Another Attempt at the Paladin (Painted 1/12/19)

We've run into the second week of Jan 2019 and already I had one miniature finished - the Necromancer - showcased in my last post. By the time I had her finished I already knew what I wanted to work on next. Kingdom Death's Paladin miniature.

In case you didn't read my earlier posting, this wasn't the first time that I've worked on the Kingdom Death Paladin miniature. In fact, a previous post showcased the Paladin Variant that I had painted a month or so ago. Now in that previous post, I did not hide the fact that the miniature painted was a knock-off that I had purchased some time before I knew what Kingdom Death was (I have since only purchased verified Kingdom Death miniatures from the official store or from third parties on eBay). Still, the experience of painting the Paladin Variant got me asking: whats the difference between legitimate Kingdom Death miniatures versus the knockoffs? Sure the miniature had a few cosmetic flaws, but not so much that I was completely detracted from painting it. To answer these questions, I became resolved to get another Paladin miniature and see 

what the quality was like, and ultimately paint it. It just so happens that by the time I was finishing up with the Necromancer, I had won a bid for an original Paladin on eBay. So when I got it, I put it together, primed it, and went to painting.

Like the Necromancer, I painted the Paladin over the course of several days, and always in the early mornings (from 1/9 to 1/12 to be exact). The previous Paladin Variant that I painted, I did so over the course of two days, if memory serves. Despite this difference, I wanted to mirror the painting strategies between the two as closely as I could, so as to conduct an experiment of sorts. So besides the time difference with the painting, much of my strategies with the Paladin were the same as when I painted the Variant.

Normally by now I would start to describe the painting process for the miniature. However, given that I'm comparing a legitimate Kingdom Death miniature to a knockoff, I wanted to point out the most notable difference between the two: the build quality. When I put together the variant, I had a hell of a time; the various components were less "polished" (i.e. much more frayed bits, major crease lines, didn't connect well, etc) than previous KD miniatures that I've worked with. It took a lot of work to make the Paladin Variant presentable for painting, and even then, there were notable blemishes that I just couldn't fully get rid of (can't blame this entirely on the miniature; somewhat limited skill does play a role). White the official Paladin took a bit of TLC to make presentable, it was far easier, and overall there was a difference in quality. Just wanted to point that out from the get-go. 

As always, I started with the same color palette that was dictated by the artist's rendition. My focus, as always, was with an eye toward details. I began by working with the skin first. Now I don't remember if I used the layering technique with the Paladin Variant, but I did with the Paladin. By this point, I was getting better at the technique, and I think it shows in the

pictures. Typically after the skin, I work on the eye details. I think that I did a better job with the Paladin than the Variant (mind you, I would be pissed if I was doing a worse job on the eyes as I practiced more).

The next part that I worked on was the armor. Now the Paladin is wearing quite a bit more clothing, so trying to compare this miniature against the Paladin Variant runs into some obstacles. I used a lighter gold metallic paint from the Army Painter as the base, then added some strong wash paint from the same store for the shadowing effects. This paint is a bit lighter than the tone I used for the Variant, but I didn't see this as a notable issue. 

In addition to the armor, I had the shield to work on as well. Now I will admit that I did a better overall job with the shield for the Paladin Variant than I had for the Paladin. I predict that this is mostly due to the fact that I like the Variant's shield design way more. In fact, I was almost considering buying another knockoff just to get the shield again, but I decided against it, mostly for licencing integrity (the fact that I'd have to wait 1.5 months for the damned thing to arrive from Hong Kong had no mitigating

impact on my final decision at all...). All in all, the shield for the Paladin is alright - I did try to give it the attention it deserves - but it could have been better, or more interesting, if I'm being honest. 

After the armor and shield, it was only a matter of getting the fabric right on the tabard. Now this is were I had the most issues, surprisingly. I wanted a good dark navy blue, but didn't have a base paint in that hue. I had to mix my existing blues till I got a hue that I liked. Now normally this isn't an issue, but when you're working on a miniature over the span of several days, having to mix paints over and over and keep the same hue because a slight pain in the ass. Not so much because of maintaining a consistent hue, but more because I hated wasting the paint (I'm cheap). In the end it worked out; I got a good dark navy blue base, created a yet darker hue for the wash, then did the typical dry-brushing highlighting. I also ran into an issue with creating a consistent hue for the dry-brushing as well. Long story short; start and finish a part you're working on in one session if possible. It makes life easier.

Of course. this miniature came with a weapon, and like I promised in an earlier post, I wanted to give it the proper attention that it deserved, especially given that the Paladin is carrying a javelin. Very cool. 

I started with a silver metallic base. I did a bit of light gold touch ups near where the banner eventually hung. Afterwards, I put down a strong wash, especially within the crevices of the weapon (look near the hand). Afterwards, I tried to make a lighter silver metallic base to use as a dry-brush highlighter. Lets just say that it didn't come out as well as I wanted.

One part of the weapon that did work out fairly well was the banner. With this part, I kept the part separate from the overall miniature. I went ahead and did the same paint process as I did for the tabard (darker navy blue wash, lighter blue dry-brush highlights). After I was done with the painting I attached the banner to the javelin. Then I attached it again a week or so later when it fell off.  

In the end I didn't do quite what I wanted with the javelin. The wash was a bit sub-par and I'm still trying to figure out how to use metallic paints for dry-brushing (or if that can even really be done). Anyway, I tried and sometimes that is indeed what matters. Also, this weapon alone does make the Paladin cooler than the Paladin Variant. Of course, the Paladin Variant is in her undies. Have to weight the pros and cons...

This was an imperfect experiment. Both miniatures, while similar, had some fundamental differences that made it hard to compare. A part of me wants to like the official Paladin more than the knockoff Variant. I do still stand by my belief that the knockoffs should be avoided, but some are pretty good, all in all. Still, I had fun painting this version of the Paladin and I think I improved relative to the Paladin Variant. Like my previous post, having to paint this miniature over the course of several days left me with a bit of a melancholy feeling afterwards. I do miss the ability to sit down and just focus on a miniature for a whole day. Just let the world wash away, and enjoy the painting.  Maybe next month.

Another Kingdom Death Miniature is painted; my collection grows. I hope that this showcase is enjoyed by all whom read it. Please, please feel free share any comments or critiques. If you find my blog enjoyable, be sure to follow and subscribe. Not sure what either do but it should be fun either way.

Thanks very much!