Diesel DM

After a big push at the end of last week, I completed the Stormwall.  This was a learning experiences, just as with the first time I painted a ‘jack or a group of infantry.  Painting a colossal is a unique experience.  In the end it’s not that it’s more work because there is more surface area, rather it’s more work because there are more details.  It’s not like PP just took an existing heavy warjack and scaled it up, these colossals have more details than any previous model and it really takes a while to get it all right.

Stomping across the battlefield

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Got the shading and most of the highlighting done on the golds last night, including getting some metallics on the lightning pods, which had been waiting patiently while I worked the Stormwall.

Nice contrast gradient on the lightning pods

I got a very nice gradient from Glorious Gold (Vallejo Game Color) to a deep brown on the perforated shields.  There is a similar effect on the Stormwall’s golds as well.  For shading I use the mixtures listed in the back of the FoW:Cygnar book.  I’m thinking I will attempt one brighter level of highlighting using Polished Gold (Vallejo Game Color).  If it looks good I’ll do the same on the Stormwall.  The pods have made for a nice testing ground for the gold techniques.  The pods need the silvers highlighted and the Arcane blues put onto the coils and the globes.  Then a quick basing and they are set.

The Stormwall will probably see the gold highlighting mentioned above, then to finish up his Arcane blues.  Lastly will be the whites, but let’s not forget we still have the two foot plates and hip guards.  Then basing.  So close, yet so far…

Progress continues on the colossal.  It feels like the end is within sight, just gotta keep working away at it.

Silver metals and blues complete

The highlighting of the blues on the top of the Stormwall have been remarkably challenging. The initial shading up through Cygnar Blue Highlight looked great, then came Frostbite.  Frostbite is a very light blue that the FoW:Cygnar book recommends as the final highlight mixed with CBH.  The problem with Frostbite is that 2-brush-blending it always comes out chalky for me.  I’ve tried flow improver and the like with no improvements.  It was really bad this time around.  So much so that I painted over it with Cygnar Blue Base and started again.  For whatever reason the areas I had highlighted were no longer smooth, they had a bit of texture, almost as if the chalkiness had transcended into physical texture.  I happened to hear on Guts-n-Gears podcasts that mixing CBH and Menoth White Highlight also makes a good highlight color, so I tried that.  It seemed much less chalky, but with the new underlying texture I somehow created it’s still tough to get a good blend.  So I’ve left it as is and decided to move on.  I was aiming for table-top quality, which I think I’ve met with this blend, but it still bothers me.

Beyond the blues, I finished up the silver metals and have started on the lighting coils and storm chambers.  I should have left the storm chambers off, for the record.  Wow, what a pain to get to.  The six coils on the top aren’t bad to get to while attached though.

Next target is to finish up the golds.  I’ve got the base coats down, need to shade and highlight with my standard theme.  Then it’s on to the whites.  And I have those pieces I haven’t attached (feet plates and hip plates).  Then some basing and done.

After a couple days without making any progress, I found time tonight to get initial base coats of Cygnar Blue Base and ‘Jack Bone/Menoth White Highlight mix on the Stormwall.  Both need another coat, especially the white areas, as is expected over black primer.

Stormwall is starting to shape up

These sections went surprisingly quick, though I did break out my new Raphael 8404 #2.  I typically use a #1 or #0 for regular models, but the #2 has been a life saver for covering these large areas.  If you regularly use a smaller brush, do yourself a favor and pickup a larger one before starting in on one of these.  Of course and air brush would help for on color base coat as well, but I haven’t made that leap yet.

Once these base coats are done I’ll hit the only remaining bare primer area: the lightning coils and storm chambers.  From there I’ll probably go back to the metals, touching up any slopped paint and working inside out to complete them.

Not sure about his face mask…Thinking it should be gold rather than white….