Hello
here is Jean-Pierre
Jean-Pierre is a space marine
From the 2nd edition
of Warhammer 40000 from 1993
He has been painted
in 1995 by a 12 years old boy
with zero knowledge to painting
Here is his story !
Ah, 1995
Such a nice year, full of joy,
The offspring has non Self-Esteem
Pascal Obispo "fell for her"
and NTM
had the fever...
Ok, not the best examples, let's retry
1995, a wonderful year full of masterpieces,
with amazing movies like
Se7en, from Fincher
like Braveheart from Mel Gibson
like...
no, not exactly, I was more thinking of
No, nooooo,
25 years of therapy...
25 years of therapy to forget you,
why ??
1995, it's a lot of good stuff,
and also a lot of shameful ones
like 1995, it's the year I entered the store
"The Train Box" in Namur, the only GW reseller there at the time
to buy the 2nd edition of Warhammer 40000
but it's also me who discover that you don't
paint a space marine like you paint a car model
when I made my Beginners  painting guide,
I tried to retrieve my first minis
and that's where I found Jean-Pierre
between heavily painted or unpainted minis
Color scheme is working actually, a green armor
some golden details, but hey, one cannot claim
to be a miniature painter with 5 color pots
and no knowledge. And after 25 years,
even if I painted more detailed and sharp models since,
giving back Jean-Pierre his honor is the least I can do
because if some past errors will always haunt us
(don't ask me to translate that hysteria)
there are things we can make better.
To improve something, there are two things to do :
get what was good and then what wasn't
In the good side, the color scheme is effective,
Green, gold, brown details,
and we will work with Jean-Pierre II
from the same box.
On the bad side, as you can see,
there are still mold lines,
As we can also see, paint application is huge
you got blotches of paint on the shoulderpads
and overflows everywhere of course
as well as some unpainted areas
We'll begin by basecoating Jean-Pierre II
a black spray followed by a zenithal
Now we will use a lightsource
to get where the shadows are
on the mini, and I made some schemes
to localize the highlights
we can begin the basecoat
keeping the green color but starting darker
in order to be able to build the shades
and avoid working on more
shadows in the next steps
As usual, two good thin coats
all over the mini
I prepared the main colors on a wet palette
from the darkest to the brightest
and I'm mixing them together
to get some nice transitions
on the overall process of highlighting.
And we begin by tracing the lines
that we defined through the pictures
on all the panels with the first degree of highlight
It will be quite a long process,
I keep with me the pictures I made
to keep in mind where the lines are and
build them easily.
Logically, every are will have a degree of highlight
will it be a line
or a edge of an armor panel
where it's shap
or even on the shoulderpads a single dot
where the shape is round
Once the lines are well defined
we keep this color
and get back at every mark we made
and strarting from there we will
we'll brush some lines
perpendicular to the ones we previously made
In this process, we will cover around
50% of the panel
with those lines
The idea is to mark the limit between
the dark areas
and the ones that will be slowly brightened
As you can see, I work perpendicularly
on the tubular zones and more radiantly
where the shape is more round
Then we take back Caliban green
that we will paint back between the
brighter areas to make a better
transition
There it is with the paint dry
We move to next step with
the second degree of highlight
and do quite the same process, drawing lines
in the middle of the brighter areas
we'll redefine the center of highlight with lines
and dots.
And it will mark the beginning of the
next highlight.
So like with the first color,
we'll draw the same lines
perpendicular to the mark lines, but this time
covering only 25% of the zones.
You can see how the effect is getting build
step by step by creating the highlight
on each of the armor pieces
Same process
Perpendicular on the lines
And radiantly on the shoulderpads
Second highlight is done, now
we can begin the brightest one
and do it with Yriel yellow.
I do the same thing again,
drawing lines of paint in the center
of the previously made highlights
As you can see, step by step
I'm using smaller and smaller brush
Thin way I'm avoiding getting
a starting line too big
and building my highlight thinner.
The highlight is done and, well, it's maybe a bit flashy...
don't worry, we're going to change it !
We're going to make a glaze
using our first degree of highlight color.
In this case, it's warpstone glow.
Glaze is basically a classic paint,
only highly diluted with a medium
here, Lahmian medium
It helps us blends the color together
and create a nice transition between then
As you can see, it's now way smoother.
But we aren't done yet
Since the glaze has dried, we move some steps back
First taking the darker tone first
we "downlight" the center of the dark zone
to create more depth
we apply it
approximately to 25% of the piece
Then we take back warpstone glow
and proceed the same way as before
Tracing the lines a bit shorter
at around 33%
Same step with Moot green
more focused on the center of the line
No changes on the process
we also try to have thinner brushstrokes
to build the smoothest transition.
here's for the second highlight
And for the last one, we don't use pure yellow,
I mixed it 50/50 with moot green
the result will give us
a less flashy highlight
And will also make
all the edge-highlight on the mini
the same way we do on every model
it will highlight every armor panel
and not only how the light reflect
on every pieces
Take your fines thin brush for that step,
it's the longest and most tiring part of the painting
To complete the main body of the mini
I'm doing now a shade
with Biel-Tan green
only on the recesses
to add once again more depth
and define the different areas better
We finally complete the main color,
and we begin the gold part.
I will not try some NMM at this stage
because I would not feel comfortable
having a good enough result
But we will try to do the equivalent of an NMM
but with metallic paints. Based on a first coat
all over the gold
with retributor armor gold
and try to respect the orginal color scheme
of Jean-Pierre the 1st.
We carry on with the other base colours,
all the metal parts
with some basecoat of leadbelcher
I didn't respect the original scheme
of the bolter here
I guess that 12 years old me will not be mad at it
No real challenge on this part
Only remember to apply two thin coats
instead of a thick one
Main metal parts that we will paint are focused on the backpack
and hopefully those will take not that much time
Still on the basecoat
we apply black
on the bolter case
Yes, not silver case and black details,
I want it to be relevant with
40K standards
Then we move on all the leather pouches
with a basecoat of Dryad bark
two thin coats (thanks Duncan)
Don't be too perfectionist on those
as we barely can't see them
And then the shade, first with a
Reikland fleshshade on all the gold parts
It will be far from the only shading we'll do here
this one will be here to help us
define the volumes
I will then use a darker tone of gold
Balthasar gold (not Gehenna, my bad)
only applying in some aimed areas
where we want more shadows
like this
On shoulderpads, it will be
the flattest areas outside angles
Then I take back Retributor armor gold
that I apply on a major area of the gold part
avoiding only the darkest zones
It will go on the upper half of the kneecaps
and as a classic highlight on the forehead skull
or the wings on the chestplate
Then we move to next highlight
with liberator gold
we'll stress a bit more the highlight on the shoulderpads
as well as the upper quarter of the knee
and more casually
as an edge highlight
on the other parts
We will apply this highlight differently here
as it will be done outside and inside
of the rims to shade the center of it.
We then shade all the steel parts
using once again some agrax earthshade
and cover all the area
It can be required to apply it twice
to build a strong shade
This will allow us to create a nice contrast
once doing the highlight there
Talking about it, we make all the final highlights
on the gold and steel areas
that will be on leadbelcher and liberator gold
with stormhost silver
On the steel areas, we will treat it
like a classic edge-highlight
And on the gold part, we'll work it a bit different,
we paint where we went with liberator gold
a bit more carefully
but also more commonly
on all the edges
like the skull,
or the tips of the wings
or the top of kneecaps
To finish with metal, there is a gem on the breastplate
and I will keep it red like on the original scheme
using Spiritstone red
which is a technical paint, pure on the gem.
We're done on the metal and move to
the leather, beginning with a first highlight
on every edge of the pouches
but then, to contrast with the flat aspect of the metal
and make a soft effect,
we can make small brushstrokes
randomly all over the pouches
It renders a leather quite old, grainy
with scratches on it.
And only know will we make the shade
with agrax earthshade on the pouches
it will make the first
highlights to get darker
and give us some room to work the
next highlights a bit deeper
Getting back to first highlight color,
we'll do the same process a bit more cautiously
to get thinner line, and the same
we going back to the scratches, we'll be
less random
using the first strokes to create a first
gradiant
and then a last highlight
thinner brush, thinner paint
and thinner lines
to complete the leather pouches.
We are quite done with the back of the mini
we can stick the backpack with plastic glue
and move to the bolter.
So back then my scheme
was a steel case and details
in black but we'll go back to normal
though I want to keep the idea of
a shiny and glossy look
so I will try to keep it by make particular
highlights on the bolter case.
My first color will be Dark reaper
on the edges
but add some oblical lines
on the case
it will be on the front, top and back
then moving to second highlight
using russ grey
and will use the techniques
I've done on the armor plates
creating a pattern then adding strokes
perpendicularly
while getting the usual edge-highlights
Moving to the shade
once again following the highlights
like on the leather
to blend the colors together
it will prevent the contrast to be too strong
with smoother transitions
And finally, I'll add
some 'Ardcoat, it's a technical paint
creating a glossy effect
to the bolter case
and getting this tawdry look I wanted
some 25 years ago
Let's do the lenses then with a first coat
of Mephiston red on both eyes
a first highlight of Wild ryder red
on the downer center part
of the lense
with a very fine detail brush
and a steady hand
and a final highlight
with Fire dragon bright
on the most central area
and finally a small dot of white on the opposite
to render the reflection
Here's almost for the mini in itself
only the base is yet to be done
I will try to give it a look close to
the 90's ones, using no texture paints.
with a generous application of PVA glue
all over the base
And as I was doing then
I just dip my mini into the sand
I remove the excess on the rim
to avoid having some when painting it
While its drying, I will take care of something
I wouldn't have dare to do back then
the squad and chapter markings
I'm not starting with a pure white
but with Ulthuan grey
being almost white but allowing some highlights still
I begin with the main lines
to get a strong pattern
before moving to other lines
like that
and from this base,
I add all the other lines
as straight as possible
it's really a drudgery to draw
straight line on a round area
All good for the squad
While trying to get the color scheme I used back then,
I didn't chose a particular chapter
I try to find a match
and find it with the Valedictors chapter
So i'm drawing the Chapter Emblem
with the same methode used
on the tactical squad marking
starting with the main lines
adding then the wings on both side of
the V sigil
here's for the base draw
I add the secondary lines
to complete the marking
Once it's done, I finish it
by contouring the logos
straight with white
It will give them
a better definition and to bring
some more brightness on the markings
without being just a block of white
I'm doing it with a super thin brush
with highly diluted paint
to keep a good control of the lines
The base has dried, I will apply a first basecoat
darker than the final render
using a base paint here is just a way to
secure a good grip after
and then
the real color
you'll be careful not touching the feet
Paint has been thinned down
to get into all the crevices
and then shade the base
with agrax earthshade
And let it time to dry around 30 min
One of the last stages, the drybrush
You can allow yourself to lightly touch the feet
it will give you a better blend with the base
especially with dirt
The PVA/sand texture
is a really good match with drybrush
as it can't really catch too much
Unfortunately, I don't have
Goblin green paint anymore
I'm using a color close enough to render
close to the goblin green rim
as we were rimming every base back
in the 90's
There is a 25 years gap between Jean-Pierre 1st and Jean-Pierre II
And it's great to see how
years of experience, of practice and errors
make you learn so much about it
and help you overpass yourself each day we paint
here is for the standoff
Seeing those two minis marks
how essential it is to paint a lot
to never discourage
and keep in mind that every new mini
pull us closer to excellence
I did the same between 2000 and 2010
as you can see here and I'm so glad to see my
curve of progress since then
Thank you so much for watching this video
don't hesitate to share it and subscribe
we'll be back shortly for another tutorial
since then, take care !
