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

[KBA]

Never cease to amaze me, Jeff. Excellent progress. You got an audible ':cuss Yes!' out of me while I was scrolling down. May I ask what specific chipping fluid you are using?

 

PS, the previous mounting holes of the Imperial-aligned house emblem is a fantastic touch. Just when I thought you couldn't possibly add more character through modelling, you pull a fast one on us. 

[JeffTibbetts]

 

It was developed from the so-called Hairspray technique that Mig Jimenez invented

 

 

Oh, Jeff...

 

http://i.imgur.com/i8il0IT.gif

 

The technique was actually invented by Phil Stutcinskas for his 2008 Best of Show winning model in the prestigious Euro Militaire competition. (Who now works for Forge World.)

 

http://i.imgur.com/UA8JPsZ.jpg

 

Mig Jimenez is kind of like the Carlos Mencia of the hobby world, stealing other people's ideas and trying to claim them as his own.

 

*ahem*

 

The Queen is looking great and it's nice to see all this finally starting to come together as you head into the last leg of the race.

 

 

Really? I didn't kmow that! He seems pretty legit but I'm not well-versed in scale and military model history. I probably heard it on YouTube or something.

 

 

Never cease to amaze me, Jeff. Excellent progress. You got an audible ':cuss Yes!' out of me while I was scrolling down. May I ask what specific chipping fluid you are using?

 

PS, the previous mounting holes of the Imperial-aligned house emblem is a fantastic touch. Just when I thought you couldn't possibly add more character through modelling, you pull a fast one on us.

 

Thanks! I don't have access to the bottle and I can never remember off the top of my head. I'll look when I have a chance but I think it's an off brand one. I like it pretty well.

[Dark Rage]

Really nice, the chipped weathered effect is awesome.

[WarriorFish]

The colours are looking great, it's starting to come together nicely - now I am starting to imagine it complete ;)

[JeffTibbetts]

Really nice, the chipped weathered effect is awesome.

Thanks! I'm a huge fan of your consecrators and Mk. 1 TDA projects. Means a lot. :D

The colours are looking great, it's starting to come together nicely - now I am starting to imagine it complete

I know, right? Now that the base paints are there it feels so close... It's going to look a bit different than my first concept, but I'm able to really envision it now.

[WarriorFish]

I can only imagine so well though, you'll have to help me out... :D

[JeffTibbetts]

I can only imagine so well though, you'll have to help me out...

Working on it... ;) Actually the hardest stuff is done. The only other part that's really tricky is the airbrushed honeycomb pattern in select parts. The weathering is so fun and usually fairly quick that it hardly seems like work. I'll have lots of little finishing touches, but I'm on a roll so it's easier to keep the momentum going.

[JeffTibbetts]

I've gotten the honeycomb hex pattern down. Let's have a look, shall we?

I'm really struggling to upload pics today. My network is slow. There are more pics on my blog if you'd like to take a look (link's in the sig).

Top carapace. The yellow side is touched up, but not the black yet. You can see the different layers of weathering and texture are really starting to get crazy. They're only going to get crazier, so hold on to your seats. From a distance it looks much simpler, but as you get closer you start to see how much is really going on. It's subtlety layered on subtlety, and the end goal is going to feel more cohesive since you won't be 2 inches away from it.

Matching shin pieces, showing some of the variation between the black-on-yellow and yellow-on-black patterning. I made sure to get some of the pattern on the melted bit of armor to enhance the effect.

Groin armor and some other bits. You can also see that I've started the toes finally (after forgetting all about them for the earlier steps). That's just sponge/brush paint chipping. No rust or paint chipping fluid layers.

Note how the pattern fades in different areas, and is more pronounced in some areas. It's my way of showing the Sacristan's artistry and also calling attention to certain pieces I want to highlight.

And the chainsword. There's a lot going on on this, but it really ought to look beat up so I don't mind. I need to go back in and add some of the metal detailing, as well as the trim.

I think the metal trim will really pull this all together. But before I get to that, I need to do some actual brush painting (besides 'erasing' some hexes and adding scratches) for highlights, and then I'll be using oil paints and pigments to weather.

[HighGothic]

The level of detail is astounding, i would have given up by now!!!

[Argent aquila]

very cool, keep it up!

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks, guys. I almost gave up once when my cat knocked her off my desk... Those were dark days, but I toughed it out. :P 

[Disruptor_fe404]

The Queen's getting a hive! Awesome.

[Battybattybats]

That is looking better than i imagined and it was good in my imagination.

Really nice, especially the part on the carapace that crosses the demarcation line with the pattern still matching.

[RolandTHTG]

Hmm, I really like the yellow on black, but I'm not sure I like the black on yellow. While some is probably because I was expecting the hexagon lines to be used for both YonB and BonY, The Yellow lines seem much better defined than the Black areas. I though some were smoke smudges at first. Theres almost no solid black hexagons on the current pieces. The only ones that I liked the patter on were the chest pieces you posted on the blog, where there were definite distinct hexagons in addition to the faded ones you show here. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Hmm, I really like the yellow on black, but I'm not sure I like the black on yellow. While some is probably because I was expecting the hexagon lines to be used for both YonB and BonY, The Yellow lines seem much better defined than the Black areas. I though some were smoke smudges at first. Theres almost no solid black hexagons on the current pieces. The only ones that I liked the patter on were the chest pieces you posted on the blog, where there were definite distinct hexagons in addition to the faded ones you show here. 

 

You know, I think you're right. Since the stencils are fully reusable, I just might go back and define them a little better... I'll have to put some thought into it. You're right, in some areas they turned out better than others. Maybe I should be more deliberate about it, as the stipling/drybrushing didn't hug the edges as well as I'd have liked. I'm open to suggestions. If that's the case, I may have to sort of do another coat of yellow to take these down a notch so I can go back in and add another layer of black without them getting too intense. 

[Battybattybats]

I like the black on yellow myself, seems clear to me especially when each part is taken into the context of the others, the carapace making it all clear. The black on yellow as-is looks like honeycomb, but if it was reversed and was black outlines on yellow it would IMO lose that.

Maybe do a test on a spare bit or piece of card?

[WarriorFish]

Yeah, the yellow on black looks a lot better. Excellent progress though, this sort of detail on a model means it won't just pop - but explode! As long as she does plenty of exploding in game terms as well ;)

[Candleshoes]

Inspiring honeycomb work Jeff, top notch effects.

 

One question: your pilot, I know you've answered this already, but I must have missed it in the 23 pages, are you planning on making a model for the pilot?

[Daemon2027]

I really can't belive I have never commented on this, but I have been following. I love the work you have put in, the thought behind every part of the kit, the little extras, and the thought into the painting. I really like the honey comb effect you have achieved. I can't add any more.

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks for the comments, guys and gals! I ended up making the black on yellow elements stronger last night and I'm very pleased with the results. If I could get some images to post I'd show you... I've been having a heck of a time. I'll figure it out sooner or later. 

 

Inspiring honeycomb work Jeff, top notch effects.

One question: your pilot, I know you've answered this already, but I must have missed it in the 23 pages, are you planning on making a model for the pilot?

 

It's a long-term plan, but yes. I'd like to do a fully detailed interior, but right now I'm concentrating on getting the model ready to roll. I don't intend to glue the top carapace or shoulder pads on, so I can get back to it later when I have more time to do it right. I'm also holding out hope that I can pick up a FW interior kit and adapt it some day instead of scratch-building it all. As for the pilot, I'd like to model her inside it and also I'd love to actually sculpt her as a standalone piece, maybe as an objective marker. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Okay, I had to save my files in a new spot for some reason, but I got my uploads working again. Here we go.

As you can see, I redid/darkened/defined the black on yellow honeycomb pattern. It still fades out into the grainier bits, but I think that looks much better. Now that at least some of them are quite well defined your brain sort of fills in the pattern for the rest as well. They no longer look like smudges. Shout out to Roland for having the gumption to tell me that in the first place. I was already thinking it, but hearing someone else say it made me do what I should have done in the first place. I also blocked out the metal areas now and, as I'd hoped, I think it's already helping to bring the colored bits together.

Astute viewers may have noticed that I've been messing with the dividing line in the rear of the carapace as well. It was poorly masked at first so I had to move it. Now it's pretty well dead even between the yellow and black. Of course, it wasn't very well masked the second time either, so it's still a little wavering, but I can live with that and even claim it was on purpose. I mean, Aurelia and her Sacristans paint this themselves, after all.

Ugh. Sorry about the blurry pic on top. I was too close to the subject. This chainsword is really quite visually complicated but there's not much I can do about that. It was too wide and flat a surface to NOT put any honeycomb on. And again, by rights it should look really beat up since she has a habit of cramming it into things that quickly become messes of shredded metal jagged edges.

One of the rougher pieces, still. Again, since most of the pattern is well defined I think these areas look better now in context, as your brain sort of fills in the details (since it has a guide).

Just a couple more shots. Okay... So...

Don't be too mad at me. Remember, this is just a step in the process... But here are some very, very dirty shots after a solid wash of Agrax Earthshade.

Again, flying in the face of conventional wisdom, I applied a heavy wash on across the entire surface. Yes, it looks streaky and dirty. That's exactly why you don't normally want to do it, and exactly why I did. What I totally love about this is the fact that all that texture work I did earlier suddenly pops out like crazy. You can really see the layers of peeled paint below the surface, and even the fact that I did the paint chipping using a negative method (as in taking away paint instead of adding it with brush and sponge) means some wash even settled around some of the paint chips in the coolest way possible.

It won't stay this dark, of course. I will be doing some drybrushing with Averland Sunset and then highlighting with Yriel yellow. As a sort of test piece I did a tiny bit of highlighting under the chips on this thigh plate.

Kind of hard to see with the blurry pic, but it helps add more 3-dimensionaltiy to the chipped/scratched bits. I'll be taking some better pics as I go, ladies and gents.

Again, my creative juices are well and truly flowing now and I'm on a roll. This weekend will dampen it a bit as I will most likely be traveling but hopefully I can jump right back in next week.

[RolandTHTG]

Much Better! Glad you were able to understand exactly what I meant.

I still think the codpiece-armor thing could be better painted, but you seem to want that have the pattern be very faded on that piece, so your design.

The wash definitely makes the "layers of paint" effect pop. Looks Great.

I do however have one concern. If you look at area below the right-hand hexagons on the shoulderpad, it looks like the brush you were using started smearing the hexagons and picking up some of the color. The area below the hexagons seems to have some blackish brush strokes and black smears from the wash paint brush, such that the area is noticeably blacker compared to the brown wash on the rest of the shoulder pad.

I think it was likely caused by going over the area a second time with the brush, after the colors got loosened by the first pass. Just something to watch out for on future layers.

[JeffTibbetts]

Much Better! Glad you were able to understand exactly what I meant.

I still think the codpiece-armor thing could be better painted, but you seem to want that have the pattern be very faded on that piece, so your design.

The wash definitely makes the "layers of paint" effect pop. Looks Great.

I do however have one concern. If you look at area below the right-hand hexagons on the shoulderpad, it looks like the brush you were using started smearing the hexagons and picking up some of the color. The area below the hexagons seems to have some blackish brush strokes and black smears from the wash paint brush, such that the area is noticeably blacker compared to the brown wash on the rest of the shoulder pad.

I think it was likely caused by going over the area a second time with the brush, after the colors got loosened by the first pass. Just something to watch out for on future layers.

I think on the shoulder pad that's just the angle and lighting, actually. I mean, it's darker because it has a little more wash there but I'm 100% okay with that variation. I did totally slip with my black brush and there's a line there, but that's not what you meant.

I've seen some old school GW inks (in the tall, skinny pots) bleed before but never actual paints. That's GW base paint, and once it's down it's not coming back up.

I'll try to get some other pics as I go, but thanks for pointing it out anyway.

[Battybattybats]

Oh yeah!
That's superb!
When this all comes together it'll be stunning!

As for interior i do wonder how FW might do an interior kit and whether they will make it easy to install in a knight that has had the torso glued together other than the carapace.

I do look forward to seeing your pilot once you work on her. I'd definitely do one on foot as an objective. I'd make a custom mission for it even, get her safely off a side board edge and your Knight comes on the next turn.

[WarriorFish]

They look much more defined, good stuff. All the attention to detail you've put in is really starting to pay off now - maybe you might even be able to estimate a completion date? ;) Excellent work Jeff, I will be reading through your WIP again once I get the time to properly devote to my Knight :tu: