Dreadtober 2019 – Mostly TO DONE!

#Dreadtober update and as promised yesterday, today is just a preliminary wrap-up of pics. There’s still varnishing to do and adding some flock but it’s effectively complete.

 I have to say Dreadtober has been an absolute joy this year. Sure I made it easy on myself by prepping so much of it in advance, but I do that with all my projects and even so I almost [actually] didn’t meet the deadline so I can’t be too hard on myself – I know my pace.

 I think next year I’ll have to post every time I progress instead of sticking to my schedule and doubling. it might be a nice exercise in micro-blogging and also help with the whole community vibe.

It’s also worth mentioning Mordian 7th’s hard working in keeping Dreadtober up-to-date not to mention painting his own Contemptor Achillus. Collating everyone’s work in an additional blog is a thankless task, so I just thought I’d say ‘thank you’! 

lastly a couple of comparison pics, alongside my old skool Rhino/Razorback. Not quite as saturated green, but the battle damage is comparable.

And lastly, alongside my Armiger Warglaive. I think the Warglaive just edges the Redemptor – it’s on a bigger base for a start and I was always rather horrified that the interred marine’s tend to ‘burn out’ in these newer dreads. It’s horrific and seems perfectly grimdark 40k, but there is an element of callous disregard for a venerated brother and for me that doesn’t fit with how marines honour their [almost] fallen [not that kind] comrades.

That said I have grown attached to the Redemptor, something I never thought when I initially saw the model. It’s just a little sad I can’t envisage playing Dark Angels for a while because of the new additional rules, but I’ve said before they can be my ‘display army’, even if the Tyranids are actually more of a display! Anyway, happy Hallowe’en, happy Dreadtober!

Dreadtober 2019 – The Final 5

#Dreadtober update – “so say we all” fellow Dreadtoberists and Dreadtoberistas! Given the timescale I pushed [aka rushed] on through with this last night. Not only did I resolve most of the remaining details, but I got the glow FX and battle damage done.

Now the glow FX is not my best work, but once again I can live with that. Tyler Mengel covered something applicable last week in his article The Art of the Shortcut I’m referring to – ‘point 2. Focal Points’, in that although my glow FX is the brightest colour and stands out, the actual high quality shading of the bulk of the model may help mitigate the roughness of the glow and gives the illusion that it has all been painted to the same standard. Either way I’m not that fussed, it’s alright and I’m happy with ‘alright’.

With the reactor glow done I could finally glue on the Dark Angel reliquary. I broke it off about 5 minutes later so I can foresee that super-gluing it is going to come back and haunt me. If it does it again I may try polycement.

The fist is finished and battered. I loosely mixed Khorne Red and black and sponged on, so I got areas of more red and other darker areas so there was very little to do in making the damage stand out aside from the green highlight. This was mainly dabbed on after thinning with water and where it was a bit blobby a quick tap with my finger would blend the edge while leaving an area that was more saturated. I mean the detail isn’t pristine/fine but it does the job, much better than ‘alright’ anyways 😉 I didn’t want too much damage as Redemptors are a ‘new’ unit and I noted my Old Skool Rhino/Razorback wasn’t riddled with damage so this fits. One major success is I was a little more selective with it’s application – mainly on the lower half, unlike my Knights which seem to have loads of damage on their carapaces but not many units are bigger than them to visit such damage…

And that’s pretty much it, I need to add a couple more coats to the base rim, varnish and Tamiya Clear the lenses with some yellow flocking on the base. But, that will take a couple of nights and as Hallowe’en is tomorrow I’ll be otherwise occupied. So what I’ll be doing tonight is taking some preliminary pictures as it’s all but complete so I can share for the culmination of Dreadtober. I’ll finish it proper over the weekend and next week it’s time to take stock on other projects again…

Dreadtober 2019 – Devil in the details

#Dreadtober update and time seems to be running out, but that’s only because these first 2 pictures are from the 24th of Dreadtober. The truth is I’ll most likely be on track to finish this, what with working on the details now. But trying to fit in the blog updates before the end of the month, now that’s the difficult challenge.

As you can see I’ve started to pick out some pipework on the sarcophagus, shaded his power fist, added grey and a shadow wash to the Dark Angel Chapter moulding on is front and also added a company number on his shoulder

The other shoulder will have a Dark Angel decal, so I’ve glossed it, complete with these chunky brush strokes 😞 I’ll do another coat and see if it smooths out. I mean I could have free-handed this but for some reason just felt that a decal was the right way to go, time will tell.

I had a few more details to pick out, [red pipes, lenses, Tyranid elements on the base, Dark Angel Relic trophies on the back, rivets etc.] highlight all the black areas and some other bits and then consider battle damage. Luckily I got some time at the weekend to paint during the day. It’s a rare treat but I got to progress a lot of those details. So the initial 2 pics have suddenly got all these to show progress.

 It also helped I got the Chapter decal affixed so I could then go about shading highlight so it was less decal looking. And I started the base for my plasma glows. 

There’s actually a fair bit more detail in the chapter badge than this picture conveys but it does appear to have the notorious decal ‘halo’ which is a little misleading as I actually painted an outline of Caliban Green to add some shading to it and depth. The Genestealer Node also got highlights, just the teeth to do now. 

I had a spare number 5 stencil knocking around from my Predator, that’s also been cleaned up after stippling and highlighted. Hindsight a big red stripe down the centre would have looked better. Or the panel underneath made white, echoing the Predator… The interior of the sarcophagus had some orange added to echo the Drop Pods. Decisions I will dismiss for now, maybe consider them down the line as an update?

The Genestealer skull also got highlighted and his head crest Bahama blue, ready for turquoise next.

These later pics are from 27th Dreadtober. Still a number of things to do but it should be painted by the end of the month, meeting the deadline. Varnishing might be in November but I can live with that.  

Inside number nine

It’s my #blogaversary and somehow I’ve been blogging for 9 years! I wondered last year if I could even take a break? Careful what you wish for…

Given the family situation that transpired at my last blogaversary and all the IT obstacles that have been put in my way blogging is now finely balanced between the effort to keep it going and the need to share my efforts. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate all those who keep coming back and find value in my postings, as well as the support I’ve felt for during this difficult period. I am forever grateful for all of the comments and support.

But I know I haven’t been able to keep up with the blog how I would like and that has also meant I have failed to contribute quite as much as I’d like to the hobby blogging community – I read less blogs and haven’t been able to support them with my own feedback as much as I receive. In some respects I’ve been seduced by twitter – spending more time on there because of the bite-size chunks. And I have been able to respond to comments a little more here, compared to previously. As the IT policy on the images has tightened the actual blog and comments have relaxed and with G+ dead it’s now straightforward to see all the latest comments chronologically in the dashboard and which ones I need to respond to [or delete of they’re spam].

Rest assured I’ve no intention of stopping any time soon. I may well have had a lot of challenges to test my love of blogging recently, and I’m fine with a platonic ‘friends with benefits’. 😂 But at the moment I think I’m enjoying it again; and if you hadn’t noticed there is evidence that blogger has some new functions in the dashboard, so maybe google is investing a bit of effort in it? A different way to view your stats isn’t ground breaking but maybe it heralds more for the future…

Here’s to another 12 months, 9 years though … how did that happen?!

Dreadtober 2019 – Verdigris and vert de green

#Dreadtober update and the verdigris has been added. Typically it is a mixed affair, where sometimes the application looks as close to what it can be in reality

And then in other areas where it just looks like I’ve splodged turquoise paint on it. 

But the fist got quartered for the 5th company’s badge and I also started shading all the panels with black. 

Again, subtle unwanted tide marks with the black, that’s what happens when you don;t apply a layer of texture to hide all these mistakes! However, the subsequent highlights/glazes should mitigate this issue.  

Waaargh Flesh I think is the highlight, mainly drybrushed on but some areas where it was applied as a line-highlight and others where it was thinned and blended.

I could feel myself rushing this a bit in places, but I’m thinking I may go back in with some Caliban Green, drybushed to help blend the lighter and darker shades together.

This will also help cover up any marks I hadn’t resolved, although if I do any weathering/battle damage that will be even less of an issue…

More highlights and glazing next…

Armies on Parade 2019

#ArmiesonParade has been and gone now, but I’m still ferrying my Tyranids back home from my staging post at work. So, how was it for me? I have to admit despite not being able to be instore I loved seeing twitter and Facebook explode with boards on the Saturday and Sunday. So, much so that come MOnday Facebook was so convinced that my sudden spike in sharing folks content was unusual it actually locked me out of my account thinking it had been hacked by a bot! Anyway, the quality of hobby was excellent and I even saw someone post a Warhammer Underworlds tile with a few warbands on it as their entry – the exact example I hoped for. Sadly I saw one person report they were turned away because they hadn’t arranged their space in advance, such a shame as it was a tiny display, featuring just the main characters from Blackstone Fortress, a shame but we did get to see it online.

Manchester Warhammer took pictures of their entries, sadly I have none, but coincidentally did not reveal who had won anything, just that the winner was to remain instore in the cabinet. So in effect I have managed to experience a non-competitive Armies on Parade. I’ve no idea who won [didn’t have time to look in the cabinet] or who received any awards, I even forgot to ask for my pin-badge and just got the crusader card. The guys in the store were very appreciative of the display though so it was all worthwhile.

Hopefully my twitter and Facebook shares make up for the lack of pics here. I still love the event and will most likely Parade my Knights and hopefully some Forgebane AdMech next year. I was not without reward though, Element Games runs a weekly competition on twitter and Facebook to win a £10 voucher. I had already won earlier this year, sharing my Tyranid Hierophant, but sharing my AoP board secured me another. Now I’ve £20 worth of store credit and no idea what to get with it…

GW Manchester Battle of the Brush – September – Characters

Following on from August’s Battle of the Brush [or ‘Tale of our Warlords’, as it’s also known], September’s category was Characters. I entered my Space Hulk Deathwing Librarian . My goal is just to achieve the 12 entries over the course of the year and as you can see the standard is exceptional each month so the competitive aspect will be tough, hence why I’m just along for the ride.

1st place was this elf.

2nd to the Slaughterpriest.

3rd to the Nighthaunt

And the staff pic for colour scheme they would do – Gotrek

I did manage to pick up the ‘Warlords’ award – the miniature chose by all the other entrants who last year completed the 12 month challenge, I was actually really chuffed with this, moreso than I felt with the Land Speeder Dark Shroud – this felt like a big deal to be honoured so.

I took these pics in the old store, not sure if they were also entered into the challenge.

Some more random pics

And an Orruk in Orange.

The obligatory Chaos/Necron/Tau

A rather pallid looking dragon

Some Ork bombers from Aeronautica

And their new home in the new shop.

A Squat display in the window.

With fab Red Planet BASE!

And the old Squats in Exo Armour, I used to have these…

 Lastly a fantastic Renegade Knight – makes the Imperial kind so dull 😞

Next month is squads and I’ll be putting in my Genestealer Neophytes but I seem to have misplaced my entry form which isn’t a problem but is annoying, …

Dreadtober 2019 – Shadow metallics

#Dreadtober update and I’ve shadow washed all the metallics. My Valejo Sepia ‘dipping’ wash is the main difference.

In truth it is not the best product in the world but I’ve tons of the stuff and a lot of this will be further enhanced with Army Painter String Tone wash for even more contrast and then the Verdigris

But you can clearly see on the assault cannon unwanted tide-marks

It’s less noticeable on the Plasma weapon and certainly makes it look a little more ancient but it’s still a bit of a gamble using it.

Perhaps a mix with Lahmian Medium might make it settle a little better but that’s always too much faffing for me 😂

And then not too much difference but this is after the Strong Tone wash as well

But a back shot, curiously missing from the last set of pictures.

I then shaded the pauldrons with black and painted the fist Angel Green.

And at some point plaid down the skull for a Renegade Knight banner that will go on the base of Lady Pettorini. It’s not quite working but maybe it’ll come right in the end…

Verdigris next…

Dreadtober 2019 – Moar Metallics

#Dreadtober update and yet moar application of the metallics. This is the mid-season finale so to speak, whereby I apply the final set of highlights before I add a wash layer to grime it up a bit. I believe it’s Valejo Game Color Gun Metal and Shining Gold [whatever they’re in this intro set and still going strong after 9 years] sponged on for the texture.

It works particularly well on the hip joint. There are still areas I can’t decide how to paint but I’ve no doubt my decision will crystallise green or bronze without delay when the time comes.

The weapons also got their highlights, I even had an Imperial Knight Icarus array that got a quick highlight. I will regret not pursuing the Deathwing Knights in parallel but that would dismiss my feelings that it would be too much to take on simultaneously and despite the metals being the same the application requires a different approach. The terminators are much smaller and need more care, whereas this thing is a beast and I can just slap it on and any issues can be covered up with battle damage. It’s actually quite a freeing experience.

The sponging is so rough and ready but the shade wash will balance it all together. I’m sure red casings like the ‘eavy metal studio army would be so pedestrian for me now. I considered having a bit of green on it but there’s something about a Dread that I did with Brother Cask [shares link then realises there are no back shots 😔] whereby there is the green armour built over a metal skeleton, much like how Imperial Knights would be presented.

So I was already imagining the paint scheme years before I did Euronymous or knew Imperial Knights would be a thing.

It’s also another aspect of my Darfk Angel scheme. I chose them way back when specifically because I didn’t just want to paint green. The Deathwing colour scheme gave my bone too and then they canonised the Ravenwing black so I got a third option [not realising the havoc it would play with my future hobby mojo] and then the bronze which ties it all together, the verdigris not too dissimilar to the green but on a big model I can play around with the metallics even more. That way is mostly green from the front then metallics all on the back, like a surprise as it turns round.

Anyway, lot of fun, I’m really digging #Dreadtober 

Join in Armies on Parade 2019

Last year I attempted to get an article published on Warhammer Community about Armies on Parade #armiesonparade. There’s no guarantees with these things so I’ve managed to stop crying about it 😉 and thought I could at least share it here to once again reaffirm how much I enjoy taking part and if you are in this hobby and have painted some figures you should too! Saturday 19th October is Parade day get on down to your local store and join in, here’s why:

Greetings, I’m Dave Weston and I’ve been hobby blogging for the last 8 years over at Confessions of a 40k Addict. The Warhammer Community Team has indulged my request to champion my favourite hobby event of the year – Armies on Parade. 

I’m sure most are well aware of Armies on Parade, perhaps even dabbled but for those that don’t it is the biggest hobby event in the world! Each year thousands of hobbyists across the Mortal Realms/Galaxy/Middle Earth (delete as appropriate) showcase their armies in their local Games Workshop. What follows across social media and in the community is a veritable feast of hobby delights. You will see parade after parade of amazing miniatures, conversions, and dioramas, all wrapped up in a tidy 2’ by 2’ square (or smaller).

I first entered Armies on Parade in 2013 with my Tyranids. Sadly I was the only entry in my local store that year and I walked away with the Gold medal. More importantly was the reward that after years of painting my army, I’d finally showcased it for folk to see. When I originally started the hobby back in the Rogue Trader era I never completed more than a dozen or so miniatures, I stopped the hobby in 1993 and returned in 2009. Armies on Parade 2013 was a huge achievement for me – finally having an army to parade. I promised myself I would continue to support the event, building my army and using every opportunity to encourage my friends and other hobbyists to take part.

No doubt if you’ve ever seen the results of Parade Day or visited armiesonparade.com you’ll have seen some pretty amazing boards. The Community Team’s Eddie Eccles’ boards are a thing of beauty; yes even the horrifying beauty of his Tyranid parade! But these dioramas might not be possible for someone just starting out in the hobby and for some inspiration might manifest as intimidation. What I hope to share with you all is that anyone can take part in Armies on Parade, at any level of the hobby. Perhaps you’ve just bought Soul Wars and painted your first few Night Haunt models or even just the First Strike 40k starter set; if so you’ve the makings of your army. You could even be a hardcore gamer with a 3 colours minimum netlist, Armies on Parade welcomes one and all (just like the Four Armed Emperor). The most important thing to remember is it’s your hobby, it’s your army, you parade what you want.

Of course Armies on Parade does have a competitive element too, you might aspire to win one of the awards on offer these are:

• Young Bloods (up to 15 years old)

• First army (for those new to the hobby whatever age)

• Monsters and machines (for those that like to go large)

• Best theme (for those that like to tell a story)

• Best scenic board (for those that want to make amazing dioramas)

• Best painted (for the aspiring Golden Demons amongst us)

It’s worth noting though that everyone gets an Armies on Parade badge for entering (you might even be able to pick up a Citadel Crusader Card while you’re at it!), reinforcing the view that taking part is an achievement and reward in itself. In previous years there were only first, second and third place medals, with these categories it’s clear Armies on Parade is opening up to all levels of the hobby. “But Dave, how do I go about joining in?” I hear the voices in the warp ask, well here are my top tips:

Dave’s top tips for taking part in the biggest, bestest, hobby event in the world ever – Armies on Parade!

1. Sign up! Simple really. As soon as your local store announces their Parade Day, get on down and enter.
2. Planning. Have a plan of what you want to display and how you want to display it. A display board is not compulsory but it certainly helps to make your army look better. Stores usually have single Realm of Battle board tiles to buy specifically for the event but you could make your own or even use the card tiles from Shadespire or Deathwatch Overkill if your army is small in number.
   

3. Use your time wisely. Parade Day is usually October/November, which means you have quite a few months left of hobby time. For some that’s enough to plan, build and paint a whole army and diorama (these people are obviously possessed by foul chaos energies but I’ll leave it to the Inquisition to investigate); for others like me it might just be sufficient time to add another unit or two. Whichever you are a deadline is a great hobby motivator and it really feels like an achievement adding to your army in time for the parade.
4. Make the best of what you’ve got. As I don’t have the room to make dioramas I like to showcase my armies simply. I’ve a number of backdrops that provide context to the red planet world of Ferron Proxima that all my armies fight over, but the board is a simple Realm of Battle tile. However, I decorate it with various bits of my gaming terrain, just to enhance the display. Even if you’ve not gone down the diorama route, some trees, Munitorum Containers, objectives, whatever you have that fits your army might add to your display. And if your army is only just beginning, try using a smaller display board so your force doesn’t look lost.
   

5. Don’t panic! Last year I saw one hobbyist’s display board ruined at the last minute. Desperate to take part and as a back-up he entered Magnus and Roboute Guilliman in combat together. Some would argue this isn’t an ‘army’ but we’ve all read Primarchs are practically ‘armies in their own rights’. Remember it’s your hobby, your parade!
6. Enjoy your parade. Everyone who enters is a winner; we’ve all shown our love of the hobby and presented our achievements for our fellow hobbyists to enjoy. I promise that once you’ve entered one parade you’ll be desperate to enter next year. The opportunity to expand on your existing army and showcase new units, possibly new skills in your painting, or even start a new army/diorama from scratch is highly addictive (I should know!).

Here are a couple more examples proving you don’t have to have custom or any board indeed [the Knights were on a store board] to join in. Everyone gets that pin badge for taking part and some even take away certificates in their category. Hopefully that’s enough to convince you that Armies on Parade is for every hobbyist, including you. If you need any more advice your local Games Workshop will help you or check out armiesonparade.com for inspiration. Don’t forget to use #armiesonparade and see you on Parade Day!