Heldrake 2.0

Work continues on the Heldrake. I was able to spend a few hours starting on the gold, and let me tell you there is a metric ton of it going onto this model.....

I chose Vallejo Alcohol based - Old gold for this. I find that it works really well with the reds and the almost red tint of the gold picks up a reflection like quality.

So this is how far I was able to get. So much more to go.....

Heldrake WIP.


It's been a while since I've worked on a GW model, a good friend asked if I would paint his Heldrake. I've admired this bad boy for a long time, so I jumped at the chance to take it on.

My first thought was "Holy cow that's a big model" which was closely followed by "Holy cow, that's a lot of detail for a big model".

So with a stout heart I began by taping off the flight stand and priming the model. I primed it grey using Vallejo Surface Primer and let it cure for about 8 hours. Then coated it with Vallejo Model Color Grey/Black. Once dry I used Dawler Roweny - Red Ink as a base for the reds. After that it was time to add in the highlights and shadows. I mixed up some Vallejo Game Color - Stone Grey and added a few drops of P3 red ink to give it a more natural tone. Then it was time for the bright red of the P3 red ink.

All in all I'm about 3 hours into this behemoth and it's just now got its first layer of gloss coat. Next it will be the tedious work of browning all of the parts for the undercoat of the golds!

So here is the sequence in pictures.

Two models in one blog post!


Yes I can't believe it either. I was discharged from the hospital today and had way to much saved up energy when I got home that just needed to be channeled into painting. I was able to finish both the Privateer Press - Extreme Juggernaut and the Privateer Press - Butcher 1 models.

Both are just a blast to paint. The reds were done in my typical red ink through the airbrush technique. You will notice that I used a true black on the juggernaut. I figured I would mix things up a bit there.

I am particularity proud of the fur on pButchers back. Other than that here are some pictures.

Back from Vacation!


Have you ever not realized that you seriously needed a vacation? Well if you have then you know how I felt. We had set up a 4 day trip to Nashville to visit with friends and wound up staying for almost a week! That being said I hadn't realized how much good a break would do me.

I have been home for a few days and finally found the itch to paint. I have been working on a commission for another Blighted Bather from Privateer Press. I love working on alternate models. Especially fun stuff like this. This customer wanted the skin tone to match the normal Legion of Everblight colors and who am I to say no.

So here she is. All done and ready for her owner. I still chuckle when I look at the rubber ducky like Shredder.

Extreme Juggernaut 1.0

I decided to take a quick diversion from finishing up the GW models, and work on something I had been given by a friend for Christmas. The extreme juggernaut is a limited edition model from Privateer Press. It's much larger than the normal and weighs something like two pounds (that's just under a kg for you folks across the pond).

So far I have done the reds, blacks, silvers and golds on the model. It's now curing the gloss varnish before I wash and highlight.

Just something quick and fun I wanted to share.

Till next time folks.

In the home stretch...

I was able to spend a few hours working on the Rhino and other GW tank last night. Basically I finished up the weathering and then sealed it with a matte varnish (to keep the pigments in place).

The weathering beyond the chipping is pretty easy to do. First thing is to gloss coat after the chipping stage is done. This basically puts a barrier between anything and the hairspray that is still under the paint. Once the gloss coat cured it was time to add the wash. For this model I went with Red Ochre oil paints mixed into a wash by adding mineral spirits. The oil needed over night to dry. Then I used Secret Weapons Miniatures - Rust Red weathering powder to give it a good rusted, dirty look. Then sealed it with matte varnish. The thing to remember about pigments is that they will always darken a bit after being varnished.

So here are the tanks. Now to just finish up the turrets and weapons and this one will be done.

Batch Painting - a few thoughts.


I was waiting for the next gloss coat to dry on the GW tanks yesterday but wanted to get some painting done. I had a few models laying around (who doesn't really?) that were primed and and patiently waiting their turn in line on the shelf. I decided to get them at least base coated. I knew that all of them were going to have strong reds and figured "why waste the paint?"

Batch painting, especially with an airbrush is pretty easy and can save a you a bunch of time. Make sure all of your models are prepped and ready to go. Keep them off to the side so that they are not picking up any over spray, and have at it. Simple really but what a time and effort saver. From base coat to under ehighlights to inks all four models took less than an hour.

So here are some pics....