Conversion and Painting - How to convert and paint Karal

Introduction

In this article on how to convert and paint miniatures, I chose to show you how to deal with Karal, the Psya Shyr-Va of the Ordo Excubarium who is hunting down Absol Mereth in "Mission: Middle Ages". This miniature takes a very dynamic stand and the character's special role in the game is emphasized by its attitude. I slightly changed his bearing in order to make him more triumphant and aggressive at the same time.

Preparation and assembly

We supply this model without any rough edges and fusion flashes. You may simply wish to slightly smooth down the outer edges with a file in order to remove the moulding line, which is hardly noticeable anyway. This miniature consists in eight pieces, including the metal base with its ground-looking surface.

After filing the moulding line, I usually wash the models using a soapy brush, in order to wash off the oil deposit from the moulds which can make gluing and painting the surfaces of the model more difficult.

Conversion

As I was saying, I chose to characterize this miniature in a distinguishing attitude, by raising its arm over its head. In order to do this I had to use a pin (you will soon find an article about the "pin" technique in modelling) where the arm joins the chest of the model; by doing this I was able to give the arm its correct position while making this joint more consistent.

After joining the arm and the chest I went on to create the butted mail shirt in the arm-pit by using some bi-component Kneadatite paste (usually referred to as "green material").
Finally, after making a hole in the base (so that the pin under the model's foot can be inserted in the base), I put the model in its correct position and glued it using cyanoacrylic glue.

Painting

In order to make a background support for the other colours, I spayed a light layer of primer on the whole miniature using Citadel white; I separately painted all the accessories (shield, helmet, cloak, sword and dagger) on which I first applied a layer of Vallejo Black.

If you start from a white background you have to set some reference shadows. I therefore washed the miniature with a solution made of 1 measure Vallejo Smoke, 1 measure Citadel Black Ink, 2 measures Vallejo Matte Medium and 4 measures Future Floor to make the mixture more fluid. I then added water until I had a very liquid mixture.

When the washing solution had dried up, I painted the miniature's whole armour with Codex Grey Citadel, and the parts in mail shirt with Vallejo Black.

I painted an overall gleam on the armour by adding some Vallejo White Glaze to the Codex Grey Citadel and made a very liquid solution by adding water until it was the right thickness. At this stage I also black painted some accessories, such as straps and belts.

I used 1 measure of Vallejo Smoke and 2 measures of Vallejo Woodgrain to give the left shoulder-pad its bronze-looking effect. The gleam is painted by applying Vallejo Flat Yellow and Vallejo Pale Sand. I also started colouring the edges of the armour with Vallejo Sky Grey mixed with Vallejo White Glaze. The correct intensity of gleam is achieved by adding the more White Glaze until you reach the desired shade of colour.

I then finished painting the bronze parts (knee-pads and shoulder-pad) and washed the face using Vallejo Woodgrain mixed with Future Floor and Vallejo Matte Medium (in a 1 : 4 : 2 ratio). I then went on painting the armour gleam by progressively adding Vallejo White Glaze.

The mail shirt is painted using a blend of Vallejo Luftwaffe Grey, Vallejo Transparent Blue and Vallejo Pale Sand. The gleaming effect is given by adding Vallejo White Glaze to the mixture and by applying pure White Glaze on the parts in relief. I also added gleaming effects on the buckles and belts by adding Vallejo White Glaze to the Vallejo Black in the background. The buckles have been painted in Vallejo Game Color Golden Yellow with streaks of Vallejo White Glaze.

I then glued the helmet to the base after sandpapering the color off the helmet. Then I colored the helmet using Vallejo Black along with the upper part of the base.

Face and details

I painted the helmet the same way I painted the armour and then started to paint the face of the miniature. I applied a layer Vallejo Woodgrain mixed with Pale Sand onto the previously painted background and added Pale Sand and Vallejo White Glaze for the gleaming effects on the parts in relief, such as cheekbones, chin and nose.

I finally painted its hair Vallejo Black, as a background colour. I painted the axe handle using Vallejo Medium Brown.
The time had come for me to add all the accessories (cloak, sword and dagger) which I had previously painted Vallejo Black. In order to glue them securely I used a modelling cutter to remove the colour off the touching surfaces on the shoulder-plates and belts. I then used cyanoacrylate to glue these parts.

Cloak and Shield

The cloak and shield have been coloured starting from a Vallejo Deep Green background. The gleaming effects are due to Vallejo Transparent Yellow and Vallejo Pale Sand applied in the same amounts. I started painting the rampant lion using very diluted Vallejo Pale Sand. I then added Vallejo Transparent Yellow mixed with Vallejo Woodgrain in a 3 : 1 ratio. For the gleaming effects I used Vallejo Pale Sand again mixed with Vallejo Transparent Yellow. The finishing touch was a very thin layer of Vallejo Transparent Yellow. The central sector of the shield was painted according to the same technique used for the bronze parts, while the outer sector resembles the colouring of the armour.

Base and accessories

At this stage I put the finishing touches to the miniature, in other words to the base, accessories and weapons. The sword and dagger both have handles and sheaths painted using Vallejo Black with gleaming effects in Vallejo White Glaze; the tips, plates, and knobs are painted Vallejo Game Color Golden Yellow and the gleaming effect, as before, is Vallejo White Glaze. I used the same colours to paint the cloak pins.

I coloured the axe the same colour as the mail shirt. The Non-Metallic Metal effects are due to multiple layers of Vallejo White Glaze I applied on the blade and on the tip until I had the effect I was looking for. I drew thin streaks of Vallejo Desert Yellow for the wood grains.

I applied the last gleaming effects to the helmet so that it looked like the armour and I painted the upper side of the base (which has a ground-like aspect, and on which you need not glue sand and pebbles). For this, I applied a sequence of three different shades of Vallejo Medium Brown, Vallejo Desert Yellow and Vallejo Pale Sand with a dry brush.

Finished miniature

The miniature is finished after you apply a layer of Vallejo Basalt Grey to the sides of the base and when you glue the shield to the base. Good-bye for now!

Wolfbane