The Heldrake is a spectacular new flyer model kit from Games Workshop for the Chaos Space Marine range. It is absolutely loaded with great detail. However, that can make it a bit daunting to paint.
The problem for model painters sometimes is that when you’re painting the terrific detail that’s already there on a model you’re really just showing off what the sculptor did. Finding a place for a personal touch can be a challenge. Here’s my personal solution to that issue with the Heldrake.
I spent hours picking away at all the great banding on this kit on and around the wings, head, etc. before I finally came up with an idea that made painting the Heldrake fun and interesting for me. It added more time to finishing it, but it also added a lot more enthusiasm for the project for me and thus in the end it actually got done sooner.
In spite of all the irregular banding molded on the wings there’s actually quite a bit of flat space between them, so there is no reason why you can’t have a bit of creative fun on all that blank space. There’s enough room there for hand painted murals, badges, abstract patterns or anything else your imagination and painting skill can place there.
Here’s a closeup photo of my Heldrake’s right wing. I’ve painted nebulae on it. The progression here is black to dark blue to slightly less dark blue through about four different brightnesses of purple. This was all done with the new Citadel paint range from Games Workshop. Stars were painted with White Scars white. Of course, one star shines brightly as an eight-pointed Chaos star!
Here you can see how the color progression theme goes back from the wings and head through the whole model. Starting with the brightest parts of the nebula back through areas with only dark blue glowing gas then finally back to the inky blackness of deep space.
Here is another view from a different angle. The starry background on which these photos were taken is the Battlefleet Gothic tabletop at the Games Workshop Battle Bunker in Bowie, MD. The tabletop was painted by one of the talented employees there.
You may recall the work in progress photo of my Heldrake’s base from my recent Spikey Bits article about flying stands.
Here’s how the finished and fully painted base turned out. The textured basing material has been added and everything has been painted.
So why not have a try at this of your own? Find a pattern or image that inspires you and add it to your own Heldrake to make it spring to life. Being a crazy Chaos construct there’s no limit to what imagery you might dream up!
Though I was slow to get going on the Heldrake in the end I actually enjoyed painting it so much I’ll be doing a second one, this time with the Baleflamer in the head. I may even use my painted nebulae theme on my Forgefiend kits as well.
For those of you who have already painted a Heldrake, what painting schemes or conversions inspired you?
What plans do some of you have for your own upcoming Heldrake projects? The Realm Of Chaos is calling!
