Knights in White Satin...

Or, y'know, Power Armour. Couldn't resist the opportunity for a Moody Blues quote. Today I present the first of two Sanguinary Priests:

These are the holy medics of the Blood Angels. The scientific magicians who perform the transformation of children into the Astartes. Most chapters have their apothecaries but the Blood Angels elevate theirs to the status of priests within the sanguinary cult. White is the mark of the apothecary and creates two problems, first is the fact that white is just the hardest colour to paint and a nightmare to photograph. Thus the photos lack their customary backdrop (just try cutting the model out of the image in Photoshop if you are wondering why) but at least the black cloth backdrop shows him off.

My method for painting white has only just been perfected (almost) with this figure. It is enormously labour intensive but the only way I have found to achieve a nice clean white. It starts with a couple of thin layers of Astronomicon Grey to establish a smooth base coat. Once dry it is shaded with a thinned Codex Grey in the recesses. Highlights are built up in layers starting with a 4:1 mix of Astronomicon Grey and Skull White and then built up with increasing amounts of white over 5 or 6 layers. Finally ten or so layers of very thin white are applied to achieve a clean finish. So, yeah, twenty or so layers of paint to achieve a clean shaded white. Like I said; labour intensive.

The stone crux terminatus was painted following the guide in White Dwarf for the Space Hullk terminators. The Grey Knight Narthecium was lovely to paint, the screens and blood vial look really nice.

I painted his face a little darker than usual to better contrast the white. The lenses are painted with my usual lens mix of Fenris Grey shaded and highlighted and then gloss varnished. The red shoulder pads link the Sanguinary Priest thematically to the army and also to the Terminator Squad that he will be joining.

 There is another Sanguinary Priest in the offing (this one with a jump pack) but he will be a reward for finishing the next Drop Pod. Till next time then:

TTFN