Hillock's terrain and such - pic heavy

[The Hillock]

Howdy. Time for another rarely updated progress thread. Bit skint at the moment, so not much model work going on. What IS happening is a fair bit of terrain work, both the painting of kits I've had for ages and the construction of some scratch build stuff I'm doing to sate the modelling urges until my finances improve.

So, with little or no fanfare, pics n stuff. My usual quality, i.e. very poor, but I am working on it.

First off, scratch build hills. Let's start simple shall we?

I had a big lump of polystyrene. Fairly dense, not too prone to bobbling up like it sometimes can be. I hacked it up with a breadknife, then used a sharper carving knife to get the final shape. Having given it an aggressive vacuuming to get rid of all the loose stuff, I glued it to a few bits of foam card I had lying around from a previous project (which I'll post another time).

Stage one: cutting and gluing done, basic shape visible. (Also visible, range of teas)



Next step (which was last night) - getting a big brush and some watered down PVA and smothering the hills, followed by sticking on strips of old newspaper. Repeat layers using PVA solution to seal. The temptation always being to go for big bits of paper, when smaller strips work much better. Also, messy.







Next update (either tonight or tomorrow depending on whether the paper has dried) will be base coat.

[Mossy Toes]

Missed a prime chance to pun on your username in the thread title, if I may say so myself.

I never have enough home-made terrain for home matches, so I'll be keeping an eye on what you do here for tips and tricks. Really, I know, I just need to go get a bunch of plasticard and polystyrene, but...

[Xisor]

One day, I'll do this sort of thing. One day.

Looks good so far!

A mate of mine whilst at high school was really keen and, in the days prior to GW's own big buildings, he made an immense set of fairly durable and utterly tremendous cardboard city pieces. Enough to easily cover a good 5'*5' dining table!

('Who has such a big table?', I hear you ask. Good question. Bizarre, it barely fit in their dining room. And I distinctly remember it extending a little too...)

[revelation]

I haven't attempted terrain before either. Good luck Hillock. Hope it turns out good. Keep us posted.

[The Hillock]

Some of the other bits I've done are really quite good even though I say so myself. These hills are pretty quick and dirty, there's not a lot of effort going in. Unfortunately I didn't capture 'in progress' shots of the others, so I'll only have the finished article to photograph. I'll put them in this thread once I've finished the hills step-by-step.

Speaking of which, I had a bit of spare time last night so I did a bit more. Firstly, a layer of green undercoat. I used an Army Painter 'Angel Green' spray can which I had left over from painting bastions (I'll post them one day too). It's darker than I would like for this but I don't think it'll be an issue.





Next step (once I'd had dinner at a friends and watched the latest two eps of Sons of Anarchy - holy cow it's violent) was to put some brown paint (can't remember the name but it's the dark brown GW Base paint) everywhere I plan to have gravel, and slap on a bit of leftover GW brown texture paint I had from a while ago where I'll have bare mud.

I also put some random highlights on in a lighter green. I honestly have no idea if they'll be noticable on the finished product but it made sense to my sleep-seprived mind. The last step of this stage was to paint the areas which will be 'rocky' in a lightish gray. I used GW Dawnstone Gray because it's what I have.







Lastly, once that had dried, a quick layer of Agrax earthshade wash over the gray bits to get them ready for drybrushing.

Tonight (probably) - finishing the hills off!

[The Hillock]

Missed a prime chance to pun on your username in the thread title, if I may say so myself.

I ummed and ahhed about that for ages, and now regret my decision.

Rev, Xis - thanks for the votes of confidence.

[The Hillock]

OK then, got a bit more done last night. Pretty much there, just a couple of final touches still needed.

First step was to sort out the 'rock' areas. Over the brown wash I did in the last update, I applied a heavy drybrush of the game gray I base coated it with (GW Dawnstone Gray) over the whole area and then a lighter drybrush of white (GW Skull White I think) over the edges and raised areas. The fact I was messy with the newspaper was useful here as it gives plenty of nice bumps and lumps.



Once that was done I started flocking. Now it turns out the highlights I did in the green areas were totally unecessary, so that's a lesson learned. Watered down PVA (roughly 50/50) was again the order of the day. On the smaller hill I was able to do it in one big hit whereas on the larger one I had to do it in sections.









The folds in the newspaper are annoying, but I did say I was doing a rush job. For a basic tabletop, this'll do nicely.

One more update I reckon, and these will be done.

[The Hillock]

OK then, after a bit of trial and tribulation getting back in (thanks Narry!) I'm back with the last update on the scratch build hills. I'll then shamelessly increase my post count by double posting to get some shots up of my existing scenery too, and then I'll show my latest bit of scratch build work-in-progress. Boom.

So this is the last pic of the big hill. The only change since the last one is the addition of some gravel (it's Woodland Scenic's 'Coarse Brown Ballast' from my local model railway store) on the areas I painted brown. I've also applied a medium brown drybrush over the texture paint areas in the lowest area, then coated in very slightly thinned PVA glue - this will hopefully give the effect of wet mud.



And there we go - project hill is complete.

EDIT - I've tried Xisor's trick for making pics fit the page and it doesn't work on Photobucket - just brings up a "can't find image" error. Boo.

[The Hillock]

OK, and the reason for the intentional double post becomes apparent - this one is going to be EPIC. Get ready peeps, and if you've opened this on a slow page or a device where you pay for data - sorry. (EDIT - yeah, I'm gonna split this down to one post per terrain item - mods, if that's naughty, sorry)

I've got quite a mixture of terrain, both GW bits and bobs and some scratch build. Let's do the stuff I built first, as I think it's quite good. Firstly, The Bunker. This was the first thing I did, and is still probably the best I've made. The basic structure of the thing is very dense foam (NOT polystyrene) which I cut into various sized blocks to make the shape. The top is an old-school GW blister pack (from when they were card-backed, not plastic clam-shells). The doors are the roof doors from a rhino kit, and the winch on the ceiling is made of bits of Furioso Dreadnought magna-grapple.



On one side of the entrance is a dead Ultramarine (this is a trend on my terrain, you'll see), with some of my trademark blu-tac entrails (see my Death Company dreadnought in my Flesh Tearers thread for a clearer example).



On the other, an old ammo dump shows where some of his squad made a last stand against whatever killed them.



The texture on the surface of the bunker comes from using kitchen roll instead of newspaper for the paper/PVA layer. My only regret with this whole building was that I stuck on the blister pack AFTER I'd papered the rest, so it's got a smoother texture. The rest of the finishing is my usual mixture of GW texture paint, green flock and gravel (the same as I used on the hill - a little bag goes a very long way)

[The Hillock]

Next up is The Castle. This was a piece I hated - no, HATED - right up until I'd finished it at which point I decided it was awesome. Actually, I wasn't even gonna finish it, but my mate persuaded me and I'm glad he did.

The basic shape is completely unchanged from when it was a bit of packaging that came with my PC speakers - you know, the type where you get a molded bit of card at each end to grip the contents, where the footprint of the packaging fits nugly in the box to prevent movement. This is just one of those, on foam card backing (again), and covered in kitchen roll like the bunker.



The tricky bit was the floor. When you get these bits of card packaging they are very lumpy - I had to cut the centre out of it, trying to keep it level, then stick a bit of plasticard in place to provide the floor. I then stuck the gravel to it, sprayed it black and dry-brushed Dawnstone Gray over it (if you're getting the impression I favour a limited palette of colours, you'd be right). In the centre of the floor is one of the small stands that comes with Imperial fortifications - it can take a quad gun, icarus lascannon or comms relay from the standard kit and also makes a handy objective.



The entrance is flanked by lights from the GW ruined buildings (I think it's the Basilica but could be wrong). Also, more gravel.



I also threw in some wood for good measure (they're just small lumps of cork, I got a big lump of it for free a while ago).



Best bit? The desk, definitely. Made of more bits of Basilica plus some random sprue stuff (the book comes from the Rhino kit, for example).



EDIT - compared to my usual standard, pics are getting better, no? New phone has the camera goodness.

[The Hillock]

Lastly (for now) we come to the GW terrain pieces I've accumulated. Most of this I actually inherited from friends who got back into the hobby when I did, but then rapidly fell out of it again - I like when that happens, I get free stuff (see also my earliest Flesh Tearers, still on sprue when given to me).

Firstly, ruined building. I think this is the Basilica kit, but I could be wrong - they're hard to tell apart. Basic paint job, black and heavy drybrush for most of it, details in bronze and gold, with stone areas in gray (washed and then highlighted with drybrush)







Following that, let's look at craters. This is the GW standard crater set (do they call it Blastscape? Dumb name). Pretty straightforward, sprayed gray (I use a Humbrol acrylic from the aforementioned model railway store) and then painted brown over the areas I want to be brown (well, duh). Layer of brown wash over the whole thing, then two layers of drybrush highlight (gray then white) over the gray bits and two over the brown bits (medium brown then lighter brown). Very easy to make these look very good.



Can't beat a good flocking.



To go with the craters, I've got the Battlescape that I think recently went out of production. Note that the Rhino is in Ultramarines colours (I do like me a dead Ultramarine). Technique was the same as for the craters. Notable exceptions are the use of the GW technical paints to get grime and rust on the wrecked tank.





The trees are painted Bleached Bone (or whatever the current equivalent is called) then washed brown.



I'm not super happy about the rhino - the lines between rust and not-rust seem too crisp to me - but it's good enough.



Last things last - I've got two bastions. They were boooooring to paint. Seriously, never again. Awful, awful things. Just the knowledge that I still have to paint the barricades and weapons that came with them brings me out in a cold sweat. Ugh.



Again, the line between dirty and clean is far too distinct. Again, I'm not going to do anything about it.



I drybrush everything. EVERYTHING.



Love a bit of shiny bronze



That's it for stuff I've already got built. I'll do a full tabletop pic set next time I have a game. In the mean time, here's a teaser for what I'm working on now. Peace out y'all.

[Mossy Toes]

1) I like the gravel. Good addition to add some texture and variety while keeping it simple.

2) Oooh, that looks fun to make. And it does my heart good to see an old blister pack, again.

3) I always wonder if I should keep some of those odd pieces of packing cardboard for warhammer purposes. Nice to see the idea implemented, even if it was frustrating to make...

4) They call the craters "Moonscape," if I'm not mistaken. And yes, you've certainly put more effort into those Bastions than most people I've seen do to theirs... also A+ on the "drybrush everything" ethos. Right there with you. YES EVEN LARGE FLAT PLANES.

[The Hillock]

Evening all. Just a quick one, as I thought this might be of interest. A while ago I chipped in on a Kickstarter to get a gaming mat - pictured below. It goes well with my terrain and the bases on my Flesh Tearers, which is lucky. The upper surface is impressively spill resistant and the lower is very grippy, and the whole thing seems utterly crease-proof. The only downside is that it doesn't fold, so it has to be rolled up in a tube (although it comes in a nice sleeve thing for storage and carrying).

They're made by Frontline games, and although they'll cost a bit more now the Kickstarter is done with I'd suggest it's a cost efficient option next to the sheer insanity that is paying basically your entire life savings for a GW Citadel modular board thing. They ship internationally (obviously, you all know I'm UK based and Frontline are an American company) if you're not in the States.



(and no, I'm not sponsored by them - I just really like the mat)

[revelation]

Wow, all great stuff Hillock.

BTW, I've always wanted one of those terrain maps. I wish they had those when I still played the game and didn't just collect and paint.

[Mossy Toes]

Frontline Gaming's physical shop is actually only about 2 hours from where I am. Have't gone there, but I heard they offer good deals (like 20% off pre-ordered GW units). Their mats are fantastic.

[The Hillock]

Cheers Rev.

Mossy, I'm a bit jealous. Then again, the best (IMO) online / bricks and mortar FLGS in the UK is probably Element Games, and conveniently they're based about three miles from the office in Manchester I have to visit most weeks.

[The Hillock]

Greetings. I have returned once more with tales of terrain and stories of scenery.

My latest scratch build is nearing completion and I'll upload some photos in due time - however to tide myself over I decided to do another pre-made piece in the meantime.

Last week I got this, a 'TauCeti' power generator made by Micro Art Studios. I'd never heard of them but having Googled since, they have been mentioned on some of the better know Warhammer 40k blogs (Beasts of War, for example). The thing itself comes in a plastic bag so not very well protected, and there was some minor damage to the bottom edges but nothing to damage the overall look. It's made of a dense black pre-cast foam.



First step was to undercoat. Despite what the makers will tell you, it does absorb a bit - but a couple of coats of white provide a decent base and sealant.



Given the very Tau aesthetic of the generator, I figured I'd use Tau-ish colours - so the base is a spray undercoat of Army Painter Skeleton Bone. The two primary colours are GW 'layer' Russ Grey and GW 'layer' Balor Brown (I think, might have been GW 'base' XV-88)



I decided to try and make it look like a water turbine rather than a plasma generator or something, so tried to wet blend some paints in the holes to make it look like water. This exposes one of my weaknesses in that I'm not very good at it, but I'm fairly happy with the result. The shiny top coat is two layers of GW 'Ard Coat.



I then finished it off with a bit of weathering, which is where it all went horribly wrong. The only wash I had in sufficient quantity was GW Nuln Oil, but that made it look far too dark and was impossible to use without massive and obvious brushmarks - so I wiped most of it off again with kitchen roll. I then tried a different tack and painted generous amounts of GW Typhus Corrosion (one of the technical paints, it's really gritty) into the cracks and crevices of the generator, then smeared it about with the kitchen roll. The result looks great from a distance, but a bit poor close up.





Overall I'm pretty happy with it. The foam warped very slightly when sprayed, but only a tad. It takes paint well and there are no molding errors - in fact, no modelling work was required at all. I'd recommend other similar Micro Art products based on this.

Cheerio!

[Mossy Toes]

Now you just need 2 more of those shield generators, to buff them up with Stronghold Assault, and you have a Hoth rebel generator that throws out 9-12 AV12 shield points for anything within 12", repairing dead shields on a 5+ every turn. Talk about a well-protected firebase!

[The Hillock]

Now you just need 2 more of those shield generators, to buff them up with Stronghold Assault, and you have a Hoth rebel generator that throws out 9-12 AV12 shield points for anything within 12", repairing dead shields on a 5+ every turn. Talk about a well-protected firebase!

I've not read Stronghold Assault, is that actually a thing?

[Mossy Toes]

Yuuup. Then add in some Promethium Pipelines to give any of your flamers Torrent...