Cryptic Thoughts

Cryptic Thoughts

a tutorial for crypts, tombs, and graveyards....

Wow! Let's start our first post with a tutorial of sorts. I have never posted one really for miniatures, and no one demanded it, but I am going to try anyways. The backstory, which I will keep brief, is that I purchased the KING VLAGORESCU'S box set. Big box of Ghouls, Tomb Horrors, and a big old Terrorgheist. Well I needed, NEEDED, a cool base for my Terrorgheist and figured I'd heist accumulated ideas I found online and create a tomb base for him. And here we are....

Prep: I swear I'll get better at the pics! I assembled just the church looking crypt, forgot the vane, but may leave off for Terrorgheist positioning. Used some MIG heavy mud and some GW Stirland mud on the base prior to priming. NOTE: MIG is awesome, stuff takes about 12-24 hours to dry completely but is awesome. Stirland has more of an appearance of dried mud. Not sure how I would rate that yet, mine looked a bit "dotty" or like sprinkles, but maybe my application was weak.

Step 1: not shown, primed with GW CHAOS BLACK (I haven't had any real issues with any black primer, but as primers go, I recommend going for the best)

Step 2: GW Dryad Brown was used for the mud and dirt and for the roof tiles. I wanted a dark under base for the metal. Vallejo Somber Grey was used for the stone and structure. 

Step 3: 

I applied GW Screaming Bell to the metal/tin roofs. Wasn't sure how I was going to do the skulls and bones, but decided on basing with GW Zandari Dust. Sword was GW Leadbelcher.

Step 4: The filth and weathering part. This is where I got crazy.  I used more GW Screaming Bell, a color I am loving, on the gates. 

Step 5: THE CALMING OF THE STORM! Settle down Scott! I got a little crazy with the OXIDE. I applied a overall insane amount of GW Nihilakh Oxide, and mixed in some Vallejo Turquoise (I was experimenting with opacity so I grabbed a few random blues to try). I came back and laid in Repear Brown Liner, by far one of my favorite weapons right now. I put that brown in in various spots to and let it drip and embellish various areas of the whole structure. Used it also to give the bone and skulls some really ancient coloring. Streaks were done with this brown ink also. Reaper's liner is similar to ink but has a little bit more opacity to it and has a nice hold. I then took Vallejo German Brown base and watered it down quite a bit and laid it in cracks of the roof tiles and corners and pulled it around to create more depth and to tone down that verdigris. Some people have a ton of it, but I liked this amount. I painted the shield up with GW Thousand Sons and then GW Baharroth Blue. I drybrushed a medium brown, believe it was GW Mournfang. And there was one more step...me adding webs, but I'm still on the fence about this. I'll post an update if I can get it right. Looking good so far...crossed fingers. 

Again, I'll break these up better next time.