Those Who Trade

Even a failing colony has a middle class.

get yer $small_good here

It feels like everyone else has entered a quarantine work-from-home hellscape that, while stressful, has at least allowed a lot more time to paint. In contrast, I have had a lot less time to paint or do basically any kind of hobby work.

It doesn't help that I have a new contract, which involves supervising my old team for the next twelve months and a lot more tedious meetings.

Anyway, I have finished these four members of Colony 87's limited middle class. Why don't we pop below the cut for a longer conversation...

Syra & Ustina, socialites (and girlfriends)

I am really pleased with these two. Part of the Third Wave kickstarter, these two have been painted by Crooked Dice in a vaguely alien colour scheme, but Will Beck's original sketches give Ustina African skin tones. I'm always eager to add more non-Caucasian faces to the tabletop, so that was an easy decision.

The colours were partly inspired by this piece of Lancer art of Aun Missionaries. I didn't want them dressed identically, as that would have given 'cultist' energy instead of 'well-off middle-class shoppers' that I was aiming for. Giving Ustina a pale yellow turban helped, but the rest of the colours are brought to us by my partner, who has much better taste than me.

She also took these photos.

They're lesbians.

Drok Henkman, licensed trader and lay technician

Also from the Third Wave kickstarter after Crooked Dice acquired the range, Brother Henkman here is a small-time trader in technical gear and the occasional suspicious artefact. His red collar indicates that he has or had some training in more than the most basic mysteries of the Mechanicus. Presumably his trade in minor items is therefore sanctioned by Mars.

Lazlo Zhao, food trader

It's tempting to make Mr Zhao here into some kind of cut-me-own-throat Dibbler figure, but I kind of prefer him exactly as he is: a local food vendor, with a tray of local delicacies.

I think of his pack and tray as made of cheap ceramite - lightweight and sturdy. The straps retract, allowing the whole thing to be stored together.

The colours are intended to pick up the vaguely East Asian styling of the outfit without hopefully being too Orientalist. I did enjoy painting his weird hat like a Tau Sept drone, but it's really just a hat. The white stripe is taking advantage of a nasty mould line and making it into something distinctive rather than a giant pain in my arse.

Where the tentacle comes from on a desert planet...

Pash Grolin, wasteland trader

One of my favourite sculpts in the range, Pash Grolin is an instant classic. He's cluttered enough to be convincing as a wastelander without being covered in the tedious details that make me cranky with some modern Games Workshop sculpts.

His colour scheme comes straight out of Moebius, specifically Le Monde d'Edena and the artbook relating to it. I spent a lot of time staring at this particular image, which is where the lilac boots, purple pants and turquoise cane come from. 

Other art gives us what would be a beautiful sunset-pink coat, but I have no idea how I'd capture that in a miniature, so I went with the much safer dusty cream that we see here.

Come, friend! See the wonders the wastes can bring...

I am about to go undercoat another three civilians - but none of them are from the Colony 87 range! What might they be..?