Hobby Tricks: Prepping symbols, Sticks and BLOOD!

TJ here to share a couple of basic things I have used/ noticed that have helped me save time or just plain kicked ass. Let's take a look.

So the Alpha legion symbols you have seen on my Berzerkers and Oblits are all pretty well shaded and highlighted. I didn't paint each one of those painstakingly over the course of hours. NOOOO! I painted them all at once with a regular brush and some help from plain old Blue Tac.

I stuck these ALpha Legion Symbols onto the blue tac and then primed them right on the blue tac. DOn't worry, you can still use the blue tac afterward and it is $2 if you can't (but you can). Then you come through with a big brush and paint base them all and then come back and dry brush the highlights. No cleaning up the surrounding shoulder pad, no being careful. Just get 100 or more done at a time. It saved me hours on the Alpha Legion and is still saving me time. I just glue the symbols on later.

Another thing I did was use the blue tac ($2) and stuck it to some yard sticks that I had cut in half (less than $1 each). This let me airbrush and highlight the models super fast. I know this trick isn't new and isn't unknown, but I know I thought i was fine without the sticks and man was I wrong. I based and highlighted 115 models with three colors of blue in an hour and five minutes. 115 models! I can't believe I knew this trick existed and never tried it. It costs three dollars to set up. DO IT!

The last little trick I have that I have been using lately is just mixing 50/50 Blood For the Blood God technical paint with Secret Weapon's Realistic Water effect medium. Take a look at it dried on that base. That's completely set. It looks wet and passed right over the skulls to pool looking pretty much like fresh blood to me. You could go heavier on the BFTBG to make it thicker too. I was just stoked by the final result and wanted to share it. BTW, I have used a bunch of different still water and I was really impressed by SW's formula. It just works better and easier and is very affordable compared to the alternatives.

Anyway, those are just some tricks I have tried and found recently. I think I might do something like this once in a while. Have you tried any of these? Let me know how it worked.

Skarbarand with Black Flesh finished Helloween 2017!

TJ here to wrap up Helloween 2017 with Skarbarand, the angriest Bloodthirster of them all! I tried out a new skin technique with this model, who was a fun challenge to paint with so many different textures and shapes! Let's take a look.

Khorne Berzerker Freehand Armor for World Eaters WIP: Opinions Required!

TJ here to ask for your opinions on a paint scheme I am working on for my World Eaters. I have free handed skulls and Khorne symbols on the larger surfaces. Right now only half the model has the new paint scheme applied to the red parts of the armor and most of the details are better visible in the photos below. 

My very first Obliterator...

Hey everyone, KrautScientist here. Today I would like to talk about a model that seems to have been ages in the making: I recently managed to finally complete the very first Obliterator model for my World Eaters. Now why did it take me so long? After all, it could have been as easy as picking up a box of Oblitz from my FLGS, assembling them and slapping on some paint, right? Where's the problem?

Yes, well. I have a bit of a complicated history when it comes to Obliterators. Allow me to elaborate.

Tutorial: Speed Painting Daemons For Quality Part 3

TJ here to continue and finish this three part series on Speed Painitng for Quality. Part 1 debuted on Dec. 8, Part 2 on Dec. 10. I am currently at sea on a Naval vessel and scheduled this a lon ime ago, so I cannot link those right now, so if you are interested in them, dig them up. The intention is to help people who have some dusty, unpainted daemons on the shelf - get them painted. I painted 40 models in 8 hours to better than the average tabletop standard and this post is where that all comes together, so let's get to it:

My Pipe Dream - Part 2

Ho!
This is part deux of Fly Molo's series on making his very own awesome Warhammer table. Part 1 can be found here.

So I hit the store. Lowes is going to get about $60 of my money which I think is reasonable for a table that I hope to have for a long time. And one that's going to be totally sweet!

Tutorial: Speed Painting Daemons for Quality Part 2

TJ here with Tutorial number 2 for Speedpainting Daemons for a quality finish, unlike stereotypical speedpainting, which usually looks terrible. I recenlty painted up 20 horrors and 20 plague bearers in 8 hours, roughly 2 hours per squad (though I painted them all at once) and wanted to share the method with everyone, so, if you missed the first part of the tutorial, it published on December 8th (I cannot link it bacause I am at sea and this is a scheduled post), but for those who already read it, let's dive right in.

Chuck's Infinity Update

 

Hello everyone Chuck here with some photos of what I have had going on with my favorite small model count game Infinity!  Dropzone games has been a hotspot for Infinity over the last few months with a lot of people getting into the game during a escalation style Paradiso campaign I have helped run.  Lets take a look!

It came from the Night O Sphere: Deathmark Night Scythe and Despair Crypteks

I blew the dust off my painting desire for the Necrons and finally finished my two night scythes.  These guys got to be the Deathmarks own personal ride.  I figured since I love them so much I have to give them their own rides in my collection.

Breaking the Established Norms, Your Take!

TJ here to talk about how we build and paint our armies to either fit the established background of our games or how we break with those traditions and why. For myself, I have always ridden the fence on the subject because I am an avid fan of the Black Library and to date have read all of the Horus Heresy novels and several omnibuses from the current millennia. When I start a project the background is always right there in my face and I am always tempted to satisfy that itch of making a conversion and paintjob that satisfies that background, however, sometimes I feel like I am painting myself into a corner in more ways than one.

The Spawn Grinder (Todd McFarlane Soul Grinder) Work In Progress

TJ here to share some good news and bad news on this model - The good, I am more than halfway done painting it. The bad, my dates got swapped around and I will be out to sea for the next few weeks and thus, unable to paint the model until I return (in fact, as of the time this posted, I have been gone a week). Rather than leave it a mystery. I want to share it with you as is and talk about how I approach the scheme.

Minotaur Daemon Prince/ Greater Daemon Conversion Painted! My Best Work to Date!

TJ here with my best work to date: The Minotaur Daemon Prince, or Bull-God or whatever you want to call him (I don't mean minotaur Space Marines BTW). This is a conversion and a paint job I am extremely proud of and I plan to run him on the table top for the long term! I have a ton of photos posted below, so please enter with caution, those of you with slow work computers! I only have the iPhone right now for my photography and I know it can make even the best model look awful, so I just took a bunch of photos under different lights and hoped for the best, but enough excuses, let's look at this big, nasty monster!

Hell O'Ween: Masters of Terror, The Night Lords

The new Space Marines Codex has given my favorite power armor army new life.  Night Lords time!  Plus as an added bonus FW is going to have a direct line to my back account because of the upcoming Pre-Heresy release of Night Lords stuff.   So here is the first of the new Night Lords vehicles, my storm talon.

MiGT: Best Painted Winner, Marcus Baxley Plus Runners up

This years best painted winner went to Marcus Baxley.  His Ork army was an obvious labor of love (as most ork armies are!).  The competition was thick at the GT for best painted and it was a hard choice to make but this army definitely deserves its crown.  Hopefully these pictures will show you why!

MiGT: Photos from Michigan's First GT!

 Here is a long long dump of over 100 pictures from the armies at the MiGT.  I'll try to credit them where I remember them, but if I've missed you its because my brain may have been at max capacity over the weekend.  Here we go!

Warning: Very large pic dump after jump!

Air Compressor Revamp for the Airbrush; Don't fear the shop compressor!

One thing that has really put in me off lately from 40k hobby is not feeling settled.  I've been in the upheval of my life for almost a year now and things are looking like they might finally settle back in.  This year was one of the hardest of my life in which I came out alive and well and a better man for.  I want to get back on that horse and start doing great work agian.  This is my step one back into the light.

Infinity: Painted Sgt Duroc

 Hello Everyone Chuck here with a quick update on what I have been painting lately.  I present to you your friendly parachuting special forces werewolf Sgt Duroc!  Infinity has been growing steadily at my local FLGS DropZone Games and is quickly becoming my favorite small model count game.  The model line is absolutely gorgeous and the rules although a bit complex at times make for a more RPG oriented experience.

Get Your Stuff Painted!

Ho,

Fly Molo back again with a painting article. And I do love painting. Actually, more accurately, I like having painted models. I assume you do too!
Yet, think back,... out of the last 20 or so games you've played, how many times have you used a completely painted army? How many times have your opponent?
Why is that?

Jokaero Weaponsmith Conversion

This crazy little ape is, in my opinion, one of the best units in the Grey Knights codex.  Between the utility his weapons offer and the possible upgrades they grant to their unit, Jokaero Weaponsmith's are a hidden gem.  The biggest downside to them is the terribly unimpressive model GW has to offer.  So, with a suggestion from Chris Vinton, I upgraded my Jokaero into a formidable looking techno-gorilla.

Gorilla Daemon Prince Finished, Fully Painted!!

Tj here to show off the fully painted Gorilla Daemon Prince that I have been working on. Since he is basically a giant flying ape, I will call him Bananas! Bananas was a hell of a lot of fun to paint and I want to show off some pics, talk a little about the paint job and about the "Army of the Apocalypse" not to be confused with an apocalypse army. So let's take a look at the photos: