3rd Co. Ultra - Speed Painting Challenge

[puffin]

What do you do when your backlog starts to look like this?

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/backlog.jpg

Time to get painting!

As you can see, I have a substantial number of marines that need to be painted so the plan is to develop a consistent and speedy method that is also relatively pleasing to look at.

The initial plan was:

1) paint black in the armour joins

2) grey on the shoulderpad trim and the aquila

3) wash entire model with Vallejo Blue Shade wash

4) paint bolter brown and gunmetal

5) bleached bone and umber wash on the aquila

6) do the red on the shoulderpads

7) green eyes

8) highlight

However, after completing the first couple of test models it was clear that the armour was coming out looking too patchy and was also lacking in depth in the shadows:

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Tester2.jpghttp://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Tester3.jpg

The next step was to try a few different washes and inks to get the shadow effect I'm looking for. Here you can see (from left to right):

Vallejo Umber Wash, Vallejo Black Ink, Vallejo Blue Wash, Vallejo Black Wash, Vallejo Blue Wash 50:50 Watered down

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/GroupTest.jpg

Clearly the watering down of the blue wash made all the difference. I then tried a watered down black wash to compare:

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Thinned%20Black%20Wash.jpghttp://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Thinned%20Blue%20Wash.jpg

We have a winner!

So now I have a method for the marines:

1) Black paint on armour joins

2) Wash entire model with 50:50 watered down Vallejo Blue Shade

3) Light grey on aquila followed by bleached bone and Vallejo Umber Wash

4) Vallejo Charred Brown and Vallejo Gun Metal for the boltgun

5) Vallejo Gory Red on the shoulderpads

6) Vallejo Green Ink for the eyes

7) Highlights (once the entire army has had steps 1-6!)

Just ~100 models to do in one month. Sounds doable...

(BTW: any and all criticisms and suggestions happily accepted)

[deathspectersgt7]

Looks like fun I enjoy large paint projects.

[puffin]

The first two minis complete!

 

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Completed%20Pair%201.jpg

 

http://3rdcompanywip.azurewebsites.net/images/Completed%20Pair%202.jpg

 

The one on the left was the first one I completed (using a non-watered down wash to make the armour look patchy) and the one on the right was has had edge highlighting applied instead.

[Darth Mustard]

Well done !¡!