Visions of The Burning Eye

Thanks very much! Yeah the streaks kinda fade a bit when you look at them from further away. I didn't just want to do a plain edge highlight on them - and i liked the effect you see a lot on Tyranids carapaces. I kinda figured the Talos looks a little 'beetle' like so I'd try something similar, really pleased with how it's worked out. I think I'm really making progress on it now, hopefully I'll get some time to dedicate this weekend and things will move on a fair bit for the next post.

What do you guys think to doing the face mask and vials with a gloss varnish to finish it off?

Is it wrong that the Talos' outer armor makes me think of a Tyranid shell?

I personally like gloss varnish as a finisher for the vials (I use it myself), but Ive found out that when it comes to gloss varnish it is a matter of you hate or you love it . Sometimes it looks a little off, because it creates its own highlights Which contrast the ones we emulate through highlighting

Gloss is good, makes the vials look like vials! For the mask gloss can look good, I prefer the metallic look at the moment, think it makes those masks stand out. Maybe experiment on a spare mask?

@Lord Alino - it's not wrong at all, I'm building the fluff for my growing coven collection at the moment and the thought that's stirring at the moment that influenced the paint job is that my Haemonculus (Kallax) is an expert fleshcrafter, particularly in two fields - first, the torture of other eldar and second, more profitable, the 'improving' of xenos creatures captured by my kabalite units for use by my wych cult in the arenas. So the theory behind the Talos and Cronos is that they have used tyranid parts and crafted them into the greater whole that is the Talos (I currently have two, they will be called 'The Agony' and 'The Ecstasy')

@Caspaar & Grub - I've used gloss a bit before, usually on eyes of models, but I figure that glass vials should definitely be glossy. As for the mask, I'm loving the idea that it's a highly polished finish, a bit like the masks in Tron. I've also done metallic masks on my reavers and whilst i really like the finish there I wanted something different for the Talos.

I always gloss my vials as it makes them look more like glass. A good tip I was once shown (and use) is a straight line of white going down the vial (but not to the top or bottom), this helps with the illusion that it is liquid inside with a glass outer case. I do also gloss my masks as again usually want the glass effect on them

spellcheck2001 wrote:

A good tip I was once shown (and use) is a straight line of white going down the vial (but not to the top or bottom), this helps with the illusion that it is liquid inside with a glass outer case.

A bit like the ones top left in the forum logo? That's a great tip, thank-you!

I agree with the tip but I use a very light grey, I think I got that from an eye of error tutorial, it looks a bit less stark and painted on I think.

Either way look forward to progress!

Ok so I'm faced with a dilemma. Last night I tried to varnish the death dealers and my first ravager. Stupidly however, I decided to leave them in the garage overnight to dry instead of bringing them into the house. I then compounded this by setting the tumble drier going in the garage. This morning when I checked on them, the varnish had dried cloudy, making the models look like they'd been covered in dust, which I don't seem able to remove.

So here's my question - do I cut my losses, re-undercoat all my Kabal stuff (bearing in mind I've only finished those units plus a raider) and start again with a new colour scheme, or do I stick with the current scheme, and just go back and re-do those models when I've calmed down a bit (yup, still livid with myself 3 hours after I realised what I'd done!)

At the moment, I'm leabing towards the former, as I can then come up with something completely original, but I'm aware that it's possible I may be overreacting (if it helps, my base coat colour is also no longer available, which is also leading me towards the first point as I'm running very short)

Whichever choice I go with, I'm going to keep the Talos in the colours I'm working on now, as I always wanted my coven units to be painted differently to the Kabal elements.

Bummer dude! That sucks balls. I have had this happen to me once too. Did you use GW purity seal by any chance? You should avoid the stuff like the plague. You can recyify it by painting it over with gloss varnish then spraying the matt varnish again (obviously a different brand ). I would give that a try before re painting anything.

wipe it very lightly with acetone and dry immediately. You can take anything off the model including the varnish. if the acetone sits however it will eat away at the model.

spellcheck2001 wrote:

Bummer dude! That sucks balls. I have had this happen to me once too. Did you use GW purity seal by any chance? You should avoid the stuff like the plague. You can recyify it by painting it over with gloss varnish then spraying the matt varnish again (obviously a different brand ). I would give that a try before re painting anything.

Thanks man, I'm definitely gonna try that with the other models that got the same treatment (don't fancy re-painting 3 centurions an ironclad and a landspeeder) but I spent this evening looking again at what I've got and what's completed for my kabal and I'm actually really looking forward to starting a completely new scheme.

It was GW varnish yes, strange really cos the old can that I've just finished was about 15 years old and worked fine!

@barenone, thanks for the tip, I may try that if the gloss varnish tip doesn't work!

Right, so setting aside the varnishing issues, I've been working some more on the Talos today, here's how it's looking now.





As you can guess I'm sure, the photos are a little over-exposed (taken at my desk at work) so it looks a bit brighter than it is 'in the flesh'.

Been thinking about that new scheme as well. Once I can get the funds together (next Friday hopefully) I'm gonna put in a little order for some new paints (and hopefully a big order for some new models - c'mon relatives, don't let me down with birthday money!) and my new scheme will be a base of light grey, with purple 'spider webs' (think the new spiderman style) and rakarth flesh detailing on the armour panels (I'm thinking lining each panel with the sort of detailing you normally see on the inside of cloaks, albeit angular.

Looking great!!! liking the sound of your new colour scheme too!!!

The old GW spray varnish was good, but the stuff they sell now is garbage that will ruin your models.

I use Testor's - one coat gloss, then two coats of Dullcote.

There's a lot that I like about that Talos, but it's very primary colors.

@ Calyptra - I hear ya, as I've said the lights at work make the photo seem much brighter than it really is (The majority of the red is a thin coat of mephiston red over khorne red, if you can picture that) and that's really accented on the yellow.

Here's my latest finished stuff - 5 Incubi and venom (still need to do the gunner, but he's not completely converted yet).

Ok so the last post didn't actually link the incubi unit, so here they are for your delectation.


I've also now finished the Talos, hope you like this!

Good work burning eye! The incubi and their venom is very very nice.

So this weekend I picked up the new paints I needed to get started with my new scheme, and started work on things yesterday.

Here's my Archon:


And here's the razorwing.


The gold needs another layer on top, which will tone things down quite a bit as I don't want them to be too gaudy.

Man I love that purple! Very unique... the soft contrast with blues makes for a really ethereal look. Can't wait to see that Razorwing finished it looks awesome in that purple. Keep up the great work!

Ok so after a bit more work on these yesterday (off work sick, cough cough) here's a bit more of a pictorial explanation of the new scheme.

from afar, you can see the 'web' style pattern on the hull.



and then here's a close up showing the 'scrollwork' on each of the armour panels.



Yes, it would appear that I'm insane. The razorwing will also get re-detailed so the scrollwork is the same colour as the raider, i prefer the subtle detail rather than the darker look on the razorwing at present.

Really lovely stuff, I think the effect over the whole raider will really be something to see.

Cannot wait!

You might have to buddy, haha! There're 24 armour panels on a raider. I've done 2 so far (guess I really will have to stay sober at the works christmas do on Friday, I'm planning an early finish and back home for painting as the little one is away overnight so a lie in on Saturday - if only I didn't have work to do then as well!)

Is that a particularly special Raider for your Archon and mates, or are you planning to do many like it? The scrollwork especially is going to look really lovely.

That's just a normal one, there should be five raiders, two ravagers, two venoms and a razor wing when they're all finished!