[RACKHAM] Saphon the old pilgrim.

I love Rackham miniatures.
Actually I've fallen in the painting hobby with the game Confrontation. To be honest, I've never really played to the game but I bought a lot of mini. As often happened to us, painter, we buy miniature to play with them and finally we spend more time painting than playing.
Today I still have a good number of Rackham miniature in my drawer waiting for some paint job.

I was reading one the Grath Ennis' comic "Just a Pilgrim" and I though to Saphon, one of the character of Confrontation. Not that the likeness is evident but the profile is very similar: an old pilgrim with a huge rifle preaching in a desert infected by some post apocalyptic monsters.

So, Instead of painting the usual Saphon in medieval inquisitor version, I tough to change the profile for a post-apo profile.  

Before staring painting, I place my mini together with my base to prepare a general scene.
My intent for the base was a desertic atmosphere, something very orange redish, more a canyon actually (like the comic book "Just a Pilgrim").

I've build the base with some cork, coating, sable and piece of egg's shell. I've painted it mostly with layers of washes and drybrushes applied on white on black priming fondation. The effect was very cool, pity than I accidently let my base out of my windows after varnishing it with Vallejo matt varnish. Do you know what happens to matt varnish with cold weather? It becomes glossy.
I've put an other layer of matt varnish to reduce the glossy effect but as you see below, my desertic base is remained a litlle bit reflective instead of dried/dusty as I wanted.



See the gloss effect? Varnish accident.

For the painting of Saphon, I've choosen a western colors scheme. The coat painted like a cowboy windbreaker, the armor in matt black to give a modern look (and also to break the general brown hue due to all the leather elements) .
The face has been painted with a burned skin, so with strong glazes of red. You know, the sun of desert should be strong, even more in a post apocalyptic world.
For the rifle, I've prefered True metalic metal. I used Metalic Black from Warcolours highlighted with Silver. It's a pretty cool product, a kind of darker version of the old Boltgun metal from Citadel.



I've painted the inside of the cloak with typical Steam punk pattern. Just to create contrast with the brown. 

The last element was the banner. The sculpture is the typical religious scroll with an angel on top, you know the kind of banner you're used to see on some spacemarine chapelain. Classic but not compliant with my vision of a modern pilgrim post apocalyptic.
So I though to paint it like a flag instead than a religious banner. What is more indicated than the Stars & Stripes  for an old american preacher?
Of course, the banner is not exactly like the american flag, just something that gives the idea.
Concerning the litlle angel, I've choosen to paint him in metalic tin in order to stay on the steampunk atmosphere.
I'm quite happy with the result. The banner creates the right ambience and the blue and red have also created a break of hue with Saphon.