Another batch of nostalgia surfaced online recently; this time some of my earliest work on the ‘Eavy Metal team, in the form of Warhammer 40K Eldar, as well as some much later Attila Rough Riders.

The first photo features an Eldar Grav-Cannon which was the first miniature I painted upon joining the Studio. I remember being disappointed at the time, but of course new releases weren’t going to be wasted on newbies!

I felt pressure to perform, and struggled with the colour palette of that era as it was so much brighter and saturated than that I’d been using for my own miniatures, so the end result wasn’t great. Nevertheless, my excitement upon seeing it in White Dwarf (in an earlier battle scene) was immense.

The Rough Riders were from a much later period, by which time I’d found my feet and felt confident in the ‘Eavy Metal style of the time to the extent that I and others were doing what we could to subvert it for a more “realistic” style. I was always fond of painting horses as they lent themselves to a more naturalistic painting style that had a better chance of passing undetected.

The second photo features some Eldar Guardians, also painted in my first month at the Studio. They were rather rough, to say the least, so I never felt great seeing them published.

Finally, the Dire Avenger Exarch. This was another early piece, from my first couple of months I guess, about which I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I was pleased to be put to work on a “character model” and tried my best to do it justice. However, I was not really up to the task, and in the back of mind was very much aware that I was repainting a miniature for the new Eldar Codex to a lesser standard than the original McVey and Prow paint jobs from the time of the original Aspect Warrior releases.