In what has now become a mini-series, we continue along talking about our very favourite kits to have painted. These are not necessarily our best painted models but instead are the ones that we had the most fun with!
It’s Star Wars time! Very interestingly there are some Star Wars games out there that come with pre-painted minis like X-Wing or Armada (RIP) but that doesn’t stop painters from picking up the brush to customise them! It also doesn’t make them any less fun to paint, either!
BuffaloChicken
Just because X-Wing miniatures are pre-painted doesn’t mean they can’t be re-painted – the models take paint well without needing to be stripped or primed, and a quick bit of detailing or accent color can completely change a model’s appearance.
Hope this inspires some more X-Wing players to take up the brush!
Jefferson
I always have a great time painting Shatterpoint models. The larger scale means I can see what I’m doing better, and the high level of detail works well with my usual approach to painting, which relies on a lot of drybrushing and washes. But the squad pack I had the most fun with was the one that gave me chance to branch out and try some new techniques.
When I saw the models included in the Wisdom of the Council squad pack, I immediately thought of the original animated Clone Wars cartoons that showed on Cartoon Network back in 2003, with the highly stylized 2D animation. I had also been reading Kevin Dallimore’s Foundry Miniatures Painting and Modeling Guide. Dallimore has always been one of my favorite pro painters, and this seemed like a great opportunity to try out his more graphic, outlined approach to painting.
Out of the four models in the set, I had the most fun painting the Ithorian Padawan. It was my test piece to see if I could make the technique work, and I’m still very happy with the way it came out. It was a perfect piece to start with — all the sharp folds in the cloak, and the creased and textured skin, provided a perfect canvas for the graphic look I was going for. It was a great first step towards a different style of painting for me.
McWhat
Picking a single model for this turned out to be much more difficult than I imagined. Honorable mentions go out to the Star Wars: Shatterpoint models for Boba Fett, Bossk, Kit Fisto, and Obi-Wan. Ultimately I’m doing a bit of a copout here by showcasing two versions of my final choice: Darth Vader.
First of all he’s perhaps the iconic Star Wars character, at least for olds like me. Furthermore, they’re both excellent sculpts. (There’s even a third sort of available now. I did say he’s iconic). And for me personally, Vader came together pretty easily in my painting style. I was actually intimidated to do the first one, just because I didn’t want to screw it up. And to that my process is also one that doesn’t come together until near the end, which was especially true here. It really makes a difference to have the little details handled on a monochromatic model like this” all those little red/green/white greeblies, for example, or the sublty crimson eye lenses. Lastly, some OSL goes a long way to making this model come alive. So it was also fun to trust myself and the process, and be happy with the results in the end.
WakeDrannor
There was never going to be any question about this. One character stands above all others in the grand pantheon of things I love about Star Wars. One character who has endured a lifetime of hardship and never given up on doing what is right, one who I will consume an unlimited amount of content about, completely sincerely and without irony.
I am of course writing about none other than Ahsoka Tano.
Now, lest this be mistaken for only a love of the character- this is apparently also an article about models that are fun to paint, and boy is she! This version of Ahsoka Tano (Jedi No More) comes from the Siege of Mandalore during the final four episodes of the Clone Wars TV series, and has a spectacular variety of things to play with. The color palette is absolutely inspired, a really striking blue/grey that compliments the colors of her lekku (head-tails) and sets off wonderfully against her orange skin. The face here is also really a wonderful sculpt (though weirdly some of the markings are raised- the ones on her forehead- while the ones in her cheeks are recessed). Shatterpoint faces are not always the best elements of their models, so having such an outstanding one here is a real treat. This was also the model where I first figured out how I was going to paint lightsaber glow for Shatterpoint (for Legion, I had cheated by replacing my lightsabers with fluorescent acrylic rods, but for Shatterpoint, I had decided I had to actually figure out a painting technique I liked) and worked out the basing scheme I continue to use on all my Clone Wars era models. Actually, now that I think about it, this was my first Shatterpoint model painted, period, which in retrospect is a pretty bold choice given how much I love the character and how worried I recall being that I would screw her up!
Now, I will freely admit that after painting two versions of Ahsoka, plus Shaak Ti, and now partway through painting yet another Ahsoka of the “Fulcrum” variety for How to Paint Everything (watch this space!), I’m a little bit over painting lekku…but I’ll always take the hit if it means getting another version of this wonderful character on my painting table! =)
Free advice, though…you can easily paint the head as a separate sub-assembly and then attach it, as long as you keep the back lekku off until final assembly, and you absolutely should. It makes the whole process MUCH easier.
Bair
I have loved Star Wars since I was taken to see The Phantom Menace (twice) at just 5 years of age and my first dip into Star Wars wargaming was X-Wing but that didn’t last very long and I never painted any of them…
Instead, a couple years ago when shops were running some insane May 4th Legion deals me and my buddy Joe picked up a bundle each, bumbled through our first game with barely-built models, and it’s become a real favourite game to play! I’m currently (im)patiently waiting for the new edition card packs to come out before diving right back in but man, this game is just a lot of fun. And the models for it are fun to paint!
Star Wars really it helped by having what I consider a very simple Sci-Fi aesthetic. Things are generally clean, not over-designed, and that leads the models to being pretty simple and quick to do too. My pick for the most fun to kit to paint, though? It’s gotta be the Separatist AAT. Who doesn’t love a tank??
It’s a great kit to build and just very fun to paint, too. I kept it very simple starting with a spray can that I can’t remember the name of now but that ended up being the final colour of the armour too. Doesn’t get much easier than that! The fun really comes in with using panel liners, getting to watch them squidge into the recesses, and then getting to weather up the vents. Something about pulling up reference photos to get something “right” that isn’t a historical model just brings me a lot of joy, and I feel like I nailed it on my AAT.
I’ve got a second one sitting in packaging waiting to be done, and I think I’ll be getting to that soon now…
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Look I don’t normally write Star Wars content on here. I had to use it.
As I’ve signed off every article so far in this series: just get your paints out and get to it! But try to have some fun while you do, too. Yes I know that slogging through your next set of Imperial Stormtroopers or another box of Geonosians might be tough so treat yourself with a palette cleanser. Scared of that big centre piece model because you want to get it exactly right? Try not to worry about the outcome, and focus on enjoying each step of the painting journey! It’s far too easy to just complain about the painting side of this hobby somtimes, but it’s an integral part of it that’s meant to be enjoyed, so try and have some fun with it.
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