In our How to Paint Everything series, we take a look at how to paint well, everything, with a look at different methods from different artists. In this article we’re looking at Iceman and Shadowcat from Marvel: Crisis Protocol.
“Any time apple polisher”, delivered by Bobby “Iceman” Drake in the X-Men Animated series is an all timer of a diss that has stuck in my head for years.
Bobby makes his appearance in Marvel Crisis Protocol alongside on-again off-again girlfriend Kitty “Shadowcat” Pryde. The two have appeared in comics, shows, and movies together and are part of the latest wave of mutants for Atomic Mass Games’ comic book skirmish game.
Iceman
My normal process for painting Marvel minis is to start with an airbrushed Zenithal and hit them with Speed Paints. Iceman posed a bit of a challenge, however, given that he is all essentially one color. Speed Paints and Contrast paints can get blotchy when painted on large flat surfaces which Iceman is full of, so I took a different approach. I still started with an airbrushed Zenithal (Ulthuan Grey, Administratum Grey, and White Scar) though I kept it pretty bright.
The next step was to use a Cyan Ink (Liquitex) to paint the entire model with a bright light blue. I again used an airbrush. If you don’t have one I would consider a light blue, maybe Stormfiend Contrast paint, and do your best to keep it smooth. Multiple thinned layers would be ideal, as you are not looking to do big Contrast paint pools.
Frankly, I could have left it here for a speed paint, but I wanted to bring some extra definition in. For the next step I used ProAcryl Transparent White along with the Artis Opus wet-drybrushing technique. Because the drybrush is slightly damp and the transparent paints are glazes, the chalkiness of drybrushing is minimized. It does take multiple passes to build the white, but that just makes it easier to build brightness and definition on key spots, like his face.
That’s it! Paint your bases and Bobby is done. One of the fastest and easiest models I’ve ever painted.
Shadowcat
Shadowcat is painted almost exclusively with Army Painter Speed Paints, following the same basic steps I outlined in How to Paint Everything: Marvel Crisis Protocol in 60 Minutes. The only difference between those instructions and this model is that I applied the zenithal with an airbrush instead of drybrushing.
- Costume: Maize Yellow, and Tyrian Navy (darker blue matching her Wolverine and the X-Men costume)
- Hair: Dusk Red
- Skin: Peachy Flesh
- Lockheed: Familiar Pink, followed by Citadel Targor Rageshade
- Sentinel Arm: The arm was basecoated in Scale75 Thrash Metal followed by rough Speed Metal highlights. Then it was painted with Army Painter Speed Paint Purple Swarm, Royal Robes, and Citadel Nuln Oil, in the appropriate places.
Thank you to Atomic Mass Games for providing these models.
