Crimson Court, Prince Duvalle - Part III (Showcase)

 

"Really must cut my nails."

I was going to give this model a break and instead post about another of the Crimson Court, but several circumstances resulted in me simply finishing Prince Duvalle instead. First, I was kind of inspired to just get the NMM gold done (using the exact method explored on the Lumineth painted a while ago) and after that there really wasn't much left to do. Second, my airbrush compressor fell apart. Quite literally - internal brackets snapped and it simply started to shake itself to pieces. I do have a spare compressor, but it doesn't have an attached tank so I'll use it just to finish off what I was working on before saving up for a new one.

What else helped to finish this model was not using every shade of paint, but instead just mixing up "close enough" on the palette. For the gemstones I used a single purple (Genestealer Purple) and just mixed it with a blue on the palette, some black, and some of the light grey. No need to waste time getting out four or five paints when mixing directly on the palette will do.

This bring me back to repeat an old topic: characters are great for experimentation, and there's often no need to repeat exactly what has been done before. Different shades and tones of the same colour can be mixed together without worry, and this really speeds up painting while allowing for a unique piece that increases knowledge and skill. There are times, however, where repetition is wanted, namely when painting an entire army. I have a particular step-by-step guide when painting Blood Angels, and I don't like to mix paints when doing so because I want to repeat it across the entire army. Having multiple paints and layering them in a proven formula helps paint more quickly with the desired result in that circumstance.

Back to the gold NMM, it does detract from the face. A brass would have been more appropriate I suppose, but just wanted to paint gold. It was very close to being too much, but I think it's on the acceptable side of the equation: the model still draws attention to the face purely from the sculpt, and the gold doesn't quite overpower that. It also fits the idea of a prince using weaponry that while functional also shows off status and wealth.

The base is far more interesting. The toppled statue is a essentially multiple drybrush passes of greys with a hint of blue, while the flagstones are greys, purples, red-browns, even a green wash (Athonian Camoshade to be specific, it's a great shade for more earthen tones). The mix of colours doesn't really show up too much in the end, but it makes an incredible difference when compared to just shades of grey. I could of pushed the effect a lot more, but I decided to simply be content with "next time". Aside from that, brighter flagstones might have clashed with the statue, and I really want that to be the focal point of the base. The status also has inlaid gold just to break up the monotony a little bit, and I think that worked particularly well.

On the point of drybrushing, and brushes in general, I'm actively trying to use my good brushes more often. I rarely touch them because they are the good brushes and only used in special circumstances, but the net result is that they are barely touched and are essentially going to waste. Brushes are not for display and I'd much rather they get put to good use than just sit there! I still take care of them as much as I know how, but the point remains (pun intended): don't leave good tools unused if you can paint better with them.

In finishing this particular model, disaster struck. I was using Purity Seal (good weather and compressor troubles mean leaving the airbrush varnish aside right now) outside and dropped the model directly into dirt. This made the dirt stick to the model, and the fall itself broke the sword. The sword is now at a slight angle, and I was forced to scratch some paint off in efforts to remove dirt and debris (the hair in particular suffered). I think I managed to recover everything well enough, but it was still annoying. Accidents happen.

I recently bought another model, so the current tally of permissible purchases is now standing at 8.5.

-- silly painter.