Magnus the Red - Primarch of the XVth legion Thousand Sons

Magnus the Red for me holds a special place as one of my favourite characters in all of the Horus Heresy. A tragic character to the imperium that encompasses his thirst for knowledge, devoted love to his sons, an outcast from the rest of his brothers through misunderstanding and fear, all wrapped in a hubris that could only be matched by his ambitions of infinite possibilities the universe held. What better character to push my own skills as a painter than on this magnificent sculpt by Forge World, and to step outside my comfort zone into a model materialized in gold armour and bathed in magenta light! It took me several tries to get the gold I wanted both in colour and learning better to create the transitions that would be needed in order to succeed through the rest. And what I ended with is a model that I’m personally proud of and is a marking milestone in my painting journey. Even though looking back I know I could do things better in terms of technique, light volume, and reflections. But overall the composition and what I wanted to convey still come forth in its execution. The purple, magenta and teal colours are a nod and foreshadow to the infernal bargin he struck with Tzeentch for the knowledge to save his sons from the Flesh Change. I hope you enjoy my rendition of him as much as I had in his creation.