Sons of Dolor 1st Company (BA Sucessor) WIP (Update)

[Xenith]

 

 

If I'm honest, I dont really enjoy painting the bone colour scheme, they only seem to look to me once the red is laid down, ho hum.

It's never too late to change schemes. I get that though. Even painting red I think my BA look terrible until I get that first shade down.

@Xenith. Much like you i don't like how they look until the almost final highlight is done. But when done im quite proud of the final look. It's also a gratification thing too, with my other SM armies (Sallie snd DW) there is an also instant gratification i get when painting them really early in the process. With my Sons of Dolor, i don't get that gratification until after the bone colour is done, it's a bit of a grind til that point. Wonder if that's a common feeling?

 

 

Have you tried painting one marine at a time? I get really burned out painting units as it never looks like youre making progress - I can probably paint 5 guys over a week, or one guy a night to the same end result, but have 'finished' models sooner if that makes sense?

[Rhavien]

I also know this phenomenon. My models don't satisfy my until I really hit the last stages with washes / highlights. Everything looks plain and unfinished until you slap some wash over it and suddenly it all comes together. Furthermore I find the base nearly as important for the overall paint job. Doesn't need to be something fancy. Just something and a clean rim.

[The Angel]

Usually it is the bases for me. Until bases are done, the painting looks awful.

[Majkhel]

For me the grind happens with the Evil Sunz Scarlet highlight. I managed to shorten the time necessary for this by using a bigger brush and it helped a lot with motivation. Later edge highlights correct any messed-up areas.

 

Try pinpointing the phase which brings the most pain for you and maybe there will be a way of working around it with different tool or technique. There are many ways of achieving a result and we tend to be bogged-down by our own habits.

[our_baz]

@Xenith thanks for the advice, nice to hear I'm not alone. Oddly I decided to do just that last night. I decided to get the bone down on one model before moving onto the the next. Didn't seem to drag as much. Results below

@Riavien and @The Angel. Thanks for the comments good to hear I'm not alone.

[Xenith]

@Xenith thanks for the advice, nice to hear I'm not alone. Oddly I decided to do just that last night. I decided to get the bone down on one model before moving onto the the next. Didn't seem to drag as much. Results below

@Riavien and @The Angel. Thanks for the comments good to hear I'm not alone.

Interesting, have you considered trying another spray, like Wraithbone, grey seer, or Zandri dust? I feel these would get close to your scheme with zero hassle, particularly grey seer.

Check out this comparison of contrasts. Left is wraithbone, right is grey seer undercoat.

https://i.redd.it/hxzi6ugcua331.jpg

I think Skeleton horde or darkoath flesh over grey seer is close to your scheme, alternatively Apothecary white or basilicanum grey over wraithbone. It'll speed up your painting 10x!

Edited August 4, 2020 by Xenith

[our_baz]

For me the grind happens with the Evil Sunz Scarlet highlight. I managed to shorten the time necessary for this by using a bigger brush and it helped a lot with motivation. Later edge highlights correct any messed-up areas.

Try pinpointing the phase which brings the most pain for you and maybe there will be a way of working around it with different tool or technique. There are many ways of achieving a result and we tend to be bogged-down by our own habits.

@Majkhel. Its laying the bone colour done so its nice and flat that I find the real grind. I was using a small citadel basecoat brush for most of my base coating. I've just recently (last week) changed the size of brush depending on the model now either Citadel large base or army painter basecoating brush. This has seemed to speed up the porcess.

@Xenith thanks for the advice, nice to hear I'm not alone. Oddly I decided to do just that last night. I decided to get the bone down on one model before moving onto the the next. Didn't seem to drag as much. Results below

@Riavien and @The Angel. Thanks for the comments good to hear I'm not alone.

Interesting, have you considered trying another spray, like Wraithbone, grey seer, or Zandri dust? I feel these would get close to your scheme with zero hassle, particularly grey seer.

Check out this comparison of contrasts. Left is wraithbone, right is grey seer undercoat.

https://i.redd.it/hxzi6ugcua331.jpg

I think Skeleton horde or darkoath flesh over grey seer is close to your scheme, alternatively Apothecary white or basilicanum grey over wraithbone. It'll speed up your painting 10x!

@Xenith. I have used another undercoat, for a couple of my TDA marine I used Army Painter brush on primer (its between Wraithbone and Zandri Dust in colour). You are right a base on primer would make my life easier. Think Wraithbone might be my best option.

Contrast is something I have thought about, I recently made the swap to contrast for my nid army and been really happy with the results. Skeleton horde over grey seer looks closest to ivory colour I'm using. From reading around, the feeling with contrast on "flatter" models is a little hit and miss depending on the colour with some giving great results some less so. Suppose the only way to find out is to give it a try.

[Xenith]

I get that, I'm not 100% convinced by it, but it's mainly the satiny finish.

I painted this eathwing guy using only contrasts, so yo ucan definitely get results. Pooling can be reduced with brush control I messed up a tiny bit on the right shoulder pad, but otherwise that's skeleton horde completely over wraithbone.

[our_baz]

@Xenith sold. I didn't think that good a finish on marines was achievable with contrast, as alot of the examples I hae seen (mostly UM / Sallie) look "chalky". The next thing I pick up ill try this out on. Thanks for the advice.

Edited August 5, 2020 by our_baz

[Xenith]

@Xenith sold. I didn't think that good a finish on marines was achievable with contrast, as alot of the examples I hae seen (mostly UM / Sallie) look "chalky". The next thing I pick up ill try this out on. Thanks for the advice.

 

No problem, I'm a big fan of contrasts - they can be used as a 'slap it on' solution for fast models, but with a bit of control you can do fun stuff. I posted somewhere in the DA section, but that model barely took any time, something like an hour?

[Majkhel]

The size and quality of the brush makes HUGE difference. Citadel brushes are of mediocre quality, but they will also do.

Are you using a primer? Using one definitely reduces the amount of layers needed for a basecoat as paint sticks better to the primed surface. For you, any white primer would be good or one of the new Citadel ones (Wraithbone).
After that a bigger brush makes life sooo much easier. I myself have started using a small makeup brush (it actually is pretty big compared to regular brushes) and am using a stippling technique to apply basecoat and even highlights to the bigger panels. 
Picked it up from Artis Opus - requires a bit of training with the application technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJ1WsTUgYE&t=45s)

Food for thought ;) 

[our_baz]

The size and quality of the brush makes HUGE difference. Citadel brushes are of mediocre quality, but they will also do.

 

Are you using a primer? Using one definitely reduces the amount of layers needed for a basecoat as paint sticks better to the primed surface. For you, any white primer would be good or one of the new Citadel ones (Wraithbone).

After that a bigger brush makes life sooo much easier. I myself have started using a small makeup brush (it actually is pretty big compared to regular brushes) and am using a stippling technique to apply basecoat and even highlights to the bigger panels. 

Picked it up from Artis Opus - requires a bit of training with the application technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJ1WsTUgYE&t=45s)

 

Food for thought

@Majkhel. Most of my models have been primed with White spray (GW/Army Painter) a few I have used Army painter brush on primer. After that I use a basecoat coat of Rakarth flesh, followed by Pallid Wytch Flesh leaving the basecoat in the recesses. Dry brush of white, followed by adding flesh tearers red into the recesses. @Xenith has kind of sold me on contrast paints, which I will try on something new. I should also try using a different primer too, white does have issues! Thanks for the advice

[our_baz]

Thanks for all the comments and encouragement. After a bit of break, I've finished these two off during the last week or so. Again a bit of a slog but I'm quite happy with the end results.

[Majkhel]

Congratulations on completed models :)
So, have you been tweaking your painting recipe with those two?

[our_baz]

@Majkhel couple of little things here and there. Drybrushed for highlighting. For the cape and loincloth used contrast paints rather than old scab red (yes I still have a bottle). I've also changed how I add the red to the recesses, I was used carronberg crimson wash, for these guys I used slightly thinned flesh tearers red (contrast) it is applied easier and only needs the one coat. The next thing to speed up is the red, I'm currently using scab red, this takes 3-4 coats to get a smooth deep colour, I will try khorne red one the next couple and see how that goes, hopefully a bit quicker.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the models.