+ inload: Mud and grime – oil washes +

+ Developing Gatebreakers with oils +

The existing marines look forward to some additional support.

+ With the paint blocked in, the Gatebreakers look bright and clean – lovely for parade ground troops, but not so fitting for soldiers in the midst of desperate warfare during the Dark Millennium:

+ As described in the tutorial in an earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], I used a matt spray varnish to protect the acrylics, then slathered burnt umber oils over the figures, as shown below. +

+ Whereas before I had worked either on an individual model basis or in groups of two or three, I experimented here with larger groups. This was a test for leaving the oil in place for slightly longer, something that'll inevitably be necessary when working up the Land Raider, again shown in an earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. +

+ I used white spirit and a cotton bud (Q-tip) to gently wipe away the oil from surfaces, working in consistent downward strokes where possible. Very relaxing. The Dreadnought is a resin model, so I can cautiously suggest that the technique works for that in just the same way. I'd be particularly careful to ensure that resin is well-primed to avoid contact with the white spirit, but that's not based on anything beyond a hunch. +

+ ...and that's where I left them overnight. The morning light [visref: above] shows the glossiness has begun to disappear as the oils oxidise. They're still slightly tacky to the touch, but once they've had a full day, I think they'll be alright to varnish. It's then onwards to tidying and highlighting. You'll notice that I've left a bit more oil on these ones than the previous batch. I felt I had slightly over-cleaned the earlier marines, and ended up adding in more shading later on. Now I've had a chance to practise, I'm more confident that I can successfully overpaint with acrylics, so I left some more dirt and marks to work up and develop further. +