With the release of the new Space Marine Stormtalon Gunship in this month's White Dwarf, I thought I'd take a look at the hobby aspect and some tips and tricks you can use to get your new flyer "battle ready." We've got some great potential for armies this summer when you combine these new models with the pending release of the new edition.
Painting vehicles is not the same as infantry
Vehicles can be a little more troublesome for folks. The large surface areas can seem daunting and getting a nice finish can be tricky if you've never done it before. There is hope, keep these 7 tips in mind while painting your vehicles and you won't need an airbrush to get a nice finish.
Details will make the model
Once you get them painted it's time to dress them up. Freehand and decals are going to see more attention with the new models. All that open surface area is screaming for some attention. You shouldn't let the idea of adding freehand or decals scare you either.
Freehand work can be easily transferred over to your vehicle.
Hazard stripes are easy if you know where to start.
Decals go on without any trouble with the right process.
Adding a bit of realism
Soot stains and heat stain on pipes and barrels will be in fashion now. With all the jet exhausts that will need to be painted, it's a cool effect you can add for some additional character to your model. Both effects are super easy to accomplish too.
Here's how you get the heat stained effect and the soot stained effect.
Tricks for vehicle canopies
With the increase in flyers, lots more models have the clear plastic canopies that need to be attached. Again, don't let these scare you either. There are a few things you can do to make painting and attaching them as painless as possible. You'd hate to ruin a gorgeous model with one piece at the end.
When it comes time to attach the canopy, use PVA (white) glue instead of superglue. The fumes in superglue can pick up skin oils left over from fingerprints and leave ghostly damaging marks on the plastic. Avoid all that by using a drop or two of white glue instead. And wait until after you've sealed your model with any protective varnishes before you attach your canopy. This piece should be last!
A steady hand with a good brush is all you really need to paint the supports between the glass panes. If you're worried though, a tiny bit of masking tape might help you keep your edges sharp.
If you want to tint your canopy a color like red or green, it's easy enough to do with Future Floor Finish and a few drops of the new GW shade you want to use. Mix them thoroughly and paint it on like you would any normal wash. I'd say to go with a 4:1 ratio (floor polish to GW shade) for a subtle look you can build on. Be careful not to go too heavy on the first pass, it's always better to build it up in layers until you get the tint you want on the canopy. And apply your tint to the inside of the canopy plastic so you keep your high gloss on the outside.
I hope these few tips help you get your new flyers up and in the air. I'm excited to see what kind of dimension they add to the game.
Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
The Storm Eagle and adding flyers to your army
How to paint vehicle without an airbrush
Download the Forge World flyers appendix (pdf)
