Step-By-Step Eldar Waveserpent

Still in an Eldar kinda mood, I painted up a Waveserpent as I am in sore need of some transports.  I took some pics along the way for those of you who are interested ;)

Step 1: Mordian Blue

I am assuming a basecoat of black before this, actually, so I guess there's a step 0.  Mordian is a foundation paint, and is thicker than your typical Citadel paint.  They're amazing for first coats.

Step 2: Enchanted Blue

I'm going for a mottled effect that's unique to the Alaitoc vehicles ... if the various examples in the codex are anything to go by...  There's not much of a plan here, just irregular shaped blobs, more round than sharp.

Step 3: Ice Blue

Smaller blobs, and try to break up the others... i.e. have them hug edges and break the lines between mid and dark blue.

Step 4: Asurmen Blue

The wash is here to not only bring some depth, but to tone down that Ice Blue, as it is actually too bright for what we want.

Step 5: Dark Angels Green

This is specifically for the pilot.  I'm going for an effect that looks like he's illuminated by his screen.  Do these in a heavy drybrush upwards along the body, so he looks a little under-lit.

Step 6: Snot Green

Same as step 5, but not as thick.

Step 7: Scorpion Green

Same as step 6, but lighter still.  We should be good to put the canopy down now.

Step 8: Dheneb Stone

For anything bone, this is our base.

Step 9: Devlan Mud

Dowse the bone.

Step 10: Bleached Bone

Staying out of any crevices, this is to work up the bone again.

Step 11: Skull White

This is a drybrushed highlight along the bone edges.

Step 12: Gryphonne Sepia

This is put in the creases and middle areas of the bone to bring some color back.

Step 13: Boltgun Metal

Drybrushed over the various metal areas of the ship.

Step 14: Snot Green

Ok, here we're starting on some of the various gemstones on the ship.  Any you want in green, first cover with Snot Green, our mid-tone.

Step 15: Dark Angels Green

The next step is to have a darkened area in the gemstone close to where the light-source is.  For simplicity's sake, I've chosen the "upper left corner" if I'm looking down at the front of the ship.


Step 16: Scorpion Green

The highlight should be a thin line along the "bottom right corner" of the gemstones ... or the opposite side where you put the dark area.  Normally the next and last step is to put a tiny dot of white in the middle of the dark space for the reflection ... but I'm going to work up a second color of gemstone first.

Step 17: Blood Red

Our mid-tone for any red gemstones.

Step 18: Scab Red

For the dark areas of our red gemstones.

Step 19: Blazing Orange

For the highlight line of our red gemstones.

Step 20: Skull White

Ok, apply your dots in the various gemstones ... and while the white is out, get any runes you want down.  I have a waveserpent rune on the side, and the sword of Khaine on the front ... the beginnings of the Alaitoc craftworld symbol.

Step 21: Iyanden Darksun

Yellow is a notoriously thin paint, so even for runes, I need to lay down a foundation paint first.  For the above, there is the crescent moon behind the sword, and a set of random runes down the left wing ... as it wouldn't be Alaitoc-y enough without more yellow ;)

Step 22:  Sunburst Yellow

Brighten up anything first done in Iyanden ... and there you go. 

Let me know what you think of the mottled effect and how it came out in the end.

Converted Eldar Storm Guardians

I'm looking to build some Storm Guardian squads for my burgeoning Eldar army for a few reasons.  One, they're highly flexible, given their ability to take fusion guns and flamers as special weapons while also being scoring.  Two, I have a feeling given the feel of the newer codices that this kind of squad is more likely to remain useful in a future Eldar Codex release so, to me it's a safe investment.

However, I don't want them to look like the normal Guardians.  I want them to stand out in their own way.  The idea to do this is not my own, it came from page 226 of the BRB where an example Eldar army is shown off.  The Storm Guardians were given hoods and capes from the Wood Elf Glade Guard kit.  I thought it was a fantastic idea, so here we are...

Upon receiving the bits, I came to the realization that the quivers on the cloaks would be a problem ... but promptly decided they were scabbards for the close combat weapons and added chopped hilts to those holding special weapons to drive home this intention.