Halloween Special Edition

All Hallows' Marines

Hi folks,

Happy Halloween for all of those people who celebrate it. My local GW sent me the pic above, so I can't claim any credit for it; but damn they look cool, I had to share! Halloween is not a particularly big thing here in Australia, but we have had a few kids come around tonight hunting for treats regardless. To mark the occasion, I thought I would get all ghoulish and make some realistic gore for my Deathleaper base. Before I started, I read this article on Tale of Painters: How to Paint Realistic Blood and Gore. It was a cracker and gave me some great ideas on what to buy and how to start. I purchased myself some Tamiya Clear Red from my local Hobbyco and settled on a colour scheme to go beneath the glaze. Using a spare scrap of guts as a test, I decided to paint the thin ropy bits of gore Bleached Bone, and the larger tubular bits a lighter shade of Lich Purple. I really wanted to see how the different base colours would affect the overall appearance after the glaze.

After the base colours had dried I opened up my bottle of Clear Red. First things first: this stuff has some kick in it. During my other life as a synthetic organic chemist I handled some particularly nasty things, and I have to say Clear Red set of some alarm bells. The potential carcinogen warning it carries didn't bother me too much, I have worked with far worse things, but the volatility and immediate burning in my eyes was something else! Use it in a well ventilated area on a cool day if you can (it's pretty hot tonight in Sydney).

Three out of three Savlar Chem-Dogs recommend: Tamiya Clear Red!

 

I painted the first coat on and let it dry for about 30 minutes whilst I painted the Dark Angels helmet in Deathleaper's claw, then applied a second coat. The tutorial suggested Badab Black wash be added, but I resisted doing this. The purple base colour in some areas adds richness and darker areas to the gore without changing the colour of the "fluid" around it, making it look more bloody in my eyes. I may add some black later to add definition to some parts, but I really don't want to slather the whole thing.

To finish off the night's escapades, I added some blood effects to the neck of the Dark Angels helmet. After the Clear Red has dried I'll go back in and paint a bit of spinal structure in there just to make it look a bit more creepy.

I'm letting the tests dry overnight before I decide what to actually do with Deathleaper's base, I want to see what it looks like when it is completely dry first. I may end up painting all of the base colour in Lich Purple. All going well, I'll be able to finish the base over the weekend so that I can start painting the figure in earnest. I am also close to finishing another batch of Iron Snakes, which I am really looking forward to sharing with everyone.

See you across the table,

M4cr0