Painting the Strain of New Birth

    The paint job these Tyranids were heavily based on a tutorial for veiny skin by The Hobby Collab on Youtube. I started with a white prime and a base bcoat of ProAcryl burgundy. I then airbrushed them with a coat of Berserker Bloodshade. 

 

 

     Another happy accident during this process was the shade pooling up on the back of the tick during application. The pooled shade ended up  looking like a deep vein cluster after later applications of paint.

 

 

 

 

     Next I airbrushed ProAcryl bright warm gray from above all the models. This gray reads more as a "green gray" than a "warm gray" to me, which is why I picked it. 

 

     With that comes the workhorse of this technique: the superglue. A layer of thin superglue acts as both a protective coat for the steps to come, and a way to make the model look super glossy and smooth. Using a plastic tipped brush, I gently applied the super glue to the parts of the model that would have veins. It's important not to get this into any place that you want to keep matte detail. Emphasis on gently: too much force on application can be destructive and remove paint(this can be seen on the back of the tick).

 

    Once the super glue is totally dry, a thinned down wash in the color of the vein is airbrushed on to the model. This color is added only added in places the veins will be over the superglue and so thinly it's barely perceivable. When that layer has dried, I began forming the veins with isopropyl alcohol. This is done by absorbing a small amount of IPA into a fine brush and making little circle in the thin paint layer until the paint starts to coagulate around the IPA. I keep making these circle and moving the paint into vein patterns. 

 

 

   

 

   Once happy with the look I let it dry, airbrush a spot of secondary color (ProAcryl dark blue in this case) on a point of interest on the model (whip, stinger, scythes, etc.). I then repeat the superglue/airbrush/ipa step with a different thin wash color that closely matches the secondary color. More super glue or a gloss varnish could be applied after this, but I decided to leave the blue parts matte to make the model more interesting.

 

 

    Not much more was done after this step. I did a matte clear coat, dry brushed some of the sharper details, and painted the bases. By the time I got to the bases, It was only a couple days before the fest, so they are probably my least favorite part of the model, but pigment powder will always be my saving grace.

    And there you have it: The Strain of New Birth!

 

 

 
 

   

   

    I sadly did not get get to play that game of Shadow War Armageddon these were originally made for, but I did get the next best thing: the Rusted Demon flail! 

 

 

 

    Under the Dice's modeling and painting competition puts so many talented artists under one roof (many of whom I look up to), and I was honored with the top prize of that competition for these models. I am humbled to be awarded the flail, and I'm still in shock that I was chosen for this honor. Thank you to everyone who has had something kind to say about my work. It means the world to me that I have met so many amazing people through this hobby, and I am so thankful for events like Under the Dice where I can feel so welcomed and at home among like minded artist.

 
    All that being said: I'm still waiting on that Shadow War Armageddon game, Jax and Ian ;).