This Tech-Priest Dominus from 2017 is the first 40K miniature I had done in over 5 years. My last army were the Heirs of Vulcan, Mega Man-style Space Marines that I never got around to finishing before I sold the lot during spring cleaning. The new Adeptus Mechanicus minis as well as the hype around 8th Edition finally got me to pull the trigger on more models.
The thing that really hooked me was the change in resources available to hobbyists during my hiatus. The explosion of high production-quality painting tutorials on YouTube, lead by none other than Duncan Rhodes on Warhammer TV, is what really got me excited to paint. I assembled miniatures for Blue Table Painting around 2005 which included conversions fed by their huge bitz wall. But as much as I loved creating a new model, I didn't have the talent for my painting to keep up with my building. This mini became the gateway to my current hobby enjoyment. In addition to finding a Bob Rossian Joy of Painting, I have slowed down the rate of purchase, and I have also worked to level up my painting with each mini. Check out other projects tagged Warhammer 40K for the latest.
The colors reflect the theme of the army. Verdant green on ripped robes with gold sleeves. This ragtag assemblage hates the weakness of flesh, and they despise the plants they're turning into war material for the Imperium. The bottles of unguents keeping them alive are just as sickly green as their robes.
I pushed my skills in terms of layering. At this point, I was doing no wet blending or even palette mixing. Following painting tutorials, I applied a base, wash, base again on raised areas, and layers. The techniques were basic, but seeing the miniature go from grey to painted was transformative. I settled into a routine of finishing a single color through to highlights with this miniature. Rather than base-coating everything (and reaching a featureless mini some people call "the ugly stage"), it felt good to practice basic techniques then iterate on the next color. Before finishing the model, I went back over my novice areas and applied what I had learned. This one miniature taught me so much about the process of painting. If you also have a fear of painting, maybe try painting a squad leader before picking up a squad?
The base is a small circular medallion from a craft bin. The cork and basing material help give it height in the display case without building a whole diorama. The base is painted with drybrushing. I finished it with stain after sanding away any stray brown base paint. The bushes and grass from model railroad supplies.
First Coat
Almost Done
Around and Around
