Painting Blog: Hive Fleet Cetus / Getting Started

[frostknife]

Hey hive, I've been wanting to get into 40k for a month, gathering supplies, models, brushes and finally I'm ready.



I'm brand new to painting and any suggestions, comments, or directed insults are all appreciated!



Due to my lack of painting skill, I need your help. I'm going for an ocean themed hive fleet and hope to show this via the feathering on my tyranids' carapaces.
Color suggestions are particularly welcome. Also, is there a good way to clean up the model? Some of the greenshade in in-between the joints have spilled over onto the skin and I'm afraid to get too close with the bone color.




Test gaunt, attempt 1

Skin: Skreaming Skull
Wash: Biel-tan Green shade
Eyes: Moot Green (not shown)
Fleshbits: Kabalite Green (not shown)
Claws: Abaddon Black
Carapace: Abaddon Black; Feathering: Sotek Green -> Temple Guard Blue -> Ulthuan Grey




Result: FAILURE. 

The carapace looks more ice themed than deep sea themed. Maybe I could replace the Ulthuan Grey at the edges of the carapace with another color? A green? Another blue? Maybe I need to replace the Temple Guard Blue with another color.

[Davor]

Oh that is beautiful. That compliments the black so well. If you want a black carapace, I think this is great. I think you should do up some of these. I say have a mixture of them. This is not a FAIL. Have some of "Ice" and some of "Ocean" as you want this way you can distinguish what gaunts have been birthed out by a Tevrigon.

So keep the "Ice" Nids as the birthed gaunts and your "Ocean" gaunts as your main force.

I would really love to see a fully painted "Ice" gaunt.