How to Paint a...Shadow Warrior (1)

Three of these Warhammer miniatures came together in a set and this is the first of the bunch. Each had a different pose but all of them were dubbed Shadow Warriors, a term I'm not sure fits their appearance. Maybe it's just me, but I think of dark assassin robed in black and masked in darkness when picturing a Shadow Warrior.

Either way, I'm a big fan of all the details on this mini, from the belt buckles to the ankle bands and especially all the gems that adorn his clothing.

This miniature was the second I ever painted. I was still learning and I therefore did not use a base coat on this miniature. The main color scheme is pretty basic: blue cape, chainmail armor, and brown boots.

The details are where I gave close attention. I mixed a moss green color for his belt and anklets. I was going for the look of a ranger or tracker who spends his time in the forests, and I thought moss green was appropriately suited to accomplish that.

The gems and designs on the bow definitely add character to this figurine. I wanted a vibrant color to offset the standard color scheme I had been using on the rest of the model. Bright red paint fit the bill exactly. Besides, I thought rubies were an appropriate gem for a warrior to wear as adornment.

The face of this mini is barely exposed, and does not leave much to paint. Still, I regret not using a darker flesh tone. Instead, I used basic flesh color, which I now realize is almost always too light for my liking.

I prefer to go for a more tan or coffee-colored color when painting flesh on most minis now. Then again, I suppose elves are often said to have fair skin, so I guess it works in this case.