Tyranids 2: Deathleaper surprise!

By | 12/21/2015
“It’s there, I know it is, lurking in the shadows, stalking me like an animal. It’s death itself I tell you, just watching me, waiting… Oh blessed Emperor, why won’t it just kill me?”

— The ravings of Cardinal Salemme

So for a surprise Christmas present for a friend I bought Deathleaper and painted him up all nice and pretty. My friend seemed pleased with him anyway and to be honest it was putting together and painting this model that inspired my thoughts on the previous Tyranid list building. The background on this special character can be found here. Now on to the painting!

So I haven’t really worked with Finecast much but there did seem to be lots of flash to clean off, like the below picture in which the torso and legs(I guess?) bit meet. All this flash seemed to be in really awkward little areas like this to try and clean up.
But eventually I got him sorted and based, with some small amount of bending and filing down the Imperial Eagle it is standing on to make it flush.

Basic colours going in, the base has two shades of grey and highlights. Pretty sure I am the only one who notices it though.

Adding the bone effect and eyes really brought the creature to life for me, even without any shading.

The finished look! Bone claws/talons/teeth/hoofs have been washed, the red chitin has been highlighted and darkened. Basic flesh has been given some shadowing and the tendons are that gross purple.

Over all I was pretty darn happy with this piece. I really didn’t want to give it away in the end but that is why I bought it to make someone else happy, so away he went. I was amused that the model had been sitting in my display cabinet behind two Hellbrutes during many of my friends visits and he never got spotted. Good lil’ lictor it is.
Don’t worry I will be taking a break from Tyranids and going back to Chaos next. After all I have my Forgefiend, Daemon Prince and the first Rhino all to finish. On a unrelated note I may need some terminator legs…
If I don’t post before Friday have a great Christmas or holiday of choice everyone.

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