Ben Komets

Sanguinius vs Ka Bandha - Painting the scenic base

Added 2022-04-27 10:30:00 +0000 UTC

Hey Folks,

Here is the video episode of how to paint the scenic base for our Sanguinus-vs.-Ka Bandha-project.

After starting this project with shorter videos, I have decided to have the whole painting process of the base covered in one, evening-filling, almost 2 hours long video.

Please let me know in the comments if you prefer those long videos or the shorter format videos that only focus on one or two topics.

Below you can see a selection of the different covered in this video. As you can see there are so many topics, that you would have something like 12 single-topic videos.

As you all know from the post before the Adepticon, I only had a very limited timeframe of 3 weeks to paint the whole project. And I have decided to split it up equally between the three protagonists of the project: the base, Sanguinius, and the demon Ka Bandha.

this gave me a week to paint each element, and I wanted to start with the base to get a good feeling for the scene.

So let´s get some paint on the base!

The base serves two main functions: It serves as a backdrop, a stage, for our models. It defines the world our fight is set in. We are using it to harmonize our colors.

But the base also works as an amplifier. We are using it to bundle our attention right in between the two opponents of our duell. We are picking up the angle of Sanguinius and using various elements on the base pointing all towards the scene of action.

We are starting with the element that defines our silhouette :

The catherdral wall

We are starting to paint the red bricks.

We are almost re-establishing the colors of the bricks of our building stage, but we are going for a slightly warmer, darker red-brown color with more tonal variations.

As a next element, we are working on the steel frame of the gothic window element.

Once all the steel elements are painted I am focussing on the smaller NMM ornamentation, starting with the larger chrome cylinders.

Followed by the silver skeletons in their gold gothic casing.

Once the major part of the NMM work is done, we detailing-out the bare, grey concrete walls with faux cracks.

We are also introducing a bit more color to our scene, by painting the more vibrant turquoise/green marble remains. That I have created by gluing eggshells to the flat and boring plastic wall.

In the combination with the faux cracks on the exposed concrete wall behind it, we are really creating a dense and detailed element.

For me the greenish marble is so much connected to the Warhammer 40k aesthetic ever since I saw that classic Mike Mcvey Horus diorama.

As a last element on the cathedral wall, we are painting the little red light on the fassade. I wanted to have the light not with an OSL because it would make them grab too much attention, yet I wanted them to be a nice little visible detail that adds a bit of color and material contrast.

Once the models are in place the lower part of the wall is quite hidden so those details will only be seen by someone who spends a little more time.

In the second half of the video, we are painting the rest of the base.

We are first starting to paint all the scattered parts of the natural stone elements of the cathedral. We are painting also the remains of the limestone ornaments that are still on the fassade.

We are also painting plenty of earth before painting another relatively colorful ornated tile floor.

As the last element, we will paint the broken concrete with the nicely exposed rebar irons, and tie everything together with a little dirt and dust.

As you can imagine with a complex base like that and the limited time frame I had it is impossible to cover every single detail on cam.

The video focuses mainly on the front part of the diorama and we are painting it up to about 95%. I am reserving the final touches for the moment when both figures are painted, so we will cover that once we have them ready. Speaking of which: we will be painting the demon Ka Bandha next.