Part 2: For Sparta!
Ok so to recap, I have built the tank, primed with Chaos Black and then airbrushed Vallejo Grey Primer.
When I did the black and grey I left the recesses darker and ensured the raised areas got plenty of the Vallejo grey. This is a form of pre-shading which will leave the recessed areas darker once I have airbrushed the base colour, in this case Vallejo Gold Yellow. I like this approach as it is a simple way of getting some shading, but most importantly it gives some variation in colour to the larger panels. This is something anyone can do; I picked up a couple of cans of Chaos Black and Mechanicum Grey from GW earlier in the week and these would do the job even if you don't own an airbrush - simply spray the black and then a lighter layer of grey on top. I tend to spray from the direction of the light when doing this, ie directly above to imitate the natural effect of upper surfaces appearing brighter. I can recommend it even on infantry to give you some easy shading.
Next I airbrushed on a couple of coats of Vallejo Gold Yellow. There are plenty of recipes online for painting Imperial Fists, I looked through a few of these but ultimately found this to be a great yellow by accident - I ordered the wrong paint and thought I'd give it a go, looks good to me so have stuck with it! It's quite a 'rich' yellow with some thick pigment and it makes a great base for all the weathering I love - still shining through beneath all the oil washing and chipping.
I masked off three stripes and sprayed the area between with AK Interactive Heavy Chipping Fluid. This is going to produce a natural looking chipping effect, it is amazing stuff and really simple to use. Once the Chipping Fluid is dry, spray on some paint (Vallejo Dark Sea Grey). Once this is dry get a toothbrush and some water. Wet the surface of the paint, and brush gently, the paint will flake away in a random and interesting way. I think it looks great and is far easier than trying to do it with a brush.
I think with yellow you need plenty of dark contrasting colours to make it stand out and these stripes will help frame the yellow. I would also recommend Tamiya Masking Tape, I have used it for years, I get it on a dispensing roll. It's never stuck too hard and pulled paint off and it makes a perfect edge every time without any paint bleeding beneath it.
I then painted the tracks and any metal bits in Leadbelcher. A quick wash of Nuln oil and the Spartan was ready for the next stage....
Time for some decals. I got the latest FW Imperial Fist transfers - the updated decals are subtly improved with more detail that is in keeping with the FW 'look'. I use MicroSol and MicroSet with decals. You only really need these on an uneven surface. Buy a bottle of each and they'll last a lifetime.
I asked the Dads for advice on which decals to use and white ones got the vote - they make a nice contrast with the dark grey I think. Before I add decals I always take a modelling knife and 'chip' some bits off before I set them down. This gives them the same weathered look as the rest of the tank without having to try and paint over them - doesnt work I've tried it when I forgot to do this once!
Weathering powder time:
Using the weathering pigments from Forgeworld (aged rust, light rust, dark iron, dark earth, fresh mud) and some Lamina Medium I daubed these liberally on the tracks leaving a little Leadbelcher showing through in places. I will come back to these later and drybrush a little more Leadbelcher on to finish them. It's a simple technique to produce some nicely aged looking tracks. Nothing difficult here.
Now for something I have done on my Terminators and Kheres Dreadnaught. Using Vallejo Hull Red I airbrush along the seams of plating and any recesses on the tank. This is to represent wear and collection of dirt and dust. It's a burnt umber kind of colour which I would never have guessed would look good but somehow the contrast looks great to me and once you go in with some chipping and dirt type dust colours it looks ace.
So that's it for now. To follow is some chipping, then varnish, then some oil washing in the recesses, weathering powder in the lower areas and it's well on track for completion. Hope you like it so far, drop me a line if you want to know about anything I have done.
I haven't been able to decide what to do next for ages - so I needed a test piece to experiment on. 
Once dry I then plucked up the courage to mix up the wash. I used the Winsdor Newton Burnt Umber oil paint and mixed it with AK Interactive white spirit (this stuff doesn't smell great so be warned). Its hard to be scientific about the correct amounts of spirit to oil paint; I basically just mix enough of each until the wash slide easily down the pallette when I dab the brush on it - trial and error really. This was applied liberally over the whole model, with particular attention given to the rivets and recessed areas.
Then I put some of the white spirit in a shallow dish and with a 'cotton bud' or 'Q-tip' if you are reading in the US I soaked up a little of the spirit and used this to wipe away the wash that wasn't needed in areas such as the middle of the shoulder guards or leg armour. I've never done this before and was pleased with the results. It has left the wash in the recessed areas and looks naturally graduated whilst keeping the centre of the armour sections nice and yellow!
Dave and I have challenged ourselves to complete one new unit for our next game set for 19th March.
