Precinct Omega - Ultramarines Battlezone

[precinctomega]

On top of my other current commissions, a client contacted me with a request for a new terrain set - as quickly as possible, as well as possible.

A tall order! He wanted a full Realm of Battle, with a Fortress of Redemption and an Imperial Strongpoint (two Bastions and three Aegis lines). Oh, he said, and by the way, could you paint some Ultramarines for me, while you're at it?

No problem, said I.

What with this being to accompany an Ultramarines force, I thought I'd go for something with an Ultramarines theme. So, whilst it's still a traditional Dark Angels Fortress of Redemption, I decided to render it in a sandstone effect, lighter and more noble-looking than the traditional colours of the Dark Angels. The Realm of Battle will be rendered as a grassy plain, something like this:

http://images.travelpod.com/users/va...ssy-steppe.jpg

Anyway, after spending two days doing pretty much nothing but painting brown, I'm going to go and do something else to let my brain wake up.

R.

[precinctomega]

Update:



I've just run out of Chaos Black spray so, while I wait for more to arrive in the post, I'll get started with building the Aegis lines.

R.

[Mega Nutz]

Very impressive, really like your take on these!

[FLESHGRINDER]

How'd you paint that tower? The shading is a really cool effect

[precinctomega]

It's a little untidier IRL than it appears in these pics, so I do need to touch it up a bit. The painting was easy but time-consuming.

I undercoated in black and then painted old Bronzed Flesh (I believe the colour is still available from Coat d'Arms, but under a different name) in many, many (many) coats. In the deeply recessed areas I painted only one or two coats and then overbrushed the further coats. Once that was dry, I then overbrushed Skull White on everything.

I initially tried to use my Citadel spray gun. However, I curse its very name and spit upon all of its works for it is thing spawned of the Fell Powers and is out to get me, I swear. I have now got thoroughly fed up with (a) the flow rate being more random than a D20 with hiccups, (b) the glass pot falling off without warning [I now keep it on with an elastic band] and (c) having to wash the thing out every time I put it down for so much as two minutes to prevent clogging.

I will, eventually, buy myself an airbrush and a proper compressor.

R.

[Tommygun]

I like it.
Really great color choice, that will stand out on a table very well.
So are you going with a pale dead winter grass?

[leigh103]

I've always wondered - why undercoat with black, if it needs so many coats to cover it?

I'm not being critical, I think it looks excellent, but I've always been curious as to what effect it has. I've heard that it provides an over all darker look, but with acrylic being mostly opaque - wouldn't the final color be the same?

(apologies for slightly off topic comment, but thought this was a good opportunity to ask - delete if required)

[precinctomega]

That's a fine question.

The distinction is hard to define, but those who paint a lot (and, believe me, I paint a lot) can detect the difference. But beyond that, there are dozens of areas on this model that, if I'd undercoated with white, I'd have had to spend as long repainting in black as I spent painting the black in Bronzed Flesh.

R.

[N0th1ng c4n b34t 3lv3s]

Yes, black-coating is obligatory in my book (except where sturdy Foundation Paints have changed this). As well, if you want a lighter basecoat, spray it lightly with Skull White or another light colour over the black basecoat; it usually helps to pop the model up.

I must say, that's a mighty fine fortress you've finished! Your customer must be content. Could we get some shots of the walkways and insides of the walls? They seem a little odd to me, but interesting still.

Thanks in advance.

[precinctomega]

"Finished"? It's nothing like finished. got lots more to do on it, first. And then, yes, I will include detail shots of doors, lights and suchlike, although the client isn't paying me for the full-on service: just for something serviceable and good-looking on the tabletop.

R.

[Slaaaaaanesh]

I very much like the effectiveness of the stone colouring you've put down.

Slaaaaaanesh

[heinrichvoncarstein]

You are a brave man, good sire. I wish you good luck.... I really like your choice of terrain colour it really does go well with an ultramarines army

[N0th1ng c4n b34t 3lv3s]

I meant that the main colour seemed to be finished, but then again I might be on the wrong there too.

[Dannage]

Loving the colours man. I myself was hoping to get away from a grey cityscape for my Imperial Guard, but unfortunately, their camo scheme is grey.. So yeah, I won't have much choice...

Still, your colour scheme immediately sets what was a standard model, apart from the crow, even without any surrounding terrain!

[Radical]

I like how you have taken the traditional dark angels theme and made it slightly usable for other armies, as well, if the person had a deathwing army he could use that as a deathwing fortress. Now seeing as I am a space wolf player I can't admire anything dark angels. \Mutters about how it actually sucks even if it actually looks amazing...

[precinctomega]

Minor update:

My progress on this project, which was intended to be faster than usual, to help the client who's got a bit of a deadline, has been slowed by rather sub-par service from the usually-excellent Gifts for Geeks. The Realm of Battle - which I'm almost certain was marked "in stock" - turned out not to be and no one thought to send my spray paint on separately while they got the RoB in stock until I prompted them.

So I've been without Chaos Black Spray.

On the upside, I was looking through some of the latest stuff Andy Hall has posted on the GW website and saw some rather nice tanks. Reading through the commentary, the painter remarked that he has used a sponge rather than a brush to paint the tanks.

"What a capital idea!" I cried (because I really am like that). And immediately turned to my second Bastion and finished it off with a sponge. The main challenge was finding a container into which to pour the paint so that it was accessible to the sponge without wasting too much of the paint.

Anyway, as well as finishing both bastions, I also finished the lascannon on the Fortress and the missile silo cover. As you can see, though, I have a shedload of Aegis barriers and weapon points to even undercoat. As I expect the GfG delivery in the next day or so, this should be my main effort next week.

R.

[Fredox]

Looking good. How was the sponge to use? Are we talking a sponge brush or a washing up type sponge?

[Dannage]

And how about seeing both bastions side by side a little closer. Can't tell any difference from this distance, which is probably a sign it worked properly!

[precinctomega]

I'll take better pics once I've added a bit more detail. The sponge was a bit of eggshell packing foam that I ripped off a spare piece I had lying around. I've used the same piece several times for weathering effects, so it wasn't even a new piece of sponge.

R.

[N0th1ng c4n b34t 3lv3s]

A sponge! All of a sudden I get a very nasty idea how to quickly browncoat a potentially upcoming zombie army of a friend of mine... I'll give it a try. Good progress by the way. The bastions blend well in with the fortress.