Marauder MM44/1 Cockatrice

[Dreamfish]

Having finished the Space Hulk Terminators I found myself thinking of another airbrush experiment project. I need more practise and want to blend at least three different colors on one miniature, without it having too much details. I think the cockatrice will suffice. I'm looking for green, blue, yellow, purple color transitions. Something like this:

Below the cockatrice, ready for cleaning...

 

[The Inner Geek]

Oh, can't wait to see your airbrush work on this one!

 

[Dreamfish]

All stripped, base coated and ready for painting.

 

[Blue in VT]

Yay! this will be fun to watch!

Blue

 

[Asslessman]

Do you plan on making stripes or such patterns on the skin?, air brush seems your friend for such an idea.
I'm also really curious about your colour scheme, if you'll stick to yellow and red like the original.

 

[Dreamfish]

I just finished the first couple of colors. I think it's going to be a difficult one, but so far so good.

I want to blend various colors from the top middle part of the body to the wings, head and tail using light turquoise as a central color. Form this color I want to go to dark purple for the wings, green for the tail and red for the head and feet. After that It all comes down to detailing and lots of washes and maybe some skin patterns, not sure yet.

I started with the bottom and gave it a yellowish skin color.

I gave the bottom light brown highlights. Colors used for the bottom are:

1. Vallejo Model Air 71.033 Yellow Ochre
2. Vallejo Model Air 71.031 Middle Stone
3. Vallejo Model Air 71.027 Light Brown
4. Vallejo Model Air 71.027 Light Brown + Vallejo Model Air 71.001 White

Which gave the following results:

For the central blue color I used:

5. Vallejo Model Color 70.840 Light Turquoise

That's it for now.

 

[Naagruz]

Fun project!

I'm very familiar with Model Air colors, but have never used the regular Vallejo range in my airbrush; did you need to thin the turquoise at all? It sure is purdy.
Interesting to see you start with white, but I can see where it may offer some advantages with washes later on.

 

[Dreamfish]

Fun project!

I'm very familiar with Model Air colors, but have never used the regular Vallejo range in my airbrush; did you need to thin the turquoise at all? It sure is purdy.
Interesting to see you start with white, but I can see where it may offer some advantages with washes later on.

It sure is, I'm really enjoying it.

The regular colors work fine actually, you just need to thin them down a bit. The thinning varies per color. I try to create a consistency similar to milk. Even the Model Air colors need thinning. I use the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner 71.161. Sometimes it takes a while to get it right. I spray the paint on a piece of white paper and look if it isn't too watery and has nice equal coverage. You can also tell by the way the paint sprays, paint too thick sprays differently.

I want the colors really bright and I find it easier to start with the brightest color and work my way to the darkest color. I find that colors like red or yellow don't get good coverage on a dark background.

 

[Dreamfish]

Started with spraying the comb, the wattles, eye sockets and feet scarlet red. Sprayed blue green over its spine just within the previous light turquoise color, tail and into the crevices of its wings. Then continued with scurf green and finished the tail. Applied imperial blue into the crevices of its fur and top part of the spine and wings and finished with hexed lichen on the wings and spine.

6. Vallejo Model Air 71.003 Scarlet Red

7. Vallejo Model Color 70.808 Blue Green

8. Vallejo Game Color 72.027 Scurf Green

9. Vallejo Game Color 72.020 Imperial Blue

10. Vallejo Game Color 72.015 Hexed Lichen

I think this finishes off the airbrush work. I'm now going in manually.

 

[Chico]

Damnit.. so many Cockatrice jokes... I'm going to keep it clean and say KFC called and they want their chicken back

LOL but all joking aside it starting to look wonderful.

 

[Magos Explorator]

Looks good! I am not always a fan of airbrushed models but it really works for this figure (and your Terminators too, actually). I like how striking it looks.

 

[Naagruz]

Thanks for the detail on your method. Coming from the color modulation school of thought, I always start black then build out. Maybe white is the new black?

You really have wonderful color on your chicken; keep it away from Slaanesh & children under age 5.

Looking forward to your progress.

 

[Dreamfish]

Thanks for the detail on your method. Coming from the color modulation school of thought, I always start black then build out. Maybe white is the new black?

You really have wonderful color on your chicken; keep it away from Slaanesh & children under age 5.

Looking forward to your progress.

I don't know if it would work on such a small model, the color modulation I mean. I just thought to use white because of the light colors. Remember, I don't actually know what I'm doing

Looks good! I am not always a fan of airbrushed models but it really works for this figure (and your Terminators too, actually). I like how striking it looks.

I know what you mean and I'll try not to make it look airbrushed.

Damnit.. so many Cockatrice jokes... I'm going to keep it clean and say KFC called and they want their chicken back

LOL but all joking aside it starting to look wonderful.

It's NOT a chicken dammit! It's a mythical beast.

 

[Naagruz]

I don't know if it would work on such a small model, the color modulation I mean. I just thought to use white because of the light colors. Remember, I don't actually know what I'm doing

Trust me, there is no end to the silly potential of painting small things with an airbrush.
I really think it's much better if you don't actually know what you are doing.

Airbrushed Epic madness:

 

[Dreamfish]

This thing has been lying on my workbench for a while, accumulating dust mainly. One might think it finished by now, but the truth is I havn't painted anything up until today.

Here's what I've got so far. I'm happy with the results so far, except for the exposed neck, I think it's too blue. Base, beek and claws still need work.

 

[axiom]

Looks great to me! Really great work

 

[airbornegrove26]

It's really coming along nicely.

I especially like the how the color choices turned out.

 

[Asslessman]

Well, it's really great so far, Th econtrast between pale skin and vibrant saturated colours on the wings is really good and th airbrush work is looking ace.

 

[Dreamfish]

Thanks guys. I'm hoping to finish it soon. I've got shipment of goods coming my way and need to have the desk cleared before it arrives. I've been spending money at the foundry and tabletop-world...

 

[Dreamfish]

Finally, I've finished the damn chicken.