Squaduary 2018: Week 3 Progress

Time for my week 3 progress report for Squaduary 2018.  The Hellblasters edge ever forward to completeness. During week three, Remaining details were colored in and some highlights applied.  many details are complete, while others still require final highlights. It all started with the chapter icons and purity seals.  The chapter symbols where highlighted with Vallejo Game Color Ghost Grey (72-046).  The purity seal paper was painted with P3 Menoth White base, shaded with GW Agrax Earthshade, then highlighted with P3 Menoth White Highlight.  The wax seals were painted with P3 Sanguine Base and shaded with GW Agrax Earthshade.

Starting to look snazzy!  Next, the bases got some love while I took a break from the finer aspects of painting.  Here, a dark Vallejo brown was painted on and highlighted using progressively lighter browns.  The whole was shaded heavily with GW Agrax Earthshade. At some later stage, time permitting, additional highlights and different color shades will be added to break up the consistent browns. As I typically do, the bases were cleaned up with a GW Chaos Black rim to help both the "ground cover" and the models stand out on the table a bit.

Next up, the lenses on the "targeter/flashlight" looking bits on the ends of the plasma weapons were given a layer of GW Caledor Sky and shaded with a 50:50 mix of GW Drakenhof Nightshade and Lahmian Medium. The silver parts of the plasma weapons were also cleaned up at this stage making them appear brighter.  

Last up for the week, the plasma weapons, purity seal wax, and helmet eye lenses got their first highlight of GW Wildrider Red. This took me some time, particularly for the weapons, but I'm very happy with my results.

[UPDATE - One last unexpected session for week 3, company badges!]

Last up this week, I was able to paint freehand the company badge on the left knee pads.  I started by painting a black cross with GW Abaddon Black to section each knee pad, then painted in the black quadrant.  This was followed with P3 Menoth White Highlight for the off-white quadrants, and then GW Caliban Green was used for the green quadrant and to tidy up around the knee pad.  A pin-wash of GW Nuln Oil was then carefully painted around each pad to shade the edges and hopefully help it pop out a bit more and set it apart from the rest of the armored leg.  

With most of the obvious colors painted in by the end of week two, week three progress is not so obvious to make out.  Many hours were spent though and these Dark Angels creep ever closer to field readiness.  Week four will be exciting.  I must finally complete the armor edge highlighting (seen partially complete on the front left marine in the pictures) which will be time consuming.  Then decal the right shoulder pads and complete all remaining highlights and touch ups.  I may not see every planned detail done, but I am confident I will close out Squaduary with a respectable squad none-the-less.

I hope you will stop back next week to see how this journey ends.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!