouts, storm and painted bikes
* Finish painting the Librarian - this may get skipped if I run out of time. I did paint his shoulder pads and chest eagle, left to do is the skin on the face and his force weapon.
* Paint and wash the Captain, 5 Bikes, 2 Attack bikes and 2 Landspeeder Typhoons...

I *might* get it all done.....

[Sectiplave]

That looks soo quick and easy, I might have to hassle my girlfriend to get her air compressor fixed

[HarasinCreed]

If you do a wash of Black over everything and then respray the higher bits it would make the army look evn cooler and wouldnt take much longer. Also how much did the airbrush holders and tank cost?

[nik_]

That looks soo quick and easy, I might have to hassle my girlfriend to get her air compressor fixed

Yes! Although funny thing was, I had plenty of choices when it came to buying a compressor, and comparatively few when it came to airbrushes. It seemed like there were the $10 variety, and the $500 variety...

If you do a wash of Black over everything and then respray the higher bits it would make the army look evn cooler and wouldnt take much longer.

Yep, that's part of the plan. Or rather, that would be the best way to have done it if I'd had the airbrush at the start. As it is now I think I'm going to have to add the highlights by brush for all the other models, so will do it for these to keep them looking consistent.
That'll be 'phase 2' though, probably just in time for the next tournament I take them to, I'll be happy if I manage 3 colours and a wash by Friday

Also how much did the airbrush holders and tank cost?

I got them off trademe, a trader called toolsonline. He has a seperate online store too. It was $215 for the compressor (incl hose and holder), the airbrush, and postage. As you can see the first one I got was broken, but he was reasonable about replacing it, even though it did take longer than I would have liked.
Edit: this is the same auction as I won http://www.trademe.co.nz/Building-renovation/Tools/Airtools-compressors/Compressors/auction-352401564.htm