After warming up the old painting hands with some space marines, I felt this model come together a little more naturally.  The model is a commission for a friend of mine and is actually a gift for another friend who has just recently gotten into wargaming.  Mutual friends from countless hours of MMO's and FPS's, I have 'known' this friend for some years now and hung out on more than a handful of occasions.  Having a personal relationship with people who will end up owning models I work on makes it a little more special when I do a commission.  While I'm sure every person that commissions me to do a piece appreciates what I do, you get to really know that appreciation more-so when you get to see those models in play against you!


Originally, I had planned to paint this model in a manner similar to the studio colors.  Very vibrant, nearly clashing colors that seem to work in their garishness.  However when I started painting, I just wasn't feeling the way he was coming together and decided to start over and go a completely different route.  I immediately thought back to my own Eldar models and the darker, more brooding color schemes I've seen around the web.  The want to go monochromatic was impossible to deny and a quick spray of black got me back to square one.


The scheme is almost completely done with Shadow Grey and Space Wolves Grey in different amounts.  I've used some of my 50/50 mix from my Space Wolves in here as well to help speed things up and add some transition areas.  In higher areas and along edges that made sense, I used a little skull white to bring the model more focus and add some additional depth.


The checks/diamond pattern was laid down by creating a grid work on the leg and filling the diamonds in.  I worked them up a level of highlight and highlighted the top edges of each.  The black areas were then cleaned up, which helps to tighten up the colored checks.  Finally the black checks were highlighted with Shadow Grey.  


The metallics were all done by base coating the area in Mithril Silver and washing heavily with Devlan Mud so that it hung heavy in some spots and lighter in others.  Once dry, I went back in with Mithril Silver and touched up some edges and upward facing areas.


Pouches were painted Black and highlighted with Bestial Brown and given a final highlight of Snakebite Leather.  Both were done in a line highlight fashion along predominate edges.  


Gems were done in typical gem style with Red Gore, Blood Red, Blazing Orange, and Skull White.  A 50/50 Blazing Orange/Skull White was used in the final highlight of the bottom edges of the gems and only a small dot of pure Skull White was used to the upper corners.  With a model like this that has a LOT of gem work, you need to be sure you pick a direction for the lighting and stick with it.  Be sure you're paying attention to which direction light would hit each gem as you paint it.  For this model, it was from the models right side.  Mixing it up leads to inconsistency in direction and muddles the models lines, however minor.


The base was done with a base coat of Bestial Brown, drybrushed with Bleached Bone and then washed heavily with Devlan Mud.  Static Grass was added after sealing the model. 


I'm really happy with how this model came together and the response has been very positive.  The mood I had hoped to convey comes across nicely and should help set the tone for my friends army.  Now, if I can just get to my own Eldar some day!