[Kiten’s Cadre] Headquarters

This is meant to be my project log, and as such will contain all of my works and projects, and be updated as I get to work. What I’d like to get from this topic is of course feedback, which is to be used in order to improve my skills in both painting and modeling; but it is mostly for sharing with the community, attempting to do what others have done with their logs: help out others. I feel I still have to get to a point where I can start doing that, though, so this is mostly another ambitious attempt of mine.

This first post will include a Cadre Census mock-post, will constantly be updated, and will eventually become an index to my big works- if I’m ever to get up and goin’.
Also, I don’t exclude the chance of me starting to write down some fluff. I’ve always had the predisposition to write walls of text after all.

Thank you for stopping by,
Hope you have a good time,

Kiten

______________________________

--OPENING UPLINK TO DATABASE--
-- ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE: ***** --
--AUTHORIZATION CODE ACCEPTED. ACCESS GRANTED.—
--PLEASE WAIT, NOW PROCESSING . . . . . . . . . .--
--WELCOME COMMANDER--

DESIGNATION: [Yet Unnamed Kiten’s Cadre]
LOCATION: NO DATA
FOUNDING: TBA

COMMANDING OFFICER: -
OFFICERS: Shas’Vre Osu
PERSONNEL: 8 Shas’saal
HELPERS: 6 Kor’vesa
AUXILIARY: 2 Kroot Hounds
VEHICLES: -
CURRENT STATUS: RECRUITING MEMBERS
CURRENT LOCATION: -
ASSIGNED UNIFORM:


MISSION STATUS:
--ACCESS DENIED. REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION--
--ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE: *****--
--PLEASE WAIT, NOW PROCESSING . . . . . . . . . .--

Dearest Aun’El Kiten,

The council has approved of your project, and has already started to assign some new recruits ready to receive specialized training. Of course you’ve been assigned as the Cadre’s supervisor.
Your first duty is to find some capable officers for your forces; I can’t really help you with that, so it’s all in your hands. You can use any method you like to achieve this- you could even just go and promote someone from the recruits if you so see fit. But I’d rather suggest you to go and look for some seasoned Shas, even if it means meddling with some characterful commander: it will be good for the youngsters.
I did take the liberty to send you one of my most trusted officers, however, as you may have noticed from the uplink status. He is not really commander material, but is a cheerful and still young lad who’s been showing great skills while protecting our ‘O in many battles, so I really think he’s set to place a good example to the recruits. He also has a great experience in fighting in a city environment, as you may guess, so it’s a given he’ll make a great instructor, at the least.
But really. I still can’t believe you! To be willing to lead such an elite force as the one you’re aiming to create? On the battlefield? Yourself? Being who you are? You know I think it’s crazy. But hell, I must be crazy myself: I can now confess you I’ve always felt drawn to your project and ideas. I really think its approval has been a good thing, for you and for the Greater Good.
Don’t chicken out now, Kiten. I, and the council, expect great things out of you. Good luck.

Tau’va,

Aun’O T’au M’yen J’kaara

--UPLINK CLOSED--


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Before I let you go on, I’d like to say a few thanks to people from this forums that, sometime willingly but mostly unknowingly, have really helped me out during this past year of re-introduction to the hobby.
- Wolfs16: when I started lurking in ATT, he was just finishing up his first ‘suit from his now completed and awesome project log. To see someone doing a paint scheme similar to one I intended to do, and starting out from scratch while improving his skills to THAT extent, in just an year? I was hooked. I almost consider him a role model for me, and highly suggest all newcomers in the hobby to take a good look at his works.
- Tael: it’s not difficult to understand why I easily fell in love with the Tau if you go and take a look at one of his many works; he also so happens to be one of the main figures of ATT, as his rank suggests, and one of Wolfs16’s sources of inspiration. Should I say any more?
- Warhound: he shouldn’t really need an introduction as well, as he’s… Well, this guy. Also, this guy. He’s mostly responsible for driving me forward in a time of slump because ‘if I can work my arse off, I’ll eventually be reaching this level of skill!’.
Hey, hopes and dreams are what are driving humans forward from thousands of years!
- Freeloader: his Painting Course is just such a good read, as his painting skills. Glad to see your face again here on the forums!
- Old Shatter Hands: he doesn’t really make that much of a scene on the forums, but he owns an awesome blog, and was kind enough to reply to a pesky email I sent him when I started wondering how I should paint my Kroot.
- regenWald: the second victim of my Kroot questioning. He owns some pretty amazing Tau figures, and is kind enough to show them to the public.
- Shovi: his awesome cadre was the first to show me what could be done with some serious weathering, and good basing which included flock.
- Hal: again, some similar coulor scheme, great painting job, and whatnot; what mostly caught my eye about his cadre, though, was again his basework. I seriously started experimenting on my bases after he posted up his method.
- Patchoro: this recently registered (pun?) user of ATT has shown up with a very awesome project log of his own. His works have helped me get past my most recent slump concerning highlights, and have allowed me to get an idea of what I could do with my own cadre thanks to the almost scary similarity of our colour scheme.

That’s it for the free cheesiness of mine. Hope nobody minds.
Onto the meat!

It’s been exactly a year today since I’ve officially gotten back into the hobby. Though I couldn’t dedicate much of my time to painting because of studying, budget and time, I really felt I’ve improved a lot, and am now sufficiently confident to start posting up some pictures of my figures here on ATT. Not that they’re such a great sight yet, but they’re still much better than this.
Yes, that was what the first miniature I painted after years of hiatus. Yes, it supposedly was a Tau in the beginning. Yes, it was bad. The poor shas’la has long been stripped and repainted, now enjoying a much better life. You will be able to see him later- keep a look on the right side of the Fire Warrior Team’s group pictures!

At this stage I’m just starting highlighting my figures, in need of redoing bases on the Fire Warriors, and am seriously considering a change in the Fire Warriors’ fatigues’ colour. So don’t expect everything to be in order- that you will see in a future update, I promise.
Also, I apologize for today’s picture quality- my camera was running out of batteries when I took them this morning. I promise I’ll get some better ones up in time for the next update.
Oh, one last thing! Remember that all shown pics are Thumbnails leading you to a much bigger picture. So you can see my mistakes better.

So, let’s start with the first figures I painted up: the Fire Warriors. I got 8 assembled, one being fully highlighted; here he is.



What’s this I hear about a weird thing standing next to the guy? Oh, you must be talking about Grotty. Don’t worry, he’s just an innocuous test subject; though he did try to plant some other fungi in order to “ekktract reWAAAAnge” before we put him under sedatives.

The whole team together, trying not to show the missing highlights (and mostly to show you how the scheme works at squad level):



After I got bored painting Shas’las, I decided it was time for me to try my hand at one of the other main protagonists of the Tau Empire: the Gun Drones. I painted all six drones I could put my hands on in rapid succession, because I found the model ingenious and fun to paint. Here I’m showing the only two with *some* highlights on.



After I gave my entrance exam, which I failed, I finally started working on one of the two XV8s which were given to me as presents for my birthday from my awesome friends.
I opened its box two months ago, and got it 100% done around a month later. This model has been my first attempt at modeling and gap filling, and you can tell- my greenstuff-fu is really not up to standard yet; regardless, the model it still likely to be my finest work yet. Which doesn’t say much, but let’s not point that out.
I’m planning on magnetizing the suit; until then, the options will have to just try and stay on the XV8 without falling off. You get to see the Shas’Vre kitted out as a Fireknife.



I’m especially proud of the basework, which will be shown better during the next update, and which set the new standard already visible on the Kroot Hounds. The plasma rifle, on the other hand, was the unlucky victim of my indecisiveness, and ended up with a colour blob on the barrel. I’ll have to strip it eventually.

Last, but definitely not least, the two Kroot Hounds. These are the last models I’ll be able to paint for a while, as my departure for Cardiff is just 11 days away and my primer ran out, and where the very first organic models I’ve ever painted. I had several people go nuts over my ‘Kroot Problem’ as I couldn’t decide how I would paint them; in the end, I went for a pretty classical scheme, and a very simple mix of Charadon Granite and Rotting Flesh.



These models were so fun and quick to paint up! I really like Kroot even better now, as I can ready 'em up in 2-3 hours, against the several I take in readying up a Fire Warrior.

And this is it for today’s update.
All criticism, suggestions, and opinions are accepted and allowed to be as mean as they could be.

Thank you for taking a look at my colour blobs,

Kiten

Kiten, I've got to run so I just read through your painting update, but I was very impressed by what I saw!
*Clicks example of badly painted mini*
You jerk, that's what my guys looks like!

Anyways...

Fire Warriors
I agree that a change in fatigue color wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm thinking less brown. How about blood red?
I've seen blood red fatigues combined with gray armor before and it is sweet.
The model also appears a little skinny below the torso. I think this is a probably most Fire Warriors suffer from,
due to large backpacks and armor. Maybe you should check out this resource by Tael?

Crisis Suits
It's a good thing if we can't see your gap-filling! I can see that you altered the pose on the right leg, no?
I hope when you re-paint the plasma rifle... you're going to use a different color then yellow right?
I do like the rocky bases you have here. What did you use to do that?

Kroot
I have to leave like now so the Kroot don't get much:
They look really cool please tell me how you painted them!

Aww, shut up. I bet you at least take care of your mold lines, and don't get them confused with actual panel lines like I did at the time!

Fire Warriors
I'm actually thinking of leaving them brown/beige; the problem with the current colour is I get it by giving the model a wash of Devlan Mud over a Dheneb Stone base colour, which tends to NEVER give out the same results. So I was really thinking of moving over to a darker shade of base colour, like Khemri Brown or Graveyeard Earth, wash it using Badab Black, and then highlighting of some sort. Still in the big thinking area though.

Crisis Suits
Yes, I had my suit go through several sessions of physiotherapy so it could flex his right leg some more and the rocks are either actual rocks, or a big chunk of Polystyrene cut to the right shape and then treated with glue, sand and whatnot to give it texture.
The reason you can't see my failings at Gap Filling, though, is because I didn't get them on camera! I couldn't get a better angle as I was rushing it, otherwise you could've seen them (as well as the base) better. You won't miss them next time though.

Kroot
I gave them a Charadon Granite basecoat, dry brushed them with my mix, then had them go through a wash of Devlan Mud; after that, I just went and highlighted them with a lighter version of my mix obtained by adding more and more Rotting Flesh. It's pretty similar to the process described in the 3rd edition codex really, the difference being in the fact I don't use Leprous Brown, and the added wash I've thrown in there.
... Did I really just give an advice to someone on painting? Ain't that a little too soon?

EDIT: forgot to mention my answer about Tael's source article!
Yes, I did in fact read that (as well as many other sources here on ATT); but am not going to personalize my Fire Warriors yet because of my budget, which isn't really that big to be frank. I'm planning on buying models I'm sure to be playing as soon as I get them readied up with some paint, and do not plan on buying anything else until they're done; Which means my next models will be the four remaining Fire Warriors and the other Crisis Suit I have liying around, and only then will I purchase some more.
Luckily, a friend of mine was kind enough to give me some of his powerfists from his bitz box- otherwise I wouldn't have converted my XV8 with the awesome technique blatantly stolen by Old Shatta'!

Looking great! I am really impressed by the well done paint job and great conversions. I am partial to gray color schemes myself.

My only advice would be to make the highlights a little wider, but that may be a matter of personal preference. Keep up the good work!

Kroot hounds are looking really great. It's about how I want mine done only with camo green. I really like how you did the metal accessories on the Kroot hounds, it looks like bronze. Reminds me of the primitive "bronze age" spears and war gear. While primitive still effective. like the Kroots themselves. And what color did you use for their bellies? Nicely done, I hope mine can turn out as good as these.

I'm happy finding out the Kroot Hounds are THIS appreciated- it's giving me motivation, and even more desire to grab me some Kroot!
I have to say I like how they look too, though I'll have to really tie in their masters to the rest of the army as their colours are hardly calling in their enlistment. I'm hoping some tatoos and the armor's colours will suffice, but I'm yet to acquire a Kroot model, so I can't really tell for now. If anything goes wrong, though, I can still opt for a greenish fatigues colour for the Fire Warriors, which could actually be not half bad now that I'm thinking about it.
Well, we'll see.

As for your question, Bonsai Master:
Their bellies were first treated as per their flesh up until the last pre-wash drybrush; they were then drybrushed with Graveyard Earth first, a mix of Graveyard and Kommando Khaki then, and finally with just Khaki. The whole was then washed with Gryphonne Sepia, and finally lightly drybrushed with Khaki again. I went for another drybrush, instead of a normal highlight, as I felt it would give their bellies a more... Can I call it 'hardened biological stuff' look?

Overal nice paint job
Like the good use of colors on them.
Not to bright and not to dull.

Can I call it 'hardened biological stuff' look? <- yes you can!

Thank you for the feedback, Nowiz. Really driving me to the painting table! I still don't think much about my mini's though

Anyways, as you may have guessed, this is not a real update. I'm just taking advantage of my project log to let you guys know I'll be without a computer of any sort until I actually buy myself a laptop, as I will be leaving for Cardiff tomorrow morning and am traveling without one.
So, no forum action from me coming for a while.

My figures have been packed and put into the suitcase from four days now, enveloped in a madness sea of toilet paper in the hopes of not scraping or damaging them- though I'm more than ready to do some repair work whenever I get to my room. Did I mention I've not been painting anything for a week and a half now? I think I've started to feel the addition to the hobby, as I really can't wait to get on site and start swinging brushes around again!

Anyways, having said that, I'd like to drop a couple of questions on you guys, as I've been thinking hard about my paint scheme for Fire Warriors, and would like some opinions. This way I can get back online with some good inspiration, hopefully!

Fire Warrior's Fatigues: you've seen my Fire Warriors, and I also typed something about my current method for painting fatigues and how little I'm liking it.
After much thought, I came out with some options for fixing that:

1. Darkening the brown, which might actually help with colour distinction; This update from Games Workshop's website shows a method that might just work for painting a leatherish brown (check out the top left picture [Daemon Prince] and comments below it).
2. Research a whole new method for painting browns possibly involving Kommando Khaki, as this is the shade I plan on using for certain panels of armor on vehicles, suits and drones (take a look at my Shas'Vre's feet).
3. Change colour for the fatigues, going either red (as suggested by Militant.Jester) or green.

What do you guys think? Do you see a good option in the above list, or do you have a suggestion of your own for me to consider?

Thank you for your time in advance.
Also, see you soon!

Hey Kiten, I'll try to help you as best as I can;

Like you said, I think blood red would look cool - however, on second thought, I wouldn't recommend it. Why would the fire warriors have so much red compared to the elite Crisis Suits? Doesn't make sense.
*Color Theory* Warning, I'm not good at this:
I think the problem is there is very little contrast between the gray and the brown. I would not recommend kommando khaki as, from an image search, there doesn't seem to be much difference between that and what you currently have. I also wouldn't recommend green, unless you plan on using the same shade as your kroot, as that would be too many different colors.
I think that the best color would either be a dark gray/green, like your kroot, or... that link you posted, the crisis suit? That was a pretty sweet shade of tan. You could try that.
Most importantly, paint some test models up!

There's a colour option similar to GW's Rotting Flesh (which is no longer available AFAIK) from Coat d'Armes


Add a dose of Devlan Mud or Badab Black to this and you will have a grey-green fio'dr with the darker grey armour plating.

E.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Much appreciated.

So, after finally buying me a laptop, I can log onto the forums on regular basis... And show you what I'm up to!
Couldn't do that much until now, but as I finally got all the things I needed to settle ASAP done, I can finally spend some time on the (new and temporary) painting table. I had around a hour and a half today after setting up the computer for actual use, so I took the chance to grab a pair of extra Fire Warrior legs I had in the sprue and get some paint on it in order to test the new possibilities.

I didn't even try to go with red; instead, I focussed on a brown-darkening approach, with a side helping of washed Kommando Khaki and some greenish colours (my Kroot mix and just a tiny bit of Catachan Green). Here're the results:



So what do you guys think? I'm actually pretty liking both upper sides of the pair of legs- one being 'leatherized' Graveyard Earth, and the other being the Kommando Khaki. Not really feeling it for the greish green though.

@Militant.Jester: If you're talking about the Crisis' feet colour, that is Kommando Khaki actually! I highlighted it with plain Bleached Bone, and I think it turned out quite nicely as well. I was planning on using the colour on some armor plating of my (yet to be acquired) vehicles.
Following that logic, it could be wiser to use the Khaki as the new fatigues colour. While similar to the Dheneb Stone, it does turn out differently...

Anyways.
I'll be attending a campaign event at Cardiff's GW store tomorrow afternoon- looks like my figures will finally get some field action, though they will be only a small part of the forces fielding on my side of the table! I'm really looking forward to it.

Ok, so.
Life jumped on me like an angry beast, leaving me little to no time for myself- most of the time leaving me with no energy left for me to spend on the painting table. But I've not been idle, and can now present you the first of the new generation of Fire Warriors.

Here's a front-back comparison with the best specimen of the first generation [NB: the new guy is the one on the left]:




I can tell my painting skills have improved under many aspects compared to those I had one year ago. Just look at the backpacks' glow!
But still, I'm wondering wether the "light" highlight works better than the "power ranger" highlight the old guy is sporting. Thoughts? [And overall opinions, at that matter?]

PS: I've been trying to get a game down with my peers through the thing which shall not be named, and after various incidents actually succeeded in completing one! And while the two low-point games I had at the local store were nothing of worth to the Fire Records, this last game was intriguing indeed. Pictures for the report are already ready (pun? also, that's the advantage of the thing which shall not be named), so look forward for my next post in the Field Experience section. And no, I didn't play with the 75T2!

Kiten :
Definitely can see the improvement from just the glow, as you said. The change from "Power Ranger" highlights (love that term, by the way...) and your newer version is good, especially if you're going for a more realistic look. I like both styles, when done well, so you're in luck that I like both the old and new! As for the thing that must not be named (if I'm understanding you right), it just teaches you or forces you to have better time management. There are plenty of hours in a day (or more, if you only sleep six times a week or some other adjustment), so you just need to squeeze things in when you can. twenty minutes is still twenty minutes, no matter what falls before or after.

Crisis suit... um.. I don't know! That was forever ago, man!

The new Infantryman looks great as far as fatigues (although they're extremely reflective), but I did like the exaggerated highlights. Great work on the gems/lights too!

Lovely painting Kiten, I can really see a great force building!

Very nice updates Kiten. Your skills have really improved and the new Firewarriors look great. May I suggest painting the little round things on the leg grey? It helps to break up the color of the clothe and helps it look less like he is wearing pajamas.

Um, Rotting Flesh is still available for order from the GW web-site.

Or just pick up Vallejo's Game Color - Dead Flesh.

Thank you for your replies, guys. It may not look like it as I'm yet to get my brushes dirty with paint again, but I'll assure you it gets my hands moving! Here's proof of what I mean:


Fear the Sponge of Toothpicky Painting Accuracy! Also, notice the 85% done bases for the incoming models.

What this means is, of course, that I'll be done with the Fire Warrior box I bought more than a year ago pretty soon*! And after that, I'll work on the second Crisis Suit. And after that... I'll actually have to buy something, which will most likely be krootish, I think.

But anyway. Just a quick reply to everyone before I give you a little preview of my next topic- and please forgive me for not replying to you guys until now:

@Eiglepulper: what do you mean "Rotting Flesh is not avaiable anymore"? It's still being sold alright, for what my eyes can see- and as SnorreSelmen says. Well, the matter has been solved anyway I think; but rest assured, I've taken note of the Coat d'Armes range, and will be more than happy to take a good look at their paints more closely whenever I get around having some spare money and/or energy to dedicate them.

@Militant.Jester: you may not realize that now, but your talking about "that sweet tan colour" really helped me figuring out quite the number of things for future projects. As a matter of fact, I think the next Crisis Suit I'll make will be different enough from the one I currently have to force me in giving it some touch-ups.
Long story short, thank you.

@SpartanTau: it's good to get some feedback from you, SpartanTau, especially considering the works you've been showing us- which includes your old Codex Gray-based cadre. Think I didn't notice it? =P Where're the new models for your current one by the way?
Time has become even more of an issue, I have to say. Testing period is coming even closer, and I currently have 5 (yes, five) essays to prepare for my classes; plus the rest of the books on the reading lists I was provided for, which are surely decreasing but as time consuming as before for now. That, and the fact that I can't seem to paint at all if I don't have enough energy left (or don't feel right), plus my slowwwwness, means trouble.
As for the the thing that must not be named, I don't think you got it right, but I'll take the chance to talk about it: we started several games thanks to it, but the only one we actually managed to complete was the one shown in the last battle report I put on the forums. I guess that the next one is a long way to come.

@shutty: really? Thanks, though I can't really see it myself!

@Wolfs16: Thank you, Wolf.
As for the pajama looks... I actually think I'm ok with that. The Fire Warrior's legs are such a wishy washy sculpt I change my mind about them literally every time I take a good look at them, and I still can't figure out what on earth those bomby circles linked with that huge line are. But I figured I could just do as the 'Eavy Metal studio does- mostly because people are not going to take such a good look at the Fire Warriors' legs that often, and I can accept that little fault if it makes my life easier. Took me a whole year to take a decision over this issue... I just hope I don't change my mind any time soon

@lostinnm: I've taken note of this colour as well, and I've always been curious about Vallejo's range as most people who recommend paints other than GW's are naming it.

Up next on the forums: RAWSOC's All Day Apocalypse event, in which yours truly has successfully led a stolen Tau army to great success.
With actual pictures.
Oh, and some commentary!

*: anytime between a week and two months, if we're talking about 3 Fire Warriors. UGH!