[WIP] - Kavaal Korst'la'sha'is - Working on a Manta

[elmo]

Not a lot achieved this week due to late evenings at work, the tail end of manflu and a lack of motivation...

5 magnetised skimmer bases. Review and link

[Zigmunth]

Thank god I am not the only one who painted his Tau in army like colours... 

 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Zigmunth

[elmo]

Looking good Zigmunth

This week has been mainly clearing up a couple of jobs which have been on the back burner for the last couple of months... and with the 6 Hammerheads in the painting queue they needed doing ;)

The cut down Burst Cannons are magnetised so they can be swapped out with the nose sensor to turn the Hammerhead into a Devilfish and vice-versa.

[elmo]

could you take some pics of the underbellies of your vehicles and how you weather them.

I'm looking to do weathering and glow effects on my tau and I like the look of your ships under carriages

Here you go... I can't get my camera to differentiate between the grey and white but you can see it with the eye...

This is the way I do the underbellies of my aircraft and skimmers.

The whole model is primed in matt black then the upper side is painted down to the point you want the change in colouration to begin - I use low adhesive decorators tape to mask of the lower surfaces as I use a green primer as a base for the upper surface.

I then mask off the upper surface and spray the underbelly in a light grey (car) primer. I have found one which is almost the old Fortress Grey.

Paint the underbelly in Fortress Grey (I use Vallejo Stonewall Grey (Game colour 049))

Lightly load a small strip of sponge with the grey and use it to break up the join between the upper surface and underbelly.

Lightly load a sponge with white and lightly dab random speckles of white over the underbelly and onto the join between the upper surface and underbelly.

Add decals as required

Wear and tear:

Exhausts

Lightly load a sponge with matt black and very lightly mark soot trails from engines, grills etc in the direction the vehicle would travel in ie front to back.

You can also use a flat headed brush again lightly loaded with black and draw it from the front edges backwards to give a dirty appearance but I only use this on my flyers rather than skimmers.

Paint damage

Lightly load a sponge with matt black and apply to sharp edges as a base for paint wear.

Over the black but slightly less coverage, use the same sponge to dab silver to show the paint wearing off the metal surface.

Oil streaks

I use Burnt Umber oil paint. You can pick up a tube at most craft/painting stores and it will last for many vehicles - (I still have not used 1/10th of a tube on all my vehicles including IG and DA).

Thin using turpentine until creamy and then, using a paint brush only for the oil paint, paint it onto panel lines where you want the dirt to come from - engines/landing gear/hatches etc.

Allow to dry off for 10 mins or more - depending on how thin you mixed it - then use a flat headed brush to feather the paint towards the rear of the vehicle.

Note: the oil paint will have to dry for at least 12 hours or preferably much longer before it is fully dry so move on to another project while you are waiting.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Wow Commissar Elmo, these guardsmen look ama - wait a minute!

[elmo]

Up next in the painting corner...

Ethereal from Wargame Exclusive on a GW flying base...

The model should have a cloak but it will be painted separately so is not glued on yet

Apologies for the washed out photo as the light box and camera are not set up for naked grey resin and I did not want to mess around with the settings

[Honda]

I've been looking at that ethereal as well, though I still have a metal Aun'Shi that I may go with.

 

I didn't realize from WEs pics that he's floating. Very cool.

[Panzer]

Very cool pose etc. for an Ethereal but as almost always I really don't like the amount of details WE puts on their models. The ratio of flat surfaces and panel lines is basically the exact opposite of GWs design so it just clashes with the rest of the models in my army.

[elmo]

I've been looking at that ethereal as well, though I still have a metal Aun'Shi that I may go with.

 

I didn't realize from WEs pics that he's floating. Very cool.

 

He is shipped with a normal black plastic base but I thought I would put him on a drone base so he fits in with the Ethereal I got in the Army box which is still in the painting queue   sigh...

[elmo]

So my counts as Aun'Va from Wargame Exclusive is now complete and I have converted 2 of the Ethereals on Hover Drones into his Honour Guard and 2 Heavy gun drones.

Aun'Va has been painted in my standard army colours of Dark Angel Green armour and equipment, Graveyard earth fatigues and black/orange Ethereal robes with white highlights on the antenna fins.

One of the Honour guard is the standard out of the box pose and the other has had the head turned and the right arm repositioned - fairly simple really...

The Heavy gun drones use the hover drone from the Ethereal, an old XV8 head, 2 Burst Cannons and the vision block from the new Crisis head.

Aun'Va and the Heavy gun drones have been mounted on the standard small flying base, the Honour guard are on spare slotta bases with the slot filled ready for priming later.

[Panzer]

Beautifully painted Aun'Va, elmo! Makes the WE model look way better than I initially thought it would. If I'd use Ethereals I'd be tempted to get one myself now. :D

[The Pounder]

Some cracking work here Elmo!

That Ethereal looks suitably boss! I really like the colours you've used throughout the whole thread.

Very inspiring stuff for a Shas'la like me just starting out.

[elmo]

Thanks fellow Shas

I have now finished off the Honour Guard and the 2 Heavy Gun Drones to go with him...

Bigger photos here

Next in the painting corner is yet another Hammerhead

Edited March 16, 2018 by elmo

[Honda]

The Heavy gun drones use the hover drone from the Ethereal, an old XV8 head, 2 Burst Cannons and the vision block from the new Crisis head.

 

 

Hmm...that's an interesting idea. I have two of the FW heavy gun drones and it would seem that a larger squad would be much more useful and <WHAMO!!!> you solve the cost issue.

 

Thank you very much!

[elmo]

Glad to help :)

[elmo]

I have been on holiday and did not get a chance to upload my latest model before I went so here it is.... another Hammerhead

And I also had the chance to finish off a commander for the previous Hammerhead.

Edited April 9, 2018 by elmo

[The Pounder]

Great work as usual Elmo!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who loves T’au tanks.

Them and the Stormsurge are what drew me back to the greater good!!

[elmo]

Next up in the painting corner is 17 old style XV8s. The torsos will be first up and have already had the shoulder hard points magnetised with 3 x 1.5mm N52 magnets.

I plan to paint them in batches with the first 6 already having the start of the camouflage pattern.

The missiles are for the Hammerheads and to do in between ;)

[elmo]

First batch of 6 torsos complete less final detailing and weathering. Heads have been primed white and the arms have been magnetised and along with the legs and feet are in the spray shop ;)

[elmo]

Here they are so far - Not quite finished as I have just the bases to do but that should only take an evening in between working on ETL models.

[elmo]

So the challenge has been accepted - this years ETL contribution will be for the T'au Empire

 

I will need to finish off the bases on the 6 suits which should only take an evening then work will begin in earnest on the ETL.

 

My first vow will be the largest group of models I will be vowing as the others will be top ups dependant on the time remaining. I have a number of larger suits but they need assembly and 2 Skyrays, a Hammerhead and a Devilfish already primed so they may appear as a later vow.

 

For now though the first vow is 3 XV9s, 1 XV88-2 and 9 XV8s which have all been gathering dust for a number of years in the painting queue but I find that the ETL is a great motivator to put paint on plastic ;)

 

I am planning on 4 full weeks of painting to clear this first vow but I have a gap week at the beginning of June where nothing will be painted so the first vow should be complete mid June.

 

I will be keeping this thread for the weekly updates and the ETL thread will just get updated with completed models so feel free to drop in here from time to time to jab me with a pointy stick to keep my motivation going ;)

[elmo]

All done

The first 6 of 17 old style XV8 Crisis Battlesuits with magnetised arm and shoulder hardpoints.

Once these 17 are done I will need to strip and repaint another 12 as my scheme has changed... :(

old new

Now I can really start on my ETL vow...

[The Pounder]

Bloody hell you're quick!

Looking forward to your ETL progress.

[elmo]

2 weeks is about standard for me to complete a unit

10 SM.... 2 weeks

10 Guardsmen.... 2 weeks

Vehicle.... 2 weeks

6 Suits.... 2 weeks

 

 

I seem to be setting a pattern

[elmo]

Lots better on a dark background...