coming change of the season
While I take a mini break from painting Morvenn Vahl, I’ve been sorting out some new recipes for Dark Angels on a couple of Primaris dudes in preparation for some new models coming my way. Now painting Space Marines honestly isn’t anything entirely new, and sometimes it can feel a bit repetitive. But this does give me an excuse to test out some new colour palettes that I’ve been feeling as of late. Since looking back at my work I’ve noticed that I have often played with very saturated colours in my works. From bold green under-lit reflections, neon magenta and anything strong around the colour wheel I’ve touched one way or another. But lately, as possibly the changing of seasons from summer heading into fall and a feel in temperature in the air too, my palette has been reflected in a taste more subtle. I am still in emphasis on light and shape through my pieces, but now going further into dialling things back. Possibly even more natural looking if you can say; as things in real still-life aren’t very saturated at all. It is rare in nature to see things that are so saturated and vivid. Mostly it's filled with objects that are entirely manufactured and new which are strong, while everything else gets injected with broken hues, greys & browns.
With these tastes changing on my palette, approaching this marine as a test bed had me thinking about I can change the perception of a Space Marine Chapter of the Dark Angels which we are so familiar with, and not alienate the theme. You can call this “reads as”, but I like to approach this description as more of a painting that makes you see Dark Angels, but gives the viewer a unique frequency of my own perspective. This essentially is always my goal in miniature painting, the idea to make it yours. Make the model which anyone can pick up and paint, but make it known that it has your signature all over it. The perspective that you are seeing a miniature from my lens, coloured and emphasizing the details I value and express. I hope you can relate in one way or another; either by you’re on the same wavelength as mine, and/or that you may want to adopt that mindset and drive for your own works. If there is any consolidation to the question that you may feel your work isn’t good enough to display those things let me assure you of something. It's the pursuit and your idea that drives everything openly and honestly. Even if you may not have the skills just yet to express exactly what you want, you must keep those ideas in sight and in front of you at all times. Write it down, stick it to the wall in front of your painting desk, or even repeat it as a mantra when you start to paint. Creativity is about expression, experimentation, honesty, and an endless pursuit that knows no bounds. I’ve made it my superpower and embraced it fully with all the trials and failures that it comes with. (Even coming out of a recent creative rut).
So to tie these words into what I’ve painted today. This Dark Angel is something familiar with a little something new. More pastel and desaturated than usual with a touch of warmth at the very bright. Even changed it up with a bit of Enamel pin washing to switch up the workflow to a quick tabletop-er model. A bit of a fat brush highlights on the helmet, but I’m not concerned. A quick texture base and a little extra edge highlight on the metal barrels to bring back a little bit of metallic in and this one will be done. Or I may just leave it now and get stuck into the real model, and share with you some new workflows in an otherwise “Another” powered armour Astartes :)
