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Hi folks, Here is something a little different. Every now and then I get a yen to build a model from Forgeworld or Games Workshop as a change of pace. I'm no gamer and purely enjoy the look of these miniatures. The artists in their studios create little masterpieces which really catch the eye. Forgeworld have a number of titan models on their books which I like the look of but they are quite expensive and being solid resin, not always a perfect fit. A little while ago Games Workshop (now Warhammer) released an injection molded plastic titan called an Imperial Knight. The kit is still pricey but about half what one of the Forgeworld kits would be. I took the plunge and picked up one of the recent releases which adds different decals and new weapons to the mix. I was immeadiately impressed by the quality of the sprues. The attachment gates are large but each part is very precisely molded. Some larger scale companies could learn from these guys it seems. The instruction booklet is good with easy to follow instructions and colour diagrams throughout. There are no colour callouts or decal placements as that is left entirely to the builder. One of the joys of this genre of modelling is the freedom it gives to the builder and something I like a great deal. I treated myself to the Codex which is a sort of reference work and gives suggestions for factions, typical colour schemes and decal placement but you can choose to adhere to or ignore as much as you wish. After watching a couple of YouTube build videos to get a feel for the miniature I chose a path to begin. Construction starts with the feet and legs. These are not articulated and give each model the same stance. It is possible to pose them differently but that would require quite a bit of modification. Perhaps on the next one? Many builds, whether in the Codex or on-line show the skeleton and underbody of the walker in metal of some kind. I chose to paint the parts in a more "armour like" style where everything gets a coat of the same colour or cammo. This allowed me to employ a number of weathering techniques, something that building aircraft only permits in moderation. After the Chaos black primer (something GW modellers have been doing for years btw) I sprayed a coat of Alclad II stainless steel before adding odd patches of rust coloured enamel, salt and a hairspray layer. This would allow me to chip and scrape the blu paint to reveal the underlying colours. The rams were covered in kitchen foil and pastel dust was used to give a dusty feel to the feet. I wanted to give this model a heavily used feel of a war weary battle veteran. This meant adding quite alot of weathering. All great fun! The kit provides thick slatted vents for the top of the engine bay but I removed them and added etched mesh to give more of a "tanky"/armour feel. Decals were used for almost all of the markings and symbols, the only exceptions to that are the maltese cross type markings on the white portions of the shoulder and knee armour. I replaced all of the handles and handrail with tube and wire as the plastic kit parts are quite chunky. The "Avenger" gattling cannon was chipped heavily and weathered except for the ammo boxes which I left clean as I imagined they would be changed regularly. With ammo boxes like that I'm guessing the Knight pilot would have all of two seconds worth of munitions before needing to replenish his gun. I also added a shell ejection chute on the left side of the gun otherwise his waste shells would be spilling into his right foot mechanism! Always thinking you see.....

Hi everyone. I'd like to share the completion of a recent small project if I may? a while ago I began this white metal figure from Games Workshop but set it aside when modelling time became virtually non-existent. Recently I've had an urge to do something at the model bench but still have n't had the time to go into any depth on more complex projects (several large scale projects sit languishing on the shelf of doom...). Resumption of this figure proved to be the tonic I needed. Principally an excercise in painting, the model builds quickly and easily. I used CA to glue the few white metal pieces together then filled small gaps with "green stuff" two pack putty. I used Games Workshop's own Chaos Black spray primer before applying their acrylics by brush. In addition, I also used a few Valejo acrylics just for good measure. Not everyone's cup of tea I'm sure but these figures do afford great opportunities for flexing one's painting aspirations and it takes very little time to do. Cheers.