Greetings and welcome back. Today I share my completed #MonsterMarch7 project - Lion E;'Jonson of the Dark Angels Legion as seen in the age of the Horus Heresy, bringing the Emperor's justice to the Night Lords during the Thramas Crusade.I've been interested in and collecting Dark Angels models since 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000...I guess that's form the late 90's? I dunno...a long time. So this project, for me, is like 25 years in the making. Yes, I took the coward's path and painted mostly according to the Forge World studio art. But man, I'm super stoked to have this model completed in my collection. It makes my 20-something self proud, even as my 50-something self feels a little foolish at the whole thing. 😂
The project was not without it's hiccups. I guess no large project ever is in this hobby. In the final hours, I applied the matte varnish to seal all of my hard work. And the rocks of the diorama inexplicably reacted with the varnish and turned purple. Nothing else on The Lion, his base, nor the rest of the diorama base changed...just the grey rock. I didn't think to photograph the diorama base, but ALL of the grey rock looked exactly like this piece I'm showing. All of it.
I don't recall what I did over the project with shades/washes/etc. But something reacted oddly with the varnish before it dried. This was using Model Masters Lusterless Flat varnish (I still covet a few cans for special projects like this) over Proacryl paint and GW shades. I've used this varnish for years, and have used it with these same Proacryl colors with never an ill effect like this. So weird. Even more odd is the fact that the Lion's gaming base (as shown above) is fine and it's the SAME PAINT varnished at the SAME TIME under the SAME CONDITIONS!? eh, whatevah.
No sense crying over it. After a few choice words - there is always sense in that, right? - I settled down and carefully repainted the purple rocks. As you can see in these final pics, everything worked out in the end. However, I haven't applied a final coat of varnish, and I may not ever. I took these final project photos to share just in case the whole horror scene repeats should I choose to varnish the completed diorama base once again. It's not a game piece, so I'm thinking enough is enough. No need to varnish again, as it'll rarely be touched to a point that the paint might rub off to reveal the sealed purple/grey rocks below.
So that's a wrap on #MonsterMarch7, and I guess I completed this fella just in time now that his 40K self walks the galaxy once more. OF COURSE I will have to have that model for the collection; and maybe I won't wait a year or more to paint it! hah. For now, I'm just sitting back and enjoying this one completion for the Hobby year. It's a fantastic model and was pure joy for me to paint. Another one goes in the DONE pile.
If don't already follow Swordmaster's blog, take some time out to have a look. There were so many fun projects in MonsterMarch7, well worth the look. If you want to see a bit more of the Lion, I dropped a few extra photos below, after the break. Otherwise, it's good bye for now. I'm at a loss for what to pick up next. It was going to be more mini titans...but now I'm on a Horus Heresy roll...so maybe Deathwing Companions? So much great stuff going on right now. Spacehulk/Gallowdark terrain?! I dunno...
Cheers and Happy Gaming!
Wonderful finish to the project, mate. The cloak is just fantastic! It's not a real challenge unless you have a last minute hiccup that forces you to repaint something :-) I have the same model in a box waiting to be painted, when I build up the courage to do it. Like you, I have been a Dark Angels collector for a long time (since 1996); this model is literally on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteThanks you! I Seriously almost caved on painting him for this challenge out of cowardice. He is a bucket list model for me too, and I didn't even want to build him until I felt ready. I posited to Swordmaster that he was on my mind for the challenge and he gave me the push (whether he realized it or not) to do it instead of the Warmaster iconcolast for Legio Tempestus that I was feinting with to mirror that Warmaster for Legio Ignatum that I did last year. No regrets...get the Lion painted!
DeleteThis is fantastic, odd about the reaction with the varnish. Little comfort that we've all been there in one way or another, so I feel your pain but an odd reaction nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteRight?! I've only ever had a reaction in the past to pigment fixer, which clouds, so I do pigment after varnishing...this is completely unexpected and I swear I've varnish with model master over this paint before - in fact I DID with the Lio9n and his base didn't turn purple. I assume it's something with the shades/washes. Maybe the mix of custom wash/shade medium. That's really the only variable here.
Deleteand THANKS! :)
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