Blackadder's Lucius Pattern Warhound Titan

[Blackadder]

After many months of procrastinating I have bitten the bullet as it were and commenced aging weathering and otherwise s--ting up Lucie so she doesn't look so new and clean. I studied a lot of weathering techniques and some of them are quite involved. Layers of this and that paint and wash and fixative and most of them I would have quit before the fifth or sixth coat. Having actually served in a combat zone I have first hand knowledge of what military vehicles look like in battlefield conditions and usually they're just grimy and battered. Now I didn't pour my heart and soul into building Lucie just to inflict battle damage unto her but I did attempt to add some filth and this is the result.

 

I used my old standby that I used on model railroad rolling stock i.e. Graphite scrapped from a soft lead pencil and automotive windshield washer fluid. I added some Tin Bitz just to keep the FW flavor. I liberally spread the mixture on with a wide flat fine haired brush until the whole thing looked like a disgusting mess. Then before the fluid dried I brushed the whole area with a soft tooth brush until the fluid evaporated. If it doesn't come out to your expectations, slather on some more wiper fluid. The beauty of this technique is you can change it if you don't like the result.

 

Below is the initial result and I can't say I'm displeased with the outcome but the pictures are a bit more coppery than the actual model. I pictured the megabolter along side of the aged and weathered turbolaser for comparison and the greaves and waste /hip armour is also done but not to the degree that the lascannon is. I can't decide which I prefer.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0828/P0002941.jpg http://b.imagehost.org/t/0279/P0002942.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0241/P0002943.jpg http://b.imagehost.org/t/0020/P0002944.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0941/P0002945.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0480/P0002946a.jpg

 

These came out satisfactory so tomorrow I'll apply the same technique to the rest of the model.

 

Blackadder

[Arn Greybeard]

There's a fine line between genius and insanity.

 

I'm not sure which side of that line you're on, but I salute you, Sir!

[Blackadder]

I really feel I've been procrastinating letting this go for a few months but I couldn't bring myself to administer paint until I had psyched myself up to the task. This wasn't the time to rush into as it could only be done once. I experimented with a lot of weathering techniques, some very complex and for the life of me I can't say I see any benefit to a lot of steps especially using "fixative" and "clearcoats". Mainly they just make the paint look too thick and obliterate the fine detail. On a small figure that may be okay but since I omitted a lot of detail on Lucie as it is I didn't think I could afford to diminish what there was of it.

 

Lucie has a uniform base coat of gray automotive sandable primer, a coat of white primer on the head, and body armour because I made a mistake and needed a lighter base coat for the yellow bits. I used Testors flat yellow with an airbrush to paint the head and body armour.

 

The legs and feet were gray primer with a wash of graphite (shaved pencil lead), washer fluid and "tinbitz" after which I rubbed in some copper powder for highlights.

 

I did solicit ideas for colouring suggestions but of all the iterations of the Lucius Warhound schemes I always preferred this one and I'd be damned if I was just going to go with shades of gray as my unimaginative gut feelings dictated.

 

Thank God I didn't have to decide on a Mars pattern theme; there isn't one scheme that I like. If I ever build a Mars Warhound I may use the same yellow and blue-gray motif, wouldn't that be awesome?

 

Anyway the reason for this post:

 

More images and damn me if she still doesn't looks too blue in the flash pictures. I antiqued her last night; took some photos early this morning 4:00 AM and rushed to post them. I used a wash of Citadel "gunmetal", powdered graphite and windshield washer fluid to thin the paint, smeared it on and worked it in with a toothbrush, stiff bristle 1/2" flat and a fan blender for the hard to reach places. The hull under the carapace looks a bit too gray but that should be amendable with some Windex and or washer fluid. This technique (For want of a better term) has quickness going for it at least; I had the whole carapace and hull done in less than an hour.

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0069/P0002949.jpg Natural lighting doesn't cut it.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0404/P0002950.jpgShe's not really as blue as the flash images portray.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0872/P0002951.jpgLucie in a defensive posture.

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0930/P0002952.jpgLucie hunkering down in attack mode

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0860/P0002953.jpgA bird's eye view of pure malevolence.

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0835/P0002954.jpgGee I dropped my battle banner.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0557/P0002955.jpgNot the best position for an adversary to be in.

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0868/P0002956.jpgLook no flash!

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0584/P0002960.jpgMy favorite view of Lucie sez the arseman Blackadder.

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0572/P0002961.jpgThe shield projectors and exhausts were then washed with "tinbits" and washer fluid. I've gotta rework the exhaust soot stains.

 

God help me I have done the deed,

 

The Blackadder

[Firenze]

[Crys at the awesome sight of a perfect Warhound Titan]

 

I PROCLAIM YOU FABRICATOR GENERAL!!!

 

Seriously amazing. I can't actually find any fault with it at all. It is poseable, perfectly painted, built to such a high degree of detail; there is nothing wrong in anyway shape or form... You are a genius.

[Warsmith Aznable]

This thing is unbelievable! If the process weren't so well documented I actually might not believe it. Just...damn... that is fantastic work!

[emperorsaxe]

I can not believe I just spent the last two hours looking at and reading this thread. It's like tune in next week to see what happens to our hero. Holy Emperor that is a freaking labor of love that is all there is to it. UNBELIEVABLE sir truly UNBELIEVABLE. This project of yours is just, well um UNBELIEVABLE. Looking very much forward to seeing the finished titan.

Respects, Emperorsaxe

[Blackadder]

Thanks for such glowing reviews!

 

Meanwhile:

 

At long last I have installed the power cables to the underside of the head, er cockpit, er command deck. I wanted to keep the head removable for repair and modification and I stumbled on the idea to make the power cables plug in so they can be disconnected regularly.

 

I took advantage of the 'Evergreen' tubing telescoping properties and built up some male plugs to fit into the sockets previously fabricated soooo long ago although at the time I had no inkling of what I would even use for power conduit (which was so graciously donated by Jabba ka Hutt) and are the only truly FW items on Lucie. The rubber cable lent itself well to drilling with a fine pin drill bit and subsequently a 1/16th inch drill bit. I cyan-acitate glued 1/16th rod into the hole and added the appropriate sleeves to build the plug into a snug fitting end to fit into the connecting sleeve.

 

After waiting for the glue to dry I actually went on a customer call whilst I was waiting; below is the result.

 

Fully detachable conduits with very little evidence that they can be disconnected.

 

Man if I could only work this fast full time I could build dozens of these puppies.

 

The indolent Blackadder

 

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0694/P0002974.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0366/P0002973.jpg http://b.imagehost.org/t/0800/P0002972.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0433/P0002971.jpg http://b.imagehost.org/t/0043/P0002975a.jpg

[Blackadder]

Let me state that Lucie looks fantastic with her gen-u-wine FW accoutrements and I am forever in the debt of a generous contribution from one of my readers.

 

http://b.imagehost.org/t/0829/P0002976.jpg http://d.imagehost.org/t/0815/P0002977.jpg http://b.imagehost.org/t/0287/P0002978.jpg

In natural light where the true colour of the carapace is evident. She's not at all as blue as the flash would indicate.

 

Lucie suffered some battle damage last month and broke a middle toe on her right foot. Repairing her was difficult as I still wanted the toe to function. I'm happy to report the repair went very well and Lucie is still ambulatory with nary a sign that the repair was made thanks to 'METALSET A4' Military Grade Epoxy Resin Cement. Lucie could not have been manufactured as she is without this stuff.

 

Blackadder

[MagicMan]

Wow, ''she'' looks great. <_<

 

 

You'll have to keep a tally of everything she kills.

[Chaplain Hiltraud]

I gotta go change my pants.

 

Words couldn't describe how pure-erly awesome your creation is!

 

................. :cuss

 

Chaplain Hiltraud.

[-=Dan=-]

Words cannot describe how awesome your plasticard skill is. I think your finished model will look better and more detailed than the ForgeWorld one!

[Blackadder]

Words cannot describe how awesome your plasticard skill is. I think your finished model will look better and more detailed than the ForgeWorld one!

 

Ostensibly the model is finished except for the battle banner beneath the waist armour and the base stand for displaying the model is done.

 

I plan to make two bases for Lucie, one for city and one for country and also two more weapons; the plasma cannon and the flame thrower; as soon as I get some time.

 

EB