Get your spooky brushes and clippers, and welcome to the second annual Spooktober event! Like last year, I'll be focusing on miniatures and terrain that fit in well with my death armies in celebration of Halloween, one of the funnest times of the year and (in my opinion) the gateway to the holiday season. With that out of the way, I'd like to open up this year's Spooktober with none other than Lady Olynder herself!
I had toyed with the idea of using a different color scheme than the rest of my Nighthaunt, which is basically the same as the official GW scheme anyways. But I decided to stick with the classic look since I didn't want to complicate things too much or spend a lot of time experimenting with different colors. I did, however, spend more time highlighting than I normally do with Nighthaunt to really get some of the contrasts going as well as to make the details appear more crisp.
The green cloak is what takes up most of the area of this model, and it uses a base of Gauss Blaster Green (GW) mixed in with white to get the varying shades of green. I also mixed in some Biel-Tan Green (GW) and Nighthaunt Gloom (GW) for the darker shades of green. This also helped avoid the model looking the same color as spearmint toothpaste.
The very bottoms of the ghostly tendrils I painted stark white to contrast with the dark base. I honestly need to find a better white than what I have. It has a tendency to get quite chalky, especially when diluted. So if anyone has any suggestions let me know.
Her hair was kept pale since I didn't want any other colors to pop out too much and draw the focus where it shouldn't be. It's just the Vellejo Grey primer with a coat of Contrast Apothecary White (GW). Simple and not too distracting.
Her attendants received more or less the same paint job, although I added a slight glaze of Biel-Tan Green (GW) to separate the colors a bit more. The hair is just Uniform Grey (AP) washed with Nuln Oil (GW). The trinkets that they carry use the same paint mix as the staff and headdress on Lady Olynder.
I used a 70/30 mix of Liberator Gold (GW) and Shining Silver (AP). Liberator Gold is already quite pale and the silver makes it even more so. The green from the cloak reflects onto the metallics as well to give it a green tint. All of this combined makes for an old, tarnished gold look. The gem on the staff is a 50/50 mix of Soulstone Blue (GW) and Spiritstone Red (GW) over Shining Silver (AP). I then washed it with Purple Tone (AP) until I got the right hue of purple.
Finally comes the basing. I've updated my Nighthaunt bases from grey to a dark blue to really sell the ghostly look and up the contrast. I also added some tombstones from the Garden of Morr/Sigmarite Mausoleum kit to add interest and strength to the model. Without them, she has a tendency to be springy on the base. The vines and roses were painted the same as on the model. The vines are Necrotic Flesh (AP) washed with Green Tone (AP). The roses are Dragon Red (AP) washed with Red Tone (AP) then highlighted back with Dragon Red. I then added some flocking and dried leaves to the model for more interest and to not have a flat empty base.
With that the model is complete and Spooktober is off and running! Now for my overall thoughts on the model, I will judge it based on two categories. Firstly, the sculpt itself will be scored on a scale of 0 to 10, with 5 being average, 0 horrendous, and 10 a marvel. For a reference point, I consider the Stormcast Liberator to be a 5, neither great nor bad. Just a passable, average model. Then I will score on Ease of Painting, between 1 and 5, 1 being a slog to paint and 5 being a breeze.
My Lady Olynder review:
Sculpt: 9/10
The use of negative space on the entire Nighthaunt range is phenomenal and it's in full force here. So much story drips through this model as well that instantly tells you who this character is. The one thing I took a point off for is the stability of the model.
Ease of Painting: 3/5
Most Nighthaunt are fairly easy to paint. But as this is a centerpiece model you want it to really shine. There's a lot of flat areas on the model that can take some work to not look boring. So it's difficult to pull off, not necessarily on a technical level.
Final tips: Find a way to attach this model to the base with multiple points. I used tombstones, I've seen others use scenery pieces from the Sigmarite Ruins kits. Either way, it'll make the model waaaay more sturdy for transport and play.
-The Space Dinosaur
Update: 10/18/2021
After some great feedback, I've gone back and added more shadows and highlights to Lady Olynder's face. Before the update the model looked like below:
I do read everyone's comments and feedback and take them into consideration. It's how we all can become better hobbyists and I appreciate all you my readers and those who see my posts on Reddit and Instagram. Thanks yalls!
-The Space Dinosaur
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