Black Legion Aspiring Champion (Part 2)

For this part of this series I want to take the opportunity again to share with you how I get the bases of my models looking the way I do, specifically on the paints I use, So what follows will be a sort of step-by-step in these regards.

Before I continued on with painting this model I decided that he needed a Secret Weapon 32mm conversion ring. After gluing it on I next had to figure out how to top off the base so that the extender would blend in seamlessly with it. This would be tricky as this was one of the newer plastic kits that came with a scenic base. The rocks are already sculpted on it as well as a few scattered necron bits. And a skull; -Gotta have a skull! The chaos champ himself is actually made to be stepping on the fallen necron's detached head.

After selecting the right basing material, some fine rock grit from one of the GW basing kits, I glued it on and was pleased with the results.

Actual True Grit.

Next I had to paint over this along with the ground that was already painted.

Territorial Beige. 

Here is the whole thing re-base-coated, at least the ground parts anyways. I use Apple Barrel Color Territorial Beige for all my bases as I like that sort of warm yet earthy dirt color. I recently had a scare regarding this color, as I discovered that I was about to finally run out of it. I went to the store that I usually purchase it and discovered that they, Michael's, seem to have dumped the entire Apple Barrel line in favor of some other, far lamer, brand. Luckily I found it, in passing, at a local Walmart and for only $.50! Just for piece of mind, I bought two bottles!

Country Tan for the mid-coat.

Here I next dry brush on a layer using Apple Barrel Color Country Tan. I have used Apple Barrel and other craft paints for years as it is essentially the same stuff as the other over-priced miniature paints that are out there -and you get a heck of a lot more paint for your dollar. Also note that the other parts of the model are coming along as well, and in the pic above you can see that the knife blade is mostly finished.

Sandstone highlight on the base, and the current state of the whole model.

Finally, for the base anyway, I applied an Americana color called, appropriately, Sandstone. It's a great highlight color for ground effect and desert tones. It's also incredibly cheap compared to Citadel and other name brand hobby colors, and you get lot more of it as well!.

For the rest of the model, you can see above that it is coming along as well. The whole tongue-armor thing is still weird to me. After apply some colors I thought I would like, I decided to wash the tongue parts with a red ink. So far it seems to be working. The brassy/gold trim parts are now mostly done, at this stage I am chasing down the strange and copious amounts of unnecessary details that this model has and I feel that I am entering the final stretches of completing it. Hopefully that will be soon!