That is Kev White's HFP002 Sola, rather confusingly filed under "fantasy pirates" on the Hasslefree website. First time I saw her I knew I needed that model as it was one of those rare miniatures that seemed to "work" from every angle. Most have at least one angle where they look a bit clumsy, not this one. I'd already decided I wanted a second Inq28 warband and this wee lass was perfect as a gunslinging ratling pilot for the group.
It's quite rare for me to emphasise just how tiny these things are but in this case it really needs emphasis to show just what an incredible job Kev did in getting all these tiny details to work on the model. Behind her is the extremely durable picture of Her Madge that all of us Brits carry in the form of a 2p piece (about the size of an American quarter dollar). So... very, verrrry small.
I'd decided I wanted a former punk street kid vibe to the character. A little older and more restrained than the wild youth but with just that touch of tough, rebellious character. After all, this is a tiny ratling girl willing to leave the homeworld and adventure in a universe full of things at least twice as big as she is. The most obvious "punk-ey" element is the magenta streak in her hair (look way more subtle in the photos than in real life) which I'd toyed with a lot. I didn't want her to look frivolous - which I thought a complete dye job would have done - and the wrong colour would have leapt out from the hair too much. Waaay too much thought went in to that hair dye.
Her gear I wanted very understated and pragmatic. Lots of blacks and brown leather with a splash of subdued colour in the dark turquoise top. The goggles I was chuffed with, I wanted that amber-brown aviator shades look and think I managed it. As usual I went with a couple of different browns for the leather to be able to differentiate the various "bits" of leather. I'd love to be able to give you the recipes but it was more of a "suck it and see" mixing session rather than thinking "tutorial".
Basing for this warband will all be on some lovely paved resin bases I picked up from Firestorm made by "Model Display Products". A quick length of pinning wire and the models sit lovely on them. Once I've got them all painted I'll do my usual "story of the warband" article over on Beard Bunker but for now. I'll just concentrate on the pretties.
That's it for today folks, more shinies soon, I promise!
TTFN
Very nicely painted. The muted palette you've used has a 'realistic' feel to it, & those goggles are especially stunning!
ReplyDeleteGoggles!
ReplyDeleteLove the colors... I guess one could see her as a ratling, but isn't she a dwarf, Ipresume you chose her to be a ratling, even if she doesn't have the feet for it, do to her not being as wide as the Space Dwarves normally is seen :)
ReplyDeleteShe's only a dwarf because Kev said she was ;)
DeleteTo my mind she's a short ladything and thus can be any flavour of short ladything. I've also got a squat planned for the warband so it felt like squat overload.
As for the feet... she's got dainty - if hairy - ladyfeet and has gone somewhat native. Hence shoes ;)
What range of miniatures were you thinking of using for the squat?
DeleteI wish I could get those colors you used right when I paint, I haven't had much luck :)
DeleteHasslefree Grymn, they've got a *lovely* combat data analyst type. She's going to be a servo skull recon specialist.
DeleteI'm wanting to do some more step by step tutorials but they take about three times the duration that a normal mini takes to paint so it's justifying the time. Ideas in motion for that.
DeleteI kind of expected you would use Grymn minis, but one could never know as they seem to be some size as Sola.
ReplyDeleteAlways a good thing to have instructions/guidelines to how to do something like you did with the mini:)
Considering I have to paint three Sola minis and convert two of them.
By the way now that I'm on a rant anyways, is her Jacket brown?
Technically yes, but it is representing black leather which is generally very, very, very dark brown. Especially when a little worn. German Camo Black-Brown shaded with black wash and highlighted with GCBB again and then some scuffs with GCBB and a little bone.
DeleteAh, that makes sense, it did have a hint of brown but one can't really tell from a photo when so many dark colors come together :)
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