StraightSilver tries to finish an army!

[StraightSilver]

Hey everybody,

I have been lurking around on Warseer for quite a while now, but haven't really posted much.

I thought I should remedy that by starting some sort of project log, which will also hopefully motivate me to get some painting done!

I have been playing 40k for about 20 odd years but still don't actually have a finished army!

Trouble is I have a short attention span, and I'm a slow painter so I tend to get about two thirds of the way through something and then see something else and think "ooh shiny..." and that's why nothing gets finished!

So no more rambling and on to what I'm working on at the moment.

I unfortunately only have one figure to show you at the moment, but have more to follow shortly.

This is the beginnings of my Black Templar army. I have also started some Terminators and a Dreadnought.

Black Templar Neophyte







This guy is not quite finished, but not far to go. I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of the plastic marine scouts, and so wanted to get this guy done to see how they painted up, and apart from a couple of things here and there I am pretty happy with him.

I also have a fairly substantial (but of course unfinished! ) Imperial Guard army which I am hoping to get some decent photos of too, so I'll post those up at some point.

[Dezmord]

Very nice neophyte. I like the clean paining-style. Keep it going!

[hemogoblin]

very nice indeed, nice to see more BT armies.
looking forward to seeing more

[spikyjames]

Great looking mini, very smooth.

Definatley looking forwrd to seeing more painting from you.

James

[CMDante]

Great start, very smooth, clean painting, keep it up!

Cheers,

Dante

[StraightSilver]

Hey guys,

First of all a big cheers for all the positive comments so far, it has inspired to me to get a bit more painting done.

Unfortunately though I am still having problems getting pics from my camera to the computer, so once again not a whole load of stuff to put up, but hopefully I will have some more to upload tomorrow.

So here is one of my Terminators that I am working on.

Assault Canon Terminator







As always not finished yet, but he's getting there. I have to say that I struggle a bit with freehand, so the name plates / scroll are a bit messy. Anyone got any tips on this? Mine always look like they have been written by a three year old!

And for some reason my Golds look too shiny on these guys so I may have to dull it down a bit.

[StraightSilver]

Dreadnought

And then this chap, who I have just started. The arms were just whacked on for the photo and haven't been started, or even stuck on for that matter.

[Alith_Anar]

This army is gonna be the sex when it's done. Really, really great painting there! I'd be tempted to add a little weathering though. I think it would compliment the ultra clean painting style very nicely.

[CMDante]

Again, lovely smooth painting. My only comment would be that the terminator and dread look a little devoid of any extra markings or litanies. Some campaign badges or something would really add some visual interest to areas such as the terminators power fist arm.

Otherwise super stuff, looking forward to more.

Cheers,

Dante

[StraightSilver]

Hey guys, cheers for all the feedback so far, it is getting me off my backside and inspiring me to get more done!

I definitely agree now that the Terminators and the Dread need some litanies / campaign markings. I hadn't really noticed the big empty areas before now but knew something was missing and this has solved it.

I am going to try my hand at some Templar crosses on the powerfists and need to think of something for the Dread's other leg. I thought about simply "TEMPLARS" but don't know if that would be a bit naff, and I must admit I am not great at freehanding lettering.

Or my Crusade Badge is a red and white bifurcated shield with a black Templar Cross in the middle, so may try that, although the Dread already has this on its sarcophogas.

I will also try some writing on the armour, maybe here and there so as not to overdo it.

And weathering the Dread is a good plan too, although I will keep this to a minimum as I am not a big fan of overly battle damaged figures. I reckon marines would keep their stuff mint! (I have a touch of OCD IRL and reckon Astartes would be the same!)

So what have I been up to? Well not really a lot to be honest. Have done some more termis, but think maybe I am rushing them a bit as looking at the photos they look a bit messy.

So I'm just gonna put this pic up for today and go back tomorrow and do some tidying up.

Terminator Sergeant



This guy is coming along, just need to do more work to his banner (which you can't see in this pic) and go back and redo his chest thingy. As always with my stuff he is by no means finished though, LOL!

[StraightSilver]

Hey guys,

I thought whilst I had access to the computer and had my camera with me I would show you some of the other stuff I have been working on which is not Marine related.

For the last four years or so I have been working on a Cadian Imperial Guard army. The Guard is probably my first love as far as 40K is concerned, and as someone on another forum quite rightly pointed out "You never finish the Guard".

And seeing as how I never finish anything anyway this was probably the worst army for me to pick (although I do have a desire to start a Tyranid army - but that would just be daft!).

So as ever none of this is finished, but I do have a 1500pt army that I can at least play with.

Also as I started some of these guys a while ago the painting is a bit scruffy here and there, but I'm pleased with them overall.

Heroic Senior Officer



Stormtrooper Veteran Sergeant

[StraightSilver]

Infantry Platoon Sergeant



Armoured Fist Squad Veteran Sergeant



And my version of a Ratling sniper. I converted this up as I hate the current models, but love the unit itself.

Nothing too fancy here, made the body shorter by removing the belt from the upper torso, which also accentuated the models hips making it look more feminine. Didn't bother with breasts as I am of the opinion that they wouldn't show under the body armour.

Then added a head form Copplestone casting's future wars series and she was good to go. However she does still have "man hands"!

Ratling Sniper

[Solun Decius]

This is all really clean and nice painting. Good depth and highlighting too. I'm guessing you've had some practice, even though you say you've never finished anything properly.
I'm sorry if I'm ranting on your thread but since you really want engouragement finishing a whole army and I think that army, when finished, will look excellent with your apparent painting skills ... well .... here's my input!
On finishing armies:
I was also in the hobby for a long time in the late 80's and 90's, painting a mini here and there but without any direction. When I got back in a year ago I really set my mind on painting a whole army, not just single minis. It really took a diferent mind-set. I vowed not to play games with unpainted minis, so if I wanted to play I'd have to finish up first. It's good to have a buddy with a similar goal so you can play at the point level you've both reached. I also played some Combat Patrol tourneys, trying to bring a differnet list each time, and hoping to win best painted sometime, so they'd better be finished!
More importantly I started batches of 5 or more models and didn't allow myself to assemble or buy anything new until I'd finished that batch. And every little moment of painting gets you a step closer to the goal. If your paints and models are on the desk and you have 15 minutes to spare, you can use that, especially if you're a slow painter or, like me, have the attention span of a monkey.
On freehand lettering
On places small enough, scribbling unreadable dots and lines will often look better than trying to make actual letters. For bigger areas, if you just write, it'll often look too orky, not majestic enough for Black Templars. What I've done is to write it up in a computer, find some gothic font that I like and then imagine how it'll fit on the area. Then I look at the computer image and try to replicate it, as an image, rather than as letters, consentrating more on getting the curves right, than getting the letters readable. It gives a better feel IMHO.

I really like the minis you've posted so far and I hope you can muster up the consentration to take it all the way!

[StraightSilver]

Hey Guys,

So in classic StraightSilver style I have once again got sidetracked and have started yet another new project....

However I am hoping that this time I will actually be able to keep on track and get stuff finished, as I have volunteered to take part in a Tale of Four gamers Challenge.

The idea is to paint 250 points a month for six months so that I can have a finished 1500 point army at the end.

For reasons I myself don't understand this means I have started a 2nd Company Ultramarines army, and have already finished my first squad.

These guys took me a week to assemble and paint which is much quicker than I usually do things although this means that they are not up to what I would consider my best. However they are at least finished, and I have to consider that if I want to play with a fully painted game legal army then I will have to speed up my painting.

So here's the first squad of the new army:



Next up will be a Marine Tactical Squad with Rhino Transport, which should be finished in two weeks if I am to keep to my schedule.

[T_55]

Yours scouts are really good.

You should do a scout army!

However i do like the Guardsmen Veteran Sergeant with the gas mask, your painting is great!

[StraightSilver]

Cheers T_55, yeah I love the Vet Sarge with the gas mask, although I wish I had posed that Boltgun differently now, I never realised just how BIG it looks until I saw the photos...

And I am seriously considering an all Scout Marine army. The only thing stopping me at the moment is the lack of variety and quality of the plastics, but if I can get hold of some of the old metal ones or source some decent replacement heads I may give it a go.

Ok so in terms of painting progress, I have managed to get some stuff done this week. I have assembled a 5 man tactical squad plus a Rhino transport for them, and have started painting them up.

However for some reason despite painting solidly for an entire weekend I have very little to show for my efforts so far. I have base coloured the Tac Marines and painted up this one to work out the colours I will be using:



Because I am having to work to a pretty strict schedule with these guys as well as fit in work etc I am not getting to spend as much time as I normally would on them. I would have spent more time neatening up the highlighting on the armour, and would have spent more time on the bases too.

However for a few hours work I think he turned out ok, and if I can get one a day painted then I will be on track to finish this month's Marines on time.

[StraightSilver]

Hey guys, sorry for the double post, hope that's ok?

I have a little bit of progress to show.

I am slowly getting through my 250 points a month (well I've managed one month so far....) and this is the last bit of it.

So to add to my 5 man Scout squad I have been working on a 5 man Tactical Squad with Rhino transport.

I just have to glue on the bolters to the marines and touch them up here and there and then finish off the Rhino, but they're about 90% finished.

[StraightSilver]

....And their Rhino:






Thanks for looking, as ever C and C always appreciated.

Cheers.

[Solun Decius]

Squad and their rhino look very good. Nice and clean painting and good layering all over.
Maybe the white tactical arrow on the rhino could use another pass of white though. Just cause you can see some brush strokes in it.
You worte that the rhino's not finished yet so that's probably it. I like the edge highlights on the rhino though!

[daemonkin]

Lovely looking Ultras you got there. Any chance of a recipe?

D.