Tom Schadle

Tom Schadle

My introduction to the world of gaming occured in the third grade, when I received a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set. A few years later, my older sister's friend painted 8 adventurers for me as a Christmas gift -- and since then I was hooked on miniatures. I bought and painted (badly) anything I could find; mostly Ral Partha and Grenadier miniatures.

I began collecting and painting my first GW figures -- a WHFB Empire army -- in 1991, and while my style had neatened up by then, I was still using PollyS paints, and was unaware of arcane concepts like "highlighting."

The big shift came with the release of Necromunda. These were my first sci-fi figures from GW. Not only did the shift from painting 30 identical halberdiers (and still having hundreds of models to go) to painting 10 very unique models, and having a complete gaming team at the end of it help me with attention to detail, but I also switched to Citadel paints at this time. This was also the time of the red-covered Mike McVey guide to painting Citadel Miniatures (now OOP), and as I switched paints, I also read and applied what I learned from that 100-page book. Coupled with the inspiration I had from gaming every Wednesday night with a truly outstanding painter (thanks to Mark Matyas of Easton, PA), my painting really took off.

The first thing I painted in my new style with my new paints was my House Escher gang...And they happened to earn me my first Golden Demon trophy; 1st place Necromunda Gang in 1996.

I followed that in 1997 with 3 Trophies; 2nd place Epic Battleforce (White Panthers Space Marines), 3rd place Necromunda Gang (Van Saars with Bonnie Annerson and a Telekenetic Wyrd), and 3rd place WH40K Squad (Valhallan IG Heavy squad that was taken to the demons as an afterthought!). In 1998 I slowed down, and only brought home a 2nd place Epic 40K Battleforce trophy for my Valhallan Guard. I did not attend Games Day in 1999 (gasp!), but returned in 2000, receiving 2 Silvers; One for 40K squad (Dark Eldar Lord and Retinue), and another for Mordheim Warband (Witch Hunters). I missed Games Day again in 2001, but am planning on returning to Baltimore in 2002.

Again my painting style is going through yet more changes, as I experiment with non-metallic metal techniques, and slowly introduce Vallejo paints into my repertoire. I just wish that I was FASTER at what I do; these 48 Fire Warriors on my studio desk look like they will take forever!

=I= Eisenhorne

I was offered the chance to paint this fantastic model before its general release, and snatched it up! The Inquisitor range of 54mm models are truly works of art that simply cannot be copied in a smaller scale. The level of detail, especially of facial expression, is stunning, and this scale is truly a joy to work in.

I thought about what conversions I could do to the model, but quickly decided that Eisenhorn was such a great model in its own right, that I would leave it the way it was made. The only bit of "extras" was the work on the base; After sticking on a first layer of pipes, cables, and conduits, I used irregularly shaped, angled sections of 2mm plastic sheet to represent decking. I painted this in neutral greys, and weathered it with dirt and grime as well as chipping paint. With one broad hazard stripe across the decking, it was onto the model itself.

I assembled sections of Eisenhorn before painting them seperately -- the legs, the torso with arms, the head, and all the extra detail pieces such as his staff and clockwork grenade. The head was mounted on a length of paper clip to easily handle during painting. Painting the sections seperately allowed me to get to areas that would ahve been impossible to reach had I assembled the whole model.

The model was primed with Citadel white primer, and painted using Citadel paints. I am especially happy with the red marble effect of the scroll cases and sheath...And if I had him to do over, I would do his staff in this pattern as well, as they grey-marble effect I attempted on the staff did not have the same impact as the red.

I find that skulls and bone are often done in too light of a shade, giving them a "freshly washed" or plastic labarotory skeleton appearance. As the skull on Eisenhorn's staff was undoubtedly absolutely ancient, I felt a more time-worn, darker tone was required, and am quite pleased with the result.

The litany about the hem of his overcoat is a mixture of verses from the Catholic Mass as well as standard GW "bastard-Latin," and I'm not sure if it says anything important once translated, but it does add to the venerable import of Eisenhorn's character as well as continuing the standard dark Gothic theme of the 40K universe.

Eisenhorn's head was a joy to point; the sheer amount of character and personality in his visage, clearly and masterfully sculpted, seemed to let the face paint itself. And a close look inside his collar will reveal all the detailed tubes and cables protruding from the back of his skull, which were quite fun to paint in themselves.

I hope you enjoy seeing the model as much as I enjoyed painting it. It is some of my best work, yet I feel that the "Inquisitor Scale" allows for better paintwork overall. If you have the opportunity to work on one of these 54mm models, do so, as the experience of taking your time and lavishing attention on the model will improve your painting skills and give you a great amount of satisfaction.