Judas in Metal 14016 (touch up)

[Vytau]

Putting aside for a moment the title of this post, which sounds like some sort of Norwegian black metal prog-rock crossover, I am presenting a mini I did quite some time ago - probably about 10 years or so, but I thought longer.  Maybe my memory is deceiving me, but I thought I painted this when I lived in Detroit, and that was up until 2006.  Maybe I'm getting old and not remembering things as good?  Old man yells at cloud. Anyway...Judas Bloodspire, the metal Warlord sculpt, #14016.  

 

Is it my best mini ever?  No.  However, I'm just happy with what I got right:  high-contrast hair that manages to actually look like glossy black hair versus gray.  The face pops but isn't too cartoony.  The red and purple work well together.  He is wearing a lacy cravat and I am a fan of lacy cravats on vampires*. 

 

Paints are a combination of reaper, GW, and craft paints.  

 

Also: that cape!  The new plastic pose has his cape down, and I remember when this mini came out that there was a lot of discussion on what to do with the cape -but to me he always looked like he should be flourishing his cape, either revealing himself as the true prince of the night (mwa ha ha ha ha) or concealing himself as he shifts into bat form (Your choice - he can either laugh [mwa ha ha ha ha] or he can yell "BAT!" a la "What we Do in the Shadows").   And yes, before you ask, it was a pain in the tuchus to get it to stay that way.  

Anyway, without further ado: Judas! 

 

 

*So once upon a time I was...intoxicated...and had a vivid vision of a "vampire club" in downtown Detroit (not to be confused with City Club, which is a goth bar in downtown Detroit, but I digress) - anyway, the vampire club was old and authentic and a little stuffy and everyone dressed like "Interview with a Vampire" but then this new vampire club opened up and they were super douchey - they were the shaved chest bro crowd, college kids doing keggers, and they had a vampire club that was really plastic and fake and loud and derivative, but it was also really popular.  Anyone who was part of the rave scene in the 90s and who saw big-marquee clubs start calling themselves "raves" will know what I'm talking about.  Anyway, some of the vampires from the older vampire club went over to the new vampire club so the old vampire club had to find a way to increase business, so they put a sign out front, a little chalkboard standee, and on it they wrote "Now with 10% more lacy cravats."   I don't know if it worked because I was laughing too hard at that point to keep the thread of my own thought coherent, but I like to think the vampire club is still around, still wearing their lacy cravats.  Competitors come and go, but the vampires probably took out a 1,000 year lease on their building at a fixed rate, so they're probably fine. 
 

[Glitterwolf]

I like vampire minis, well done!

[Rigel]

If there's one thing vampires know, it's long-term financial investment. Hell, the O.G. Dracula was all about real estate in the Stoker novel.
 

Good colors and story!

[dks]

Thanks for bringing us along with you on your time-travel trip!

I agree, the shiny black hair works, I like the red-lined black cape, and the other colors coordinate nicely.  He passes the "squint test" and I'm sure he looks striking on the table. 

If you wanted to take this to the next level, you could smooth out the transitions (by painting additional half-tones over the borders of the layers) and touch up some of the lining.

 

I painted this guy as a Reaper studio model ... in 2003! 

I think Reaper was just launching the Warlord line of figures, and they had this concept art for Judas, so that's how I painted him.

The lacy cravat is only barely visible from this angle. 

 

I look forward to seeing more from you.

 

Derek