Resolution 2019: Mythic Battles Pantheon

Up next I’ll be working on the Minotaur, Nemean Lion, Lycaon, Gorgon, Tityos and Teumessian Fox. I didn’t find that many reference images but I do like the idea of making the Nemean Lion very bloody to make it look savage, and going for a more orange brown with the Teumessian Fox.

The Lycaon started with an undercoat of storm vermin fur from a spray can. It was then washed nuln oil and then drybrushed mechanicus standard grey. The teeth and skull neckplace were picked out rakarth flesh and washed agrax earthshade. The bracers and chain were painted leadbelcher, washed with nuln oil and then highlighted with ironbreaker.

The Gorgon started with an undercoat of storm vermin fur from a spray can. The upper torso and inner regions of the wing membranes were painted  steel legion drab. The hair was basecoated xv-88. The entire model then received a seraphim sepia wash. Once the wash was dry the upper torso received a layer of tallarn sand and the hair was highlighted bubonic brown. The entire model (except hair) was drybrushed ushabti bone.

The Nemean Lion started with an undercoat of zandri dust from a spray can. The fur was painted steel legion drab and the mane was painted rhinox hide. The claws and teeth were picked out in rakarth flesh. The fur was washed seraphim sepia and the mane was washed agrax earthshade. The entire model received a drybrush of ushabti bone and then blood for the blood god was applied to the mouth.

Tityos started with an undercoat of zandri dust from a spray can. The gaps between the rocks were then painted moot green. The entire model then received a drybrush of ushabti bone.

The Minotaur started with an undercoat of mournefang brown from a spray can. His skin was painted steel legion drab, washed with agrax earthshade, then highlighted with tallarn sand. The loincloth and weapon grip were painted rakarth flesh then washed with seraphim sepia. The horns were painted rakarth flesh then washed agrax earthshade. The hair was washed agrax earthshade then highlighted bubonic brown. The axe shaft was just washed agrax earthshade. The metal areas were painted leadbelcher, washed with nuln oil and then highlighted with ironbreaker.

The Teumessian fox started with an undercoat of mournefang brown from a spray can. The entire model was given two coats of mecharius solar ornage to give it a solid orange colour. It was then washed feugan orange then drybrushed fiery orange. The black gradient was attempted using a method given in the newly released Fireslayers Army Book. I took a 50:50 mix of abaddon black:lahmian medium. This was applied in layers starting at the feet or base of the tail and worked up. Each layer ended lower than the last. This didn’t work very well as the first layer was too strong so I ended with a very strong and definite black/orange boundary. I made a much weaker abaddon black:lahmian medium mix to do another layer to reintroduce a transition. If I try this technique again I would use much less colour in the mix to get a smoother transition. The model was finished by picking out the teeth and spines (?) in rakarth flesh and giving them a wash with agrax earthshade.

All the models started with a undercoat of mephiston red spray, followed by a mephoston red touch up and a carroburg crumson wash all over.

The Dragon of Thebes had its belly scales painted cadian fleshtone and then washed reikland fleshshade.

Druchii violet was applied in large dots along the Dragon’s back. Around each dot I left a gap and then painted another druchii violet ring. Everything outside these rings then got a wash of druchii violet. In this way I was able to leaver rings or red scales with the rest appearing darker.

The Dragon’s fangs were picked out with screming skull, and the eyes were painted flash gitz yellow and a technical pen was used to dray on the eye pupils.

The Phoenix was drybrushed evil sunz scarlet all over. Fiery orange was then drybrushed over the front 2/3 of the model. Finally flash gitz yellow was drybrushed over the front 1/3 of the models and the eyes were picked out in white scar.

The three hell judges had their clothes highlighted with evil sunz scarlet followed by wild rider red. Their metalic areas were basecoated screaming bell, washed reikland fleshshade and then highlighted hashut copper followed by sycorax bronze. The flesh areas were highlighted cadian fleshtone and then washed reikland fleshshade.

The “standard” colour schemes for these models are mainly neutral browns and flesh tones. Painting the models this way will be quicker but I really like the bright blue sphinx picture and the red manticore. I think I’ll mainly stick to the natural colours but try to get more practice with introducing colour gradients using lots of thin washes. Perhaps I’ll blend in more unusual colours for wings and tails.

Progress is slow this month. These models are about 75% done.

The manticore started with an undercoat of zandri dust spray. It was sahed all over with seraphim sepia. It then received an all over overbrush of tallarn sand followed by a drybrush of karak stone. The wing membranes were overbrushed bugman’s glow. The hair was basecoated rhinox hide then drybrushed doombull brown.

The chimera started with an undercoat of barbarian flesh spray. It was then washed with reikland fleshshade, and then overbrushed taupset ochre followed by bubonic brown. The hair was painted in the same way as teh manticore’s.

The sphynx started with an undercoat of stormvermin fur. It was then washed with seraphim sepia and drybrushed with tallarn sand followed by karak stone. The wings received an extra drybrush of screming skull. The hair was painted in the same way as the manticore’s.

The flying ape was undercoated with a chaos black spray. The flesh areas were highlighted with naggaroth night and the fur and wings were drybrushed with incubi darkness. The whole model then received a nuln oil wash.

That’s all the models in this batch finished.

I haven’t done anything else to the Sphynx since my last update as I was happy with the result.

All the horns, teeth, and nails were basecoated rakarth flesh, washed agrax earthshade and then highlighted with rakarth flesh. The chimera’s blindfold was painted in the same way except a reikland fleshshade wash was used.

The flying ape’s flesh areas had a highlight of xereus purple.

The chimera’s chains were basecoated leadbelcher, washed nuln oil and then highlighted ironbreker. The flying ape’s girdle and bracelets were basecoated retributor armour, washed reikland fleshshade, and highlighted auric armour gold.

The manticore’s tongue and poison was basecoated calibran green, washed beil-tan green, then highlighted moot green.

To get the green gradient on the chimera’s snake tail I mixed lahmian medium with moot green roughly 3:1. I then painted on 4 or 5 layers on the tail, with each layer not reaching as far towards the body as the last.

Finishing touches were painting the eyes abaddon black and the tongues emperor’s children.

My original plan was to work my way down from titans, to gods, monsters, heroes then the troop choices. I’ve mostly stuck to that so far but I’m now in the position where the core box is entirely painted except for the troops, so with a little deviation I could be fielding entirely painted forces in my starter games if I just paint up the troops in the core box.

First up are the hell hounds and hell warriors. They will have the same paint scheme and should paint up very quickly.