Who Let The Cogs Out? Mechanicum Project Log 16.10.18

[Chaeron]

Great to see this thread returning to operation!  

 

My thanks Vel'Cona!

 

Progress so far has been prepping and building those lovely models! Have tried to go for a variety of poses, and I think it's a good start:

 

 

Hoping to spray tomorrow if I can and get this rolling

[WarriorFish]

Good to see some more models turning up, hopefully you can start on them soon :tu:

[Chaeron]

While I wait for an opportune time to spray, I've been working on my Kastelans!

 

Before weathering:

 

 

Looking slightly more battered now:

 

 

I'm thinking I'll probably want to add something more to the bases generally, as well as a general wash/highlight to bring the detail out further too. I probably need to do the same for the Vanguard too, so will look to do that as a batch next.

[WarriorFish]

The weathering tempers the orange neatly, I like the extras on the bases too - great stuff :tu:

[Vel'Cona]

Good gravy, those Kastelans look MEAN.  The weathering really sells that "just took them out of the 10000 year old box" concept, too!  

[Chaeron]

The weathering tempers the orange neatly, I like the extras on the bases too - great stuff

 

Thank you WarriorFish! I'm thinking about how I can further improve them (and some of the other models), so watch this space to see what else occurs!

 

Good gravy, those Kastelans look MEAN.  The weathering really sells that "just took them out of the 10000 year old box" concept, too!  

 

Thanks Vel'Cona! Glad to see they have the desired visual effect - always hard to tell when you're weathering things.

 

With a lovely day today, I've moved the Mechanicum outside to further progress the project:

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c254/TheNewAgeOutlaw/GW/MechanicumWIPSeptember_zpsqvkuqcbv.jpg

 

After spraying everything the other day, going to do the last few tidy-ups, before working through the orange and other colouring. The Magos and Datapriests to the left are awaiting further detailing too... 

 

Unsure if I'll start on the Thanatar soon, as I'm awaiting his partner in crime to arrive, with the Archomagos (Scoria to be!), to nearly complete my dream list (at the very least, I can do the majority in proxy anyway!).

[Vel'Cona]

I just wanna see the Thanatar painted, so I'd say why wait??? 

[Chaeron]

I just wanna see the Thanatar painted, so I'd say why wait??? 

 

Your wish is (slowly) my command!

 

So I'd really hoped to have got more done by now, other than base layers of orange - but I'm happy that it's going in the right direction! The good news is that Draykavac (to be Scoria) and the second Thanatar have arrived, and will duly be joining in soon. I've also been able to pick up some Castellax and a Domitar (who'll represent the Homonculex for the time being, as I won't have any other Domitars for awhile) - and have started their orange livery too! Here's a photo of the family anyway:

 

 

So, aside from a single Castellax and three Vorax, and by utilising my beloved Skitarii as Tech Thralls, the dream list is nearly complete. All positive - but now, I'm naturally thinking of what else would be cool to add for future... That said, I'm going to focus on this to get this all finished and onto the table - which I'm just as excited about!

[Chaeron]

More progress! 

 

So, I've systematically highlighted the orange (you may not be able to see due to the light!), and have then washed all everything in Seraphim Sepia for that nice tone. All the Thallax with chainblades have had hazard stripes added, and I've blocked the first bit of blue on their Lightning Guns. I've initially done cabling in Genestealer Purple, which I think works nicely with them. I've also painted the 'faces' in my usual scheme, but require a highlight to indicate light. I'll probably do this last though! I've also done the base layer on all the bases that need it - ready for Martian Ironearth etc.

 

 

Next will be detailing of other cables, highlight on the Lightning Guns, and see what else... I'm thinking through whether I want OSL jet-packs. But, happy with how they're all progressing anyway!

[WarriorFish]

They're really looking good, group shots always look cool but they'll only look better when finished :D

[Chaeron]

They're really looking good, group shots always look cool but they'll only look better when finished

 

Thanks WarriorFish! Getting there, definitely.

 

Happy to report on some more progress - I've blitzed a Lightning (for my Death Guard, admittedly!) as I've had a Heresy campaign weekend with club mates this past weekend, but I've been chipping away at the Thallax since the last update, and have today built my second Thanatar!

 

One of the biggest changes though has been basing - which the photo below shows the start of, with lots of lovely cogs and gears! It was at this time that I did a lot of the detailing on the Thallax in the form of cables etc. - and I followed this with weathering them with a sponge. A final black wash left them looking like the below:

 

 

It was slightly heavier than anticipated, so after I'd applied Martian Ironearth to the Thallax/Ursarax bases, I actually went and re-highlighted a few parts of the models - such as the chevrons, the OSL on the weaponry weaponry, and then used Troll Slayer Orange mixed with Lahmian Medium to bring back orange to a brighter shade - without undoing the weathering or the original highlights!

 

I've now ordered some of the Ironcrust just for a few bigger cracks, which'll go on the below (and on the Castellax, Thanatars etc.), and I'll just tidy up around their feet and the cogs/gears with some dusting too. The following photos show the newly built Thanatar and Scoria (who has been sprayed, and is just awaiting painting!):

 

 

And a slightly closer view of the Thallax/Ursarax:

 

 

I'm replenishing my stocks of Leadbelcher spray, so the second Thanatar will have to wait slightly, but hopefully I can get it up to where the first is, and then get them both finished together quite quickly. It means that the Castellax and Homonculex (Domitar) will get my attention next!

[Vel'Cona]

http://www.kudapoiti.info/img/bal-robotov-3.jpg

 

But seriously, awesome progress!  The spare/rusted bits and gears on the base really do add a lot to the look of your 'bots, especially on the big guys.  Keep it coming!  

[Magos Takatus]

These guys are looking great. I'm glad you took the extra time to detail your bases. They look so much better just for having some ruined machine parts laying around. I like the checkerboard base too but it does stand out a lot. Is that particular model noteworthy? You've done a great job on both the Adeptus Mechanicus and Mechanicum models. I still prefer the Forge World models but you've made the Kastellan look good too.

[Chaeron]

 

But seriously, awesome progress!  The spare/rusted bits and gears on the base really do add a lot to the look of your 'bots, especially on the big guys.  Keep it coming!  

 

Thanks Vel'Cona! I've made the last tweaks to the bases, in the form of some dead grass - which hopefully adds another nice little bit of colour and texture to it too. A quick photo just to show that, and the Squig Orange highlight on the Martian Ironearth/Crust - which I've used to dust around the feet and some of the cogs and gears. The Crust also adds a nice different texture too:

 

 

 

These guys are looking great. I'm glad you took the extra time to detail your bases. They look so much better just for having some ruined machine parts laying around. I like the checkerboard base too but it does stand out a lot. Is that particular model noteworthy? You've done a great job on both the Adeptus Mechanicus and Mechanicum models. I still prefer the Forge World models but you've made the Kastellan look good too.

 

Thank you Flame Boy! I'm actually thinking I might change the checkerboard base - as three of my Thallax were purchased with lovely resin bases, but I think they don't totally fit with the others now. I'll probably remove them and use them elsewhere, just so I have fully uniform basing across them all!

 

I've just finished the basing on all my 60 Skitarii and four Kastelans now too. My only thought for the Skitarii now is whether I weather their cloaks (most likely with a black wash and some sponged mud) in order to match the others more fully, or if I leave them as is. I still need to do some of the dials etc. on their backs and paint their chest cogs, but they are coming close to being finished.

 

With the second Thanatar ready to be sprayed, I'm hoping to crack on with doing both of those next - and Scoria too. Ever closer to having a fully painted list!

[Vel'Cona]

 

With the second Thanatar ready to be sprayed, I'm hoping to crack on with doing both of those next - and Scoria too. Ever closer to having a fully painted list!

 

Can't wait to see them all together!  Between the basing and weathering I'm really impressed you can keep your results this consistent and crank them out as fast as you do.  I find when I start to work fast, my work suffers for it.  Wonder if you have any tips?  

[Chaeron]

 

 

With the second Thanatar ready to be sprayed, I'm hoping to crack on with doing both of those next - and Scoria too. Ever closer to having a fully painted list!

 

Can't wait to see them all together!  Between the basing and weathering I'm really impressed you can keep your results this consistent and crank them out as fast as you do.  I find when I start to work fast, my work suffers for it.  Wonder if you have any tips?  

 

 

Thanks again Vel'Cona! It's taken a bit longer to get these together, as I've been painting up a BFG fleet for the Call of Chaos - but now that's finished, I'm back on (nearly) all things mechanical! In the intervening period, I've done a bit more work on the bases of the Thallax and Castellax (just to help break up the orange/red themed that's quite strong!) with some Nihilakh Oxide for a solid contrast. There's also been something else I've been painting up to the same stage - so rather than just batch painting those two Thanatar, I've added a third to the family! Now that I have them all up to pretty much the same level, I can truly work through them in a batch! A quick photo of the trio:

 

 

So with the majority of the armour and metals basically done, and the first stage of highlighting and weathering, I'm going to work through the more specific parts - cables, details, the mortar etc. in turn. There are a few bits of metal to tidy up as we go too (you can particularly see around the 'head' and cowl region), but on the whole - happy with how consistent they are - and looking forward to getting those on the table.

 

Scoria is also waiting to be painted - and I am just trying to prepare for how I'll paint him! It'll still be with the Ryza theme, but I think it's just working out how to paint the Abeyant appropriately. I'd like to make a start on him soon, just because bar the Thanatars, I'm very close to having everything I need painted... That said, I've picked up a copy of the Eradication Force box-set to add to my 40k belongings, and with two Dunecrawlers, an Ironstrider, ten Ruststalkers/Iniltrators and three Destroyers still to be built - it should keep me busy for quite a while!

 

In terms of tips for batch painting, I tend to like to set manageable goals (even breaking it down appropriately - those sixty Skitarii needed to be!) - and if it gets to a point where I need a break, I'll look to stop before compromising the quality. I work quite visually, so it's nice to either put them in a line or on one side, and moving them over systematically to see how well you're doing - which I tend to find motivates me to continue on. If I'm doing things in a batch, focusing on one aspect (colour or part) means I can break it up further, and move through things quickly without needing to swap colours/brushes. A recent example would be the Mechanicum crests on the Thallax: working systematically gives me a great sense of achievement when I can fully compartmentalise what I'm doing and what needs to be completed! It's not an approach that works for everything, but I find it particularly useful with models with lots of small parts, with plenty of detail and a potential panoply of colours. Hope that's useful!

[Tyriks]

Quality work here! Where'd you get all the cogs for the bases? I especially love the weathering, looks amazing!

[Chaeron]

Quality work here! Where'd you get all the cogs for the bases? I especially love the weathering, looks amazing!

 

Thanks Tyriks! They're literally just small cogs and gears from online mostly used for scrapbooking and things like that. I've broken some of them up (as you can probably see) to vary it, as well as piling them at different heights, and with the textured basing material to make them look buried within the sands of Mars/Ryza.

 

So I wanted to get some base colours on Scoria, so you can see what I've done so far in the quick snap below:

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c254/TheNewAgeOutlaw/GW/ArchmagosScoriaWIP_zpsdxd3ah7a.jpg

 

So much lovely detail to pick out! As ever, I'm trying to incorporate the specific colours I typically use for cables, and trying to work that through. I've mostly done blocking on the Abeyant so far, and I'm mostly happy with the effect! I've gone for more gold (than my usual Sycorax Bronze) to look both fancy and naturally, because it's such a good conductor, only seem appropriate! Plenty still to go - and I'll balance this with finishing the three Thanatars over the next few weeks.

[Magos Takatus]

I am impressed at how quickly you work good sir. I like the cogs on the base. Did you say you are going to put the textures basing material over them to look part buried? That's going to look amazing. I think I have some smaller cogs myself. A friend of mine bought some watch components. I wonder how many watches were sacrificed to the Omnissiah that day? :p

 

Anyway, keep up the good work. You are putting my glacial progress to shame. :)

[Chaeron]

I am impressed at how quickly you work good sir. I like the cogs on the base. Did you say you are going to put the textures basing material over them to look part buried? That's going to look amazing. I think I have some smaller cogs myself. A friend of mine bought some watch components. I wonder how many watches were sacrificed to the Omnissiah that day? :p

 

Anyway, keep up the good work. You are putting my glacial progress to shame. :)

Thanks Flame Boy! That's right with the cogs, although I've been trying to avoid burying them too much - but I hope the ones sticking up will help with that effect! I've done it initially with the Thallax and Castellax, and with the oxidisation now on the metals, it will hopefully help this to show up nicely. I think it'll also be more obvious on the larger bases too!

 

I want to go back and add the smaller cogs to the Skitarii based in time, and I will probably do that as I batch paint some of the details as part of a usual production line. I think I may need some more cogs and gears at this rate!

[Vel'Cona]

I want to go back and add the smaller cogs to the Skitarii based in time, and I will probably do that as I batch paint some of the details as part of a usual production line. I think I may need some more cogs and gears at this rate!

 

I'd like to know where you're getting them from in the first place! 

[Chaeron]

 

I want to go back and add the smaller cogs to the Skitarii based in time, and I will probably do that as I batch paint some of the details as part of a usual production line. I think I may need some more cogs and gears at this rate!

 

I'd like to know where you're getting them from in the first place! 

 

 

I'm not dismantling tonnes of small machines for miniature cogs and gears

 

I think I've finished the Archmagos/Scoria - although I'll double check there aren't any areas to tidy up over the coming days. It's a lovely model, with so many details - and I've tried to go for a range of contrasting colours to help break up the orange tone, in terms of cables, wires and lights, which is nice! A couple of photos below:

 

 

 

This'll mean I can go back to my Thanatars, to finish that batch and basically round off my initially planned 3,000pts force! Although, I've just received some reinforcements - in the form of a pair of Vulturax and Venators - which'll push me nicely towards the 4,000pts, so I'm hoping to prep those and get those painted in due course too. 

[Magos Takatus]

Wow, your Archmagos is amazing. The contrasting colours work well. The blue ducts at the front of the Abeyant frame the skull details nicely. I also like the gold/silver skull detail as well. The Magos looks imposing as well. The orange is a really powerful shade on the robes. :) 

[Chaeron]

Wow, your Archmagos is amazing. The contrasting colours work well. The blue ducts at the front of the Abeyant frame the skull details nicely. I also like the gold/silver skull detail as well. The Magos looks imposing as well. The orange is a really powerful shade on the robes.

 

Thanks so much Flame Boy - much appreciated! There are probably a few bits of the orange I'll brighten up on the larger panelled areas, but he has taken shape quite nicely and I'm pleased with the result! 

 

I've taken a quick photo of him in context with the rest of the army:

 

 

As you may be able to see - it's basically just the Thanatars, as will need to do their detailing now they are all at the same stage of painting. This evening, I've got the Vulturax and Venators prepared and they are currently soaking - so will look forward to assembling and getting those done in due course!

[Vel'Cona]

So awesome . . . I'm glad to hear there's more coming!