It’s a new year and as is customary for all minipainters on Instagram I hopped on the yearly bandwagon and made a collage post showing some of best pieces I did in 2021. After doing said bandwagon post I became aware of something almost immediately; everything I did in 2021 was a commission to paint miniatures for someone else. Not a single project I did in 2021 was for my Dark Angels army or for me to really push myself as a minipainter. As such I decided to put commissions on hold (except for any I was already working on) and began to plan for Capital Palette 2022 at the Nova Open.
First thing I needed to decide was how many pieces I should work on and for which categories. I am not confident enough to do a large display piece so dioramas and large vehicles like Imperials Knights were off the table. However, I was reminded of a diorama idea I had a while ago of Night Lords overrunning a Krieg trench line and slaughtering the guardsmen. Specifically I thought about the centerpiece model which was supposed to be a Night Lords Contemptor Dreadnought half standing in the trench with a guardsmen impaled on his chainfist while blood cascaded down. Theoretically I could cut take that slice of my original idea and present it as a single entry all by itself. It gives me an opportunity to do a slightly larger model, try out a new scheme, play with blood effects and this idea even gives me a chance to tackle making my own display base because my previous entries were all premade resin bases
I had one idea down and it was a fairly large idea all things considered, so next I decided I should tackle something a little more in my wheelhouse and decided to do at least one or two infantry sized models. To pick these models I followed the same logic and criteria as when I picked out Jeanne D’arc for Capital Palette 2019. The model had to be relatively open so that I could reach all areas relatively easily with a brush, it had to be reasonably easy to assemble or work with and finally the design/sculpt had to speak to me. In other words the model has to appeal to my sensibilities and it would make me excited to paint it. So with those things in mind I began to rummage through my extensive pile of shame to see if there was anything I had that I would want to paint.
I went though my whole pile of shame which had models from Warhammer 40k, AOS, Infinity, Conquest, Wargame Exclusive and more but none of them checked all the boxes for me. Some kits were cool but were either too busy which made certain areas a paint to paint or required some precise modeling to look good that I couldn’t do. So at that point I decided to look at all the entries from Capital Palette 2019 as well some of my favorite artists on Instagram for inspiration.
While perusing the Capital palette I found one piece of an AoS Deathrattle Wight King that I remember being quite fond of when I saw it in 2019. Unfortunately no name was attached to the photo and thus the painter who did this piece is a mystery to me and thus I can’t find more of their work. Regardless, taking this piece as inspiration I set about to do my own version of a lich lord d on a display base and knew the exact model to use. Luckily for me, Rage Craft studios had made not one but two lich models called Witch King I and Witch King II and from experience with a prior model I purchased from them I can be assured of their quality. So I went and procured both of them because I have moments weakness and my wallet hates me for it. As for the display base I had two ideas in mind, either a rocky outcropping which would put the model front and center or have a backdrop of an old and decrepit mausoleum entrance which would impart a sense of grandeur.
With the infantry sized model sorted and the display base ideas set, I set out to find one more model that I could work. I wanted this third model to be something familiar, something that would require less faffing about in terms of paint scheme and latched on to the idea of doing a Dark Angel model. Considering I have a entire Dark Angels army it was about time I stepped my game up in terms of painting one. I started with a Zakariah model that a friend had given me but quickly shelved the idea once I saw how the construction would make certain areas hell to paint and sub-assemblies did not seem to be a good idea with how the sculpt was sliced. No other model I had spoke to me so I plied Instagram again for inspiration and landed on Steven Garcia’s (Torkathor) rendition of Lazarus. I looked up the sprue and instructions for Lazarus and felt confident that this was the one and got one off ebay. I was unsure as to what the display base would be but that is a problem for future me to figure out.
Now with all the models selected and bases mostly figured out I set to getting any other items I would need. In particular some texture paste to simulate mud and sizeable plinths to place all these models on. And even though I promised myself I wouldn’t get more paints, I went ahead and got more paints including some Abteilung oil paints that I am excited to use on my deathwing. With the first stage out of the way, it was time to go back to the hobby desk and finish off the rest of my commissions.
Till next time, may be your brush strokes be smooth and your gaps filled.
Dr. Schemes Miniatures 