+ inload: Squad Raphael +

+ The finished combat squad +

+ Okay, so a proper combat squad is now completed. I'm afraid to say that I just wanted to crack on and get these done, so there aren't any work-in-progress shots beyond this picture of the shading mix:

+ This rather unassuming blob is made up of two drops of Winsor & Newton Sepia ink, two brushloads (size 1 round) of Liche Purple, two drops of clean water and one brushload of flow enhancer. I've run a brush through to show the consistency – the gap opened here closed almost immediately; the consistency is a little like beer; slightly sticky, but no body like milk. This amount was sufficient to paint all four of the models in quick succession, given a cool evening (and refreshed occasionally with one or two more drops of water). +

+ These chaps represent half of 'squad 1' in the original army, shown above left. +

+ There are a few little additional honour marks etc., but stuck to the fairly stripped-back and clean look as far as I could. The honour markings themselves are drawn from the Rogue Trader-era notes covered in an earlier inload [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+], which I thought was a fun little Easter egg. +

+ I have been careful to include at least one purity seal on every marine. The period in which the army is set (M35) immediately follows the official deification of the Emperor, and I want to evoke that post-rational aspect of the era, as the secular Imperial Truth gives way. Doubtless there are a few older Blood Angels who remember a time beforehand – and there are likely philospohical and theological arguments still raging within the brotherhood and in the Chapter cult as the old and new doctrines interact – but in general, most of the Blood Angels in the army will have been born and raised treating the Emperor as a god, rather than a human figure. +

+ This is mainly because I've explored the Great Crusade era a lot, and fncy delving into the gradual decline of the Imperium into the baroque dystopia of the later millennia – a beautiful decline and fall, which nicely parallels the fate of Rome and Constantinople, a topic that was part of the inspiration for this army. +

+ That aside, I'm pleased with the result. Certainly an improvement on the first iteration of the army (sorry, younger me!):

The original Brother Engel, a relic of the wars of 1991.

+ Individuals +

[APPEND NOTE: Forgive the wet bases, wonky freehand on the gun-eagles, and that {SCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT] mouldline visible in the individual shots – these have since been tidied up. ]

Brother Barbarigo (Durbael 4:11). Note the Bleeding of Arcturus campaign badge on his shin.

I picked out a few details in Boltgun metal to suggest connecting ports and so forth.

+++

Brother Donato (Duhael 4:12). 

Purity seals are a dull purple, to fit in with the scheme; the Chapter symbol is also muted.

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Brother Farnese (Shemhamphorae 1:20).

Farnese's backpack contains a mobile shrine – a spiritual equivalent to a vox-unit.

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Brother Engel (Narieal 4:10). The white kneepad is from the old White Dwarf illustration – simply labelled as an 'Honour Marking'. I thought this was fitting for an update of the oldest model in the army.

The Blood Angels' logo is painted with a neutral mix of black, yellow and purple.