XLI - Showcase: Dark Eldar Mercenary

"Do you think I'm disemboweling you because I was hired? I have been paid only to kill you, unsavory obtuse human."

Hi readers, I have finally finished my first Dark Eldar Mercenary, after a long (above all in my mind) trip, tracked here, here, and here.

 

I have analyzed my issue with Dark Eldar and I think that my problem is that I love those miniatures, and maybe I think that nothing I do is worth of them, and I have no satisfaction in my work. Furthermore I always thought that DE and Dark Elves (Aelves, that in latin has the same pronunciation ... ae = e like "end": nice joke GW!) are bad but clean: my last projects are not so clean and I like paint dirty and grim miniatures, but with DE-DA I had a block, the must not be dirty and grim (for my standard).

Now I cought the courage to make them more grim and less elegant (for my standard clearly!!!), without exagerate logically, they are not Zombies, and I like the result.

Not too much to say: I really like this painting scheme till now. It is simple, dark, a bit rugged and monochromatic, as I like it.
There are three type of pics, because I cannot find a proper background, so I used the ones I like the most.

First a dull light grey. I like it because it make pop the blue areas.

Then a camo (more or less) background. It make the colours less dark, but it make the blue less popping. The model is more near to the upper pic than this one.

And then my favourite one, with wood background. My favourite pic is this one, and it is equal to reality (only the blue are a bit dull, they are more similar to the light grey background blue).

I am really enjoying this painting scheme despite it is simple and monotonous. I like the blue, the smokey metal, the contrast with the glossy black and the small leaves on the base.

Also, I think I'm in a good path to modify DE. The flat faces are going to be a trade mark; the walking stance is not too difficult to do, and kitbashing is funny to do. As said, I like homogenous group of minis, so this is a part of a walking spikey DE. On my table there is also a smooth and shooting small group. I do not think this is going to become a big Kabal: I like the idea of painting and assembling one by one miniatures. Maybe I am thinking of doing this also with Dark Aelves but till now this is less then a project, despite I miss a bit them. Well I have never published nothing about my small old army of Dark Elves, I think that I'll think about doing something. A bit vague!

However let's return on the DE.

There is a lot to improve. First because I was in hurry to finish (my biggest shortcoming) , then because I do not know if you have the same issue, but the first miniature of group is always the worst one. After repeating the painting scheme, it becomes better and better.

Hope you like it, but I know that the dull and monochromatic painting scheme are not too much loved. I advice you to try to do something using very few and monotonous colors, it is a great technical exercise.