+ inload: Painting Kroot +

+ Painting Kroot +

+ Alas, the new Kill Team box has not yet arrived with me, so I couldn't get stuck into the new Kroot. On the plus side, of course, this left my evening free to carry on with those already on the desk. Perhaps a blessing in disguise! +

+++

+ Observations on the Kroot models +

+ All of these figures are work-in-progress, but it's been a very long time since I've both struggled and enjoyed painting so much. As I mentioned in an earlier inload, I've always loved Brian Nelson's beautiful sculpts of the Kroot, but have found painting them difficult – though happily, not unpleasant. It's a multi-layered challenge – lots of organic shapes; lots of decisions to make on colours; and a surprising amount of little details. Being an older sprue, some of the details are slightly soft, so you have to be more aware of exactly where you're applying the paint. +

+ Having said that, they also lend themselves beautifully to Citadel's washes – and I've used multiple layers of Seraphim Sepia on the skin. I've avoided using washes on the fabrics deliberately. Washes soften and blend edges – after all, that's what they're meant to do – and this creates a distinctive look. Because there's so much softness and an organic quality to the overall model, I want to make sure there's a variety of textures. Thus the skin and quills get washes, while traditional brush shading and highlighting is used on the fabrics. +

+ The weapons will likewise get some harder edge highlighting to give a different look and help the various parts to read. The weapons and techy bits are likely the last piece of the puzzle, and that's what I'll tackle next to finish them off. I'm looking forward to tackling some woodgrain (and feel free to remind me of this statement in the next inload, when I come back cursing!) +

+++

+ Colour choices +

+ In terms of colour scheme, I've gone for a variety of warm oranges. Kroot, to me, suit a 'primitivist' underlying scheme, so that their really high-tech synthetic bits pop out from an overall earthy palette. Unsurprisingly, I've gone for a Predator-inspired scheme, and brought in some stippling (lots of little overlapping dots) on the top of the head, back and shoulders to create some visual interest. This also serves to frame the face. With the quills emerging from the back of the heads, it's easy for the top, rather than front, of the head to catch the eye – not great if you want to the face to be the focal point. +

+ Further complicating this is the fact that Kroot (obviously) don't have human features like lips, noses or stubble, so there's less that's immediately 'readable' to catch the viewer's eye and add interest. To help combat this, you could paint the 'beak' as distinctly different, but – while I like the avian aura – I didn't want them to read too obviously as 'birdmen'. Instead, I pushed the highlighting on the edges of the mouths so that they read as sharp and dangerous, and also to increase the contrast and detail to draw the eye. Further to that, I've gone for a super-contrasty white on black for the eyes – the gimlet gaze of alert predators. +

+++

+ Krootforms +

+ The (now-old) Kroothounds really capture the bestial, debased feel of the concept, and are fun little metal sculpts. I found my way for the Kroot on them, and tackled them first. I tried out a couple of different fabric colours – including a grey-blue (Prussian Blue) before settling on Death Guard Green and Iyanden Darksun as the underlayers. These were then built up with Mummy Brown from Army Painter. I really rate this paint – it's a lovely versatile warm white that just flows beautifully. +

+ Still to do on these (and the Kroot Carnivores above) are details like the bombs (quill grenades?) and similar. I'm also tempted to add some decoration to some of the fabrics. The background, so I understand, suggests that Kroot aren't particularly creative or artistic themselves, but I'd still like to have some form of culture represented. I'll probably mine various classic patterns – zig-zags, dags, spots and stripes. +

+ The other krootform in this batch is the hunting Knarloc. I'm very pleased with how this is coming along. On a whim, I decided to paint the previously-red Knarloc with a blue-green (Incubi Darkness) pattern. This was restricted to the top parts of the body, and I think it really helps to make the model pop, without being so saturated that it doesn't fit in. I painted the pattern in a couple of very thin glazes – that is, a layer of paint so thinned-down that some of the underlying colour comes through. I had already stippled the red skin underneath, and this read through the glazes. Nevertheless, skin will always look more realistic with more thin layers, so I also mottled the surface with further stippling. +

+ The eyes are the most obvious thing that need finishing, but I also have the saddle and tack (is a saddle part of the tack?) to do. +

+ Application elsewhere +

+ The Kroot tracker will likely be used as a – uh – Kroot Tracker in Kill Team; so I'll need to work out a Pech'ra model to replace the token +

+ And just off to the left of the previous photograph, you'll see two figures. One was a survivor of my old Kroot army – you'll note I had started converting him into a Tracker (armed with a sniper rifle) by trimming away the blades on his rifle. I clearly never got any further than that. In all likelihood, he'll remain as-is and be treated as a regular warrior, but I will rebase him onto a 32mm base to match the others – oh, and drill out the barrel. +

+ Finally here, on the left, you'll see another misfit. This is the Kroot tracker 'Dahyek Grek' from Blackstone Fortress; which I painted up a couple of years ago – or so I thought. After hunting him down, I realised two things. Firstly, I hadn't quite finished him – the skin and cloak are done, but the rifle and details are outstanding. Secondly – and largely unintentionally – I'd painted him in with largely the same scheme. Clearly Kroot are orange in my head. +

+ It's worth noting that this is one of the great strengths of colour schemes of armies with lots of skin or cloth. These organic materials weather and vary naturally, so some variety is not just okay, it's positively beneficial to a realistic result. Rather than sticking to strict recipes, as you might with (say) a Space Marine's heraldic Chapter scheme, you can simply remember 'orange' and play around with that. Different hues, techniques and approaches will all work. +

+ This counts doubly for Kroot, whose nature means that they vary from Kindred to Kindred. It will, perhaps, require some more thought to make a cohesive army, but it also means that you've got unparalleled scope for playing with colour. I'm certainly planning to have Kindreds (squads or Kill Teams) with different schemes – and perhaps to play around with some colours or effect sthat I rarely use elsewhere. Sci-fi birdmen strike me as a great place to play with highly-saturated colour. +

+++

+ inload: Prelude to Qu'Ba +

+ Heyn'Am Rim +

Today regarded as the breadbasket of the Tzi'Na Enclave, a province of the Tau's Brightsword Protectorate, this promisingly rich and fertile system was discovered by Imperial explorators in M38, and earmarked for forcible induction to the Imperium at least twice. In both cases, its position equidistant between the two rival Imperial subsectors – Starfire and Hesiod-Siculus – saw much political sabre-rattling, and the invasion was postponed.

It bears an unusual population of abhumans alongside at least two xenos species. The three species seem to have a commensual relationship, all living and working together; benefitting from each others' protection and – mostly – using different resources. Imperial hopes that the humans could be recovered and re-indoctrinated proved fruitless after investigation found the humans to be hopelessly corrupted by intentional genehancing – hence their classification to abhumans.  

The agriworld – or rather sept – is known to the Tau as Heyn'Am, a transliteration of the inhabitants' own name. The world did not voluntarily join the Greater Good, and its population still harbours ill-will towards their new rulers.

Extr. Howtopher Buxcraft's Later Histories of Antona Australis vol. VII

+++

Shambling onwards – work-in-progress Death Guard of the Bleak Vespers.

+ The Feverdream Episode +

The septworld of Heyn’Am was the scene of a flashpoint during the Tzi'Na Crisis. The Space Hulk Feverdream's drift took it through the Heyn'Am Rim, trapping the region between the space hulk and advancing elements of the Curdling Armada. Primed by the threat both in the void, the already-discontented native population was incited to open rebellion against their Tau masters by insurgent elements.

Alarmed by a sudden cessation in contact from their command centre on the island of Qu’Ba, local Brightsword forces hastily assembled to assist the encamped planetary suppression units. Whilst preparing for a full-scale assault on the Bayeaux Pigues region, orbital scans revealed construction of what appeared to be a large military facility further inland on Qu’ba. Fearing that delaying action would have disastrous consequences, contact was made with reliable alien agents planetside (the Bo’Than movement). Construction plans were appropriated and, although many Bo’Thans died in their retrieval, the T’au infiltrators escaped to the rendezvous point at Qi Liym Bay.

Caught between pursuing Qu’Bans and an approaching hurricane, the evacuation seemed to be heading for calamity when th+++ [+/!queryerror!/+] +++ides were turned by the arrival o+++ [+/!nonbinary expression executed!/+] +++ [+/!external override detected!/+] +++ [+/connection lost/+] +++

[+Colour text courtesy of Warmtamale+] 

+++

+ Prepping for a game +

+ The PCRC are meeting up for one of our periodic get-togethers, and Warmtamale will be GMing use through The Qu'Ban Laser Crisis. I've been plugging away to get some more Plague Marines ready [+vizref: above+], and have also finally polished off the build for my Chaos Lord, Simargi of Moroz-Morok: 

+ No plan survives contact with the enemy. His planned armament – a blade and bludgeon – went out the window after they looked a bit crap. I ended up going with a giant axe and combi-bolter; and, as you can see, I also gave him his own little death-knell bell. The bells have turned up in quite a few places as part of the visual theme, so it only seemed fitting for SImargi to have one of his own. +

+ The two accompanying him are a second Blightbringer – again, I really like the tocsins, so another bell-carrier was a given – and a Putrifier, a sort of ex-techmarine (and a very kind gift from my brother and nephews – cheers lads). The conversion here is fairly subtle – adjusting the pose of the arm and replacing the head with the more standardised one I like best. +

+ In addition to the other close combat Plague Marines that are on the painting desk, I've also got this fella with a huge cleaver. +

+ ...and finally for today, a squad of Terminators, made with a mix of the Blightlord weapons (kindly donated by Lucifer216) and the new Chaos Terminator kit. +

+ inload: Xenos Agitprop of Antona Australis +

+ Now is the time for all Shas'la to come to the aid of the Greater Good +

In ideological battles, technological competition and in vistas of space, let us be invincible in every fight!

- Brightsword High Command Agritpop extract; from a view-pamphlet extensively distributed to worlds in the Tzi'Na M41.

+++

+ Creating a sense of scale in your campaign +

+ Campaigns like the Tzi'Na Crisis [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] are a great excuse to build and paint something outside your gaming army. For our Scallops Stars campaign, I built and painted some one-off Imperial Guardsmen, such as the Metis Light Foot [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. These act as a bit of colour for the campaign, reminding players that their force is just one amongst many in these wars that rage across whole sub-sectors. +

+ This helps to add a sense of scale to the conflict, which has two effects: Firstly, it prevents the same few characters being pivotal across time and space (this is one of the things I like least about Games Workshop's latest direction). Secondly, and more positively, it makes your games more personal. Your own army and characters can have their own plots and important stories within the broader war, allowing for more personal creativity and development. +

+++

+ Why make models for this? +

+ Of course, stories and colour text can do this too – there's no need to make models. However, this is a physical hobby, and it's nice to illustrate things with a picture or two. For me, it also serves to explore those ideas for colour schemes or modelling without committing to a whole army. +

+ In addition to letting you explore these ideas, creating a model will also likely inspire ideas, and help prompt some questions about the nature of the broader army, war or planet he or she represents. +

+++

+ Dao'Doean Sept +

+ Even before the forces of the Curdling Armada began their invasion of the Tzi'Na Enclave worlds, the Tau Military Command (TMC) was moving in response. Strongheel, Commander of the TMC, foresaw a long campaign, and ordered additional new Cadres to be raised in defence of the worlds of the Enclave. Estimating the Septworld of Dao'Doean to be in imminent danger of attack, the TMC instituted a massive enrollment campaign, pulling Fire Caste trainees, cadets and – it is rumoured – those still in academy into active training barracks. +

Translating as 'the happy steppe'; or 'Yes, plainsland', Dao'Doean is a typical frontier world of the Tau Empire. Settled in living memory by pioneers from deeper within the Brightsword Protectorate, the Tau here are now in their third generation. 

The broad, sun-kissed plains of the world are covered with fields of mod-wheat imported from the Earth Caste scientists of Chac'Tun; while huge improver-harvesters travel between the principal settlements.

Tau of this world have a reputation for resilience and innovation, only slightly marred by whispers of indolence. The planet has a standing garrison of five thousand Fire Warriors, but has little history or experience of warfare. 

+ Antona Australis Inquisitorial abstract of the world +

+++

+ Dao'Doean military forces +

+ The Tau's defeats in the nearby Cha'anxi system during the early stages of the Tzi'Na Crisis forced the Tau Military Command to graduate these Shas'la earlier than normal. The result was an impressively large number of new Cadres and reinforcements for existing forces pushed through training in a short amount of time. +

+ Shas'la Cano'Be (above) is a typical example of the newly-inducted Shas'la. Upright, proud and disciplined, the speed at which she has been trained – and the strain this placed on materiel supply – is nonetheless apparent. Most strikingly, she lacks the large shoulder shield and shin plates of a typical Strike Team member, likely due to lack of materials or delayed shipments to this frontier world. +

+ The variation on the aerial also marks the helm as an older pattern. Still functional, the helm would be regarded as virtually obsolete by the veterans of Cadres such as Hunter Cadre Shas'Ka Nan, currently operating nearby. +

+ Despite the compromises forced on the Sept, Cano'Be still benefits from arms and armour equal or superior to that enjoyed by Imperial Guardsmen of the sector. While the TMC have little illusion that the newly-raised Cadres would be able to defeat the Astartes elites of the Curdling Armada, the Fire Caste on Dao'Doean are highly motivated, and more than capable of engaging invading traitor guardsmen on an equal footing. +

+ The purple and green scheme provides little camouflage against the swaying golden-yellow fields in which the Fire Warriors operate; but is rather a combination of the original settler's Sept colours; intended to honour the Sept's founders. +

+ inload: Slow and purposeful: First Battle of Heyn'Am +

+ Following the events on the Tau septworld of Or'Na, in Cha'Anxi – a datablurt-summary of the battle can be found here: [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] – the forces of the Curdling Armada are on driving forward on a number of fronts. +

+ As warfare on the Cha'Anxi front escalates, Kainan has dispatched a battlegroup to the Heyn'Am Rim. A motley collection of abhumans, traitor guardsmen and cultists, the force is accompanied by cell-warbands of Renegade Astartes, including the Mottled Halo, Bleak Vespers, Sons of Spectra and Scions of Magnus – a Thousand Sons warband commanded by the sorcerers Nikolai and Kamal. 

+ Tasked with disrupting critical food and supply lines from the bountiful world of Heyn'Am itself, the battlegroup made landfall only after a long and costly void battle. The sacrifices of the Air Caste gave the resourceful Commander Kais-Eoro – the ranking Tau officer in the system, and a trusted lieutenant of the sectorial commander, Strongheel – time to stiffen his hurriedly-prepared and inexperienced force of auxiliary defenders. +

+++

+ As the bulk of the two armies forces clashed across half a dozen strategic points, the elites met in the First Battle of Heyn'Am. An uneasy alliance of Death Guard and Thousand Sons met with Kais-Eoro's own battle-hardened corps of Fire Warriors – and some unexpected mercenaries: the Duke of Gork 'n Da Ten Faaazand. +

+ Lacking sufficient experienced Fire Caste warriors, and dubious of the indiginous levy's morale, Kais-Eoro made the fateful decision to employ a warband of greenskins to stymie the Chaos forces' advance. The aggressive greenskins executed a massive charge in the centre within moments of the battle's beginning. +

+ The fresh, verdant coastal landscape quickly became a quagmire as the brutal greenskins met the equally savage heretic Astartes. The heart of the battle was in a swirling ongoing melee in the centre, with more and more forces drawn into a meatgrinder. +

+ When the last orks fell in the centre, a mere handful of Plague Marines remained standing, swaying but defiant – but Kais-Eoro's own household was virtually untouched; and the remnants of the orks were sweeping up the embattled Thousand Sons on the shoreline. +

+ As light began to fall, the Tau-led coalition had the upper hand, but it had been a brutal and draining fight for both sides. + 

+ Result: a hard-fought victory for the Tau +

+++

+ Aftermath +

+ The mysterious tzeentchian warband claimed a personal victory, as they had rescued – or abducted – the hermit-magos Inshabel. This notorious heretek had haunted the worlds of the Heyn'Am Rim for some time, evading Imperial justice. His forbidden research into thanatology presumably promises Kamal and Nikolai some way of replenishing their ranks of Rubric marines. +

+ The Death Guard Sorcerer Czeslisc mournfully ordered the retreat before his forces were wiped out completely. His next act will be to report to his superiors; and perhaps return with reinforcements to subdue the tenacious world. +

+ Kais-Eoro's hunter cadre returned home virtually intact – a vital advantage for the ongoing war. Now Brightsword Command is aware that the Curdling Armada can strike deep into the Enclaves, perhaps Kais-Eoro's status will be increased. +

+ As for the Duke of Gork 'n da Ten Faaasand... The Duke himself crawled from the wreckage of his favourite buggy, who can say how he will react? Recriminations against the Tau, or pursuit of a valued new enemy? +

+++

+ inload: Building Mortarion +

+ Something stirs in the warp... +

+ Lucky me received reinforcements – to the tune of one Daemon Primarch, no less. As befits a prince of Chaos, he jumped right up the queue and demanded to be built. +

+ Largely stock – it's a wonderful base model – I couldn't resist tweaking a few bits and bobs. For the most part, my changes were simply stripping things back to the base silhouette, by removing extraneous sculpted detail. I've left off or trimmed down the majority of the hanging chains. +

+ To make sense of how the fabric hangs, I needed to add something with a little weight, so I replaced the giant chains and censers with rather more subtle Nurgle/Death Guard icons and bells (in keeping with the theme of the rest of the force). +

+ I also rotated Silence, Mortarion's scythe, about halfway along. The shape seemed very odd, beforehand, and while I'm no expert in scythes, the shape and way it was held felt slightly off. Realism isn't at the heart of a GIANT FLOATING ROT DAEMON, but verisimilitude – making it look like it could work – is important. Regardless, I think the rotation helps gives a sense of motion to the figure, and Silence now leads the eye in towards the body, rather than drawing all the attention to itself. +

+ I left the icon off his right shoulder pad [left of pict-capture above], leading me some space for freehand; and I replaced the honking great horns on the other with some fly-ridden smoke/incense. +

+ They're minor alterations, but give a little distinction to personalise the model for me. I've used sand texture paste medium for the base, to help integrate the rocks. +

+ Even taking my tweaks into account, the model went together well, and builds into a really imposing and impressive centrepiece. I'm usually not one for big models or heroes, but Primarchs seem to be an exception! +

+ How – and whether – he'll end up seeing much time on the table, I don't know; but I'm looking forward to painting him up. +

+ inload: Simargi of Moroz-Morok +

+ Simargi of Moroz-Morok +

+ Argh! Where are my arms? +

+ A work-in-progress of Simargi of Moroz-Morok; the leader of my Death Guard during the Tzi'Na Crisis, [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] and one of Kainan's lieutenants (though like all champions of the Fell Powers, doubtless harbouring ambitions of his own!) +

+ Building the model +

+ The base of the figure is one of the new Deathshroud models, with the legs repositioned to improve the sit of the hips. It's also given him a bit more height, which I like. +

+ I wanted to change the silhouette, so I've trimmed away the arms, too. The distinctive cataphractii shoulder pads will be replaced with domed pads, like those shown (from Master-Crafted Miniatures). I'll likely use the original forearms, but replace the upper arms to give a distinctive pose. +

+ The remaining bits and bobs are details – thanks to our resident Khorne-worshipper Lord Blood the Hungry for allowing me to have some Tau skulls from this brazen throne. The barbed wire coronet wrapped around his head is from Hasslefree Miniatures, while the head itself is from the new Intercessors. +

+ I've popped him on a 50mm base decorated with some Anvil Industry rubble and bound together with sand paste from Golden Acrylic. +

+ While not yet tacked on, here are his weapons, Deathknell and Calcatrix:

+ Would love to hear your thoughts on the model so far. +

+++

+ Character +

It was clear, and bright, and fresh. A gleaming sun sat in a sky of astonishing clarity, warming a landscape of softly rolling hills, carpeted with glistening grasses and punctuated with copses of yellow-orange tree-analogues. Then came a sour scent on the breeze. 

His movements were halting as he lowering himself to the ground, bulky plates scraping and groaning against each other. Reaching out with a filthy gauntlet, he grasped a sod of the soil, and tore it from the ground.  

The grass here was almost emerald green, glossy; the earth black and loamy and rich. He lifted it to his face and drew a halting, sclerotic breath, inhaling the clear air of the world. For a moment, his expression flickered; though with anticipation or regret was unclear. 

"Harvest-ripe." His voicebox was clotted, his tongue septic and weeping; but his voice was as gold. It rippled out from the kneeling figure. Though a mere whisper, every one of his men heard it, and began preparations.

A great tocsin-bell began to toll behind him, sonorous and atonal. Then another. More. The warriors assembled, a host of Plague Angels gathered before their Master. 

He had borne many names, all inscribed on the Woe-Bell of Moroz-Morok. Son of Sorrow. Chosen of Daravek. War-king of Calcatrix. He was Simargi of Moroz-Morok; Captain of the Death Guard, and he would have these worlds for Nurgle.

+ The establishment of the Tzi'Na Enclave by the Tau has had the side-effect of creating many nascent cults, as freedom of religion was granted by the Tau to the masses. Believing the region to now be fecund ground for conversion to the Pantheon's paths, Simargi has – like many other Chaos warlords – pledged his arms to the Dark Apostle Kainan, adding to the Curdling Armada. Beyond duty to the Plaguefather, it is his belief that the veil can be pulled aside here to draw Mortarion himself to the region, dooming – or blessing – the worlds to the eternal service of Nurgle. +

+ As an officer of the Ferrymen, the Death Guard's Sixth Company, Simargi commands a Cohort (that is, a force roughly 500 strong) of the Legion, plus a large band of renegade auxiliaries. His forces – as well-disciplined and reliable as any in the Armada – thus represent a substantial proportion of the Astartes currently present in the region. Accordingly, he has placed a substantial number of transport vessels at the broader service of the Armada – though each remains crewed and maintained by the Death Guard. +

+ His appearance in a theatre of war is marked by degradation in the enemy's morale, for chief amongst Simargi's gifts is his softly insidious and beautiful voice – his demands and promises as corrosive to enemy morale as they are invigorating to his loyal warriors. He is also vector of the faith-fever, a dreadful disease that rapidly weakens its victims body with wracking spasms; while simultaneously besetting its victims with harrowing hallucinations that erode even deeply-held beliefs. +

+ Considering himself as much a herald and proselyte as a warrior, Simargi's forces contain large numbers of Blightbringers used to spread the word of Nurgle; and the toscin features on his Cohort's banner, along with his personal heraldry, a cockatrice. +

+ Clad in Terminator armour, Simargi is typically found in the centre of the battleline, directing his forces with the relic plague-blade Calcatrix. He also bears the grand bludgeon, Deathknell, used both as weapon and as a striker for the Woe-Bell of Moroz-Morok, a device borne to the field and sounded twice – once to announce the Host's presence, and once to declare the end of hostilities. +

+++

+ Rules +

+ Based on the Lord of Contagion stats with some weapon swaps (Calcatrix is a Plague Sword with an extra pip of damage, while Death Knell is a Mace of Contagion); and the Lord of Contagion's special rules substituted for rules from the recent Character Creation rules in Chapter Approved 2018. Feel free to give him a go in your Open Play games. +

+++

+ Thought for the day: All lies are told with a straight face. +

+ inload: Composition and the importance of contrast +

+ Count the Seven! +

+ Painting progress – nothing major, as hobby time has been slim – but the vanguard of the Death Guard are starting to look a bit closer to being ready.+

+ Blergh! +

+ Seven are being worked up from their base coat, including three leaders – the Blightbringer (bell chap); plague surgeon and Tallyman (the one with the loudspeaker backpack on the right). The step-by-step is here [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]; and beyond that I've been working in with very dilute brown paint, touches of neat sepia ink, and glazes of sepia. This last stage is what gives them the warm yellowy tint. +

+ It's an organic process, by which I mean I have lots of pools of gungy brown/black mixes on my palette, and dip in and out of them freely. It's not quite random, but it's certainly a world away from the tight control I apply to (say) my Blood Angels. These Plague Marines are much more in my comfort zone, in terms of style [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. 

+++

+ Theoretical: The importance of contrast +

+ One thing you will notice above is that although many of the details are unfinished, I've painted in the eyes on a couple of them. For practical reasons, I wanted to check the colours I was planning (Vallejo's Prussian blue, for the record) would work and secondly, that there would be enough contrast. +

+ Contrast is really important for composition, as the viewer's eye will go to the areas of contrast first. There's a saying – 'tone does the work, colour gets the credit', which I rather like. Usually, if you have a dark-shady area, a light tint will look good, regardless of colour. The opposite is also true: the important bit is the contrast. +

+ Contrast in tone – that is, between light and dark areas – grabs the eye; but it's not just tone. Contrast can come in hue, in colour temperature, in detail, and even in texture. If you want to create a focal point, adding high contrast in some way on it will be effective. This Plague Marine's eyes are a good example of using other methods of finding contrast when the tones are similar. Here, both the light blue lenses and the grungy white helm are fairly bright, so there's not much contrast in tone. Instead:

• The cool blue hue contrasts with the warm yellow-tinged white that surrounds it.
• The clean, smooth surface of the lenses contrasts with the battered textural helm in which they sit. 

+ The latter point is another reason I painted them: after liberally sloshing on browns and blacks and washes, things looked messy. I wanted to reassure myself that I can paint cleanly when I want to! +

+ On a related point, note the thin border of black around the eyes. This acts as a border between the two similarly-toned areas of white and blue, preventing them bleeding into one another visually. This technique – black lining – is a good one for keeping similar areas apart. You can see the same effect used to break up the armour at the joints and details. All very quick and simple, but effective and eye-catching (exactly the same reason eyeliner draws the gaze – it provides detail and contrast between the white of the eye and the surrounding skin). +

+++

+ Contrast and composition +

+ A final note on contrast and focal points: While the figure above is unfinished, I don't have plans to add much in the way of freehand detail (though never say never) or develop the sculpted detail beyond regular highlighting and shading. The sculpt is already very complex, and I think picking everything out will make it all look a bit messy. The skulls on the wrist and so forth are given enough weight by the regular shading and highlighting; I don't need to gild the lily by painting them in a contrasting colour.  +

+ By leaving the gauntlet details unadorned – that is, with less contrast – they draw the eye less; and the lenses on the helm are thus left uncontested as a focal point. For similar reasons, the organic tentacles etc. will be painted with warm neutrals rather than vivid greens and purples, so the contrast is minimised and they sit quietly beside the armour plate. +

+ This is where composition and planning come into things. Generally speaking, I want the figures in this force to look slow and lumbering, to build the sense of inevitability that's in their background. That partially relies on having a single focal point for the eye to rest on. This doesn't need to be the head. Banners, weapons, shields and so forth are great spots for focal points. The important bit is that the viewer's eye is guided where I want it, and then rests there. +

+ Multiple focal points lead the eye around the figure. This is not necessarily a problem – sometimes you want to build a sense of movement or dynamism. Eldar, particularly Harlequins, for example, look great with multiple focal points – and it's for this reason that they tend to look best nice and clean, because then there's less contrasting texture to distract. The contrast is restricted to hue and tone. +

+ As well as imparting dynamism, multiple focal points mean the eye moves around the figure, and they're thus important if you want someone to really spend time looking at your work. If you look at single figures painted for competition, you'll probably find two or more focal points in order to encourage the judges to keep looking. +

+ For armies, you've already got lots of figures; so the most striking tend to subsume the individual within the whole, to prevent everything looking messy and confused. Instead, certain figures – your centrepieces' – act as the focal point for the whole army. If you want them to stand out, you've got to apply the principles of contrast to the army as a whole, not just the individual model. Consider picking them out or adding details in a different colour; and – perhaps more importantly – keep the rest of the army uniform, or you'll draw the eye away from the centrepieces. +

+ Currently the pistol is the focal point – not necessarily as planned. +

+ As an example, consider this Blightbringer. On an individual level, I want the bell to be the focal point, as it's his 'thing', but there's too little contrast there at the moment, and too much on the plasma pistol. To fix this, I'll have to play around. I have the choice of incorporating the pistol into the composition as a secondary focal point, or I muting the pistol entirely. In either case, the bell needs a lot of work. +

+ To help make the decision, I think in terms of the army's visual composition. As a character, he deserves a little extra to make it clear he's important – particularly in this case, when he's already competing with some very complex and interesting sculpts. I've added some simple detailing to his tabard to reward a closer look (though note it's in the same hues as the rest of the scheme, so as not to be too obvious), but he needs a little more oomph. +

+ As it stands, the plain is to include the pistol as a secondary focal point to lead the eye to the main focus – the bell. In order to do this, I'll mute it a little; perhaps using a dimmer warm orange as an accent colour. I'll balance this by building up another secondary focal point; the handbell on the other side. These secondary focal points will (hopefully) lead the eye upwards to the main bell, then around again, forming a trianglular path for the eye to follow around the model – which subtly echoes the triangular pattern on the tabard. + 

+++

[+APPENDEDIT+]

In the +commentarysubmission+ form, WestRider has very acutely noted that the eyes sit in the centre of the triangle the focal points will form, and that a pop of blue-white there would help clarify things. Alas – here my decision to change the head of the sculpt works against me. As you can see, the vision slit is painted to match the others, but the depth of the recess means that it's just not visible except from underneath. +

+ Nevertheless, it's an excellent point, and links back to the use of multiple focal points. Were I able to create a pop here on the head, it would create a fourth focal point (main bell, head, hand bell, pistol), which sounds unwieldy. However, in this example, it wouldn't unbalance the model, as the fourth sits within the 'route' the eye is guided (pistol to bell to bell). +

+ If you are considering multiple focal points, check you can lead the eye effectively at the modelling stage – sometimes the decisions you make with the sculpt can prevent you. +

+ inload: Painting Death Guard Plague Marines +

+ Back at the tincture-pools + 

+ It's been a while since I've had time and the opportunity to paint, so it was nice to dust off the brushes. While enthusiasm is high, I thought I'd crack on and do a little batch of Death Guard for the Tzi'Na Crisis campaign. +

+ Theoretical +

+ The concept is simple – the impact will come from high contrast, and the aim is for a quick and effective scheme that I enjoy painting. Having deliberate aims like this helps stop my hobby turning into a job, and keeps the approach to painting playful and fun. If I want to really go in-depth, I'll turn to the Blood Angels [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]; if I want some organic forms to paint, I'll unpack the orks of Luggub's Drop Legion [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]; and if I want freehand fun, I'll turn back to The Sons of the Temple [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. +

+ As for the Death Guard themselves, they'll be my go-to for washes, glazes and a generally more free and expressionistic style. Perhaps surprisingly, the complexity of the figures lends them to this approach. It's easy to get bogged down in all the detail, but that can lead to an overly-fussy finish, which stops the figure 'reading' clearly. Better to leave some things indistinct, and lead the eye where you want. +

+ Practical +

+ Nadrotmistr Oto Thumor is the furthest along of the new batch, as fits his role as herald. I've used a black undercoat – regular inloaders will know I favour grey mostly – because I want the greatest possible depth in the recesses. The complexity of the figure also means black helps throw up contrasts while I work, so I don't miss something. It also dirties the finish, which suits the Death Guard well. +

+ 1_ The basic scheme starts with a quickly-applied mix of silver ink and Mithril Silver (or equivalent). Unlike my normal grubby metallic approach [+noosphricinloadlink embedded+], this is a very clean and bright basecoat. The reason for this is that it will be covered with layers of inks, washes and glazes – if I start too dark in tone, the contrast will be lost completely. +

+ 2_ I use a 15mm flat watercolour brush to apply the paint, with a semi-drybrush technique. Using a large brush gets things done quickly and stops me being too fussy. I don't worry about cleanliness here. As long as the paint is the right consistency, it won't spoil the details; and can be overpainted easily. +

+ 3_Once the silver is dry, I change to a size 2 round brush to paint the shoulder pads and tabards with a new paint called – surprise! – Death Guard Green. It's a nice olive, which gives a cool military effect. This helps to ground the more fantastical elements. +

+ 4_ Next, I use Vallejo's Off-White, a colour I bought especially for this project. It's a lovely warm neutral hue that works as a good base for the earthiness I hope to build up. This is applied more carefully to the remainder of the armour plate. +

+ 5_ Once dry, an initial layer of Seraphim Sepia mixed with diluted Sepia ink goes on over the whole figure (this is a glaze or filter, as it's intended to subtly alter the surface colour). I quickly add pure touches of Nuln Oil and undiluted Sepia ink into the recesses to build the tone there (this is a pin wash, as it is more obvious and directed). 

+ 6_ While the glaze remains wet, I dry my brush and use the tip to 'lift out' highights by touching the bristles to areas I want brighter. The dry bristles soak up the excess paint and leave a brighter, cleaner area. +

+ That's the stage I've got to so far on the Blightbringer (second from left). The Plague Surgeon (second from right) is pre-glaze, and the Tallyman (rightmost) is pre-Off White. Note the messiness of the silver application. +

+ I find this an effective technique that's fun to do; and it's quick, too. I got fourteen figures to the stage the Tallyman's at within fifteen minutes or so, and working up the Blightbringer to the stage shown only took another quarter of an hour. This should – I hope – allow me to get the force to a basecoated standard quickly; after which I can spend a bit more time on each figure to take them to the stage the Plague Marine on the left (shown also below) is at: