Life has been a rollercoaster these past few months, and while I’ll dive into those stories later, today I want to share the small bits of hobby progress I’ve managed to make this year. Let’s start with a long-overdue task: clearing my desk of unfinished projects. First up? A Primaris Techmarine conversion I started using the Iron Father Feirros body, with a head and shoulder pad swap.

This project began many months ago—actually, I think it was last year. I started by applying a basecoat of AK Wine Red using my airbrush, followed by a mid-tone layer of GW Mephiston Red. Finally, I highlighted with GW Evil Sunz Scarlet, aiming for a saturated red without tipping too far into orange. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and the model sat untouched on my desk for the better part of a year.

In early June, I finally returned to my hobby desk. This time, I decided to focus on a specific technique to keep my momentum going: an oil wash. With all the small crevices in the model, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it another try. My previous attempts at oil washes had been less than satisfactory, so I did some extra research before diving in again.

However, before I could do an oil wash I had to finish painting the armor, weapons and head. For the weapons and metallic parts, I used Scale 75 Black Metal with highlights in AK Gunmetal. The green parts were done with Vallejo Black Green, building up highlights with AK Deep Green and AK Light Green. As for the face… well, I had a bit of a mishap. I went too bright with the highlights, using Evil Sunz Scarlet and GW Wild Rider Red. By that point, I was losing steam and left it as is and left it as a learning experience. Note to self: take it easy with red highlights next time.

With the main painting done, it was time for the oil wash. In my previous attempts, I realized I had been over-thinning the paint, which left a grainy, whitish residue in the recesses. This time, after applying a gloss varnish, I used Abteilung 502 Black oil paint thinned with odorless mineral spirits—but was careful to not go too far. The key was to keep the mixture thicker and to not let it sit on the model for too long. This way I could wipe away the excess more easily with a makeup sponge and mineral spirits and in the end I was much happier with the results.

Once the oil wash dried and cured I was actually quite satisfied with the results. It darkened the model slightly, but I went back in with Mephiston Red and Evil Sunz Scarlet to edge-highlight the upward-facing surfaces. After locking it all in with a matte varnish, the model was essentially done. While the face wasn’t perfect, at least I know what to avoid next time.

Right after finishing the Techmarine, life got hectic again as my wife and I fostered two stray kittens. So from July through the end of August, I barely had time to pick up a paintbrush. It wasn’t until Nova Open in early September that I got back into painting. Nova was an absolute blast, and I left feeling more motivated than ever to paint consistently again.

So, that’s my hobby progress for now! I’m looking forward to sharing more progress in the near future so till next time.