How to Paint: House Raven Pt2

How to Paint: House Raven Pt2

ARMIGERS Assemble!

1.       Complete the assembly of your Imperial Knight

2.       Using an acrylic gloss, I prefer Pledge Acrylic Floor Polish (yes the cleaning product), its airbrush ready right out of the giant bottle, give the model a nice solid coat.  Yes you even want to hit the metal.  This will protect your base layers and give it UV protection so it can fight on in the battlefield of the 41^st millennium for years to come…or you know ebay.

3.       Let dry thoroughly, this is usually the last step before I call it a night, though it should be hardened and ready to layer over in about an hour.

STICKERS! (or wet slide transfers in the biz)

1.       With larger models we want to add something to the large flat panels, in this case I’m opting for transfers to give a sense of decorum and regal status.  Other options include freehands, extensive weathering or battle damage.  While you don’t want the thing looking like a NASCAR add things that make sense, cogs, gears, imperial symbols etc.  Something to tell the story of your knight.

2.       Trim the transfer from the transfer sheet larger than the decal itself, soak in water, test pliability with a paint brush, if you can move the transfer with little effort its ready to go.

3.       Apply a shin sheet of water on the model in the area you want to apply the transfer.

4.       Now grip the edge of the paper with tweezers and hold the wetted transfer close to the model.  Slide the transfer off the paper and onto the wetted spot.  The transfer will be floating on top of the sheet of water.  You should be able to easily move the transfer across the surface of the model and into position.  Once it’s in position w/ a cuetip, roll the cuetip over the transfer removing all the excess water and securing the transfer in place.

5.       OPTIONAL – Some areas such as marine shoulder pads are compound curves and can create creases and problems getting the transfer to lay flat.  A product called MicroSol(vent) and MicroSet can be used to help alleviate these problems, follow the directions on the side of the bottle.

6.       Once all of your transfers are in place and the model is complete dry go ahead and gloss the areas again with pledge floor polish.  This will ensure that they cannot move and won’t silver or distress over time.  They are now on your model forever!

YOU CAN OPT TO STOP HERE IF YOU WANT A CLEAN SHOW ROOM MODEL, just glue/pin the feet to your prepared base and matte cote the thing w/ Testors Dull Cote

WEATHERING

Chipping

1.       Using typhus corrosion apply to the edges and main armor plates via spunge.  Make sure you’re not smearing or wiping the paint but simply dabbing along the armor.  Your sponge should be nearly dry, we’re optin for small scratches and flakes.

2.       This really shows up well against the yellow, so make sure you apply to those hazard stripe areas and on the feet

Sludge Wash/Oil Wash

1.       Mix a sludge wash, dab of burnt umber oil paint in a small dish w/ white spirits, to a wash consistency.  You don’t want this overly thick for this model.  You want it about the consistency of the usual GW washes.

2.       Apply liberally across the entire model, metal, armor plates, weapons, feet wherever you think the Omnissiah isn’t going to notice.  Let sit 20mins.  Make a sandwich…eat sandwitch, contemplate existence.  Contemplate future as Warhammer 40k best painted champion at your next RTT.  Hobby to victory, victory through paint scores!

3.       Now w/ a rag dampened w/ white spirit begin wiping down the main armor plates to remove much of the oil wash, you’ll notice that the wash is cleaning to the recesses and cevices.  On harder to reach places such as the chassis use a cutip w/ oil wash applied.  Remove as much or as little as you desire.

4.       Let everything dry

Pigments – Vallejo Dark Rust and Orange Rust

1.        I use 2 pigments on this model to simulate the texture and color of rust.  A dark reddish brown pigment as a base w/ an orange oxidized rust as a highlight.  Apply with a small brush to areas where you’d normally find rust.  Things like the feet, legs, behind armor plates and on the chain sword and chain are excellent places to put rust patches.  I also apply liberally to my base.

Green Glow

Define the area you want to "glow." In my case it was the energy tube on the laser cutter. I started by spraying the source black and then some of the surrounding area black. This sets the stage by providing contrast for your glow. You will need some good control with an airbrush or some decent glazing skill with a brush to pull this off.

1.   Spray area black

2.   Paint on or spray white on a smaller more defined item, in my case most of the tube white. (this is the source of your light)

3.   Spray the transition between the white and the black in Vallejo Dark Green

4.   Spray the white area with Vallejo Scorpina Green

5.   Highlight this area w/ Livery Green

6.   Highlight w/ 50/50 Livery Green and White

7.   Highlight with 90/10 White and Livery Green, this should be almost pure white

8.   Go back and define the glow of the light by spraying over any over spray w/ Tamiya Clear Green.

9.   Matte coat everything.

Your brightest parts should be the source of the light, Surrounding surfaces will be a darker green. If your glow is as bright as your source light its going to look wrong. OSL is about subtlety. An airbrush isn't a license to hose down a model with OSL. Less is more.