Painting Chaos Chosen

Introduction

This squad of Chaos Chosen was bought for use in DnD, but I am planning to squeeze them into Warhammer, too. Therefore, they will be painted in a Word Bearers color scheme.

Prime

Prime in black. I usually prime in white, but painting the squad of Chaos Marines taught me that sometimes, a black primer serves better.

Paint the red armor

As with the Chaos Marines, start with dark red. A couple layers should be needed to completely cover the black primer. I painted on 2 full layers, and then another half layer wherever the black was shining through.

I had an idea of how to proceed, but as it involved some new techniques, I decided to try it out on the two regular guys first.

So, after the two and a half layers of dark red, came a thick edge highlight with blood red:

Then a thinner edge highlight with bright orange:

And finally, a dark red wash (Carroburg Crimson) to mesh it all together.

When the whole thing had dried, I found that the contrast is way to stark between the red and the orange, so I took a slightly different route for the other three guys.

After the thick bloody red edge highlight, I mixed 1:1 dark red with bright orange and used that for a thin edge highlight:

Then I added small bits of bright orange highlight:

And again, wash with Carroburg Crimson. Armor plates finished.

Paint the details

Again, I wanted to try out the color scheme on only one guy. I gave him a brown basecoat on the horns as well as all leather details; and a gunmetal basecoat on the metallic bits that weren't armor plates - axe head, armor trims, bolts.

I originally wanted a brown-bonewhite blend for the bone parts, but I changed my mind halfway through. The bone parts got a white basecoat...

... and a sepia wash (Seraphim Sepia).

The leather and metal bits got the usual black wash.

Time for the highlights! I started with a thin edge highlight with leather brown on all the leather surfaces: the skirt, the belt and the weapon handle.

I highlighted the metallic parts in 4 steps. First, a thick edge highlight with gunmetal on all the metal bits.

Bronze highlight for the bronze bits.

Then a thin silver highlight on the metal parts.

And just a hint of gold on the bronze parts.

The last step was a thin bonewhite edge highlight on the bones.

All in all, I was happy with the paint scheme. The rest of the squad followed suit, although I did change a couple of steps here and there. I began with the brown and gunmetal basecoat.

But this time, the boney parts got a bonewhite basecoat instead of white.

I went for a the same sepia wash. I think it looks better this way, especially if alternated - the small skull on the head of the standard bearer had a white basecoat, and it contrasts a bit with the horns.

I also went a different path when changing leather. Instead of leather brown highlights on black wash, I instead did the highlights first...

... and then applied a brown wash (Agrax Earthshade). It meshed the colors into each other nicely, leaving also a leathery shine which I was happy with.

A thicker bonewhite edge highlight was followed by a thin white edge highlight on the boney parts.

The steps for highlighting metal did not change.

The final two models, the champion and the drummer went through the same steps: brown, gunmetal, bonewhite basecoat.

Leather highlights on brown.

Followed by Agrax Earthshade. All the other highlights are in place too: bonewhite and white on bone, light blue on the dark blue loincloth, silver on metal.

The one thing left was the champion's mutated arm. At first, I basecoated it in bone and threw a dark red wash (Carroburg Crimson) on it, but I wasn't satisfied with the results. I needed a fleshy look to it. I went with bonewhite over the boney part and skintone on the fleshy parts, only leaving the reddish bone to be seen in a couple of places, notably the upper end.

Then applied the dark red wash again, followed by edge highlighting with the basecoat colors. Much better!

I followed up with a fleshtone wash (Reikland Fleshshade) on the fleshy parts for that wet, raw skin look.

Squad painted! 

Basing

Given the amount of time I've invested in painting these guys, I wanted something special for their base instead of the usual grassland/woodland type. I went for cracked earth.

Start by gluing on large bits of chopped up cork and smaller bits of rock. Apply PVA glue generously, so that the flocking holds and it also meshes together.

When painted in a reddish brown, the different pieces should not stick out overly much.

Follow up with a heavy brown drybrush.

Black wash in the largest recesses to darken them up.

Then an overall brown wash (Agrax Earthshade) to mesh the colors together.

It already looks pretty good, but I decided to go further with a brown edge highlight.

And a minimal brown-bonewhite mix edge highlight.

All this should pop out the edges and leave the recesses in shadow.

Finished!