I’ve recently decided that I need to spend a little time on things that I simply enjoy–I’ve spent ten years working and worrying about things, and that’s not healthy. I need time to work on miniatures, which is like meditation. I need to play games with people to relax in another way and to keep the brain agile.
I’ve also decided to keep track of hobby progress and post my successes and failures weekly. Here’s my first report:
Nothing too glamorous to report this week. Still working on cleaning up and assembling the Primaris Infiltrator/Incursor models–and I’ve mostly settled on a paint scheme for my chapter that I think is going to be really fun. More on that next week.
I spent too much time cleaning, organizing, and installing shelves in the laundry room to have space to set up my airbrush station. It took some trial and error, but it’s workable. I found yet another use for the old Ikea dresser parts, laying down a drawer front over the laundry room sink for another flat surface. But it’s exciting to finally be using the airbrush (it’s never been used, just collecting dust the past couple years) even if it’s just for priming at the moment.
Airbrush Workspace
Anyway, I dug up some old 2nd-Edition 40K Space Marines to experiment with. I’m planning on using Citadel Contrast Paints for my basecoats, so I’ve primed one plain white and two in light gray, both of which were then given a zenithal highlight–one using a white ink and the other with a white primer.
I stopped at @WarhammerWilmington for some paints, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with colors on some old models that I primed ages ago with a rattle can. Once I think I have the colors figured out, then it’s time to paint the test marines.
Results/things I learned: I went too heavy with the white on top of the gray. The picture doesnt really show it, but there is still grey visible from underneath the models, but I think I mostly wiped out the midtones. Getting exact control over the paint flow is going to take practice.
Warhammer 40K 2nd-Edition Space Marines Primed
Even though I tested each color on empty sprue first, I still had the pressure too high (20 PSI, which works well for the primer) for the white ink when I started spraying the model, and I ended up with some splattering and pooling after the first pass. The second pass (at 15 PSI) mostly covered it up, but the paint job is not as neat as the gray and white primer.
While I think with practice I’ll be able to achieve greater results with the ink, for the squad I’m working on now, I have a feeling I’ll be sticking to the gray and white primer. I’m trying to get them done for a painting competition in a little more than a week. Yeah. Good luck.
My dyslexia is really messing up my ability to do a proper back flow with the airbrush. Because the trigger action is reversed from painting (pull back on the trigger to pull back the needle before pressing down to engage the air, rather than the opposite), I’m always thrown off, and then I can’t remember which to do first when stopping, so I sprayed dirty cleaning solution everywhere or stabbed my finger multiple times. Practice. Practice. Practice. Bleed some more.
The wire rack wasn’t a bad idea for painting bits that are magnetized or stuck on with mounting putty, but it fills the spray box and just isn’t maneuverable enough, making it impossible to hit the bits from all angles. So, back to the Ikea dresser remains. I found a support, cut it in half, then attached some hooks I had lying around from the previous incarnation of the vocal booth. Now I have a bits spraying handle (as seen behind the models).
Bits Painting Handle in the Background
#warmongers #wipwednesday #wargaming #warhammer40000 #warhammer40k #40k #wh40k #airbrush #airbrushingminis #paintingminis #gamesworkshop #spacemarines #primarisspacemarines