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GW's color scheme for Slaaneshi units almost looks like black & white photography. I'm not saying they're not striking but they are a little dour for being servants of a god of hallucinogenic, kaleidoscopic, concupiscent pleasure. Sure, I get that they need to stand out from the others but that could be accomplished as a matter of color wheel: Khorne = Red and Nurgle = Green. Logically, if Tzeentch = Blue then Slaanesh should = Orange. Instead, Slaanesh = Purple ... while Tzeentch also gets pink? It seems to me that Slaaneshi unit color schemes should focus more on purple rather than white/cream or maybe emphasize the cream/yellow tints over the blue-paleness you see in the current book/releases.

Anyway, does anyone know why Slaaneshi stuff is presented as so severe and ... unlustful? My only theory is this is part of the ongoing de-sexualization of Slaaneshi stuff. Daemonettes are now less buxom beasts as hollow-cheeked, masectomized dominatrixes. From pornstars to crack whores ... Not to get off on that tangent (uh, pun not intended), but does anyone remember more vibrant paint schemes on studio daemonettes in earlier years? Anyone have any other explanations for the stark "shadow and light" scheme currently going?

Not quite sure what you mean, can you post examples?

Sure:

So here's the studio depiction. What color tones there are in this scheme are so muted relative to the contrast that they might as well be black and white:





Now, here's Blanche's drawing from the Codex:



I know all of Blanche's stuff is "oranged-up" but I'm just using the picture here to suggest visually what we already know about Slaanesh in terms of text: Slaanesh is about vibrant sensation. One might think that would translate into a more vivid scheme.

As it is, the studio Slaaneshi scheme is rather "Amish" compared to the other powers' schemes.

I would disagree somewhat.

Tzeentch is all about change and chaos - so the swirling colors make sense.

Slaanesh is all about the dopey, heady drug. Sure you could go for the multi-hued sensual assault, but they've gone more for the purple-hazey, silk draped lamp, orgy-room + crab arms look.

Maybe we can do a drug metaphor.

Khorne is PCPs & bath salts.
Nurgle is Meth?
Tzeentch is LSD
Slaanesh is Ectasy and Viagra.

Aye, its pretty poor, I wonder if they where inspired by the WAR Daemonettes, or its just how they went, either way its not a great look for them considering the fluff.

Having a quick google, I found some good examples of how to make them stand out.



Also its pretty easy to make the Diaz Daemonettes stand out, so here are some of the plastic ones with better schemes.



Finally here's an old school version, taking the Blanche style to heart.. in a good way.

When I think E, I think raves -- but I guess the studio theme might be referencing expensive BDSM clubs? Black tie and leather?

 Manchu wrote:

Anyway, does anyone know why Slaaneshi stuff is presented as so severe and ... unlustful? My only theory is this is part of the ongoing de-sexualization of Slaaneshi stuff.

If they take any more sexy away from Slaanesh, it'll just end up as Khorne with a loudspeaker and no catchy slogan.

New Slaanesh = God of Sexual Repression

It would be funny if it didn't feel so damned true.

Hmm... urge to put my Daemonettes together and paint them in the same style as that last pic I posted... rising.

I have been thinking:

white primer
gryphonne/seraphim sepia wash
light airbrush coat of bleached/ushabti bone
light airbrush coat of pink horror
loin cloth in liche/xereus purple
armor in burnished/auric gold over mithril/runefang silver

What do you think?

Sounds good to me, the light airbrush work could help with a really smooth glow like effect to the skin, if it looks like I think it might, it would be great to look at.

I tried it last night minus the sepia wash and it turned out very much as you described. What worries me is getting the wash right. It will have to be diluted on a white primer and TBH I'm not good at using washes precisely.

 Manchu wrote:
When I think E, I think raves -- but I guess the studio theme might be referencing expensive BDSM clubs? Black tie and leather?

Honestly, that is probably the case I would think: a general shift from the idea of "pleasure" to "debauchery". If anything, it seems that there is a strong influence of the kind of BDSM inspired elements you see in things like the Cenobites from the Hellraiser series. This is not a complaint, per se, as I personally prefer a more subdued paint scheme, just an observation. This seems especially strong in the numerous flesh piercings used to anchor garments on the new style Slaanesh.

Spoiled for NSFW image

The new(ish) chariot driver does not lack for whips, that's for sure.

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

Khorne is PCPs & bath salts.
Nurgle is pot
Tzeentch is LSD
Slaanesh is Ectasy and Viagra, all of the above and then some.

Best place to learn is the original source, Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness.

Pastels, psychedelics and bright metallics.

Not really fair though - the original Realms of Chaos dates back to before GW sold their souls to Mammon.

But, yeah, pastels and fleshly tones for Slaanesh.

And a big smiling Great Unclean One for Nurgle.

The daemons... have lost something over the last several editions.

The Auld Grump

I painted mine more normal like as pictured below. I still might use these pictures for my hobby article but Diaz miniatures I have a fondness to them so I decided to show them here first.

@MGS: YES! Thank you for posting that. That's exactly the contrast I'm talking about. Why does GW (and apparently some of the fanbase) no longer think that's the righ (i.e., the coolest) interpretation of Slaanesh? Is it for the same reasons that most people don't wear day glow socks anymore?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
@Adam: Thanks for posting those, too -- besides the green and red that's basically what I had in mind.

I always thought they would look extra weird/interesting with just varied and regular human flesh tones.

Good lord those metal ones really are unequivocally better than the new ones, aren't they. Wow.

 cincydooley wrote:
Good lord those metal ones really are unequivocally better than the new ones, aren't they. Wow.

Oh yes they are so much better and is the reason why they hold up in value over the years.

@Adam: Thanks for posting those, too -- besides the green and red that's basically what I had in mind.

You are welcome. When you have 120 Daemonettes this is how keep the squad separation of 20 and it is done by the color of their clothing.

 Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:
Aye, its pretty poor, I wonder if they where inspired by the WAR Daemonettes, or its just how they went, either way its not a great look for them considering the fluff.

Having a quick google, I found some good examples of how to make them stand out.

Spoiler:

Also its pretty easy to make the Diaz Daemonettes stand out, so here are some of the plastic ones with better schemes.

Spoiler:

I have spent ages trying to get hold of those metal ones, they really (for me anyway) embody slaanesh

The new ones...... Well what where they thinking? I first heard Daemonettes where coming out in plastic and i thought to myself "ooh might be time to make a start on that demon army ive been planning for years". And then i saw them. My first thought was just a continous, repeating WTF?. The whole point of slaanesh minis is BDSM sex pretty much (i know this is a very crude sumup) and these.....things just dont do it. Oh sure they wear corsets and have spikey bits but where is the sensuality? The sexuality? The air of drug fumes, lust and sexual pleasure that always surrounded them?
In essence we now have a "censored" slaanesh. If you ask me this is really, truly not right and quite frankly if GW wanted little timmy to get involved then they shouldnt have created a god of sex and given it an entire army in the first place. /

I like the sort of limited look they have, of course it does need something else to make it pop. Slaanesh is supposed to have at least one vibrant colour.

Slaanesh should have incredibly vibrant colors. Noise marines certainly think so.
"Five hundred warriors in the shimmering purple of the Emperor's Children emerged from the smoke, and their appearance drew a gasp of shock from the assembled Iron Warriors. Slashes of vivid pigment were spattered across their armour, the myriad contrasting hues and clashing colours offending the eye with their garish disregard for the Legion's heraldry... They carried a banner of stiff pink..."
--Angel Exterminatus, Graham McNeill

That certainly doesn't sound muted to me. I can't imagine the actual daemons would be less colorful than their (relatively) mortal counter-parts.

 Desubot wrote:

 Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

Khorne is Meth and PCP
Nurgle is pot
Tzeentch is LSD
Slaanesh is Ectasy and Viagra, all of the above and then some.

Old school; pastels, fluorescents and silk metallics... Never really finished them.

They're so bright and gaudy! They're great!

To me, Slaanesh is all about sensation, pleasure and pain. There is nothing sensational about muted colors.
The Diaz models (ignoring the paint scheme) covered the pleasure and pain well: naked beautiful women with deadly claws and talons.

The current models just have the pain aspect, they do not look attractive at all, unless butterface meth heads is your idea of attractive.


GW insists that 14-16 year olds are their market, yet they are clearly desexualizing Slaanesh when their target demo wants the exact opposite. What 14 year old boy doesn't want an army of boobs running around?

But remember that we live in an interesting age where parents can act overly protective of their child and wish that they live in a little bubble.

 Aerethan wrote:
GW insists that 14-16 year olds are their market, yet they are clearly desexualizing Slaanesh when their target demo wants the exact opposite. What 14 year old boy doesn't want an army of boobs running around?

Unfortunately, those 14-16 year olds for the most part do not have their own expendable income, and the parents who do likely DON'T want little Timmy (whom they probably still delusionally believe has never actually seen boobs, even virtually) to have those sorts of things.