Hi Folks,

Today’s blog entry is a little bit specific as it deals with something different from my usual inputs: instead of reporting hobbying progress, I will talk about a trail I did for a new technique (à la TITH – i.e. something that is not new in general but new for me).

The technique is often reported on purpose of adding details and create battle damages or war-torn marks on miniatures. But beyond painting damages, the sponge might be used on purpose of painting larger panels with hues or doing some camo schemes. This is for that very last type of application that I’ve tried to (and still try to use) use sponge painting.

The root cause is this scheme:

I do not play Alaitoc in my Aeldarii but Saim Hann. Yet I found that the spot painted camo idea is could be appealing for being used on Shroudrunners’ jetbikes canopies. It is expected of course that the impact in term of size of the colored domains will be smaller than on the above shown model for Alaitoc.

The painting was done according to the following recipe:

-          Mephiston Red base glazed with Fleshtearer Contrast

-          A series of sponging alternating colours: Eshin grey, a brighter red, black.
 

The application has been done so that it is voluntary uneven, favouring some areas instead of others so that it might define color domains or waves effects. Or at least is is what I pretended initially.

Result is rather self-talkative enough: a messy effect that is not as clean as what the initial idea was eventually inducing. Yet the messy effect obtained gives a good camo-like effect, as long as a camo can be defined on a red basis on a alien world covered by snow (see my usual Aeldari basing)…

Second test was on my Rangers’ cloaks. The challenge here was that the areas to be sponged is smaller. Anyway, the main purpose is also camo. Yet I tried a different recipe here:

-          Baneblade brown base

-          Dry brushed with refractive green (Vallejo)

-          A single sponging with Baneblade brown to erase a little bit the over brushing effects.

-          Next step (to be finalized) is the shading of specific areas of the model such as belt and folds

The result is rather OK but has an indirect impact that should be taken into consideration: this step of cloak painting is the first one and the rest of the model has to be painted latter on. So beware of precision and splashing! Indeed, any stain on the cloak becomes more complex to cover and correct.

The general aspect is rather OK in the end. The same comments about colors selection vs. basing can be issued, but the global outlook gives a better aspect than the sponging on the canopies.  I consider it therefore OK for the Rangers, and by extension for the Shroudrunners’ bike riders. As far as the bikes are concerned, I will keep then like they are now: even if I am not that convinced, I will leave then like that, using the excuse of a holographic camo being projected around the bike, and so what you see is NOT what you get. And my red bikes on white background will remain furtive enough… after all aren’t ALL my Asuryanii models bright colored on white background???

So for me the final rating on these 2 tests is a 50/50. I found the sponging being OK for weathering and corrections on the cloaks, but it lacked the granularity that I expected initially for the vehicles. Which was something I could have anticipated but did not think about before starting…

See you latter once the models will be completed in CtA25…