" FELINE IN PAINT "

For this post I thought I would do a step by step guide to how I painted the latest feline model.

Step 1 First I laid down an even coat of Rakarth Flesh all over the model.

Step 2, I then highlighted the model with bone white using global lighting ( What this means, pick a single point from where you think your light will be coming from, then highlight the areas that the light would catch)

Step 3 I then did a finer highlight of off white, to add to the three dimensional shape

Step 4 I then added some blue shadow, this adds to the contrast of the model.

Step 5 at this point I put a glaze of Balor brown all over the skin areas, this will give you a nice even transition between all the colours but allowing the contrasting colours to add depth to your model.

Step 6 Next I picked out the fur area's in Mournfang Brown.

Step 7 Next I dry brushed some bone white over the fur to get a good contrast.

Step 8 I then painted the tongue with rosy flesh, and put some Reikland flesh shade over her nipples.

Step 9 Next I painted the eye yellow, and added some Nuln oil around the eyes and to the fur, 

Step 10 I added a second coat of nuln oil once the first was fully dry and also picked out the pupils with some pure black paint.

Step 11 I now added some off white glaze as facial markings and also in the ears, while this was drying I painted the cushion Royal purple.

Step 12 I added some green glaze on the cushion to add a contrasting shadow in the recesses.

Step 13 Finally I added some highlights to the cushion with a mix of Royal Purple and Warlord Purple.

Is this the only way to paint these ? Not at all you could just as easily paint them like a tiger or a black panther, whatever you wanted to.

And now over to Steve for some cool background.

)o(

Cheers Dave mate. Of all the posts I`ve most been looking forward to, these are the ones... where Dave shows us how he paints his models.... but not just any old models, we get his insight into how to paint the new ones still to be released for Death Match and the narrative (rpg) skirmish game which will compliment it.

It must be thrilling for Hils to see her concept sketches rendered into actuality in this way. My part is the easy bit. I just have to ask questions then listen to Hils talking as she draws away: questions like "Where does this one live?" "What does it eat?", "What sort of a planet does it come from?",  "Is it hot or cold, desert or jungle?" all these I write down, then fire them at Dave either on email or the phone, and he then asks Sarah (the real primogenitor of his whole world and the surrounding space system(s). And if the idea is accepted.. in it goes, into the official world creation canon.

Interestingly, Dave originally got Sarah to design the thing precisely because she`s not a hardcore gamer. Gamers tend to make games for other gamers, and because of that they often tend to lose a lot of subtlety and depth (strangely, gamers often tend not to be the most imaginative of people, instead relying on external imagery and the written word.... written by other people, to fuel their imaginations, rather than their own ideas). Whereas non gamers who are used to reading lots of novels, watching immersive period drama series, and enjoying theatre or/and opera, tend to use their own minds a lot more: and thus Sarah was just the right person to create an imaginary world, uncluttered by the concepts or rules systems, and pre-conceived notions of gaming protocol. It's my job simply to turn all this into a workable whole which gamers can get their teeth into. So effectively, I don`t take even a step without making sure Sarah is consulted first and approves. It is her brainchild after all.

So here we have the first of the new models. 

I figured the first thing we needed was more concubines, house servants and domestics to work Vallatrix`s Palace like halls, and of course... guards to defend this mighty complex. This is just the first of many new and fascinating sculpts. And for me, the most exciting... because it is the first: and it means things are really happenings and the first steps towards the new game have begun... in miniature form.

(the rules themselves are already way under way).

So (if you check the Wargames Terrain Workshop 

website) you will see that this female feline concubine is the same race/species as the other one currently available.  But what is she. Hmmmmm? Back to that in a moment.

Vallatrix lives in a palace, a little bit resembling the mighty onion domed palace of Agrabah in the Walt Disney`s story of "Aladdin."  Vallatrix would be a bit like the Sultan, and his servants and household staff could easily fit into the ethos of an Arabian "One Thousand and One Nights." Sarah describes the surrounding walled inner city (and palace garden) as being a maze of closely packed houses and alleys (maybe a little like Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser`s Lankhmar?): mmmmm I can almost smell the scent of exotic spices from the market bazaars, and the clay pipe chimes of the snake charmers, swaying exotic belly dancers and silk robed roof top assassins. Sarah describes the city, beyond the maze of buildings and alleyways, as gradually giving way to lush trees and palms, and eventually wide yellow desert sands. Mmmm I want to live there already.

The royal concubines are one of  Lord Vallatrix`s most ostentatiously prised trophies in his possession. No one knows for sure how many he owns, but his personal inner harem alone is thought to comprise many dozen females and male slaves (with male eunuchs to tending to their personal needs, twenty four hours a day).

The feline concubine is a highly graceful, cuddly, purr-y kitten (when happy and treated right), and is highly acrobatic, supple and spry. Vallatrix never goes far without at least a couple of his concubines with him. Rumour has it that his closest and most dearest.. are also his personal bodyguard, and will slay anyone who tries to harm their Lord. This may, of course, just be rumour.

But what is the cat like feline concubine`s species called? Well, we are giving away a prize to the person who comes up with the best name. All you have to do to enter is make a comment to this post, and let us know your unique idea for a species/racial name.

You have all week to think about it and come up 

with something really cool; and the winner will be picked by us (Sarah, Hils, Dave and myself) and may choose any single Death Match miniature they like from the available list on the Wargames Terrain Workshop site. And your choice will (of course) also be posted to you free of charge.

http://wargamesterrainworkshop.co.uk/?product_cat=death-match&paged=2

Remember... to enter, just comment and give us the name (it must be original) you think best suits this feline concubine as a cool species name?

Article by Dave and Steve.