Queen Bee Knight -- Thank you! Please read the new post

[Dantay VI]

I am really enjoying, watching you bring this together, the base is looking great. Love the necro fluids etc.

 

As for old broken building, maybe instead of lichen and plants go for dead plants or vines....Some thread or wire for the creeper parts painted in browns, like dead died plants go, would be a fairly neutral colour....

 

Also and just spitballing here... It would be cool t see some arcing & sparking n the croissant, like little electrcal discharges as things get squished or the necrontyr are desperately trying to self-repair before the inevitable phase-out. The only way i could conceive of doing it would be some very thin gauge wire going from place to place or sicking out of some joints in mid air and painted a very bright gree or blue to simulate sparks & arcs.

 

Its been an absloute joy and ispiration to watch the queen bee come to life

[JeffTibbetts]

I am really enjoying, watching you bring this together, the base is looking great. Love the necro fluids etc.

 

As for old broken building, maybe instead of lichen and plants go for dead plants or vines....Some thread or wire for the creeper parts painted in browns, like dead died plants go, would be a fairly neutral colour....

 

Also and just spitballing here... It would be cool t see some arcing & sparking n the croissant, like little electrcal discharges as things get squished or the necrontyr are desperately trying to self-repair before the inevitable phase-out. The only way i could conceive of doing it would be some very thin gauge wire going from place to place or sicking out of some joints in mid air and painted a very bright gree or blue to simulate sparks & arcs.

 

Its been an absloute joy and ispiration to watch the queen bee come to life

 

Thanks for the tips! I like the idea about the dead leaves. It would for sure be more neutral. That made me think about doing some old razor wire and spent bolter shell casings like it had been used as cover in a previous battle. I just might do that. 

 

AND BE QUIET ABOUT THE SPARKING! IT'S A SECRET!

 

Okay... I guess since you NAILED it, I'll spill the beans. I didn't even hint at it, so bravo. A buddy of mine, who happened to give me the Annihilation Barge for the base, suggested that a long time ago as a nod to the Terminator series. Just like you said, I intend to try to use very thin wire to create arks and paint them green. I want to find a way to do jumping sparks as well, but I haven't settled on anything. If anyone can find examples they've run across at line, please point me in the right direction. :D I've seen a few lightning ones, with various degrees of success, but I haven't actually done any experiments yet. 

[Dantay VI]

Wha???

 

I had no idea that was the big secret.. D'oh!! Was just something I thought might look cool

[JeffTibbetts]

And now for something completely different: the armor!

From my earliest conception of the project, I knew I wanted an aged look. I also wanted a paint scheme that was somewhat unconventional. Perhaps what I would call 'modern' even. You see, this lady is a rebel in many senses of the word. One way in which that manifests is a predilection for styles that fall outside of the realm of what's considered normal.

Knight pilots are, to me, both a throwback to an earlier time and also something else. Something practical. Something less attached to the arbitrary and often bizarre rituals and habits of the Imperium as a whole and the Adeptus Mechanicus more specifically. They are, as I've always asserted, far more human in my mind. That means they may be more likely to express themselves with their heraldry, for starters. In the case of Aurelia Elise Tibbetts and her Queen Bee, that means a custom paint job once she decided to go Freeblade. One that she felt would match her mount's personality and look impressive on the battlefield. She was also acutely aware that she was tossing aside her family's heraldry and striking out on her own. That included a lot of conventions Knight heraldry takes for granted. Take a look at some of the other Freeblades to see what I mean.

In this case, after many iterations, I decided on a completely halved scheme. Many suggested halving things like the shield, the weapon casings, etc. to help break it up, but I've opted not to do that after very careful consideration. It's going to be straight down the middle, one half black with a subtle gold honeycomb pattern, the other gold with a black honeycomb pattern.

Now that I made up my mind, and more importantly now that the arms are getting closer to being finished which leaves just the armor left, I have to get down to brass tacks and start prepping the armor.

Here's what I've been up to:

No, this shin plate has not contracted Nurgle's Rot (despite those beautiful Fantasy models. I've not abandoned my faith in the Emperor). This is Silly Putty. Otherwise known as one of the finest masking mediums in the modeler's arsenal. The green bits are, believe it or not, thinned Liquid Green Stuff. Incidentally this is also the shin that's been melted by a real life plasma weapon (a magnifying lens and the sun, natch). You'll see where I'm going in a moment. Bear with me.

I've been working on building up layers of old, peeled paint to give the final finish a better sense of history. I don't want the 'moder' look to be too clean. It's still going to be dirty, dented, rusted and beat up. But, I want to give the sense that Aurelia tries to repaint it when it gets bad. If you look at old equipment at, say, an amusement park, you can get a sense of this. Or parks. Anything where someone might periodically repaint with that thick, glossy paint without stripping off the old stuff. Heck, even old houses have this. In scale modeling circles it's called "mapping," like a topographical map, with slices and layers. In their case, they usually use putty and sand it down. That's tough for me because of the detail. So, I got the idea to mask patches and add layers of LGS to build it up. This one has two layers. You can see some overlap. It will all look much cooler once it gets paint on it.

Let's take a look at some more.

Here's a partway-through shot with some putty patches. This is the first layer, covering most of the surface with the putty.

And then the next stage, overlapping and with less surface covered.

Now let's take a look at the results on a few pieces.

I tried to light them a bit from the side to enhance the texture, so it didn't just look like patches of color. Keep in mind they need to be cleaned up still, and also when I start applying paint it will somewhat reduce some of the sharp edges.

The helmet. This is also another chance to see the funky shape of it, with the gullwing mask hinges.

One of the shins.

Cowling above the head.

Ion shield, of course.

Custom groin armor. This is the first time I've posted it with the real rivets on there as well, I think. Note the different size rivets as well. She made this herself with the materials on hand.

And that's it. I can't wait to get some paint on them, but I have a lot to do before they start looking cool. I plan on painting rust in the bare plastic areas first, then applying chipping fluid, and then finally I'll be able to get some real color on them. This should all soften the effect of the paint mapping. In fact, when something is repainted a bunch like that, the lines end up becoming fairly soft and lots of detail is obscured. It goes against everything I've ever done to deliberately soften detail, but it's important to make some of the rivets look like they're just caked in paint as well. Should give some nice detail and interest to what would be plain patches of color.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I've got quite a bit of armor left to do, so let's hear it.

[RolandTHTG]

Can't wait to see how this turns out. 

Have you done any experiments with the effect, or will the proof be as you paint the Queen? 

[KBA]

Holy hell, Jeff! Unreal results with the thinnned LGS. My jaw has hit the floor. Can't wait to try this out on my Plague Wolves.

[miteyheroes]

Oh my god this is a fascinating technique. Really looking forward to seeing it painted.

[JeffTibbetts]

Can't wait to see how this turns out. 

Have you done any experiments with the effect, or will the proof be as you paint the Queen? 

 

Well, I did try out the putty method on a test piece a long time ago in this post: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/287347-queen-bee-knight-now-for-something-completely-different/?p=3738193

 

That was just a test, but you can see (especially on the gold side) some of the effect. Now, this was without any drybrushing which I think I'll use this time. Not 100% sure yet. So, yes and no I guess is the answer to your question. Seems like it should work fine, but of course the proof is in the pudding. 

 

Holy hell, Jeff! Unreal results with the thinnned LGS. My jaw has hit the floor. Can't wait to try this out on my Plague Wolves.

 

Thanks, man. I'm pretty curious myself. :D There are lots of interesting applications for Nurgle in terms of rotting flesh effects, though, yeah? 

 

Oh my god this is a fascinating technique. Really looking forward to seeing it painted.

 

Thanks! Me too. I'm dying to get some paint on but I have to do the rust and airbrush on the chipping medium as well. So much to do... 

[sockwithaticket]

This remains one of the most innovative threads on the board and I'm always impressed with how much you focus on the minutiae of what you're doing. I think you've put more attention into this one model than I have my entire army!

[RolandTHTG]

Oh yea, that test piece works perfect!
You're just adding onto the awesome!

[Brother Argent]

Well Jeff there are people who play 40k, people who collect 40k and then there are people like you, people who are 40k.  Seriously mate this would have to be the single most amazing and singe minded dedication to not only a single model but to the hobby itself.  When she is complete the Queen Bee shall be a shining example of how to 40k.  I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of time and effort you have put in and as a hobbyist who has, at times, struggled with interest in the hobby I thank you for crafting (and crafting it truly is) a model that says everything that 40k as a hobby is too me, from the combination of story telling to modelling its all there.

 

I do hereby declare you a Paragon of the hobby and shall continue to watch eagerly as the Queen rises to glory.

[JeffTibbetts]

Wow, guys. You're all making me blush. Remember, this Knight exists solely because of the forum, and I fully consider her a community project because of all the suggestions, support, inspiration and encouragement I receive from all of you. So I'll just flip that praise around and give it back to all of you. Thanks for being awesome, everyone.

[Combat_Vet]

This thread is a perfect example of a 50/50 topic!

 

After looking through all the amazing work you have put into this creation of yours:

 

Half my brain is screaming at me to "grab my tools and get to converting!" while the other half is laughing and saying "what's the point?"

 

In all seriousness though, thanks for sharing such an amazing project in a step by step fashion with everyone. It really let's the old hands get a daily dose of eye candy while letting the new guys see how things are accomplished.

 

Hats off to you and I am really looking forward to the continuation of the progress :)

[Battybattybats]

That texture effect is superb. My own knights and Tagmahta are too frequently maintained for it, but i'm sure i'll find a use for it. I still have yet to paint most of my scenery buildings and plan on more manufactora of course so it might end up used on scenery and bases.

[JeffTibbetts]

That texture effect is superb. My own knights and Tagmahta are too frequently maintained for it, but i'm sure i'll find a use for it. I still have yet to paint most of my scenery buildings and plan on more manufactora of course so it might end up used on scenery and bases.

I think it would look great on terrain projects. Old industrial equipment and whatnots. Do it!

[NightHunters]

Very very interesting technique, will be keeping a weather eye on this!

 

Great work fella!

[JeffTibbetts]

Alright. Work continues on the metal bits of the skeletal structure. The silver metal was already done, and last night I finished up the brass. Here are a few pics to prove I'm not making it all up.

Using a little Silly Putty to mask the silver bits that were most in danger of getting a bunch of gold on them. To be fair, I should have done more but I just got kind of sick of putting it on. I did find the new GW vinyl sculpting tool was freaking perfect for this, though. I'm talking about the weird gray one that has a shovel end for texture paint. I thought it rather an odd tool but that's been the one I've used the most out of that set. Of course, I already had other ones that were similar to the two metal ones.

I'm glad I masked off some stuff. The cog and fuel canisters for the melta look pretty crisp. By the time I took this pic the brass was completely done, including patina. I always feel a little weird tooting my own horn, but I really love the way the metal finishes look on this model. I don't feel like this is immodest, since to me it's actually magic and the effect manifested with a will of its own. My hand just happens to have been the tool to apply it, but really it's a gift from the internet, this forum, and the Omnissiah. I'm just a vessel. A conduit. Now I know what those sports dudes who always give credit to God are talking about. I'll let you decide if winning a basketball championship or achieving an effective worn metal effect is a more worthy accomplishment. I can't believe I'm even able to do this stuff, since I've never tried any of it before.

Here's a closer shot of the melta gun. I've added nicks and scratches on the brass just like I did for the silver metal in other parts. I actually wanted the cowl to look a bit 'newer' since I figure this heat cowling would be changed once in a while. Of course, "new" is a relative term on a machine that's been battling for thousands of years.

And the Reaper itself.

So, once I'm done with the oil washes and pigment weathering on the arms, the chassis will be almost completely finished! That's nuts! And then, I need to really get cracking on those armor plates. Hopefully I'll be getting a new airbrush and/or compressor for the holidays so I can do the rather delicate stenciled honeycomb pattern. That's when the real personality will come in and she will truly start to feel finished. In the meantime, I still need to beat up the armor, add the peeling paint effect, and get the rust base on there in preparation for salt/chipping solution weathering.

So much to do still...

[helterskelter]

The scratches on the sword are a good touch, weapons of mass death should never be pristine! The liquid green stuff effect you are trying out is really rather cool.

[JeffTibbetts]

Yeah the sword's going to be fairly beat up. Can't see most of that damage yet since the armor and the trim on the sword aren't done yet. I beat up the plastic pretty badly, but a good bit will come from the paint. 

 

And thanks! Still a few steps from being sure, but I'm pleased with the GS paint peeling technique so far. I think it'll be subtle in the end, but I'm okay with that. :D 

[deathspectersgt7]

You're getting there.

[Dark Rage]

very nice, really like all the little details

[Battybattybats]

Really looking forward to the next update :)

[JeffTibbetts]

Really looking forward to the next update :)

It's coming, Bats. I've got the weathering done on the arms. They still need details but I cam actually put her together now, sans armor, and all the metal's just about done.

[JeffTibbetts]

Got the major weathering/corrosion done on the arms now. We're getting a little closer every day!

Here's the cannon version (remember this is 100% magnetized to be accurate as both the melta or the battle cannon version with the correct ammo and fuel things).

I'll be doing the main gun housing in armor colors, after careful deliberation. This is the black side of her anyway so it should look a bit lower-key. That's why the metal on the main housing seems less finished. I still have to pick out details as well, but this version of the cannon has a lot less work. I'm pretty pleased with the way the Tibbs-pattern Heavy Stubber turned out. Very subtle conversion, and it doesn't look out of place.

Now for the melta version (again, note the fuel manifold tubing in the back now, whereas the battle cannon version is properly hollow for a gun breach look):

I need to do the heat-staining on the brass, and the fuel canisters need more detailing than the battle cannon shells. I'll need to decide which of these tubes are hard pipes (and therefore my copper color) or blue wires. Should be pretty intuitive but I'll need to keep an eye on balance as well.

Oh, I also haven't done the pistons on the arm yet either. Those little finishing touch details are really the fun part, though.

Okay, now for the sword.

As you can see there's a lot left to do on the sword side. There are more details in general. I still haven't decided 100% whether I'm going to glue the arm in place so I don't have to worry about that tight fit on the piston at the rear of the arm. Right now it scrapes the paint right off. I could either use a silver pigment (which I don't own, so I'd have to find one) or just glue it since I know the pose I'm looking for anyway. I'm leaning toward the latter.

I need to decide what to write on the scroll on the weapon. I was thinking about some latin terms for "sting" like: nouns--aculeus, spiculum, morsus; verbs--pungo, mordeo, excruicio or even the latin word for "stinger," which is punctum. I guess I'm shooting for the idea that this is Bee's stinger or sting. Plus, a Hobbit reference is never a bad idea, even if it shows up in a very obtuse way.

Another detail that's up in the air: See those little canisters on the side of the sword arm? I had initially thought they were fuel for the engine that drives the chain. With that in mind, I figured the ovals in the middle were clear armored glass so one could see the fuel level at a glance. I imagine there are a LOT of manual/analog workarounds on these machines. They're very practical. While it probably has a gauge for the levels, they'd have a backup in case that fails. So, I worked up a little rig to test the way light would interact with that sort of thing. It looked like this:

I took a few pics in different light, and settled on this angle. I gave it a little shake as well to get some little bubbles. That's just water with food coloring, by the way. I was pretty okay with this and I posted it on Twitter for fun. This Guy (https://twitter.com/Officialquiff) pointed out that it looks like the cowling where the blade enters the casing actually has a little vacuum that sucks blood off the blades and dumps it into these little containers. Like a cleaning mechanism.

Now I can't shake the idea that's exactly what those containers are. Why would they need to hold onto it? Who knows? But it's pretty clear the tube is going into that piece, and it seems just odd and quirky enough that now I'm convinced they're not fuel canisters at all (after all, they look different from just about any other fuel things) and are either just as Mr. Hughes suggested, and are part of some kind of cleaning system, or perhaps they can be used to squirt poison or something onto the blades. I like the vacuum idea better. Now, in my case, that means they'd likely be at least partially full of the Necrofluid (the green-tinted oil that I used almost like blood on the base with the Necron wreckage) of Queen's most recent victims. So, I guess I'll paint them with a deep green instead of the reddish fluid I was setting the light test up for. It will be, again, a VERY subtle detail that very few will see but I'm completely cool with that, if you hadn't already noticed.

What do you guys think? Are those fuel canisters, vacuum tubes or poison injectors (or something else, or something unfathomable)? I haven't really noticed them painted on any other Knight models I've seen. Did you do something cool with yours?

[Heru]

What do you guys think? Are those fuel canisters, vacuum tubes or poison injectors (or something else, or something unfathomable)?

Lubricant tanks maybe, or cleaning acids. Last thing you want is the teeth getting gunked up and jamming.