5 Tips for painting for an existing army

I recently got a notification from the facebook that a good friend of mine was having his birthday: Kenton Kilgore of the Jungle fame. I wished him a happy birthday and asked if he wanted a painted mini, to which he (wisely) responded with a resounding yes, just pick an army and go for it. Kenton has a lot of really cool and unique armies, all filled with characterful minis. I thought to paint a space marine for his gigantic 10k point army, but I thought it might get lost among the masses. I elected instead to paint a mini for his space dwarf army, the Dvergar Steeljacks.

Tip 1: Research

It's important to know what elements of the army you're trying to emulate and what key points shouldn't be messed with. You want it to be your own, but ultimately it needs to fit alongside it's brethren.

I spent some time looking at pictures of the existing models, and reading the commentary on where Kenton had pulled his inspiration from. Several things I noted:

• Heavy use of metallics
• Gold stripe down the center of the helmet
• Based on the Pittsburgh Steelers color scheme
• Highly reflective black armor

Tip 2: Select the Right Model(s)

When it comes time to select the models, be sure to find something that fits your budget not only in terms of money but time as well. If you're dedicating the resources to supplement someone else's army, make sure you can do it in a reasonable time.

I ended up going with some of mantic games' excellent Forge Father models. They fit the theme perfectly, as they were space dwarves. As I did my research, I noticed that Kenton had yet to get his hands on any Flash Gits or Lootas. I took advantage of this by selecting the Storm Rage veterans, which came equipped with large and deadly looking guns. The only conversion necessary was to clip away the built-in base that they came on so the pieces would sit on a 28mm Games Workshop base. The extra material underneath their boots actually came in handy, as they put the models at the level created by the rock.

Tip 3: Be Original

Part of the gift is what you can bring as a personal interpretation to the existing theme. With the core rules of the aesthetic in mind, do something that you want to do. Have fun with it, and you'll end up with a superior experience and a superior product.

One thing I wanted to avoid was having the black armor simply be black with a glaze over it. That being said, I didn't want to violate my first rule by not having the reflective armor. I comprimised by undercoating the models with several layers of increasingly lighter shades of blue before completing the look with a layer of pure black, leaving the armor with gradient highlighting on the edges.

Tip 4: Get It Done

No one likes having an offer revoked or even worse, simply unfulfilled. Even a 'free' offer should be treated just like the person was a paying client. It will avoid procrastination, keep your paying jobs on schedule, maintain a good working mindset, and generally enhance the effect of your initial generosity. Anyone can make a promise; be one of those rare people who keep them.

All in all this project took me two days. The largest chunk of time was spent waiting for the pieces to arrive from England, but once they were here I was off. I knew it would be a belated birthday present the second I made the offer, so I didn't want to make it any longer than it already was.

Tip 5: Document

Just because you painted the model for someone else doesn't mean you don't deserve credit for it. Avoid the temptation to ship the model out the second you complete it and make sure you've photographed EVERYTHING you want to. It's probably the last time you're going to see that model in your studio, make it count.

It was a great experience and great fun to paint something for someone like Kenton who gives so much of himself to the community. I encourage everyone to undertake a project like this every now and again. It's a good way to stretch yourself creatively, build networks, and celebrate all the wonderful individuals that make up our community.