For this piece, I wanted a primitive -K mod. You may notice from the previous post that it still had the medium laser on the right arm--so that was amputated. The LRM-5 was added to the torso with careful drilling. To model the PPC, I carefully removed the muzzle break from a Black Knight (IWM 20-774). From there, I airbrushed black primer followed by dark brown. On top of this, I added two layers of chipping and wear fluid. Like the Primitive Griffin, this piece will have a worn look. Wanting to to make this an homage to the early days of Battletech, I decided on Night Stalker colors to match the Dougram Boxfacer colors. The airbrush scheme was: 1) Black re-prime 2) Grey at 45* 3) White at 0* 4) Blue glaze After this stage, I gently scrubbed away the layers with water and a toothbrush to reveal the brown under the chipping fluid. With the chips made, I added a few red highlights and touched up a few grey and blue spots.
To add to the rust effect, I sponged burnt sienna and bright orange onto the exposed brown. The final step to the rust effect was to wash sepia and bright orange on the rust. To give it a faded, streaked look, I pulled the fluid down with a dry brush. Don't forget to find my work on Instagram (some even before they receive a write-up here!): the_artist_known_as_capn_ed Also, be sure to join Battletech Painting and Customs on Facebook to see the work of many talented artists!
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This is an old project--started about a year ago this November and not finished until recently.
When the Primitive SHD-1R Shadow Hawk (IWM CE-001) came out with the Bounty Hunter lance packs (IWM 10-051) around 2011 I was instantly a fan of the primitive concept. (Catalyst and IWM did a much better job with this than Lucas Film and The Episode About Which We Don't Speak.) The SHD-1R debuted in 2467 as a Terran Hegemony unit. It made a reappearance in the Jihad and Early Republic with the Capellan Confederation, Free Worlds League, Magistry of Canopus, and Mercenary factions (in the Early Republic, it also appeared on the Marian Hegemony ToE). Another primitive Sniper, the SHD-1R carries a single AC/5 and medium laser. Like the other primitives, it is slower than later-tech variants and carrier less armor. As an unboxed miniature, it is great. With a solid build and few pieces this is an easy to work with model. The joints fit well--maybe with a little adjustment on the shoulder pegs to help it fit to your aesthetic. The pose is dynamic and action-oriented. The right arm is a little static, but if you pose the model as if it is firing the medium laser, it isn't an off-putting static pose. Scale wise, it is about the same size as the Unseen Shadow Hawk, and about as massive--maybe a bit bigger. As an added benefit it has a small sprue of spare parts like a missile pod and AC. Excellent pieces to add to your supply of parts! If you're making a -K model and cut off the arm-mounted medium laser, you get a bonus bit! Pros--great miniature, easy to clean, and with few parts resilient. Small spruce of missile and AC parts for the bitz box, too. Cons--none overt. It may be challenging to cut and repose if you're a modder. Otherwise, This is a great piece and set the standard of the Primitives! Here is the finished GRF-1A Griffin. To enhance the primitive aspect, I posed it in a slightly bent forward and to the side, used extensive weathering with chipping fluid and sponge paint, and washed the decals with sepia. Inspired in part by the aesthetics in Fallout, I placed it on a cracked earth base to enhance the abandoned feel of it.
Here is where things are a little more complicated... After sculpting the cracked earth on the base with green stuff, I mounted the piece and primed it black. Black is a good, safe airbrush primer to make great contrast with later colors. It does not, however, work so well for ultra-bright colors or if you intend to use preshading techniques. Because I wanted a rusty and worn effect, I covered the primer with dark brown sprayed from all angles. On top of that, I used a medium burnt sienna color in splotches here and there that seemed like they would be the most worn and rusted. On top of that, and leaving some of the previous layer showing, I sprayed a bit of bright orange. Since this is rust, it doesn't need to be uniform or even--overspray and mistakes are okay. Using the chipping effect (akin to the hairspray method), required me to seal the miniature with Matt varnish at the step. It's best to get a good deal and let it set over night before applying the chipping effect. After setting aside for an evening, I applied chipping effect liberally to the miniature. The more you use--in several coats--the greater the chipping effect will be. Once it dries, the base coating began. With an airbrush, contrast is key. The layering method was: 1) 1:1 dark brown:navy blue--sprayed from all angles and even coverage 2) 2:1 navy blue:medium grey--sprayed from 0* to about 45* 3) 2:1:1 navy blue:medium grey:bleached bone--sprayed from 0* to 45* or so, but leaving the other layer still visible 4) 2:1:2 navy blue:medium grey:bleached bone--sprayed from 0* to 30* or there about, with attention given to other areas that may have some highlight 5) 2:1:2:1 navy blue:medium grey:bleached bone:white--0* and highlights as necessary Each time, I diluted the paints with twice as many drops of airbrush thinner. After the last highlight, the chipping began! With warm water and a soft brush, I GENTLY scrubbed at the edges, knees, feet, and other areas that seems like they would be worn and rusted. Some of the underlying paint stripped off--though frustrating, this is okay. When I was satisfied with the results, I dried and resealed the mini. To enhance the rust effect, I dipped a corner of a packing Sponge in dark brown, wiped off most of the pint, then stippled it onto the miniature. With an old brush, I stipples burnt sienna into the center of the larger scrapes. To create streak, I mixed sepia wash and orange together, stipples one to the piece in strategic locations where rusty water would collect, and before it dried, take a dry bush and streak it. It takes several layers to get a good effect. The base was a similar method, but with desert sand tones. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram the_artist_known_as_capn_ed for more updates! Nothing fancy to this update--just a primitive Griffin standing on my table.
Though it has a lot of pieces, they are relatively easy to file and clean. Two notable exceptions, however, prevent this from being a perfect build. First missile pod: the sprue attaches over a vent. This will require some careful X-Acto and file work to preserve the grate. Second the antenna: I have mixed feelings about pre-made antenna. For this case, I had to drill the existing hole in the back of the cockpit a bit deeper and wider to make this assembly fit. If you're going for a static pose, I recommend building from the feet up making sure each bit is dry first before the next. If you want something more dynamic, pinning is a must! In the end, this piece will emphasize the ancient ad used nature of a primitive design. With the pose, I was going for a look like a racked up suit of power armor from Fallout 4. I imagine a primitive Griffin, long abandoned on a desert planet in the forgotten reaches of Lyran space. Because it it has separate feet, I'll mount it on a flat IWM hex base. Enjoy! Pros-lots of great bits for modeling projects. I especially like the LRM tube! Cons-if you're not a modder, fan of pinning, or generally not gentle with your minis, you may want to ask your buddy who is to help you with assembly. Some time ago I began working on the recently released GRF-1A Griffin (IWM BT-346). This is the primitive model for the first production run of the Griffin series, c. 2465 (thank you, Battletech MUL!). It is an era-specific sniper, limited to the Age of War, Jihad, and Early Republic. Fans of the fiction will remember that alongside an assembly of assault units, the Griffin is an iconic Lyran 'Mech. Unsurprisingly it is in the ToE for the Lyrans. (A bit more interesting, it also appears in the Mercenary and Tuarian factions as well.) Perhaps it's because of the "Manufactured in the Lyran Commonwealth" sticker under the hood of this 'Mech and the reputation of LCAF commanders prefering big machines that it debuted as a heavy in the 25th century--but not by much. Squeaking in at 60 tons, the GRF-1A just barely cleared the threshold for entry into this weight class. As for model size, the GRF-1A is a bit bulkier than the Dragon DRG-1N (IWM 20-868) a 60 ton Kuritan cavalry 'Mech. Compared to other classic-related models, it is a negligible measure larger than both the recently released Shadowhawk SHD-2H (IWM 20-5141) and primitive SHD-1R (IWM CE-001). This miniature is well worth the investment (in both terms of cost and time to assemble). It is a fantastic homage to the Griffin aesthetic, albeit a bit of a deviation from the original one-piece Griffin model. |
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