WIP: Virtue for the 2015 NOVA Narrative

NOVA 2015 is fast approaching, so it is high time I got to work painting the exciting new Virtue model created for the NOVA Narrative.  Thanks Mike!

Cleaning the model did not go well, as I uncovered a gaping air pocket in the human's head as I scraped off mold lines.  Unfortunately, the resulting hole obliterated the model's right eye, which is beyond my sculpting skills to repair, so I am just going to proceed and pretend it is not there (and take pictures from the left side).

I am going to use an additive layering technique for this model, which is something I have not tried since I was a kid.  We will see whether my application of the technique has improved at all over time.

I started the model off with the basic palate of blue and brown undercoats and will build from here.  I want the human to represent, literally, earth (his warm palate will blend with the earth tones planned for the base) while the Virtue warrior will provide a cold contrast of blue and silver metallics to signify the other-worldliness of the Virtue.

Here's the model with the undercoat.

Primer: P3 spray white
Virtue: P3 Coal Black/water/flow enhancer 4:2:2
Human: P3 Umbral Umber/water/flow enhancer 6:3:1



Updated picture: 6 August, basecoat

All paints diluted 50% with water.
Virtue armor plates: P3 Pig Iron
Human uniform fabric: P3 Thornwood Green
Human armor plates: P3 Cryx Bane Base
Human pouches and straps: P3 Cryx Bane Highlight

Updated picture 13 August, highlights and finish

Virtue-
Armor highlight 1: Reaper Honed Steel
Armor highlight 2: Vallejo Model Color Silver
Armor finish: Very dilute glaze of P3 Coal Black with additional coats in shaded areas.  Went back and hit select plates with silver over the glaze to add some variety and movement to the plates.

Human-
Uniform highlight: P3 Gun Corps Brown
Armor highlight: P3 Traitor Green
Pouch and Straps highlight: P3 Trollblood Highlight
Flesh: P3 Midlund Flesh with Citadel Leviathan Purple wash
Hair: Citadel Chestnut Wash Ink

The base is a mess of Secret Weapon pigments fixed with mineral spirit.  Violet pigment on the bottom and in the cracks; my own mix of dark green pigment on the slate tiles; yellow, clay, and bright sand pigment on the pillars.

This may be as far as I get with this one.  If I have time I will touch up the base and add some icons to the Human's armor, but I'm probably going to call this done and move on to another looooong neglected project.


Updated update...I had to fix that base...

My Winning Miniatures from the NOVA Open Capital Palette

This Northumbrian Earl took bronze in the Historical Single Miniature category

And these Orks took silver in the Sci-Fi Collection category

Many thanks to Mike Schaefer for running a great event.  Huge congratulations to John Stiening for his awesome Best in Show.  Oh hell, screw the link, just look at this thing:

I Won Silver!

I've always felt that there was something special about these models, and, apparently, so did the judges at the NOVA Open Capital Palette painting competition this weekend.

My Ork Warboss and his retinue earned me a Silver in the Science Fiction Collection category.  My first ever painting award!  Thanks to the Capital Palette and the judges for a great competition and a huge honor.

I also took home a bronze in the Historical Single Miniature category.  More photos will follow.

Already planning for next year....

NOVA Narrative Terrain 2014

Now I'm not supposed to show you this, but I can't help myself.  Just a little leg to catch your attention.

If you want to see all the sweet new terrain for the 2014 NOVA Open Narrative Campaign, you need to register and head down to Crystal City this weekend.  

Come find me and I'll buy you a drink.  You know you want it.  

Dark Angel Terminator Librarian

This Librarian was the 2nd HQ for my Dark Angels army at the 2013 NOVA Open.

My 2013 Dark Angels Army

Here are some shots of the rest of the Dark Angels I took to the 2013 NOVA Open.  I had fun with the ruined chapel display board.

Dark Angels Terminator Chaplain Step-by-Step Painting Guide

With the 2014 NOVA Open right around the corner, I think I will spend the next couple of posts showing off last year's army.  Dark Angels.

If you have not registered yet, do so now.  It is one of the biggest and funnest Sci-Fi miniature gaming conventions on the East Coast.  NOVA happens every year over Labor Day weekend in the Washington DC area.

I can especially recommend the Narrative campaign.  There are still a couple of slots available, so if you want to take part in a unique and on-going struggle for Earth and our solar system, register today.

But back to the Dark Angels I took to the 2013 NOVA Open.

First up, here is a step-by-step look at the Terminator Chaplain:

Step 1: Prime the whole model white and base-coat the armor and any steel-colored metal dark gray.  Leave some of the armor white so you can paint some dark green later in order to provide some Dark Angel-ness to the paint scheme.  I chose the "halo" around the head, the storm bolter (not pictured yet), and the grip for the Crozius Arcanum (not pictured yet).  Cheatin' Steve's Painting Tip: I used Vallejo  Game Color Sombre Grey diluted to 2 drops of paint to 1 drop of water (2:1).

 Step 2:  First, go back and basecoat that chain in front that you forgot to paint in Step 1.  Now, cover all dark gray with black wash (Secret Weapon Washes Heavy Black undiluted).  Next basecoat all gold metal, parchment, and bone intense brown (Vallejo Beasty Brown diluted 2:1).  Next basecoat all red (Vallejo Gory Red undiluted).  Next, basecoat green areas as discussed in step 1 Vallejo Heavy Blackgreen diluted 2:1).

Step 3: Paint all paper with tan, leaving the brown showing in rips and between sheets (Citadel Kommando Khaki undiluted).  Shade the purity seals and the eyes Secret Weapon Drying Blood).  Shade the green (Citadel Leviathan Purple.  If you can find any of this wash anywhere, buy it, it is fantastic.  Their re-tooled purple wash is shit.)

Step 4: Paint skull tan, leaving brown showing in joints, between teeth, and in recesses (Citadel Kommando Khaki undiluted)

Step 5: Paint parchment white, leaving darker colors to show in rips, recesses/folds, and between sheets (Aleen's Premium-Coat Titanium White diluted 1:1, use multiple layers on highlights).  Paint the skull bone white leaving dark paint showing in the joints, between the teeth, and in recesses (Vallejo Bonewhite 2:1, use multiple layers on highlights)

Step 6:  Before I start here, let me put in a plug for the the best gold metallic paint I have encountered in over 30 years of painting: Aleene's Premium Coat.  I have no idea of the specific paint color, as my label is printed "Light Fuchsia." I dont even know if you can get it anymore.  Here is what the bottle looks like:

I got it at an an arts and crafts store in Seattle back in 2001, and am only about half-way through the bottle.  You need to dilute it a lot, and it looks really granular going on, but when it dries it will give you a rich, deep, luminous gold coat that kicks ass on any other gold metallic out there (including those Citadel metals).  If you can find it, buy it.  Then post a comment letting me know what the actual color is!

So, back to the Chappy: Paint the gold (Aleene's "Light Fuchsia" about 1.5:1-dilute until the acrylic medium starts to show 'milky' as you blend the paint.  It will look really bad on your palette and while it is wet on the model, but once it dries you will be psyched).  Next, paint steel metal (Citadel Boltgun undiluted).

Step 7: Shade the parchment (Secret Weapon Parchment Wash).  Shade the skull (Secret Weapon Armor Wash diluted at least 1:1).  Shade the gold and steel (Secret Weapon Armor Wash).

Step 7: Highlights and details.  Highlight gold with original gold color.  Highlight steel with light steel or silver (Reaper Honed Steel undiluted).  Highlight black with dark gray and light gray for the highpoints.  I did the three gemstones using the technique that was originally described in White Dwarf a couple of decades ago.  I assume it is in the Citadel painting guide now.  I may describe that technique in another post, but you can probably find it described somewhere in the interwebs.  Finally, I used Secret Weapon Wash Storm Cloud for verdigris on the Crozius and Censers.  You can see it "pooled up" in the next three pics.

For the script I used black paint diluted 2:1.  This did not produce good results.  In later models I have used black ink undiluted or diluted 3:1 or so to much better effect.  Paint is just too thick.

 Here's How my Chaplain Warlord looked at NOVA last year.