Salamander

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist. 

This sternguard veteran is the last of a broken family. Of the initial box of 5, one became an Ultramarine, a Space Wolf, 2 Black Templars, and now finally a Salamander. I admit when I got this box I wasn't even thinking of how I could use these guys, only that they were shiny and new. Now, 3 years later, we finally put this box to bed. 

Space marines present me with an interesting challenge, mainly due to the fact that I've painted entirely too many of them. It's a real effort just to find something I haven't done yet. I've painted four complete space marine armies, as well as dozens of the emperor's finest for other people's chapters, roughly 500 in total. But for as many variants as I have painted, there are still many canonical chapters that I have not. So I cracked open my 5th edition codex and flipped to the first chapter to grab my attention: the Salamanders.

Micro-Lesson: Green
Ever since foundation paints came out, I've used them in virtually every project; they're just too good to pass up. The range of colors that GW offers is prolific, but there are a few notable exceptions. While the 3 greens that foundation offers can cover a large range of natural subdued tones, getting that rich vibrant green can be a tricky proposition.

Here we have our marine with a watered-down coat of Knarloc Green over a white primer base. Interestingly, you can see where the water pooled it separated the pigments, showing just how much blue is sitting in this color. 

Watering down is the key here. You want a fairly even tone throughout the model, but you don't want to go overboard. You'll avoid the thicker foundation paint building up, and keep the tone brighter. Snot Green streaks like crazy over pure white, and loses it's saturation over the Knarloc. Once you've gotten the consistency you want, you're free to work in some shading. 

Looking to the above pic with the blue remnants, you'll find that we've actually been given a clue as to how to shade this model properly. In a previous post I had talked about using colors besides black and the base color to create more interesting shadows. The same rule applies here. I worked blue into all the shaded areas and even bought it into the highlighting for the black armor (more about that here). Since the Salamanders only have two major colors (green and gold), I was able to introduce blue without making things look busy. 

A good rule of thumb for miniature painting is to try and keep the major colors at or below 3. Shades and tints don't count, and neither does black or white. Some models will have extra gadgets that require a new color, but for the purposes of this rule we're only talking about a surface area that accounts for more than 20% of the total model.

I also took the opportunity to go to town with some custom freehand work. A word to the wise: if you're going to work on the underside of anything, do yourself a favor and get the work done before you glue it together. You'll save time and stress, trust me on this one.

Well, that's enough of this far-future nonsense. Next week we're kicking it old school with shiny knights and high-flying banners!

The Archives: Black Templar Venerable Dreadnought

I painted this guy in 2008 before I even considered playing a Black Templar army. A friend of mine got a Templar Venerable Dreadnought mis-shipped from forgeworld and had no use for it. I quickly snatched it up, and (several toothbrushes worth of scrubbing later) I was in business.

Servo Skull

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist. 


This one is a real mystery to me; I just can't remember where I got this guy from. I flipped past this model so many times in my bits box wondering what I would ever use it for. I always assumed it would be a secondary element to a larger model, floating next to a techpriest, inquisitor, etc. But in typical fashion, a much more interesting idea was spawned from a conversation with a very good friend of mine.


I mean really, even the greasy spoon has to advertise in the 41st millennium somehow, right?

Micro-Lesson: Source Lighting

A lot of people will tout this technique as a indicator of a higher level of skill. Don't buy into the hype. This is an easy step you can take with any model that adds to the result without requiring hours of your time or an MFA. The first step is to get your model painted up like you would normally. We're going to built this effect layer by layer.

Layer 1: Ambiance

When you've gotten all the basic colors down, your first choice is about the environmental or ambient light. Subtle shadows will push the highlights back resulting in a more balanced look to the model. Here I pushed the shadows way back to illustrate how far you can take this technique. The other consideration is color of the ambient light. Think about the world that you're putting this little guy in. In this example I wanted him to be on a lonely cold street well after dark, so I added a ton of blue to the shadows. 

In practice, what you'll be doing is washing/dry brushing (your choice) with the colors you've established. Here I was drybrushing successively darker layers of a mix of Chaos Black and Necron Abyss. I also gave the underside of all the surfaces a wash of Asurman Blue. 

Layer 2: Shadow

This is where you really push the dark parts back, all the way to pure black if you want to. The key to a good shadow is knowing where the light is coming from so you paint only where it isn't hitting. In this case the light source is a obvious one, which makes it simple to see where the light would and would not hit. 

The execution of this layer is the same as the previous one, you'll just be doing heavier coats with more repetition. It's always good to go less subtle on a given pass of the brush. You can always add more pigment, but taking it away is nearly impossible without some amount of destruction. 

Layer 3: Light

Here's where it all comes together. With successively brighter pigments, work your way closer to the light source. Every time you switch to a brighter pigment for a new pass, try to cover a smaller area inside the one you just completed. You will create some nice gradients that get brighter as they approach the source.

Like any technique, this requires practice, but if you keep it broken into these three steps, you'll have it down in no time.

And don't forget to Eat at Joe's. Every Thursday they have Hamburger and Egg for a nickel. 

Imperial Guard

These models are being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist. 

I remember being in my BLGS (Belligerent Local Game Store) and seeing the box of 5 troopers, thinking to myself that I should really get it. I must have had a good use for the box, as I only have 2 of the original 5 models left. What happened to the other 3 is a complete mystery. If anyone reading this has any clue as to where those models ended up, I'd be fascinated to hear how and when they made their way to you from me. 

Cadia is an all-time favorite of mine from the Warhammer 40k universe. I've always been intrigued by the idea of a group of regular every-day men being trained to fight off the horrors of the universe with little more than rigid discipline and a reliable if slightly underpowered firearm. 

I knew the first model had to be a traditional Cadian Shocktrooper. If I had the time I would paint a million of these guys. I love the simple aesthetic of this model and how well it translates into the game. It's clean, well stated, and direct; a noteworthy contrast to the overly verbose space marines.

Micro-Lesson: Khaki with depth. 
Beige is a deceptively tough color to get just right. Yes, you can throw down a coat of Dheneb Stone, wash it with Devlan Mud and call it day; I understand IG players have a ton of dudes to get painted up. At least consider this tutorial for your Junior Officers and above.

The idea when adding depth to this color is to do it in stages. It also helps to do this before you paint any other part of the model, so you don't have to worry about messing up another color. This model starts with Dheneb Stone, and all the steps will be a 1:1 ratio of wash to water. Remember: baby steps.

1. Ogryn Flesh: whole model
2. Devlan Mud: undersides/shadowed areas
3. 1:1 Mix of Devlan Mud and Thraka Green: where the uniform meets plate armor
4. Badab Black: Darkest areas
5. Highlight the top level areas with Dheneb Stone

With a little practice, this technique will give you nice smooth transitions in your cloth. 

I had my basic Cadian done, and I wanted to really push the weathering / battle damage with the second.

This was essentially the same paint style, except when I was done I took it a step further by adding the wear-and-tear. I really enjoy this paint style personally, but it isn't for everyone. It reminds me of one of my hardest-learned lessons: Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

This guy looks great, but so does the first model. Which one should you paint? Whichever makes you happy. Unless you're painting for competition, there's never any tangible difference between techniques, only the value you assign to your own work. You are going to see these models more than any other person on the planet; make sure you like what you see.

Another two models down for the 2012 CS Challenge. Next week, a model that I literally have no idea how I got. It very well may have been put in my bitzbox by gremlins... but hey, a challenge is a challenge!

Priest of Ulrik

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist. 

This Priest of Ulrik was acquired from a friend's bitzbox. I believe he originally got the model thrown randomly into an ebay auction lot. It passed to me, mercifully in one piece, and spent a year in my bitzbox. Time to finally give this poor guy some recognition for so many years spent in neglect! 

The first challenge in painting this model was simply identifying it. It's been a long time since GW has formally acknowledged the followers of Ulrik; something that will hopefully change with the rumored Empire updates.

Once I found out what this guy was, I was able to find some good examples of similar models in old empire army books and the outstanding GW publication: Uniforms and Heraldry of the Empire. This book is a must for any hobbyist, irrespective of whether or not they play the empire. The same goes for the Skaven equivalent book. 

Micro-Lesson: White Fur

GW fur is a pain. Trying to paint that fur white is an even bigger pain. 

I started with a coat of Astronomican Grey, washed down with a 1:1 mix of Asurman Blue and Badab Black. The issue with this is that the fur is modeled too deep, which means there's too much wash and the finish is too dark. It took two drybrush passes with Astronomican and a half dozen drybrush passes with Skull White to get the fur where I needed it. 

The fact is that when you're painting fur, it should look a little flat, because fur is flat in many instances. It sits tightly packed against the skin, forming a protective barrier against the cold. The texturing is nice, but it's a little too much for real fur. I'd be interested to see what GW fur would look like after a light wash of the new liquid green stuff to even things out a little. 

Another model for the 2012 CS Challenge is finished. Next up, a little action with the Imperial Guard.