solid snake drive

Once again incredibly late to posting this once I finished. As one may notice, I have a fondness for older looking vehicles. Rhino/Razorback #2!

Hello, it's been a while. Almost five months actually haha. Took some time to delve into other hobbies (road biking!) before returning to Warhammer as the weather begins to cool and staying inside seems a better prospect, cozy and warm. I've been dabbling with some of the great truescale marines from Truescale Heresy x Bolterjugend for my next squad. Fantastic kits, though the layer lines leave something to be desired. Here's hoping the grooves don't cause issues when oil washing. Part of why it's taken so long -aside from the nice weather- to move on to the next project is that I dread kitbashing in some sense. I don't have the wealth of spare bits that many who have been in the hobby continuously for years may have so any sort of customization comes at a somewhat higher instance cost, hunting down specific single bits or sets of bits instead of rummaging through a pre-existing box of spares. Also, trying to create a unique and appropriate aesthetic for a custom chapter that doesn't have a deepset legacy of imagery or character is both daunting yet exciting, as well as mentally exhausting. I don't paint in order to play the game. In fact I haven't touched an actual game of 40k since 4th edition. So there's no rush to complete anything, for better or for worse! Anyway more jump-pack marines! I love their general aesthetic. The idea of these hulking one ton tanks falling from the sky into the thick of things. Tried to give each some form of character and momentum. I'm still debating whether to go with clean and bright or chipped and dirty. As you can see on the leg of the latest image I'm opting for some wear and tear, but I also have never done shiny nu-marines so to speak. Might be better to save that sort of style for the more elite troops and allow the rank and file to get down and dirty. What do you think?

Hi folks, some glacially slow progress on my part on the next set of assault marines. Felt a bit of burn out with the last Rhino/Razorback project so I took it slow this time, only really painting in 1-2 hr bursts during the occasional evening, using an individual miniature as more a practice platform for volumetric blending with brushwork. Definitely have a long way to go but I'm getting more confident with my blends. The long Memorial Day weekend gave me a nice long length of time to really hunker down and get some work done. This was the initial airbrush phase with Boreal Green + Light Flesh thinly layered over a Decayed Metal base layer and chipped. As you can see, during the course of blend work a lot of the chips were covered. I couldn't be bothered to go back and rechip as I didn't want to cause issues with overchipping. I may add manual weathering by sponge chipping with rhinox hide later, but I also want to leave the armor more pristine to showcase the blends. The current state of the miniature. Spent most of today working on the metallics. I've really been trying to treat TMM almost like NMM, thanks to a bunch of videos by Vincent Venturella. So lots of layering and glazing on dark contrast paints on areas that wouldn't reflect light. It's hectic having dozens of reference photos open! Also trying out an alternate eye method that looks more like the red dot lenses seen in Jin-Roh and in art by Wolfdawgartcorner on Reddit (example here). I think it looks a lot more menacing than the typical jeweled lens look. Final steps left would now be more weathering with sponge chipping, painting on microscratches, and weathering pigments!

These are so characterful! Amazing! Feels like each one has a story to tell. Re: the greenstuffed chainmail, it looks like you're using the greenstuff world texture plates. If you are, would you explain how you go about it? I've had a rough time using them and keeping the chainmail texture sharp.

Final touches on the Deimos Rhino complete!

1. Base: Screaming Bell 2. Layer: thinned down 50:50 mix of screaming bell and scale color True Copper. more true copper with each layer and in a smaller area. 3. Umber oil wash 4. glaze guilliman flesh contrast towards the dark area 5. glaze wildwood contrast towards the darkest area 6 rebrighten with screaming bell 7. edge highlight with true copper

I just took a gander at the lore for your Lacunae and I’ve gotta say it’s so neat to see a familiar foundational premise share certain similarities but also vastly unique ideas! Also your models have such character and mood to them :)

Highlights and basic weathering complete for the most part. Probably still have a few scratches and dings to paint on the razorback turret (not shown). Tracks will need to be more heavily weathered with powders and texture paints. :)

Hello all. Some more progress on the Rhino/Razorback and some greenstuff adventures. I've blocked off the base metallics and basecoated the rest of the tank as well as sealed everything in a layer of VMS HD gloss varnish. I'm not sure I'd use this product again next time for the sealant step as it requires quite a thick application to create a smooth surface, and any non-smooth spray results in rough not so glossy areas. This was all in preparation for the decal stage so a smooth gloss surface was priority. Admittedly I have very little experience with decals so I did plenty of test applications on throwaway models beforehand. Still waiting on a few more decal sheets to be delivered. Afterwards it'll be on to the pinwashing and details stage. One question I have is this photo below. I'm not sure if this would be considered "silvering" and whether I have to reapply this decal. Been looking at example photos online and it seems most cases are more severe than this. I wonder if the silvering would disappear after a coat of gloss varnish and matte varnish and I'm just jumping the gun with assumptions. If not, how would I go about removing the decal? Maybe a layer of microset and a gentle application of a hobby knife? Some other things was trying to create chainmail veils with greenstuff on marine heads. Greenstuff sculpting is also something I have very little experience with and every attempt is sort of met with frustration. Greenstuff is quite the devil to work with and it seems timing is everything. I may have bitten off more than I can chew trying such a small scale and intricate detail for my first go. First attempt to third attempt from left to right. It gets better I think! but still along way away from what I'm envisioning. Will need to keep practicing and adjusting timing.

I've posted this tank in my WIP blog but I figure it'd be nice to share here as well. It's an old 2nd/3rd edition Razorback with metal lascannon turret.

Finally have made some progress on the Deimos Rhino/Razorback. Airbrushed with a basecoat of Scale75 Decayed Metal then gloss varnished before spraying chipping medium and the main armor color. I love chipping vehicles! It's such a relaxing process poking and prodding away. Sometimes though I get so in the zone that I weather a bit too much! Also debating whether to paint the top portion of the front glacis (the portion right behind the two front viewports) in copper for contrast later on or leave it as the main green color. Any thoughts? Next up is chipping the top of the tank as well as all of the razorback accessories, and the tedious process of freehand/decals and oil-washes.

The texture on the cape is stunning!

Thank you for the kind words! Could you expand on the "legion as a chapter" theme? Not sure what that means but it sounds intrigueing. And yes! Converison world spears, which reminds me I should order some more along with their poseable hands.

All the bodies are from Tortuga Bay Studios! Probably the pre-eminent 3rd party bitz company for true-scale marine bodies. Sadly they were based in Ukraine and due to the current situation I'm not sure if they're able to fulfill orders right now. Link to their storefront below if you'd like to check them out! Any support they can get would be incredibly helpful. https://tortuga-gamestable.top/index.php?route=product/category&path=223_244

"In life; Damnation, but in death; Absolution. Until then do I sin willingly." - Reverend Cambyses of the 4th Grand Host There have always existed those amongst humanity who have ventured forth to push the boundaries, entering the darkness beyond in search of discovery and wonder. Indeed, it was these characteristics that led to mankind’s first steps beyond its singular cradle of civilization. What is oft left unsaid however, is of what follows in the wake of such expeditions, unglamorous and thankless though it may be. The trail that has been blazed would just as soon wither, and can only be sustained by its subsequent use and guardianship, to be a living record of mankind’s dominion borne aloft within the hulls of each starship plying those fragile astral corridors. For what use is there of trails but to ferry precious resources and raw materiel, so often the hushed and unspoken impetus for mankind’s expansion. The age of discovery has long passed, and humanity has grown wiser now; the legacy of mankind’s folly scattered across the galaxy and in the genetic memories of each and every human being. The penchant for expansion is left to those scant few who lean more towards madness than sanity. But as always, humanity’s hunger persists and in some ways dwarfs the needs of yesteryear, as the titanic struggle to slow the Imperium’s millennia long decline demands ever more sacrifice. Ancient trails of old, threading out from Holy Terra to the very edges of the galaxy established in byegone eras by humanity’s thrice damned ancestors, require continual vigilance. For dark things grow where no feet tread, and if left to fester, threaten the very fabric of the Imperium itself. Few within the Imperium can be trusted to venture forth and face such darkness, and but for the ironshod boots of the Adeptus Astartes, that essential lifeblood of the Imperium which manifests itself within each cargo hold and ancient charter of trade, within each hunk of ore and bullet molded from its steel, within each grain of wheat and belly sated, would have ceased to flow millennia ago. Know then, that this is a record of the origins, history, tactics and organization of the Canticle of Ending, the Eternal Procession, the Void-Sung: the Iron Saints. Made a bit of progress on the next squad of assault(?) marines/intercessors. Whatever these fellas are I want them to look menacing and eclectic. A set of individuals true to the lore of the Astartes as peerless and storied warriors all. You'll notice each member of the squad have different helmet patterns and a hodgepodge of components. Existing so far out on the galactic edge, I view the Iron Saints as using outdated equipment from byegone eras, tenuously held together with brutal riveted plate and ad-hoc repairs done to the best of the chapter's abilities. For anything more involved, the chapter trades technological trinkets or oaths of protection for what paltry repairs the few Mechanicus explorator fleets out there can provide. I've always felt spears have gotten an unfair shake at things in the 41st millenium. The weapon of choice for much of human history, at least until firearms came around, and even in those early days of shot and powder, the pike rules supreme. Well I intend to make sure the spear gets some much needed representation around here beyond the glaives and halberds you see the golden boys tout around! As for the vehicle behind them... I've painted the control panel on the interior of the Razorback and attached Zinge Industry's very nice Razorback Upgrade Kit, which consists of the handrails you see along the sides of the model, and a pair of penants, which I've left off for now. I also noticed I forgot to glue on the tank treads on the last post's images. I had bought Blood and Skulls Industry's Oppressor treads but I had a very hard time getting them to fit properly along the tank and especially up into the track covers. Maybe next tank I'll have the patience to shave down the resin parts, but not this day. Standard treads it is. I really like the idea of a more "mechanized" chapter, one whose warriors act independently overall, and assigned dedicated transports that they learn to upkeep. Perhaps the vehicle is etched with the names and deeds of all who have ridden within it's hull, developing a warrior culture in which beautiful calligraphic inscription is a prized skill, one favored as much as proficiency with a blade or bolter. Next steps are to add some greenstuff sculpting and bitz to each of the marines to make them feel even more like individual warriors, and then prime the tank. Until next time.