Growing Tyranids

The list I’ve created to take to Nottingham.  Three Genestealers, Four ‘Gaunts and two lictors.

Simple should be a problem. So I painted this.

Not much use but I will need to for the ultimate goal of painting the Combat Patrol.

I also did two genestealers so that’s all them done.

To get back into the swing I’ve painted a Genestealer who will be my leader.

I like him but I have a nagging doubt at the back of my mind. A Genestealer has its armour and then a carapace over it’s flesh.. Is painting the carapace flesh right?

Should I give it a drybush of white just to lighten it up to reflect it’s armoured nature? or just stop over thinking it, as it looks fine as a gaming piece.

I’m writing this here so I can be held to account for my actions.

I’m off to warhammer world in just under a weeks time, and I’ve booked a table to play 1st edition kill team with a friend. I can’t go to Warhammer world with a unpainted (or half painted) army. So painted it will be. This means no more test schemes. Batch paint and let’s do this.

The first proper test.. I’m not 100% sure.

Soooooo, I thought I would keep a photographic record of each stage, but did I bollock.  This is what I did.

1) used a rattle can to undercoat the model back once it was dry, dry brushed the whole model with wraithbone, then a second drybush on the fleshy areas.

2) painted the flesh areas with a thinned down orange.

The fella on YouTube used a new guant, not a 30+ year old Genestealer. Which had a lot more flesh areas. So the feathering was a bit difficult.

3) Painted over the caripace with black. Once this had dried, sponged it with a dark grey. And once this had dried with an almost dry sponged wraithbone. On top of this I used the a thinned down nighthaunt only on the edges then a more thinned layer but on the whole armour and the edges of the flesh.

4) I then tried to tie everything together with a thinned brown wash.

5) small highlights

Not brilliant, but I’m happy enough to try it on the new models

Before I started I dug out the colours I’d need. Oranges, yellows, grays and browns. I don’t use yellows very often, and this is the yellow I had.

It must be at least 30 years old.

I want them to feel natural. So the idea is to give them a black/blue caripace with an brown is body. I found a YouTube video of a guy doing this with a airbrush. I’ve lost the the air can for my airbrush (and not 100% sure where the brush is) so everything will have to be done with a mix of brushed, inks and sponges.

Also the idea is to first build them for a kill team and then as the combat patrol.. No more. I say that currently.

Also the aim of this project is to act as a notebook. To write down the colours and stages.

A couple years back I had a go at doing a spring clean challenge, painting some old Genestealers I had with Wilkos wood varnish..

.. It didn’t work, and coupled with work issues it nearly caused a nervous breakdown.

Then last year, at a local Free Comic Day event I won a 40k ultimate starter box.

I’ve always really played imperial forces for 40k (and related games). OK I do have a eldar force but was only used haphazardly. So when my various friends have moved to playing imperial forces, I’ve needed something for them for face.. And there still on spur is a brand new complete Tyranid force.