Grey Knights: Space Hulk Basing

 Hi folks,

To finish off the Grey Knights, my mate gave me some scenic bases featuring some classic sci-fi textures. Each one has a few different types of metallic grating, as well as some piping and raised platforms that looked to me like a teleportation matrix. Going with the derelict Space Hulk vibe, I decided to paint them with some heavy chemical weathering and underlying teleportation glow. Here are the steps I took.



Step 1: Black Spray Undercoat

Self-explanatory, perhaps, to the point that I hesitated to include it. I chose a black undercoat because I would be painting a lot of metallics, which go on well over black. Careful dry-brushing would also leave black in the recesses to add depth. Simples.



Step 2: Metallics

I mentally split the grating on each of the bases into two categories, iron and copper. For the iron parts I used Leadbelchers, for copper I used Warplock Bronze. All of these surface would be weathered. I left some additional surfaces clean, as I would go over them with neat Leadbelchers later to tie the bases in visually with the Grey Knights.



Step 3: Blue Teleportation Blend

I added a graduated blend of Caledor Sky/Teclis Blue /Lothern Blue /1:1 Lothern Blue/White to the teleportation surfaces. At times I stipled it to get the paint past the raised detail. When your working on something like this, with the intention of restoring the raised detail to a metallic appearance, you really have to be careful to get your pigment where it needs to go. I left some of the surface around the edges a bit patchy, again to add a bit of shading between the blue and metallic edging later.



Step 4: Chemical Weathering

Iron chloride: I stipled Mournfang Brown, followed by stipled Solar Macharius Orange to highlight. You could use Jokaero Orange instead for this. Xereus purple/brown mix was also stipled to add further depth. I also worked away at the edges with Leadbelchers to blur the interface between corrosion and clean metal.

Copper chloride: Unlike weathering iron, I find copper/bronze more of an exercise in layering. I dulled 50% of the surface with a 1:1 Mournfang brown/Kabalite green mix. I then gradually increased the Kabalite green percentage, adding each new mix to 50% less of the same surface each time (simples?). A final mix of Kabalite green with white was added at the extremities, and a Gehenna's gold highlight to the clean bronze finished it off. 



Step 5: Leadbelchers Clean-Up

All of the surfaces that needed to be clean metal were dry-brushed with Leadbelchers. This included the borders around, and the grating over, the teleportation surfaces. I knocked some of the brightness back in parts with a Nuln Oil wash (I hear it is "liquid skill", so I considered drinking some...*).

Done.

Here are the finished products:

Now for some Grey Knights...

See you across the table,

Marc

*Don't drink your Citadel Washes folks, they are foul.