In this episode of Lessons from the Chief Slave the Chief talks about trying out new techniques and how to learn from such experiments, even if they don't quite work.

As part of my next painting project (Trollbloods) I have decided that I am going to really push the envelope trying some new things and learning along the way. One of the greatest appeals of the Trollbloods for me was the variation in the warbeasts with fire, electricity, winter, swamp and many other elements at the play the scope for variation in the painting scheme was massive.

So after finishing my test mini I decided that it would be great to give the Swamp Troll a go and try some new things. I originally started out planning to paint him like toxic poisonous looking frog, but as he took shape the character of the miniature really suited the idea of a rancid bloated toad.

To get the look and feel that I was after I layered up the skin using reference photos of toads working up from Vallejo Game Colour Jade Green, to Foul Green, Livery Green and then touches of P3 Frostbite and Game Colour Bonewhite to the chin and gut.

I then shaded through with pastels tones of purple and various greens to give the flesh a sickly hue. At this stage things were looking good, he was basically a hybrid of Fat Bastard and Shrek and was achieving the disgusting look I was after.

I continued on painting up the tongue, leather, sacks, fish and various other details, more highlights were applied the face and everything was looking good. Reading the fluff on the Swamp Troll I decided that I wanted him pouncing from the snow (to match my snow themed Kriel).

Snow was applied to shoulders, down his back, too his hands and arms…still everything was looking great.

But now here is where everything turned for the worse. The Citadel Technical paints range had just arrived. Nurgles Rot + Swamp Troll = match made in heaven ticks over in my head. I grab a pot and am filled with a desire to get to my painting table with utter glee.

I start apply the viscous gloop under this arms, running from his fat folds out of his mouth everything was looking great. I even glazed the mini with a thinned Nurgles Rot to look like his whole body was secreting slime.

Then I decided that his ‘juices’ would be all over the snow as well and I started to mix it all together…DAMN! One step to far even though in reality this is what would probably happen, the base is now simply just too messy. There is too much going on in a small space. The mini certainly isn't ruined, but I took it too far. I should have stopped when I was happy and when it looked right (even if not completely natural). But experimenting like this how we all learn and improve as painters.

Until next time, Happy Painting.

From the Chief Slave