Miniature Painting Styles: Blanchitsu

We have been talking about Fantasy Art in the column "Fantasy Visuals", but there is a specific kind of art that is both dear to us miniature lovers and at the same time massively underrated: miniature art, the thing we do in our spare time.

Sure, a miniature is not a painting, and it will hardly ever be considered "fine art", but still there is a degree of art in it. There are certainly outstanding examples of miniature painting, and we are going to look at them with a critical approach, to try and understand them and, maybe, draw inspiration for our little lead soldiers.

The first style that I'd like to look at is Blanchitsu, that is the style of John Blanche, Art Director of Games Workshop during most of the '80s and part of the '90s. The word Blanchitsu come originally from a column in White Dwarf magazines, where Blanche was showing his painted figures and giving tips, interesting stuff closer to actual painting than anything you'd read today in White Dwarf, things like mixing black and red, or highlighting brown with blue to give it a cold feel. It was always an interesting read.

Eventually, the term Blanchitsu came to be applied to miniatures painted in the style of John Blanche, especially in the style post-'90s that was significantly darker than the original '80s feel, still much closer to Heavy Metal style.

So how do you paint Blanchitsu? Well, there isn't a strict recipe, but here are the main elements that define the style:

1) Use weird miniatures, or at least convert them to have grotesque elements. Artificial eyes and limbs, animal heads, organic or mechanical tentacles, hunchbacks, oversized or undersized body parts, wrinkled skin, shabby robes are only some of the things you may do.

2) If you will, add plenty of skulls and scrolls, especially where they don't make any sense. They're very Blanchitsu. 

3) Use a limited colour palette: generally avoid blue and all cold colours. Go heavy with browns and warm earthy colours; true black and true white are off limits: instead use dark grey and off-white; yellowish-green, brown-yellow, reddish-orange are always good. Brighten up with red and yellow elements, like symbols painted on robes or standards.

4) Only work fine detail on free-hand elements. Paint the rest in a messy style - it will increase the grotesque feeling. 

4) Use plenty of dry-brush, or washes and inks to build structure and lights. Since the palette is limited, you will need a strong light/dark contrast to bring your piece to life.

I was lucky enough to find an original piece by Blanche on eBay, an Orc Biker. Apparently it belonged to a set shown at Warhammer World that was dismissed and sold to friends of the staff or something. It was then resold in pieces on the internet.

It's quite interesting to look at the original and all its details.  It's obviously speed-painted, but the details are really rough from a close look, especially the black and white chequers. Most of the surfaces are either quickly dry-brushed or heavily washed with Seraphim Sepia, Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil. And yet, when you look at the whole, everything comes together and it is a perfect piece.

Blanchitsu is a great style for both beginners and veterans. It's simple enough to be used by anyone, but it leave room for improvement and you can tell a good Blanchitsu from a bad one, just like Impressionist paintings. It's especially effective when applied to monsters, less so if you want to paint an epic hero or a positive character: in the grim darkness of Blanchitsu Warhammer, there are no good heroes or emissaries of light, only desperation and the laughter of thirsting gods.

DIY: Wyrdstone/Warpstone Tokens

When I first started dabbling with Mordheim, one thing was clear: Wyrdstone was Warpstone, only the people of the Empire, at that time, didn't know. Mostly because anyone showing interest in understanding the nature of Chaos and Magick was dubbed as a witch and burn at the stake.

And when Warpstone is mentioned, my mind goes back to the mid-90s and the first edition of WFRP, where Warpstone is generally described as "a mighty source of raw magic, imbued with all the corrup­ting power of Chaos". Warpstone rained down from the Warpgates when they collapsed and, carried by the winds, mutated horribly the surrounding lands transforming them into the Chaos Wastelands.

But what does Warpstone look like? The colour green is a later addition: in the old days, Warpstone was intentionally left undescribed because, being Chaos solidified, it was quite silly to give it a colour. What colour is Chaos?

Again, if you grew up in the '80s and '90s, you were reading H.P. Lovecraft at that time. The Colour Out of Space is the place where to look for an impossible colour:

“It was just a colour out of space—a frightful messenger from unformed realms of infinity beyond all Nature as we know it; from realms whose mere existence stuns the brain and numbs us with the black extra-cosmic gulfs it throws open before our frenzied eyes.”

Now, in art, how do you portray something that by definition cannot be portrayed? If you look at examples, the answer is surprisingly easy: you paint it black, with a luminescence made of other colours, especially blue, green, red and violet.

So here we go, Warpstone/Wyrdstone tokens. Little sharp stones painted black and drybrushed red, violet, green and blue. In your face, Warpstone Green, you and the dumbness of late Warhammer.

Citadel C025 Fimir Fianna Fim (1988)

 

Fimir are one of the few original things in the Warhammer setting. They were created, in fact, to be exactly that, at a moment when GW was dealing with the loss of rights over IP from their old suppliers. The credit for creating them goes to Graeme Davis and Jes Goodwin, who in turn inspired themselves from Alan Lee's Fomorian.

Truth be told, the effort to come up with something original was hardly monumental. Fimir had stronger limbs and an ankylosaurus-like tail to be used as a weapon. And that was it. Bryan Ansell probably found out too late, and Fimir became a thing. 

Now, Fimir could really have become popular, if Nick Bibby, the sculptor charged to turn the concept art into miniature, had not botched spectacularly the size of the monsters, which in fluff were slightly heavier than humans, but in lead were Ogre-sized.

This meant that they were heavy and expensive to make and to buy, but in game terms they were not really strong: a line of few large Fimir was easily overcome by a line of smaller creatures. So Fimir didn't became popular, and eventually the Skaven filled their role, and became Warhammer's iconic monster.

Still, in the hearts of fans Fimir always had a place, and among Oldhammerers they remain a collector item, bought at dear price in eBay and other online markets.

I had this miniature for some time and I only managed to paint it because I wanted to test the new Contrast paints by GW. Well, what do you think? Not half bad I'd say, if you consider it took me less than half of the time I normally spend on a miniature this size.

Citadel Wardancer "Elrim" (1991)

Wardancers are one of the specific things of the Warhammer setting. I don't know from whom the original idea came from, but certainly there was a big influence from punk iconography, much like with Trollslayers, with a heavy sprinkling of glam. Admittedly, David Bowie and Iggy Pop would not look awkward among a crowd of Wardancers. In a way, not even Syd Vicious and johnny Rotten from Sex Pistols, or Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley from Kiss wouldn't be out of place. 

Glam is all about androgynousness and gender confusion, and who better than Elves can play with that? Add some tight and colourful clothing and the trick is done. Truly, Wardancers are fun to paint.

So meet Siwai'em Ké, Sea Elf Wardancer (that's right, up until WFB 3rd edition Sea Elves also had Wardancers). Part-time member of the crew of Euphrosine the Cormorant, part-time boyfriend of Thalia the Cormorant, Euphrosine's sister, and survivor of the great raid of the Shrine of Rigg. Also known as "the Bastard" among Thalia's friends, with no reference to his known or unknown parentage.

The miniature is one of the great 1987 Wardancer sculpts from Jes Goodwin, referred at least in one catalogue as "Elrim".

Citadel D4 Dwarf Adventurer - Gargul Gunner a.k.a. Prof (1987)

 

This nice little chap is a D4 Dwarf Aventurer sculpted by the Perry Twins. It was first presented in the Citadel Journal of Spring 1987 as "Gargul Gunner", even though the tag on the miniature reads "Prof"; and indeed he has the looks of a professor, with his little glasses on the nose. Certainly not a professor you want to upset, considering the way he points his gun. In later catalogues, he goes by the more generic name of "Dwarf with blunderbuss"

Adventurers are probably my favourite miniatures, laden as they are with bags and tools, and this one is no exception: with his backpack, boots, mail jerkin and wide-brimmed hat he looks ready for anything.

Temple of Doom at BOYL 2019

During BOYL 2019, Steve/Thantsants ran a skirmish game of WFB 2nd edition, based on the Shrine of Rigg scenario from the 2nd Citadel Journal. There were several warbands assaulting the Temple that night - two groups of Sea Elves (me and Richard/Lenihan), one of Slann (Greg/VanLoon) and another one of Norsemen (Sebastian/Tytus). Paul/Golgfag1 was playing the Amazons viciously defending their sanctum.

The story below has apparently been heard in a tavern in Ulthuan, as drunk captain Euphrosine was telling it to a small crowd of worshipping young clan-elves, dreaming of matching her deeds in the lands of Lustria.

The Temple of Rigg in all its glory

The Temple, spread out on a table. Best 3D dungeon ever.

 "So I had been planning this heist for a while, right? I had been trading with Amazons before and made good money, selling iron and bronze and buying hides, herbs and pottery, but I figured out that they held far more valuable treasures somewhere in the depths of their temples... no, I am not talking about gold and silver: it was knowledge I was after! The secrets of the Old Slann, artefacts from their High Age; I always knew the Amazons had a few hidden away. So I worked my relations for months, until I secured a deal with the High Priestess of the Temple of Rigg, Samantha. I and my crew sailed up the river Amoco, then headed up the Cadiz and finally reached Lake Lokka, where we dropped anchor. I took with me three selected companions: my sister Tasha, a wardancer named Siwai'em Ké, and a young scoundrel from the Old World, Sidonaer, whose ability in picking locks could be useful. They camped outside the Temple, while I was invited in to talk with Mother Samantha: negotiations dragged well into the night and I was invited to stay until morning. I said I wasn't particularly tired, so I had leave to stay in a reading room with a book, a treatise on geography that was mostly full of misconceptions about the coastlines of the western continent. Not far from me, in the library, a few novices were holding a poetry lecture: the harsh sounds of Amazonian language never appealed me, and anyway I could hardly understand the meaning of the verses.

Left to right: Siwai'em Ké, Thalia, Euphrosine, Sidonaer

Poetry lecture in the library

Tasha, Sidonaer and Siwai'em at the feet of the Shrine

Euphrosine at the window of the reading room

I waited until it was midnight, then I went to a window and put a candle on the ledge: it was the signal. A few moments later, a grappling hook flew into the open window and I clasped it to a table. One by one, my companions climbed into the room, trying to make as little sounds as they could. Unfortunately some pesky Amazons guards us, and came to investigate: sadly for us, they were Koka-kalim, the fanatical addicts that make up the élite guard of the temple. Two of them jumped from the stair onto Siwai'em, who killed them both but not before being grievously wounded by their sharp blades. Another fanatic pointed a metal rod to my sister, shooting a small, heated bolt that barely missed her head and left a mark on the wall. Its loud boom echoed through the temple - we were discovered!

Quickly, I and Sidonaer despatched the last Koka-kalim while Tasha blocked the door leading to the library using the furniture. Another two guards came up from the lower floor but Tasha wisely had put off all candles and torches so the guards, lost in darkness, could not shoot at us and were quickly eliminated.

Tasha puts out the lights

Two guards peek blindly in the darkness of the room

Siwai'em was bleeding on the ground: Tasha had been doing her best to help him and was freaking out. That was when I realized she was in love with that mohawked bastard. I don't usually mind my sister's business, but seriously? A wardancer? She was the youngest of us girls and certainly the most naive.

We propped Siwai'em's back against the wall and put the bolt gun in his hand, telling him to watch the stairs while we moved on; we would be back for him later. We were about to remove the furniture for the door, when we heard more guards approaching, some trying to bash the door down, others running on the floor below. We hid behind the overturned furniture, lying in ambush with all lights put off, when we saw the least expected thing: other Elves!

Tasha helping Siwai'em

Five Amazons and one of the Elves on the ground already. Not a smooth job.

Ready to ambush whomever comes up the stairs.

It was Tirnahan of the Deep and his crew, a bunch of adventurers and ne'er-do-wells we met before. It turns out they had decided to raid the temple on the same night but, discovered, had negotiated safe exit by hiring themselves out as mercenaries. 

"We're Elves, too, and we are friends!" I shouted "Put your weapons down!"

"You are intruders and raiders!" shouted back Tirnahan "you put down your weapons! You are surrounded"

I never trusted Tirnahan, and I told myself I had been right.

"I will put my weapons down" I said, loudly, but then I added, in Elvish "I know where the valuables are. We can split them even"

Not solidarity, but greed had the best of him. After a short hesitation, Tirnahan turned his sword against his Amazon companions. In that moment, the door of the library went down and two Koka-kalim charged: I shot one dead with my crossbow and the other attacked Sidonaer, who quickly bested her. The other Amazons, novices with no combat training, surrendered and became our hostages.

We took them with us to the library, where we helped ourselves with huge and ancient books. Eerily enough, from the lower floors we heard the sound of battle: someone else had decided to attack the temple that same night, and was keeping the other guards occupied for us. Truly, our enterprise had been blessed by the gods.

Into the library, at last

We left by the window, climbing down with the rope we came in, and lowering the wardancer carefully with the rope around his arms. We reached our ships shortly before sunrise and, wishing each other good luck, we sailed immediately. Behind us, the sound of battle was fading around the temple, as more Amazons were rushing to their holy site.

My ship reached Ulthuan days later with a bolt gun of High Age manufacture and four, large books written in Old Slann and Amazonian language. The Magicians of Saphery paid more than their weight in gold for those. It was a good raid, and a very profitable one. It can't say it was clean, and the Amazons have put a price on my head for certain, but none of ours died, and that's what matters.

I never knew what happened to Tirnahan and his crew: they probably split the profits of their venture and each went his own way. Sidonaer bought himself a ship with his share, while Tasha and Siwai'em left together, looking for more adventures. She came back broke, a few years later, and since then she refers to him as "the bastard", which he certainly was, but at least he taught her something. Never fall in love with a wardancer. As for myself, I had a few marriage proposals from other captains but I turned all of them down: I am quite happy with my freedom currently. I have spent my time building a house on the coast of Saphery, and reading about some Slann temples, hidden in the jungles of Palombia. Now, there is an interesting story about them, but I will only share it if you swear you'll never tell it to anyone, until we're out of them...

The Coldwood Smugglers - a Mordheim Warband

I've been interested in Mordheim for some time but after visiting BOYL 2018 I met some guys who really encouraged me to pick up the game and I've been hooked since that time. This is the first warband I put together: the Coldwood Smugglers, based on the rules for the Stirwood Outlaws.

What follows is a rather long and tedious description of the warband members and their story.

In the Imperial Calendar year 2504, a revolt quaked the free city of Marienburg: the poor were protesting for the increasing prices and the corruption in the government, and soon a leader emerged among them: Johan Hess, a wealthy merchant who had never been involved in politics before. Hess set fire to the masses blaming the ruling council and the Elves for all their problems, and soon violence erupted as the mob assaulted the Elven Town, causing its inhabitants to flee Marienburg abandoning all their properties. The Stadtsraad was quick to admit Hess among its members and make it head of the Directorate. Nobody could expect that a year later Marienburg would be significantly poorer and more corrupt, and ruled by a madman who had the guts to crown himself Emperor of Marienburg. But by that time, all those who could oppose Johann I had been either banished or killed.

The van Noort family were among those who had suffered the most: small traders, they used to buy Indhyan spices, Cathayan tea and Arabyan cotton from the Elves and sell it in the villages of the Wasteland. Without the Elves, all these goods were either unavailable or too expensive to sell. Frederick van Noort, on the verge of bankruptcy, saw no other option that to contact the brothers de Houtman, shady smugglers that helped him get the goods he needed from the ports of Norden and L'Anguille, where the Elves still traded.

This worked, for a time. But one night the wardens fell on the smugglers and captured Jakob and Gert de Houtman. They never came out of the black cells of Rijker's Isle: however, a few days later the guards came for their band members, who escaped after a bloody skirmish. That same day Frederick van Noort was arrested.

Young Olivier van Noort, Frederick's son, was left to lead the family. Vowing vengeance against the Mad Emperor, he left Marienburg. With the help of Fastradil, a former business partner of the van Noorts and survivor of the Elven revolt, Olivier was able to negotiate passage of goods from Hargendorf in Nordland to the borders of the Wasteland through the secret paths of the forest of Laurelorn and its western fringe, known to locals as the Coldwood. To move the goods he hired some woodsmen from the border villages, people with no allegiance except for themselves. This is how the band of the Coldwood Smugglers was born.

Olivier van Noort - Bandit Leader
Eldest son of Frederick, Olivier is only 24 years old. He had a privileged upbringing but in the last two years he discovered what a hard life really is. Determined to save his family from ruin and do what he can to fight the Mad Emperor, Olivier is now running the smuggling and sale of exotic goods from Nordland into the villages of the Wasteland. Olivier is armed with his family's heirloom, a steel two-handed sword with a gilded hilt. The miniature is Citadel's Strider from the Fellowship of the Ring Boxed Set BME1, issued in 1985.

Pieter de Grote - Champion
Pieter is the biggest fellow in his village, a burly woodsman wielding a two-handed axe with strength, precision and rare viciousness. Pieter is not nice and few people like him, but least of all the representatives of the law: he has spent a good time in a cell, just because he would not stop a brawl when the guards showed up. Pieter met Olivier in the woods one day and the young merchant, instead of being intimidated like everyone else, asked him if he wanted to make some extra money carrying heavy bags. Pieter was enthusiastic, and in fact he helped recruiting the other woodsmen, for whom he acts as representative. Pieter's miniature is a MM62 Marauder Villager from 1989.

Kees de Houtman - Petty Thief
Kees is the youngest of the brothers de Houtman. When his brothers Jakob and Gert were taken by the city guards, he narrownly escaped with his life. Now fighting the Mad Emperor has become his main objective. These days he helps Olivier run the business, supervising the smugglers and the moving of goods in the Wasteland. Cornelis's figure is a Citadel C04 Mugger from 1986.

Kiliaen van Rensslaer - Priest of Stromfels (Manann)
Old Kiliaen has been a member of the de Houtman gang for many years. Through his life he's been a cut-throat, wrecker, smuggler and moonshiner. Fifteen years ago, after he survived a shipwreck, he had strange dreams and decided to become a priest of the forbidden cult of Stromfels. Today, he is widely considered a giver of blessings by the criminals of Marienburg. He has a bad drinking habit but the brothers de Houtman always kept a place fot him in the gang, and he is grateful to them for that. He helped young Cornelis escape from the guards and now follows him, well aware that the guards have his name on their black list of most wanted. His miniature is a Citadel C04 Thief from 1983.

Gerbrand de Kort - Marsksman
Gerbrand the Short is a hunter. Middle-aged, poor, ugly, short and curt, he has no wife and few friends, one of them Pieter. He agreed to join the band hoping for a better life and a decent old age. The miniature is a Citadel ME25 Rangers of Ithilien from 1985.

Werner de Lange - Marsksman
Werner is a hunter. Word is that he used to be a gamekeeper when he was young, but he was sent away by his master for some misbehaviour. A tall man, Werner does not love to talk too much: his words are few, direct and often harsh. He has no friends and spends most of his time alone, but Pieter and Gerbrand went to look for him and he accepted eagerly to be part of the new enterprise. Miniature is a Bretonnian Bowman from the 1990s.

Klaas de Schrander - Marsksman
Klaas is a young hunter, well known in the village for being shrewd, patient and clear of mind. He has no intention of living a life of hardships in the wood and hopes to put some money aside to start a new life somewhere else. The figure is a Citadel ADD7 AD&D Ranger from 1985, sculpted by the Perry brothers.

Without shield

With shield

Roel de Rood - Marsksman
Red-haired Roel is one year younger than Klaas and a good friend to him. He comes from a large and dirt-poor family of woodsmen and would like to bring home some decent food. Unlike Klaas, Roel is more of a romantic and idealistic and enjoys adventure for the sake of it. The figure is a Citadel ADD7 AD&D Ranger from 1985, sculpted by the Perry brothers.

Without shield

With shield