Painting Sector Mechanicus Bases

When planning my narrative project as a whole, I came to the conclusion it was going to be on Necromunda. Shortly thereafter I started planning what mini projects I wanted to do and I knew Iwanted to have the bases be the same to tie them all together. After dauntless base research I decided to go with the Sector Mechanicus bases.

First I primed the sprue using Games Workshop Mechanicus Grey spray and then a heavy dry brush of Games Workshop Leadbelcher.

Next was a heavy wash of Games Workshop Nuln Oil.

This provided much needed texture and helped bring out the details underneath the grating. I find that this would have been a satisfactory look for what I wanted to achieve, but I just wanted to play around with it more. I wanted to try a brown wash to have an "exposed to the elements" look and not just a dirty look, but I don't have a brown wash. So I did a 2:1 mix of Games Workshop Casandora Yellow and Carroburg Crimson shades and did a medium wash over the top. The coloring is more visible in person but in the pictures you can see a slightly warmer/browner tint to the metal. Next, Hazard Stripes!

So hear I applied three very thin coats of Games Workshop Flash Gitz Yellow. At this point I am thinking "man I have heard yellow is miserable but I expected it to go on better than this." Especially with how impressed I have been with Games Workshop's "Base" line of paints. I have two yellows from Games Workshop and when I picked up the first one I didn't even look at the name I just saw that it was a layer so I assumed the other was a base, it wasn't ... it was Flashgitz Yellow, which is also a layer. This is when I realized I do not have a yellow base paint. So I add a medium wash of Nuln Oil and let sit.

When I comeback to it I add a fourth layer of Flashgitz and do an additional round of touch ups. It is still semi-transparent, but hey maybe it is weathering or maybe Necromunda just has some shitty industrial painters. Next I started adding the stripes with Games Workshop Abaddon Black. This is when I realize that I do not have a steady hand and that I can not paint a straight light. Zero consistency between my line work. But hey, shitty Necromunda painters right?

After letting it dry I came back with another layer of Abaddon Black and was able to touch up a few lines. I was going to add paint chipping affects but I was kind of teetering on whether I was happy with the striping or not. I decided that the solution wasn't adding more paint, so I just clipped them off the sprue and added a layer of Abaddon Black around the lip.

From a tabletop perspective and if you do not look at them for too long they look pretty good, I am happy with them overall. Once they get a mini on them they will help provide a background for the mini (again, from a tabletop perspective) and will hopefully emphasize the theme of Necromunda while tying the project together as a whole.

What will I do differently on the next sprue? I will probably poke some Vallejo German Grey into the nooks and crannies before the Leadbelcher dry brush. I am ordering Secret Weapon Miniatures Parchment Wash and Tamiya 3mm Masking Tape, which I hope will meet the needs of a "dirty wash" and help with more consistent hazard striping. Oh yeah, and some Games Workshop Averland Sunet base paint!

Lastly I just want to say that I have been messing around in this hobby for 20 years now and this is my first completed painting project. Crazy I know! It is not an amazing quality, but I am feeling both very pleased with the work and very proud of myself. I hope I can ride this feeling and keep the motivation high! Small battle won in this eternal war!