Justaerin / Cataphractii Terminator Bases - Finished

G'day again!

This post we pick up where we left off with the Justaerin Terminator bases. Veteran hobbyists need not apply, but for those who are new this will show you the fine (read: messy) art of using weathering techniques.

Here is a sneaky shot I forgot to put in the last post with all the assembled models and bases:

After undercoating I started with five test bases, just in case I stuffed the whole lot. Working with only the airbrush (you can also use a watered down coat applied by hand), a base coat of GW Mechanicum Grey (yes, I really like that colour) was applied to the whole base. The concrete sections then had a coat of GW Codex applied, again with the airbrush. Dial the pressure right down, but the over spray will play into things when the pigments are used. Then the metal parts like the mesh, steel sheets and cables were all painted with GW Leadbelcher, and the timber parts done with GW Bestial Brown. Any bones or skeletons are airbrushed with GW Rotting Flesh - I know, Green right! But it works, trust me. The light green works as an optical illusion to the greys as a bone colour will blend right into the base. We now have a base coat.


 This is where things get messy. Very messy. If you have never used pigments before I suggest you use a sheet of paper underneath your work, and wear latex gloves. This stuff will go EVERYWHERE.

Weathering pigments have a couple of different applications, but today I will just focus on its primary one - being brushed on as a powder direct to the model. Using them is really easy. Simply take an old brush, load it up with a bit of powder, then press it into the areas you want it to go. Don't get too worried about putting too much on, with this method you can layer the powder up bit by bit. The pigment will not set on the model until you have set it on with a white spirit. I use Tamiya X20A airbrush thinner - sounds silly but works a treat. The more thinner you apply the less visible the pigment will be. The first hit with the airbrush will blow off most of your excess pigment, leaving only the stuff that you applied firmly with your brush. Give it a light dusting of thinners and your done. That's it! It takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of how much to use and how to set it onto your models, you can bang out a heap of quality product fairly quickly.

The real key to successful use of pigments is what colours you apply to where. I used the Secret Weapon pigment range of Exhaust Black, Red Brick, Ash Grey, Ancient Earth and Green Earth. I started with Exhaust black around all the shadowy areas and at the base of significant piles of debris, under metal plates etc. Red Brick was used on anything metal to give a rust effect, then another coat of Exhaust black to Darken them up again. This gives the appearance of being burnt. Ash Grey was used on the brick / concrete areas on raised edges, but used very sparingly. The skeletons / bones were given sporadic hits of Ancient Earth to give a mouldy appearance, and splotches of Green Earth had the same technique applied to the bases whole for the same effect.

Pigments are usually the last thing to be applied to a model - but I will be finishing them with a selective wash of the old GW Devilin Mud. Give a generous coat, but try not to hit the areas that have lots of weathering powder, particularly the greens or you will lose out on the effect. The last thing done was paint up the brass shells to look fresh out of a boltgun. The bases are then given a sealing coat of Testors Dull Cote, but Tamiya Clear Flat gives the same result, locking on your detail and giving it protection from the years of handling from gaming to come. Here are the first five:

Happy with that! All they need now is a bit of a clean up around the rim, which is done with another coat of Mechanicum Grey from the airbrush again. A very light drybrush of the old GW Fortress Grey will top off the bases nicely. The whole lot for the Justaerin and the Cataphractii Terminators were done in one hit, taking about an hour and a half from undercoat till clear coat. I am fairly happy with how they came out:

Lupercal! Kill for the living! Kill for the dead! This shot is a bit over exposed and they look a bit darker than they actually are.

So there you have it, how to crack out a heap of basing in a couple of hours. Hope you enjoyed it and got something out of the last couple of posts.

Cheers

Keepy

Justaerin / Catapharactii Terminators prep