Wraithlord for Mark

Done painting! (pre-flocked).

Many eons ago, during Warhammer 40;000's Second Edition, my old pal Mark and I got crazy serious about 40K,  Often I would find time to paint some of his minis for him, usually because he didn't paint and I didn't have Eldar, and this was an excuse to try to paint a few models for him while at the same time try my hand with some experimentation in paint. We both really liked the Saim-Hann craftworld color scheme, so I started off painting elements of his army in those colors. Back in the '90s GWUS would run mail-order specials where they would sell off large quantities of blisterpacks for a low flat price. These would be random, you had no idea what you were going to get, and my friends and I would buy lots of these bundles and then sort out who got what. Often times we stuck with odd things, and over time I amassed a small collection of Eldar. I decided to start a small army, more to paint than to play with, and these too were painted in Saim-Hann colors. The idea would be that Mark could borrow these when we played if he likes and they would match his force. 

It was a noble idea anyway. 

Close-up on the gems.

I don't see him much anymore, as real-life has a way of putting us in our places so to say. And this may be why it has taken me over 10 years to finish painting his Wraithlord! The reds were completed fairly quickly and eventually I finished the bone color on his arms, but the under guns on the power fists sort of stuck me for a long time before deciding to paint them black. Well, I kind of just forgot about it, despite the fact that it has been a constant presence at the back of my painting table. There are many pics in this blog where it appears in the background! 

One of the reasons that I might have held on to it for so long is that I used to HATE painting gems stones, and over time I figured it out, and I think I finally nailed the technique with this model and I still look at it for reference. Also the 'star-cannon' was painted to resemble the star motif that I use on my High Elves. Also I own one of these models, which is still sitting in a box unassembled just biding it's time, that I had hoped to paint up and match the scheme with this one. But with a move likely in my near future, I just don't foresee getting to the Eldar anytime soon despite how tasty the new codex is. So I finished up those underarm guns and I hope to get this to Mark before his birthday in January (not likely, but perhaps it's the thought that counts?)

So here's some pics for the Neverness Archives, the overcast skies today sort of dull the intensity of the colors (yay winter) but these will do. I hope you enjoy these as much as Mark will having this thing beat-down on his opponents! 

Flocking done. The base belies the age of this thing.

"It's full of stars," 

Tromping around in the moss fields of Backyardistan IV. 

 Now to figure out when I'm going to get his two Bloodbowl teams painted that I have been sitting for just as long! :)