Venom (Part 1)

"Ground Control to Pilot, get ready for cockpit check,"

Just under a fortnight ago, while working on my Archon, the wonderful Mrs. Neverness bought a Dark Eldar (that's "Drukhari", for the kids out there) Venom for me. I immediately set about working on it as I wanted to show my appreciation to Mrs. Neverness for this sweet gift.

This is the first one of these kits I have tried to build. So I, like a good modeller, referred to the instructions. Assembling and inserting the cockpit into the hull is an early step in the construction process. Looking at the cockpit assembly it is quickly apparent that it is surprisingly complicated process. And getting to those details to paint them after the fact could be tricky, so I decided to completely paint the cockpit and pilot at this stage. I did something similar with my Waaagh Plane a few summers ago.

Basecoats on the pilot.

Seriously though, I know these are model kits first, but most people buy these things to play with them. With that thought, I can see why there are so many examples on the web of the cockpit glass painted in a tinted manner so as to avoid having to assemble this needlessly complicated pilot and control interface. But I am a persistent hobbiest and opted to take the harder route, and I am glad I did as the payoff is so much more satisfying.

Painted xenos head.

Here we have a xenos in it's fully evolved state: with it's head on a pike! I used the steps in Raiders of Commorragh to paint the head.

Control details.

Once everything was done, it was time to assemble it. It kind of looks like an ejection capsule or something when it's seen out of context from the rest of the craft, doesn't it?

Finished cockpit. 

After the final  cockpit check this hedonistic freak is ready to climb into the skies. That is, once the rest of the craft gets assembled around him...