40K Bring on the clowns! Jawaballs paints Harlequins.

Jawaballs here, and I want to talk about finally getting some eldar Herlequins on the painting table!

I recently stated over on my blog that I am working on my Dark Eldar army and came up with a couple of basic list ideas based on which models I like.  I wanted to write today about one very specific one. Harlequins! Not because they are bad ass scary clowns. Not because they are particularly uber. But because ever since I got into 40k I have wanted to paint a squad.  I have had the squad sitting on my shelf for over two years now, cackling at me from behind their jeering clown masks.  

Well bring on the clowns.

What I present to you here is the beginnings of my journey into painting these misunderstood thespians. I painted the fellow in the first picture some time ago when I was testing the diamond pattern technique and experimenting with color combos.  At the time Iyanden Darksun and the Citadel wash line were not available. I used white for a base on the leg and other yellow parts, and painted over that with Golden yellow, then “inked” it with GW Yellow Ink.  Today, if I were to have painted him I would have based the leg black, Iyanden Darksunned the boot, then layered several progressively lighter shades of yellow.  The growth of a painter over a couple years I suppose.  

Here is the first lesson I did learn from painting this model. It is impossible to paint the diamonds on the cloaks behind the legs while the model is assembled.  The legs and torso must be painted separately.  Observe in the picture below.

On this next harly model I prepinned the legs, and drilled the hole into the torso.  (I pin every metal model I work with.)  I primed the torso white and have started laying in the diamond pattern.  For the diamonds, as per the instructions in Codex: Eldar, I painted parallel lines with black first, then put down my base colors. I used Shadow Grey for the blue, then a layer of Army Painter blue from their Warpaints line, (After going to the store last night and paying almost $4.00 a pot for GW paint I need to find an alternative.) I then mixed some grey into the blue and did a little fade.  I will finish this with lighter and lighter blues.  The other diamonds were based with blood red, then faded with blazing orange and firey orange.  I use a bottle cap to mix and water down my paints. Recycle!

As for the rest of the models, they are fairly simple to deal with. The poses are flowing and open. Harlequins perform their “Dance of Death” in battle, so their sculpts tend to look like clowns doing ballet.  This makes their models easy to paint as very few bits of the model are obstructed by other parts.  

As for priming, is there a right or wrong? White, Black, Grey?  I think that is up to your painting style.

I painted this one with Army Painter black spray prime and will paint him next. The difference is that white primer tends to make the colors painted on top of it “brighter” while black primer adds more “shade”.   If you are looking for bright glaring clowns, go with white, if you want dark brooding ones, go with black. If you do go with black I suggest you get yourself some new Foundation paints.  (They have a shorter shelf life once opened than other GW paints.) Put a bit on a pallet and add a brush load of water before using it to break the viscosity, then have at it.  I like the foundation paints because they tend to be darker shades of their hue. They are less intense and have darker values. This allows for nice fading and blending on top of them as they are starting with a darker base. 

Harlequins are tiny models, and mistakes are easy to make, perhaps ruining hours of work. Having a good plan is a must!  Mostly, when they are done you want them to absolutely stand out. While the new Dark Eldar codex might have units with more bite, the Harlies do it with style and that is what matters most. 🙂

Are Harlequins worth taking in the new generation of Dark Eldar armies? That remains to be seen. But for the painter, they are a no brainer. With a potentially limited army color pallet wise like Dark Eldar, Harlequins can quite easily add the flare required to push a nicely painted army into the realms of Best Painted.  Now more than ever they will stand out on the table. Try to find a squad of Harlequins in an Iyanden army with Dire Avengers, Banshees and Fire Dragons for example.  But add them to an army painted up like the Warrior in the background and they will instantly take over the display board.

Ok then, back to work for me.  Do check out my blog to follow the progress of this little troupe as they apply their war paints and frolic in the deathly dark.