Dark Heresy Character: Painting and Final Figure!

Typically there would be a painting-in-progress article before the final figure is revealed, but seeing as this was a single figure commission, there really isn't enough meat on the bones to flesh out two articles.

The direction received on the color scheme for this figure was fairly vague, and purposefully so. The only real requirement was that the figure was anchored in the traditional red and gold of the Inquisition. Past that, Paul wanted me to have some freedom when it came to the paint scheme.

Let's see where that freedom took me!

Starting out, I tackled the one main color Paul did call out, the red. As I wanted nice, smooth color modulation from shade to highlight, I decided to use my airbrush/ I also wanted another excuse to use my airbrush, so it was a bit of a win-win for both of us! I chose 4 main colors, from shade to highlight.

You'll notice that my shade is much more of a cooler burgundy color to begin with rather than a true red. I probably could have, and should have, started with a deep purple color to start with and it would have given me an even richer tone with my red. However, I'm still learning the nuances with the airbrush, so I went with a color at least with some red in it. After that, I worked my way to the final highlight color, which had a fair amount of orange in it. I was fairly happy with the outcome…until I set it down for the night. Once I came back to it the next day I just thought it went way too bright. The solution? Thin down the mid-tone to almost a glaze and give the entire model a coat.

Worked like a charm. I love the airbrush so much.

Once that was handled, the rest of the figure just steamrolled to it's finish. You'll see what in-progress shots I do have below. One bad thing about one-offs is that I tend to just paint until they are done. I need to do a better job of actually taking photos.

And finally, the finished model, on it's base!

All in all, I'm thrilled with how this model came out. Even more so, I'm thrilled that Paul was happy with it! Check him out below on Paul's desk, along with a little blurb written by Paul himself:

"At the base of the obsidian plateau he stood, demons at his back, heretics and mutants before him, Inquisitor Garreth Kane found himself at home."

This project was an absolute blast, and I loved working on it. It really made me want for more one-off projects like this. So much so that I may just work on some for myself!

- Tim