A few weeks ago, one of my friends from the Rogue’s Roost gave each of the regulars at the shop one of his Tau Fire Warrior models to paint.  The idea, as I interpreted it, was that when he got them all back, he would have a truly unique Fire Warrior squad (as each model would be painted differently) and have a bit of a memento from all of us.

Before I get to the pictures, I want to say a few words about just how awesome this is.  First, that someone would think that my painting skills are good enough to paint one of their models, is really humbling.  I’ve always believed that my painting skills were occasionally acceptable, but not really in the realm of “good”.  Second, I was truly honored that someone would think highly enough of me to want something to remember me by.  It may seem a bit self-defeatist, but…  …I don’t really think of myself that way, I’ve always assumed that my passing would be unnotable, so getting the chance to stand out to someone was really cool.

Now, on to some pictures:

I decided to go with the metallic gold look, as I really wanted to make this guy look sharp.  I thought about doing the whole guy in metallic colors, but really felt like the under-armor needed to be flat to contrast effectively.  After doing the under-armor in a flat grey, I decided I would give dry brushing a shot…  …With black.  I’m not sure I’m totally happy, but I do feel like it turned out reasonably well.  After the gold, I washed with a metallic titanium, which gives the gold a bit more worn look without tarnishing the shininess.  Finally, I did highlights with the metallic blue and finished off the Tau flesh with a baby blue.

As I said above, this was an exceptional honor, and also a lot of fun!