Warmaster Horus

Just in pieces over the Heresy.

So I've finally started on the main model of Horus. This is going to take some time to get done.

The model is incredibly detailed, and I had to take quite a bit of time removing flash, mould lines, and generally tidying it up in preparation for priming. Owing to the feet attached to inserts that slot into the base itself, I've decided to leave the main body on the resin block from production, at least for now. It's easy to hold. I may change my mind and find a way to attach everything to a miniature handle, but I'll see how I get on with the painting first.

Although black is a better primer, I went with Corax White this time. The white might make some areas brighter than they should be, but it also make it much easier to pick out detail - and I'm going to need all the help I can get for that.

In terms of colour planning, the current thinking is for the main armour to be a base of black, highlighted up to a blue hinted grey (which basically means layering using Dark Reaper and Fenrisian Grey). This is intended to give things a bit of a (temperature) cool look. The character was not given over to emotional outbursts, so something more cold, calculating, and yet clean, seems to fit.
Filigree and edging will be more of a bronze than gold. Gold edges towards yellow more, and runs the risk of distracting from the darker and somewhat sinister nature that Horus' character had become. Bronze is a somewhat earthier colour and shouldn't "brighten" the model too much, but still offers quite a range of saturation that can be used to shade and hightlight the details.

There will of course be red lighting coming from within the armour itself, which will take some effort to show in the face properly. The face is definitely a focal point of the whole model - surrounded by black armour, well above the lighter tones of the base, it's the face that will prove most difficult to get right. It can't be too stark in contrast to the armour or it will look like a floating head, but too dark and it doesn't stand out. More planning required there.

Looking around, the shoulders are often depicted by others with some level of green as a nod towards the colours of the Sons of Horus. Although it's somewhat of a copy-cat move, it's still a great idea and one that I'll follow.

The cape I'm a little torn on. Purple might be nice, and I've seen it being pulled off well elsewhere, but I have the feeling that a red velvet might tie in better to the base. I'll keep an open mind on that a bit longer.

As for where to go from here: probably start blacking in armour, firstly around those areas that would be hard to reach fully assembled. Painting will proceed with that in mind: get enough done to assemble each piece, and then complete the model once everything is attached.

-- silly painter.