Top Tip - Painting Rust.

This blog started as a way to keep myself motivated to paint large numbers of Skaven and hopefully, to also help other new Skaven players. One way I have tried to do that is with the "How to paint" blog entries, and I hope that some people will find them useful. Another thing I can do is to share any tips that I learn(ed) along the way as a beginner.

I'd like to focus today on something that might be easy to do for the beginning painter, but which makes the final product look a lot better on the tabletop.

RUST!

CC0 Public Domain Image
https://pixabay.com/en/rust-metal-steel-texture-old-872456/ 

This very simple technique adds a lot of character to an army. ANY army that is composed of the (un)dead is a good candidate for this, but it will also add a lot to armies that represent decay, evil, or cunning (or just a lack of discipline). Case in point, Skaven, but other likely candidates include:

• Nurgle
• Anything Chaos(y)
• Tomb Kings/ Skeletons
• Vampires
• Poorly armed peasants

A quick Google search will give you lots of techniques for creating rust effect on your models, for all desired levels of mastery. Companies like GW have created rust effects (Ryza Technical Paint) that you drybrush on and these can look good too (Modelmates have another I think). Scroll down to the bottom to see some examples of this.

In this case though, I'm going to show you a DIY Rust wash

What you need:

One or two colours:
x1 Brown (e.g. GW Mournfang Brown. I used to use Calthan Brown.)
x1 Orange (I used to use Blazing Orange. The closest GW orange is now called "Troll Slayer Orange") I don't think anyone has the old colours now, but if so, here is a conversion chart.

If you don't have that though, even just an orange will work.

What you do:

1. Mix 25/75 Brown/ Orange, very, very watered down (or just the single colour) 
2. Brush onto metallic areas so the wash collects in crevices, around joints and nails etc. 
3. Immediately after applying, dab or wipe away excess using a tissue, leaving the rust wash gathered around the metallic area where rust would probably occur.

TIP 1: Before starting, have the tissue(s) ready, because you will have to work quickly. The longer the wash is left, the stronger the effect.
TIP 2: Twist the tissue into a point, so you can wick away or dab away precisely.

OPTION: Using a very fine brush, paint rusty streaks downwards onto the metal, to show where the rust has washed down or accumulated through exposure to rain.

Rusty streak.

Here are some other examples of how this can turn out:

Rat Ogres (armour):

Warplightning Cannon blades (front)

For comparison, here are some examples using Ryza Rust on some Tomb Kings skeletons from last week or so. I've only just started using this, so I haven't mastered it! I think it will look better if you stipple it on, rather than use drybrushing. Multiple stipplings will look better.

 

 Cheers!

Skaven reinforcements - completed!

*Squeek*
Following a very quiet Christmas (in painting terms at least...) I spent some of last week working on more Skaven Clanrats to reinforce my current core units. I managed to finish these up tonight.


By themselves, 15 clanrats don't add up to much. However, put them with my other Clanrats and I am now up to about 135 Island of Blood clanrats. Not a huge number by some standards, but enough for three units of 45,  which I don't think is too bad. (I also have old, 4th generation clanrats, but I prefer to use them as slaves as they have an even more subhuman and degenerate look to them.)

I tried one or two new things this time around:
Firstly, a more extreme highlight on the edges of cloth items. I wanted to see how this would look from "Tabletop distance". Actually, I don't think it looks too bad! Here is a close-up:

Detail: Blood red edge highlights on cloth.

Secondly, as you can see in the unit images above, I have kept in a couple of Clanrats using different colours to add just a touch of variety among my units. In this case, the Blood Red used could mean they could be from Clan Mors or possibly Clan Moulder (I wonder what their stories are? Renegades?) What do you think?


Thirdly, I followed a different process for rust. Usually I use a very watered-down Blazing Orange wash. This time though I used a very watered-down Vermin Brown and then (for some models) stippled on a bit of (again watered-down) Blazing Orange. Kudos to the My Wargame blog for the tip. You can see how it turned out below on the clanrat's blade.

Detail: Vermin Brown and Blazing Orange rust washes.

Next project is decided...
...Queek Headtaker!
My first ever Finecast! Looking forward to finding out with my own eyes (and ratty fingers) what working with this new material is really like...

*Squeek!*

Hell Pit Abomination...finished!

*Squeek*

"So, whose in charge today then?"

The last few days here in Japan have been part of the "Golden Week" holiday period, so I had some time to work on the model from start to finish. To be honest, I found doing those big areas of flesh really difficult, and they still don't look right. I put a lot of time into layering the different colours, but they still look kind of flat. More so in the picture than in reality, but still...

I could have done with this guy (thing?) in my last battle, where some serious hand-to-hand combat power would have come in useful.

 Here's the pics!

Rarrrr!

The "engine" of destruction.

The business end.

the other side. A bit difficult to make out but lots of arms and spikey bits.

Detail of stitches.

Bitey bits. You can see the patina on the bronze chestplate here

Detail of pillar.

Warpstone spikes.

Warpstone and warpstone spikes

As usual, from looking at the photos above I can immediately see more stuff to do...
a.) Add some glow on the skin around the warpstone chunks.
b.) Add a "sore flesh" effect around the tattoos/ scars.
c.) Put some gloss varnish on the dripping blood/ gore from the mouth/ arms.
d.) Add some more varied colours to the veins such as blue/ purple. (At the moment they are layered but don't really stand out enough. Certainly not in these photos anyway.)
e.) Drybrush one more lighter shade onto the "Skull". It looks a bit perfect at the moment...

I hope to write up a step-by-step guide at some point, but I still have to do the Plague Furnace/ Screaming Bell write up so it could be a while.

In the meantime all C&C welcome. Thanks for looking!

*Squeek*

Squeek's Plague Furnace - finished!

*Squeek*
3 words:
Plague...Furnace...FINISHED!

All C&C welcome...

The Furnace.

Pestilich Seep the Plague Priest rides the furnace into battle

Plague Monk crew - hard at work!

Plague furnace brazier. (Not entirely happy with the fumes yet...)

Detail of bronze fittings. (Blue patina done with Ice Blue wash)

Detail of rusty bolts. (Done using Solar Macharius Orange wash)

The pushing unit.

Detail of front blades with rust.

This little fella points the way to the enemy!

Brazier/ wrecking ball.

Detail of the custom fixture I added so the Plague Furnace and Bell can both be used.

Thanks for looking!
*Squeek*

Skaven Doomwheel Stage-by-Stage

*Neek*

Behold - the Skaven Doomwheel...

Click here for my Doomwheel Gallery

Perhaps the most devious of the inventions of Clan Skryre and a fearsome sight on the battlefield (even to the Skaven, given how regularly it goes out of control...) After starting on this as a result of a poll held on the site, I finally finished it a couple of days ago.

Here are the steps followed: (Roughly...consuming too much pilfered Bugman's may have affected my memory...and I sometimes do highlights/ drybrushing and washes "out of order" etc.)

EDIT: Following the launch of the latest Citadel Paint range in 2012, please note that the colours listed below are from the previous range. I hope to have time to rewrite in the future, but for the time being, you can use the conversion chart/ list I made here or use the official Citadel Conversion chart here.

1. Assembly and General Tips:

• Remember to follow the instructions and assemble and paint the pilot and pilot's cage first. It would be extremely difficult to paint once you have glued the wheels and other parts on!  
• I painted up almost all parts before assembly. Trust me, it's easier...

2. Undercoat:

• All parts were sprayed with Chaos Black.

3.  Basecoat/ Layering:

• Pilot:
• Cloth: Red Gore, layered with 50/50 Red Gore/ Blood Red mix.
• Skin: Tallarn Flesh, layered with Elf Flesh.
• Helmet/ Armour: Boltgun Metal.
• Gloves: Snakebite leather, layered with 50/50 Snakebite Leather/ Skull White mix.
• Pilot's cage:
• Inner cage: Dwarf Bronze.
• Outer cage: Boltgun Metal.
• Steering column: Boltgun Metal.
• Pipes: Codex Grey. Drybrush Fortress Grey
• Tubes: Snot Green, Yellow, Regal Blue. 
• Compressor/ Tank: Dwarf Bronze.
• Pilot's periscope: Boltgun Metal/ Dwarf Bronze on the plates. Dark Angels Green on Lens, highlight 50/ 50 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green, and then 25/75 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green.

Lens detail

• Wheel units:
• Wood: Bestial Brown.
• Cogs/ Gears/ Wheelstuds/ Symbols: Boltgun Metal.
• Warpstone: Dark Angels Green.
• Outer Cage/ Blades.
• Blades: Boltgun Metal.
• Cage: Boltgun Metal/ Dwarf Bronze. (Clasps, coachwork)
• Lightning(?): Dwarf Bronze. 

Various parts, before Devlan Mud wash.

• Flag/ Pennant. (See "Custom Bitz" below for more info...)
• Wood: Bestial Brown.
• Symbol: Dwarf Bronze/ Boltgun Metal. 
• Cord: Bleached Bone. 
• Cloth: Red Gore, layered with 50/50 Red Gore/Blood Red mix, and then pure Blood Red.
• Cloth: Ice Blue, layered with 50/50 Ice Blue/ Skull White mix.)
• Rats: 
• Calthan Brown, drybrushed successively with lighter and lighter shades of Calthan Brown/ Snakebite leather mix. 
• Crew/ Crew Platform:
• Cloth (Hood): Gore Red (Hood), layered with Gore Red/ Blood Red mix. 
• Cloth (Robes): Codex Grey, layered with 50/50 Codex Grey/ Fortress Grey mix.
• Skin/ Feet: Dwarf Flesh, then Elf Flesh Highlights. (Horns are Skull White or Bleached Bone.) 
• Platform: Bestial Brown drybrush.

4. Drybrushing:

• Warpstone: 50/50 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green mix, then Darkangels Green/ Snot Green/ Skull White mix. (Drybrush this quite lightly so it doesn't overpower the darker greens.)
• Wheel units: 75/ 25 Bestial Brown/ Skull White mix on all wooden parts. 
• Wires: Gryphonne Sepia 

NOTE: All the above was done when the parts were separate, as was the Devlan Mud wash below.

5. Washes:

• First, Devlan Mud everywhere except Warpstone/ Rats for the base. 
• Use Thraka Green Wash on warpstone.
• Gryphonne Sepia on the rats. 

Pilot and Pilot's cage after Devlan Mud wash.

Wheels after Devlan Mud wash.

 At this point, the model was assembled, but not glued to the base.

• Then Rust wash: (25/75 Calthan Brown/ Blazing Orange mix, very, very watered down.) This was brushed onto most metallic areas. Immediately after applying , I then dabbed/ wiped away excess using a tissue, leaving the rust wash around spikes and gathered around areas where rust would naturally occur.
• Then Verdigris wash: (20/80 Regal Blue/ Ice Blue mix, again, very, very watered down.) This was brushed onto and around most Dwarf Bronze areas. Dabbed away as above immediately after application. 

Rust and Verdigris (Around Skaven symbol)

6. Base:

• Brush P.V.A. glue all over, being careful not to get too much on the model.
• Pour modelling sand over glue. Allow to dry.
• Brush with a watery Calthan Brown.
• Drybrush successively lighter layers of Calthan Brown.
• Final (very light) drybrushing of Fortress Grey. 

Custom Bitz...

• Pennant/ Flag. This is taken from the Skaven Warlord in the Island of Blood Set. I hate really extravagant back pennants (They just seem silly to me...especially for a tunnel-dwelling race!). Also, the huge and very dynamically modeled pennant that comes with the Doomwheel model could be used as an awesome army banner! 
• "Ratty Roadkill": Used a spear arm and a Plague Monk head from my Bitz Box.

Lessons learned?
I attempted a couple of things I haven't tried before - rust and verdigris washes. In both cases I didn't have any professional washes so I used watered down Games Workshop colours. I'm not sure they worked 100%, but I think they achieve the desired effect.
- Definitely test them on a small, out-of-the-way part of the model before using them on a larger surface.
- For the rust, the balance of Calthan Brown to Blazing Orange is tricky - too brown and it looks like mud, too orange and it looks too bright. I found about 25/75 CB to BO to be about right.
- Also, test the consistency of the mix once you have added water. Not enough and it will be like paint and impossible to remove, too watery and you won't get the desired effect. Experimentation is key!

Bases. I should have done the base properly before gluing the model on. The glue and sand was difficult to do with the model in place and I ended up getting it on the Doomwheel and other places I didn't want it to go.

For all that though, I have a Doomwheel to add to my fledgling Skaven force!

All comments and criticism or advice welcome.

*Squeek*