Firestorm armada: Rense System Navy WIP 5

So finally some progress on this project. I finally found a pen that would not bleed over the watercolour that I really really shouldn't have used.

Armed with this fine instrument, I completed the lining on the frigates and escorts. Being the wargamer that I am, I also decided to magnetise six bases and both these 12 spaceships and 6 Icarus medium flyers for Dystopian Wars. I took copious photos of the process, which I'll share in another post.

So, after abortive attempts to make the destroyers balance (I'd say impossible, as the centre of balance is thrown off by the metal engines and bridge), I glued them to their bases.

The destroyers and the dreadnought have also seen the white pen, and now await super detailing. My project edges closer to completion, but I won't be dashing out to buy more RSN until we actually play Firestorm Armada.

Minifigs 25mm 'Mythical Earth' miniatures

These really are ancient. Some of the first miniatures I ever bought. It was probably about 1976.

They're nothing both in stature and detail compared to today's work, but they were a start. I did have some more of these - I'm still in the process of sorting, so I'll post again if any come to light.

Thanks to DnDLead for help in recognition.

ME55 'Dwarf King and standard' flank a single ME3 from 'Strip of 2 dwarves'. These were sold in strips of multiple figures.  I broke a few knife blades on them as I recall. They're about 15mm tall.

Two shots of one of the ME12 'Two small trolls'. 

At some point he got repainted in the same livery as the above dwarves to make up numbers in a unit for Chainmail

ME4 'Wizard' The staff was both enormous and fragile.

 To be honest lots of stuff broke off.

Which is why this ME1 'Man Orc with sword' hasn't got one at all. 

 An early bit of weapon replacement from the plucky young Greblord.

Firestorm Armada: Rense System Navy WIP 4 - Surmountable problems

This project has proved more tricky than others recently.

My choice of colours/materials has led to unforeseen problems, and the sheer number of models in this project has proved daunting (6 frigates, 6 escorts, 4 destroyers, 1 Dreadnought = 17 models – the last project was 5!)

The Escorts. Not sure about the orange energy thing now.

Virtually finished Bulwarks

The beginnings of a freehand snake

The Slate blue brilliant watercolour a) soaked straight in to grey undercoat – it worked fine over interference purple and b) ‘sours’ any white that I try to paint onto it, leaving a dull pale blue. Not so good when I was planning lots of white lines.

As a result I’ve gone over the white lines with liquitex fluorescent purple – but even that isn’t as bright as I’d have liked. It’s almost been a case of ‘back to the drawing board’

Overhead view of a Bulwark frigate.
They're quite slim from that angle.

Anyway, even with those setbacks, I’ve been soldiering on. I corrected the grey undercoat/slate blue problem by switching it for Citadel Asurmen Blue wash (which I daresay I won’t be able to get any more of – might as well use it up.

This gave the effect I was looking for on the engines – a nice slate grey. I highlighted afterwards with a 0.7mm POSCA Metallic blue pen.

Another frigate with black/green/white motif

It was also useful for achieving the dull glow on the top of the gun nacelles on the Bulwark Frigates.

I decided the pale green looked a bit bland, so I have added a little bit of design to the undersides – at first with a Liquitex Green Gold – an olive green colour that, if applied lightly, becomes a dark greeny yellow – but the difference between that and the original Basil Green was negligible, so I over painted with Secret weapon washes’ ‘Baby Poop’ – another olive green (and not at all like the colour they show on their webpage).

I’m really hoping to have some finished models to show you all next time – so fingers crossed!

Fin detail on the frigates

The phoenix destroyers with a test 'rense' logo on the upper example

I continued the same lower body pattern across all four Phoenix destroyers

The power cascades light up on the dreadnought

Rear view. I still have to work on the engines.

Close up of power cascades. I need to brighten these - they've suffered from the watercolour basecoat and darkened.

The main bridge. I've had to bite the bullet and opt for
multiple coats of white on the bridge window areas.

Front fork and main weapon detail

Three-quarter side view of the dreadnought

View from the front

The engines are starting to get there

I'm saving all the fancy bits on this 'til last -
I'd like this one to be right

Overhead Phoenix - a classic crucifix.

The flight of the... [gets coat]

Firestorm Armada: Rense System Navy WIP3 - Pens for friends

It’s been a rather busy time for me recently, so not much chance to paint. Even less when I’m away for the weekend – however – I had taken my RSN with me, and my POSCA and other markers.

The portability and quick-drying results made these the ideal choice for fitting some painting in on a busy schedule.

Work in progress on the Bulwarks.
Fin insgnia just started

And the other three

I’ve been concentrating mainly on the Bulwarks. The interference purple is complemented by the basil green on the underside and highlighted to white with a white stripe down the side. I’ve marked some black detail on the line and picked out the undersides and the natural lines on the purple.

Fin markings complete. I used POSCA 0.7mm extra fine markers.

Each frigate has a fin marking unique to that ship. These guys are the elite – they’re proud of their ships. I’ll be continuing this practice throughout the fleet.

Siren Escorts

The Siren escorts have had some minor work done on them, as have the other ships.

The lovely Macross-inspired Banshee Dreadnought, like the other ships, has acquired a metallic violet stripe, and now has its lovely pale green underside too.

Fingers crossed I’ll get more time to work on these this week.

Orange will be highlighted with fluoro orange for energy

Phoenix destroyers in various stages of progress

The banshee and other ships of the fleet

Pale violet stripe

Overhead view of the Banshee

Firestorm Armada: Rense System Navy WIP 2

Onward, ever onward. The base coats are up in this installment. I've chosen a nice dark indigo with interference violet for the upper hulls and basil green for the undersides. Engines and the like will be a bluish metal. I'll be using both black and white for detail and some fluoro orange to represent energy tubes.

Liquitex interference violet

Folk-Art Basil Green

Winsor & Newton Slate Blue

The interference violet was the first thing to be applied to the upper surfaces. As I've mentioned before, this paint is unusual in that it shows only at certain angles when viewing. The paint itself doesn't show very well on an undercoated miniature - it needs to be 'activated' by painting over it with a wash or inks. I've chosen a Winsor and Newton brilliant watercolour 'Slate Blue' for this. I'm fairly sure these aren't made any more, but it's basically an indigo colour.

On the underside I've used folk-art 'basil green' which is a pale shade. I'll probably highlight almost to white with that.

More on this project soon.

A siren class gets its basic coat

six of each of the escorts and frigates

The sleek Phoenix class destroyers

First coat on the banshee

Overhead view

Comparison of a RSN Destroyer and a Tarakian Cruiser

Overhead of a destroyer, sans green

Escort and frigate comparison