Embrace the checks: Lamenters Storm Raven

I had a busy birthday!  Part of my present was a day of peace, during which I went to work on the centerpiece of my new Lamenters army.  First I airbrushed with multiple yellows, and then sprayed some shade on it to get the yellow base you see here. I left it very subtle for now, I intend to go back and brush in some blending later.  I painted the engines black and will do them up with my Jawa Grey NMM grey technique.  

Before I could go on with the painting though, I had to do the cockpit. 

I painted the seat and back brown then bleached bone then washed.

Then I painted all the controls and lights with multiple layers of highlight.

Then time for the pilot!

First to make sure he fits with the canopy...

Then time to give him some life!  He got the same treatment all of my 

vanguard vets have gotten so far. Not quite as many layers, but he still looks

good. I did the full checker treatment on the shoulder pad along with the heart symbol and I painted all the 

Mechanicus symbols too. I borrowed from fantastic painter Gabe Dobkin for the eyes. I noticed that when he paints his it looks like he actually enlarges the lenses. You can see the images I used as reference HERE on BOLS. Simple but powerful!

Now it is time for the checks!  You can see the subtle blending I did

with the airbrush.  I mixed a little brown into my yellow for shading 

then accented it with wash.  I am fairly happy with the right front engine housing

and the housing over the rear right engine as well.  The blending is subtle and almost imperceptible

if you don't know to look for it!  But it will give me a great base to work on with a brush.

For the checks I used a ruler to grid out 1/4" marks, then a credit card as a straight edge to lay down 

the lines. The ruler was too unwieldly. 

Then came the hand painting!  I started with a codex grey base then painted in each individual

black check free hand. The only issue was that the wing was just a tad too wide to make the checking even. You can see on the right that that row of checks is a bit too wide. I will fix that by blending yellow down the front of the wing.  This is just the layout. I will paint each white check with about 4 shades of grey then a white highlight. That is the point that I will edge out the checks and make them as square as possible.

Where else will I place checks?  The tail and stabilizers will get some, and maybe some on the intake on the top. This raven will have hurricane bolters, so I think the bolter housings will also be checked.  I am going to magnetize the doors and sponsons so I can switch em out.  

Here are some inspiration images I found:

I am kinda digging the angled checks on the tails.  Perhaps this will be the perfect compliment to what is a very boxy and geometric model. Maybe I can do some subtle checks on the wing tips of the stabilizers.  I am thinking about actually hacking up the tail of my raven, and creating a sort of stabilizer like you see on these... a more traditional fighter type...

The storm raven is a truly huge model to build and paint.  The model itself goes together very easily, but it is a daunting task to paint it to a top level. The cockpit alone took a couple hours of work for me, but it is necessary. All too often do you see guys who short cut the cockpit and paint over it.  But it is those details that a paint judge will recognize, and if not directly, subconsciously reward. 

For the symbol, I am going to place it directly in the center of this field of checks. I will simply trace a terminator base and make a big circle and go to town. 

Ok, then, back to work for me.  My birthday vacation is wearing thin with the wife and my minutes are numbered!  

Jawaballs