Getting back to the painting table (or Bureau)

Yes that's right, I've finally managed to get together the energy to get some painting done! I know wonders will never cease. But what's on my painting table? Take a look.

Alright, it's a bureau not a table but it still counts!

It has taken me quite a while to get back to the paint pots and continue work on my Blood Angels but I have been trying for weeks. It's just been a case of hitting the proverbial wall once I get home and I've found I can only work for a few hours before I begin to lose focus and my technique begins to deteriorate (I know this sounds weird but it has something to do with my poor posture sitting at a table).

It helps motivate me to paint when the wife is working away on her illustration work as it is nice to be able to spend time together in the evening even when she is up to her eyeballs in commissions. I have been experimenting with the thinning of paint to create almost a wash to paint with and develop colour blending. This has lead to me painting in short bursts as I need to lay down multiple layers to create base coats/highlights but also means painting large numbers of models is tricky to fit in during an evening session. 

Finally finished the red highlights and on the second base coat of the yellow helmets/symbols. 

I'm really enjoying painting the bikers, partly due to the fact I've had them for years and it will be great to finally have them done. Also due to the fact that the Blood Angel plastics are so detailed and break up the usually monotonous flat Marine armour. 

I have finally started to document the stages and paint consistency I use for the different colours I paint as I'm doing it (including diagrams to explain the layering). This is because I have found that getting a consistent tone on new units I paint can be a real pain if I am trying to remember what I painted years before (you all know you need to paint new models every time a new set of rules come out but we never seem to learn). 

Found these bad boys when I was reorganising my terrain boxes!

I have also broken my own Hobby rules (which I have posted below) buy having two painting projects on the go at once as I have been putting the final touches to the guns and comms relay from the bastion kits I bought when Planetstrike was released. In my defence technically this is finishing an existing project rather than starting a new one. Whilst you may have to look carefully I have added the lens and some verdigris to the metal work and all they need now is some black highlights and a varnish then I can finally be rid of them from my jobs list. I have to admit this has at least partially been motivated by Rich's desire to play some games with Fortifications and Allies. 

I'm really hoping to get these projects finished before Crimbo Con so that I could sneek in a game with my Blood Angels before the end of the year. So that's what I've been up to but what's on your painting table this week?