SHOWCASE: Blood Angels assault marine

Warhammer 40,000: Blood Angels assault marine

It's been a while since I've looked at my Blood Angels. Some readers will know that I started a tactical squad at the beginning of the year. I still have four of the ten left to finish, but I have managed to get a sanguinary priest and Baal predator painted since. This model is a test piece for an assault squad to go with them. It's also the first Blood Angel I've painted with an airbrush—something I'll consider for future models as it sped up the process a little.

SHOWCASE: Tau fire warrior

Warhammer 40,000: Tau fire warrior

There have been a lot of new releases for the Tau in the last month or so. It's an army I like the look of but have never actively collected. I do, however, have a small number of models from their range. The model pictured above is a fire warrior; the Tau equivalent of a tactical squad. They make up the bulk of the Tau army and specialise, like most of the Tau race, in ranged warfare. My objective with this guy was to come up with a quick paint scheme that I could apply to the rest of the models (twelve in total) from the box he came in. It didn't need to be pretty; just easy to replicate.

SHOWCASE: Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne

Warhammer: Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne

I finished one! Regular readers (if there are any) will know that finishing a model is a rare treat for me. We're into October and I'm still some way off finishing even twenty models so far this year. With this one, however, I can at least increase the tally by one. It also represents my first finished miniature for the Age of Sigmar range. I'm pleased to introduce you, then, to the Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne.

SHOWCASE: Ultramarine tactical squad space marine

Warhammer 40,000: Ultramarine tactical marine

I'd like to introduce this as 'something different', but I don't know that I can. Okay, it's a different army, but it's still a space marine. After showing you Blood Angels, Space Wolves and Imperial Fists this year, I can't very well claim another space marine is something different. This one, however, is an Ultramarine and, at least within the context of this blog (so far) and still very definitely within the somewhat narrower 'space marine' category, it's something different.

WIP: Exalted Deathbringer

I've yet to be swept up in the Age of Sigmar excitement. It's not that I'm not interested. I am. It's just that, as a non-gamer, I'm not yet willing to jump on board. The simplified ruleset does intrigue me, and the ability to put together very simple armies for very simple games is far more likely to encourage me to play than, say, the massively over-complicated rules for Warhammer 40,000 these days. I am, however, always interested in a cool model. This Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne fits the bill. This one is still very much a work-in-progress and still has a fair amount of work to do on it, but I'm happy with how it's going and have enjoyed painting it so far. Given a few more sessions, I might even be able to show you the finished piece.

WIP: Eldar Farseer Skyrunner

The almost finished jetbike

Something different for today and another chance to experiment with the airbrush. This is one of the (fairly recent) Eldar releases: a Farseer Skyrunner. The Farseer (rider) himself isn't finished yet, but this jetbike will be his ride into battle. The main work has gone into the carapace and the runes on its top. The picture is a little blurry, but I've painted on a few chips and scratches that look pretty decent in the flesh. The saddle looks a little rough in this shot—something that isn't so obvious on the model as it's quite small—but as it won't be visible once the rider is in place, I won't worry too much. The craftworld, by the way, is Iybraesil, hence the turquoise colour scheme. It's the first Eldar model I've painted in years so even I'm interested to see how the finished piece turns out. More on this another day.

SHOWCASE: Armillus Dynat, Harrowmaster of the Alpha Legion

Horus Heresy: Armillus Dynat, Harrowmaster of the Alpha Legion

Today I present the finished Armillus Dynat model. After taking a break to work on a variety of other projects, not to mention a variety of non-painting-related distractions, I've finally made time to get this model done. The main things I had outstanding were the head, white details on his armour and his base. I've actually had him finished for about a month now, but I wasn't happy with the photographs I took at the time. Now, at last, I can say that's he done.

WIP: Roboute Guilliman #1

Roboute Guilliman - the kit and all of its components

As I've mentioned before, when I first got into the hobby, I collected Ultramarines. I had a variety of models from different ranges: early 'RTB01' space marines, push-fit models from the Warhammer 40,000 second edition boxed set and an assortment of models from an era when it was common to have metal (lead!) bodies with plastic arms, weapons and backpacks. Until recently I hadn't painted an Ultramarine for many years, but my affection for them remained. With the release of the Horus Heresy range, Games Workshop's Forge World subsidiary started releasing many of the characters from the background. Among them, more recently, was Roboute Guilliman, the primarch of the Ultramarines legion from a period some ten thousand years before that in which the Warhammer 40,000 game is set. If only for nostalgia, I had to get this model...

WIP: Bloodthirster #1

Assembled and ready to paint

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts lately. I have new models to show you, but the picture quality has been so bad I was embarrassed to post them. When that's rectified, I'll get you up to speed. In the meantime, here's something very different: a Bloodthirster of Khorne. I believe this one is referred to as a Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury, but if it's all the same with you, I'll stick with 'Bloodthirster'. That's what the previous versions of the model used to be called and as I don't plan on buying more than one, I don't feel the need to make a cheesy name even cheesier to differentiate. This one is a relatively new release—a re-sculpt of the classic Bloodthirsters of old, of which there have been quite a few over the years. I have to say I love this model. I never liked any of the earlier versions, but this one finally seems to have captured the essence of the background.

SHOWCASE: Ragnar Blackmane (conversion)

Warhammer 40,000: Wolf Lord 'Ragnar Blackmane' (conversion)

So I managed to get this piece finished at last. I can't say it's the best paint job I've ever done, but it's passable. The pictures haven't come out very well, unfortunately. My smart phone and my photography 'skills' are showing their limitations. I think I need to study Garfy's guide on Tale of Painters again. The model does look a little better in the flesh.

WIP: Ragnar Blackmane (conversion) #3

It's starting to come together...

Since my last post, I've finished off the metal work (gold and 'silver') and started work on some of the flat colours. The yellow areas and skin have been basecoated and are now ready for glazing. They're the next sections I'll be working on. There is a lot of yellow. The Eavy Metal team's rendition of the old Ragnar model used to have lots of it, so I'm trying to emulate that to keep with the character. At the moment, it's quite dominant and this isn't even the final hue. I may decide to temper some of it with black stripes or dags in places but I'd like to complete the shading first to see if that helps. I hope to have him finished soon, but in the meantime, work continues...

WIP: Ragnar Blackmane (conversion) #2

Making progress

Work on my Ragnar Blackmane conversion is coming along. I've begun the slow and steady process of adding paint to the model. After undercoating, I painted the base to get the messy dry-brushing out of the way. Some of this will have static grass on it, so it doesn't need to be too neat, but it's important that it's presentable. A few shades applied the rocks, including some green to represent moss growth, should be enough for that. Next I painted the cloak. That and the armour are the two biggest areas of the model, but the cloak would require lots of thin layers and included some areas that would be difficult to reach with the brush I would be using. As the armour is more intricate, I could afford to do that afterwards with a smaller brush.

WIP: Ragnar Blackmane (conversion) #1

The conversion so far

The original Ragnar Blackmane miniature was released in 1992. That same year, a friend of mine introduced me to the Games Workshop hobby, starting with the 'Epic' range. It was almost a year before I started to explore Warhammer 40,000. At the time, my friend had just started to collect Space Wolves. (I started with Ultramarines.) He bought Ragnar quite early on. One of the few models from that era that is still on sale (albeit now in Finecast instead of its original lead and later 'white metal' versions), it's fair to say it's a classic. It is, however, looking a little dated when compared to more recent releases. So when an opportunity to create an alternative version of this model came along, I couldn't resist...

SHOWCASE: Blood Angels Baal predator

Warhammer 40,000: Blood Angels Baal predator

It's finished! My new (and very small) Blood Angels force can now call upon some serious mobile firepower when they go to war in the far future. For various reasons, this has taken longer than I originally expected, but I'm glad to see it finished.

WIP: Armillus Dynat #3

Progress so far

After spraying this a while ago, I've at last been able to spend the best part of a day on my Armillus Dynat model. This is an unusual project for me for a couple of reasons: firstly I've never painted anything for the Alpha Legion before; and secondly I've never used the core techniques I'm using on it before either.

WIP: Blood Angels tactical squad (60%)

Blood Angels tactical marine in mark VI armour

Just a quick one today. April was a difficult month for various non-hobby related reasons. The bank holiday weekend offered a welcome opportunity to immerse myself into my painting again. On a whim, I cast a glance over the remaining members of my Blood Angels tactical squad, who have been left alone for a while now since I finished the first half at the beginning of March. I'd like to get the ball rolling on them again soon and, inspired by that, I decided to add this guy to the others. All in all he took a little over an afternoon, with a little finishing off the next day. Ordinarily I'd have batch painted him with the others, but after finishing nothing at all in April, I felt like bagging a quick win early in the month. There will be more to follow soon.

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator (assembled)

Blood Angels Baal predator... now fully assembled

This is my last work in progress post for my Baal predator. The last thing I have to do on it is apply the battle damage. In the image above, you can see it looking all clean and tidy, just as it might have been when it rolled out of the factory on whatever forge world the Blood Angels commission their tanks to be built. Naturally being exposed to years of warfare on countless planets isn't going to help keep a machine like this in such pristine condition. The next time you see it, it will look a little different. Watch this space...

WIP: Armillus Dynat #2

Main body prior to undercoating

Following on from my last post, I'm now in a position to start looking at this model again. Having cleaned and assembled the bulk of the model, it's ready for paint. I'm painting this model in a number of sub-assemblies. The main body is shown above. Separate pieces include the hammer he holds in his right hand, his head and not one but two sculpted bases. The reason for the sub-assemblies is to make it easier to paint. I want to be able to get to the model from all angles and both the base and the hammer would make this complicated. I'm leaving the head separate because it has an exposed face and it's easier to paint on its own rather than risking getting the armour colours all over it.

WIP: Armillus Dynat #1

Armillus Dynat... in pieces

This week I'm starting another new project. I know I have a few on the go, but for various reasons, I thought I'd kick this one off all the same. You'll probably have noticed that my posts haven't been very frequent lately. Unfortunately I've had some personal issues to take care of that have meant that hobby time has been a long way down the list. There's still more to do over the next couple of weeks, but I'd welcome the distraction of a shiny new model to work on when I can. This project will hopefully represent a return to form, though it may be a slow starter so I'll ask you to bear with me.

WIP: Tau Piranha TX-42 (edge highlighting and decals)

Starting to take shape

I've done a little more on the piranha since my last update. The most time-consuming part was going around all of the armour panels and edge-highlighting them (twice in some cases). I had to keep the paint really thin and almost glaze them on in places as the blends with the camo stripes needed to be a different colour. I used Elysian Green followed by Nurgling Green for the main colour and Kabalite Green for the stripes. In terms of painting, the only other thing I've done is pick out everything (except the inside of the cockpit) that isn't 'armour' in black, although I'm looking to do something more with that panel that crosses the top of the hull, just in front of the driver. I'm currently experimenting with a slightly different edge colour, but I think I need to make more of it.

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator (now with sponsons)

It's starting to look more like a tank!

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted an update on my Blood Angels Baal predator. Any normal painter would have finished it, and probably half a dozen other things by then. Alas, not me... but I am close. The picture above shows how this model looked after another brief session on it at the weekend. By the time you read this, there's a slim possibility that I'll have had another evening on it and it'll be a bit closer. I did say slim, didn't I?

WIP: Tau Piranha TX-42 (airbrush test)

My first documented attempt at airbrushing...

I'm pleased to say I had some painting time this weekend. I'm not going to pretend I did a lot because, really, I didn't. I did, however, manage to get the airbrush out and have another look at this Tau skimmer. Since getting the airbrush, I've done a couple of tests with it to get used to how it works, but this will be my first actual project. I picked this particular vehicle for a couple of reasons. The first, I admit, is that I'd had it for a long time. The second is that Tau vehicles really suit smooth paint schemes and I really liked the idea of using an airbrush to achieve that.

WIP: Tau Piranha TX-42

Warhammer 40,000: Tau piranha TX-42 (just assembled)

I confess I've been a bit lame on the hobby front of late. I've done bits and pieces here and there but very little worth reporting. Despite the four day weekend just gone, I've had very little time to work on anything. I'm hoping to spend some time in the next few weeks to get a few projects finished and clear the decks for some new ones... Something I have made time to do is assemble this Tau piranha. I've had this kit for several years and (surprise, surprise) done nothing with it. The recent arrival of my airbrush has positioned it within my sights once more.

WIP: sculpted bases

Some recently (almost) finished bases for an as yet undecided army

I have a very specific technique that I use to base the vast majority of my armies. Whether for Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000—square bases or round—I use the same methods. I may, on occasion, decorate bases with game or army-specific detritus, but the main base will remain coherent with the rest of my miniature collection, regardless of the army it is for. I have, however, always admired sculpted bases, and that has led me to an interesting dilemma...

DISCUSSION: A new toy...

My new toy: an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS airbrush

So I've bought myself an airbrush. It's something I've been interested in doing for a few years now but I've put it off until now. The main reason was cost. To do airbrushing any justice, you really have to be prepared to spend a fair amount of money on the right equipment. A decent airbrush isn't cheap and I wanted to make sure I spent my money wisely. It didn't take a lot of research to find out that Iwata are one of the most respected manufacturers in the field, but it took a little more to decide which of their products would be best for me.

DISCUSSION: Progress review, 2015 Q1

We're now three months into the year so I thought I'd take a quick break from my regular posts to have a look at what I've achieved so far. The purpose of this blog is, after all, to keep the ball rolling on the various projects I'm working on. So how have I done...?

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator (metals)

Moving on from my last post, I've now done the metal work on the main hull of my tank. This is a simple but time-consuming part that involves going around the whole tank and picking out the metal areas. I use three colours (Leadbelcher, Nuln Oil and Runefang Steel, the latter applied sparingly as a highlight).

DISCUSSION: photography

Horus Heresy: Imperial Fists praetor

I've wanted to improve the quality of my photographs for this website for a while now. I'm not yet in the market for a new camera. I know which one I'd go for if I had the funds, but as yet it is a little out of my budget. As such, I wanted a way to improve the pictures I take with my current setup. At present I use my Apple iPhone 5S to take all of the pictures for this website. Until now, most have been taken simply by holding the phone and aiming it at the subject. But, thanks to Tale of Painters, things are starting to change...

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator (highlights)

Just another short update today. Progress on the predator is slow for various reasons, some of which I'll cover in future posts. That said, however, I have managed to go round and do the highlights for the red on the main hull. After tidying up the initial basecoat, post-shading, I highlighted with Wild Rider Red first with a very light dry-brush technique. I did this to give it a slightly rough look. The tank will be weathered before it's finished, which should blend this in really well. The last highlight was Ungor Flesh, as with the other models in the 'army' so far. This was applied sparingly to the highest edges. Afterwards, I applied a glaze of Bloodletter to the whole tank. I admit I wasn't thrilled with the result of this stage, but that was entirely my fault. The blend worked, but there were a lot of brush marks left on the flat panels. Some of them I was able to buff out with a large, dry brush (not dry-brushing but an actual dry brush). Hopefully they won't be too obvious in the finished piece. More on that soon...

SHOWCASE: Skaven warlord

Warhammer: Skaven warlord

The first of my End Times characters is finished. This is my skaven warlord, henceforth known as Itch Skratchkill. I feel a little bad that the poor chap only has three painted models to lead to war, but as one of them is a rat ogre, hopefully he can hide somewhere and keep himself safe until I make time to expand his hoard.

WIP: Skaven warlord (pre-highlights)

Getting closer...

Greetings, man-thing! The skaven warlord is getting very close to being finished now. Most of the areas have been basecoated and shaded. A few, like the skin, have also been finished. What's needed now are highlights. I need to highlight the armour, metal, leather and wood, as well as a few details like the skull hanging from the banner pole. With those done, there's just one more big section to do before I finish off his base and get him on the shelf, ready to lead my currently non-existent skaven army to battle...

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator (shading)

Due to a number of non-hobby-related issues, progress is slow, even by my standards. Needless to say when I have had time to look at it, painting has been extremely therapeutic. Anyway, onto the update proper... The bulk of the shading is now done on the Baal predator. This has involved 'black lining' all of the panels. It's a bit of a misnomer in this case as I haven't used black, but the principal is the same: that it entails painting a darker colour (thinned down) directly into the recesses and, for the most part at least, leaving the rest as is. In this case that colour is a shade, specifically Agrax Earthshade, so it didn't need thinning. If anything it needed a couple of coats in some cases. Next up I'll be doing a little tidying with Mepheston Red before I start the highlights... time permitting...

WIP: Skaven warlord (update)

I know it looks rough at the moment, but bear with me, man-thing. This is the skaven warlord I'm working on alongside the grey seer I updated you on the other day. At the moment it's at the stage where I've done a number of basecoats and washes on various areas but haven't completely finished any single part of it. Often when I paint, I'll work on one area to completion before I move onto the next. With a space marine, for example, I'd finish the armour, then get the metals done, then the weapon casings and, finally, any other details. With this model I'm adopting a slightly different technique to bring several stages along together.

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator undercoat and basecoat

Black undercoat

My Baal predator has finally seen some paint, but alas has yet to be touched by a brush. Having done the bulk of the assembly work earlier in the week, I've since brought out the spray cans to get it undercoated and basecoated. This is the first model I have used a spray basecoat on, so I'm interested to see how that will work out. I'm hopeful that it will save some time and, if so, I'll use it more often in future where there's an appropriate colour available. Regardless of what colour a model eventually gets painted, however, the most important step remains the undercoat. This helps the other layers of paint stick to the model and provides a solid surface to paint onto.

WIP: Skaven grey seer

I haven't mentioned my skaven characters for a few weeks. That's because there hasn't been anything to mention. With so much of my attention being focused on my Blood Angels in the last month or so, anything else has taken a back seat. My skaven characters in particular have watched from the side-lines while other projects come and go. Each time I've spared them a glance, I've felt like I need to stop neglecting them and start paying them some attention. Well, now I can.

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator assembly

Main chasis

I apologise in advance for this: I won't be including pictures of the sponsons and main turret until a little later in the project. Due to the nature of the components and the way I plan on painting it, they're all in so many bits that to get them all photographed at each stage would be a huge chore. As such I'll focus on the main chasis, where the bulk of the work will be anyway. Once the sub-assemblies are put together, I'll start including them in the updates.

WIP: Blood Angels Baal predator

Blood Angels Baal predator (still boxed)

Just a quick heads-up post to get the ball rolling this week (or maybe to get the Baal rolling*). With my Blood Angels army now up to a dizzying six models, I thought I'd throw a tank into the mix to flesh it out a bit. The Baal predator is a variant of the standard space marine predator specific to the Blood Angels and I'm treating it as a reward for the work I've put in on the rest of the 'army' so far. I'll be honest: I have no idea how long this will take. I've painted a number of tanks in my twenty-plus years in the hobby, but by the standards of other models, they're few and far between. More updates soon!

* Because puns based on the name of the Blood Angels' home world are always fun...

SHOWCASE: Blood Angels sanguinary priest

Warhammer 40,000: Blood Angels sanguinary priest

Today my fledgling Blood Angels force gains another recruit in the form of this sanguinary priest. After several updates in the last few weeks, he's finally done! I know it's not perfect, but I'm quite pleased with how this model has turned out. I spent a little longer on it than I did on the regular rank and file space marines in the tactical squad I'm working on, and hopefully that shows in the finished piece.

WIP: Space Wolves Wolf Guard terminators (a third recruit)

A while ago I posted about the Wolf Guard terminator unit I'm working on. I finished the first two right at the end of last year. I started this guy around about the same time, just as I was finishing the others, but he hasn't seen much movement since. The bulk of the work was completed during the holiday season, but then I got distracted by an Imperial Knight and some Blood Angels. I feel a little bad for the poor guy for being neglected so I should probably finish him. He's been on my desk for a few months now so I picked him up again the other night.

WIP: Dark Angels (just for fun)

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Angels librarian

In the absence of much to show for the weekend just gone, I thought I'd take a quick look at some of the items already on my display shelves. This post will feature a few models from the Dark Angels range, specifically the ones included in the Dark Vengeance starter set for Warhammer 40,000. For those who don't know, Dark Vengeance is a 'complete' boxed game containing all the rules, templates and dice you need to play Warhammer 40,000, along with two very small armies: Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marines. It was one of the last sets released where virtually everything in it was exclusive to the set. I use the word 'complete' loosely as the armies are very small and to play anything decent, you'd still need to buy more models and the Codex (an additional supplemental rulebook tailored to a specific faction) for your army. I bought purely it for the models...

WIP: Blood Angels sanguinary priest (head)

Blood Angels sanguinary priest... his head anyway

I'll be honest: I did very little painting this weekend. In fact, Friday evening was the last time I had a brush in my hand. I'm pleased with the results, shown above, though. This is the head for the sanguinary priest project I'm working on at the moment. The sculpt on the face is really nice and is worth the extra effort when it comes to painting. If I get more time in the evenings this week, I hope to get more done on the body it'll sit on. It would be nice to have this model finished to sit alongside the tactical squad I've been bombarding you with in recent weeks.

WIP: Blood Angels tacitcal squad (the first half)

Blood Angels tactical squad... or half of one

I'm starting the week with a shot of my tactical squad as it currently stands. Apologies for the frequent updates on this one. It's all I've been working on to get it done, but normal erratic service can now resume. With the first five space marines painted, I'm halfway there. In game terms, tactical squads can have five to ten models. This squad isn't technically 'game legal' in that it lacks a sergeant and already has both its heavy weapon (heavy flamer) and special weapon (plasma gun) quotas filled—something I don't belive you're supposed to do until you have a full squad of ten. Nevertheless, I'm proud of the work on it so far and look forward to finishing it.

WIP: Blood Angels tactical squad (milking it now)

Blood Angels: the next three

So, I had another unexpected evening in my study, the results of which are shown above. These three space marines are more or less finished. If there is anything left to do on them, it's just some minor tidying up. For the most part they're done. I have another (with a heavy flamer) that is at the same stage. The only reason he isn't pictured is that he doesn't have a head. Because the face is exposed, I'm painting that separately and it's not finished yet. I haven't had cause to paint flesh on my batch painting sessions yet, but I have a few parts to do for various projects now so I'll do them all together. That should be done before the week is out and then I'll be halfway through my tactical squad.

WIP: Blood Angels tactical squad (yes... again)

Tactical marine with plasma gun (still in progress)

Yes, this is a 'clutching at straws' update, and possibly the last this week, given the amount I (don't) have to report. Nevertheless, I did have an evening to work on the first half of my tactical squad again and the results are demonstrated above. Of the four I'm working on (see my previous post), this one is the best example of my progress. This marine is a stage or two ahead of the others (in that I've highlighted the blacks and the gems on this one) but the other three are close behind. This one is almost finished, actually. I have some tidying to do here and there before I paint the squad marking on the right shoulder pad and finish the base, then he'll be done. I've considered doing some object source lighting from the glow on the plasma gun too, but it was late when I was working on it last night and alas such fineries will have to wait.

Once I've finished the first half of this squad, I plan to treat myself (and any regular readers) with something else for a little variety... I just haven't decided what yet.

WIP: Blood Angels tactical squad (first half progress)

Blood Angels tacitcal marines (one with a heavy flamer)

You may remember from one of my earlier updates that I planned to split my Blood Angels tactical squad into smaller groups while I paint them. I've started to do that now. At the moment, I'm painting four space marines together in a mini production line (painting the armour on each, then the metal, then the black areas...). With the test model finished, this will mean I'll be halfway through the squad when they're done, which is a good milestone. I've made two deliberate choices with this batch: firstly that I'm doing all the weapons I haven't already finished (the heavy flamer and plasma gun) and secondly that I'm leaving some of the models I've been looking forward to for the later batches as a kind of mini-reward...

WIP: Imperial Fists command (standard bearer)

Standard bearer (early stages)

Right, back on to the main projects... This is likely to be a slow week. I had a busy weekend and didn't get a lot done on the hobby side, so there's a good chance I'll run out of updates before the week is out. We'll see what time, if any, I get during the evenings. The standard bearer above represents one of the projects I'm working on piecemeal around my Blood Angels. I don't have many of my Imperial Fists prepped and ready to paint at the moment. That'll need some more work. Among the few models I do, however, is this one.

SHOWCASE: Necromancer

Warhammer: Necromancer

There's a reason I don't finish many of the projects I set myself: I get distracted by other things. My desk is full (literally) of projects I've started and not finished. You can tell the models I'm working on at the moment because they're the ones balancing right on the very edge, closest to my chair. This time the distraction was a model I purchased ages ago. I picked it up because of a book I'm reading (The Rise of Nagash). Having finished it, I don't know why I didn't get around to painting it sooner (except, perhaps, for the other distractions). For various reasons, it was probably a good thing that I waited this long.

WIP: Necromancer

As a writer, I am, as is necessary, also an avid reader. Among the many others I read, books from the Black Library are a common sight on my reading pile. In the wake of the End Times, I'm currently reading The Rise of Nagash, the story of the alliance of the various undead factions aimed at raising the ancient and powerful necromancer from the dead to wreak havoc on (or, somehow, save?) the Warhammer world. As is often the case, reading about a specific faction has inspired me to revisit the models for it, in this case the undead, and specifically a necromancer (not, admittedly, Nagash himself)...

SHOWCASE: Imperial Knight

Warhammer 40,000: Imperial Knight

It's finished! Those who have been following for the last couple of months (give or take—I only started the blog at the beginning of January) will know that I started this project on Boxing Day 2014. My initial progress was quite fast (especially by my normally very slow standards), but I've stalled recently in favour of other projects, in part because of my trepidation over the freehand work involved. Well, I finally plucked up the nerve to do those last few bits and now, I'm happy to say, it's done! Want to see some more pictures...?

WIP: Blood Angels sanguinary priest update

Back to the sanguinary priest and progress is continuing. The armour needs some tidying up to make the blend between highlights and shading a little more subtle, but it's getting there. (This photograph isn't great.) The robes are mostly done too now. These are a different shade of red to the armour (visible on the shoulder pad) to make a clear distinction between armour and fabric. I'm pleased with the effect. That leaves me free to work on the rest of the model.