Shin's Hivefleet reemerging - Painting Blog - concepts

[ryuushin]

Hello Hive.
Welcome to my painting thread.

I have been away from painting and modeling for quite a while.
My Tyranids have been waiting in storage mostly unpainted and sadly over the time
some parts have been lost to the ages but hopefully i can scavange enough to rebuild my Hive Fleet without
too much investing in replacements given that i need to purchase most of the tools required.

I recently build myself kind of a compact hobby station since i do not have that much space to spare around here.
Its basicly a 60x63 shelf with wheels on it so it can be moved around.


It doesn't take much space but easily holds all my paints and the entire Airbrush equipment.
It isn't complete yet. Still missing a Daylight lamp before it is really usefull.


I have been paintstripping my canrifx models already.
These 3 are some of the oldest models i own. I picked them up with the old Tyranid Battleforce
that came with Gaunts, Genestalers, Warriors and one Carnifex.
So they are really messed up. Back in the day i appently wasen't very cautious with Superglue
so a lot of the detail aroudn the armholes is ruined. I decided to sculpt over them with Greenstuff
and drill out the holes again later.
It isn't perfect and might need some more work. I also had to fill in cracks in the carapace and the heads from bad
assembly and mold line removal. I will need to have to sand the Carapace down and hope for the best once my sanding equipment arrives.
Not quite sure what to transform them into. I guess Dakkafexes are still a thing right?


This here is the last model (or part of a model) i have showcasing the color scheme i intend on using for my new Fleet.
I will keep it as color refernece as long as i need it before stripping it too. The paintign standard isn't quite up there with what i would
like to achieve.
Black carapce with a light blue hue and red markings combined with pale purple-ish skin. Biomorphes are a warm green same as the eyes.
Clawns are a mid bone color. I am debating whether or not to add another color jsut for weapon symbiotes like some Hive Fleets do.
The Army will be urban themed so i am planning on doing some nice basework with destroyed buildings and roads.
Not sure about a name for the Fleet yet but i am taking suggestions.


I can hardly wait getting started on this but i will sadly have to wait until all the supplies arrive.
Haven't been this hyped for this stuff in a long time.

[ryuushin]

I apologize for the double post but i would like to share the concept for the Carnifex brood i just developed.
I went with the Classic Dakkafex which is if i rememebr right just Brainleeches with enhanced senses.
I have to admit i am not much of a sculptor but i have been practicing just cause i want every creature in my army to look
just a bit different fromt he norm. Still need somethign to fill the back armslots to keep the six legged style.


And also here is an idea for a tyranid prime.
What's a common loadout for one these days?

[ryuushin]

So most of my supplies finally arrived and i went to preparing the models for painting.
I am currently doing the modifications on the carnifexes.

First of all i removed the Vents by essentially breaking them of by force.
I am sure this would be 1000 times easier if i had a completely unassembled kit but i don't have the luxury of that.


I covered the stumps in milliput and also tried to fill in soem cracks and scratches.




Since i don't normaly do much sanding work i wasn't sure if the surface was smooth enought o prime.
Turns out it was not entirely ready. However since the primer coat was fresh the ultrasonci cleaner and some Spiritus took care fo that.


I also noticed that one of the torsos is a bit beat up around the center of the front plate.
One idea is to jsut drill out that sectiona nd have it replaced by a big eye or something of that nature.

[gigasnail]

really nice workspace man. mine looks like a bomb dropped on it, probably because i'm a slob.

welcome back!

[Yautja]

I love your drawings. Have you considered having the extra set of limbs merging with the set that's holding the Devourers? If you don't fancy that, just greenstuff over a magnet to sit over the extra set of limbs? to hide it?

[ryuushin]

Nov 15, 2014 23:57:30 GMT Yautja said:

I love your drawings. Have you considered having the extra set of limbs merging with the set that's holding the Devourers? If you don't fancy that, just greenstuff over a magnet to sit over the extra set of limbs? to hide it?

I have thought about that. the second option would be to have some minor vestigal limbs in those slots. Also not plannign on vaing this Brood magnatized. Since it's already assembeld i cant get all the options on that i woudl like to have. for example the top carapace backplate is fixed in palce with plastic glue. No way gettign that off without destroying it. And that would be a prime part to magantize. Sicne Dakkafexes seem to be a classic that never really goes out of fasion i thought, screw it i will just keep them as is.

But for now i am still trying to get the sanding done right.
For some reason i am having some major problems with that. I cant seem to remove all the little holes and imperfections to get a smooth surface to paint. The Blue hue on my carapace is done with a special filter i mixed up and if the surface isn't even it will pool and not work properly.
Any of you have any experience with sanding? cause i apperently suck at it.

I also have this unit of 3 Tyranid warriors.
All other parts are in prisitine condition but the torso of 2 of them isnt entirely salvageable.
The rending claws are in evry thight i think i pinned them in. Really don't wanna destroy them cause last time i checked it's a rare bit were oyu get only 1 pair per box. The ranged weapon i don't care that much for. What kind of loadout would you guys recommend?

[Davor]

Nice work. Thanks for posting, you have motivated me in looking at my old minis. I was going to redo them, but thought, No, I will not. I need to see how I get better, so I will just buy more minis instead. Found some old gaunts not put together yet, assembling them now and see how I want to redo my paint scheme before I get to my bigger guys.

Keep posting, might want to borrow your ideas for some conversions when I do my big Gribblies.

[tyrantosaurus]

Those drawings are so awesome. I love the idea of the big eye set into the carapace.

[overhive]

You make me jealous of that station and drawing skill lol. And glad to see a fellow armorcast exocrine or as I like to call it, the gavel plus it has the easiest assembly ever

[ryuushin]

Nov 17, 2014 17:55:55 GMT overhive said:

You make me jealous of that station and drawing skill lol. And glad to see a fellow armorcast exocrine or as I like to call it, the gavel plus it has the easiest assembly ever

Now that the Exocrine is actually in the codex i might just get one or two more of them to have a nice atillery battery for huge games.
They aren't even that terribly expensive now compared to what GW wants for their model. Considering age and avaialbiity issues i guess.
Easy assembly is also relative. Yes it is one solid piece but it might need some restorating work like replacing some fo the horns and fixing some glaringly huge casting imperfections.
Come to think fo it. Does anyone have some fo the old Epic40k Exocrine? I woudl liek to knwo hwo big they are and if they could make a stand in for a biovore model. I really don't find the recent Biovores too appealing.

[ryuushin]

I have worked some more on the carnifex torso parts. They do look almost ok now so i might be able to start assembling.
However there is another problem. Vallejos Grey surface Primer seems to almsot instantly clog very single one of my airbrush guns.
It even happens when thinned to a point were the paint doesn't even cover anymore. I honesly don't knwo how this is happening. I have used their primer before without problems. Guess they changed the formula or something.
Like this i can't even prime a whole carnifex model without the tip getting clogged up.

[forteh]

What are you using to thin the primer down? I found that if you use windolene/windex or alcohol (tamiya thinners) it floculates and clogs up; I've had best results using plain tap water to thin the vallejo paints.

[tylertt]

Really cool concept drawings. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[ryuushin]

Nov 18, 2014 13:52:44 GMT forteh said:

What are you using to thin the primer down? I found that if you use windolene/windex or alcohol (tamiya thinners) it floculates and clogs up; I've had best results using plain tap water to thin the vallejo paints.

I tried the primer unthinned, with pure distilled water and distilled water with medium mixed with acrylic drying retardant and/or airbrush flow medium by vallejo.
For the msot part it sprays very well int he beginning but the amount of paint released becomes consistently less until it clogs completely.
No way to finish priming a monstrous creature sized model before that happens.

[forteh]

Out of curiosity what airbrush is it? I used to suffer from terrible dry tip and clogging with my cheap Chinese brushes, I got a badger 100gf and I can spray for about 20 minutes before having to wipe the tip with an alcohol soaked sponge. Also try bumping the pressure up for priming if it's low, I use about 30psi with the vallejo primers and 20-25 for normal thinned paint; conversely if the pressure is too high you might be drying the paint before it leaves the tip properly.