I’ve got Jakob Lynch painted, and his crew’s rapidly reaching painted completion. I admit I’m apprehensive about the female Illuminated, because there’s a dress involved and I just don’t know if I’ll do it justice.

So, we’ve got the Illuminated, which I just glued to their bases. I want the “Vomiting Brilliance onto a dude” Illuminated to be an awesome centerpiece model, but it was tricky to put together and the way the feet are set makes it hard to pose. Sadly, that has relegated him to a second-tier piece at best. When you’re playing games with sticky tack holding your figures on, the tippy-toe guy is an even bigger issue.

I’d had a whole bold plan for the entirety of Lynch’s Brilliant folks: I was going for Western Tiger Salamanders.

That was in no way what actually happened, and I’m sure I’ll return to the task in the future.

Instead, I ended up with the Hungering Darkness having some wild chiaroscuro (that’s the second time, this week, I’ve found cause to use that word) of colors. I don’t love it…but I don’t hate it either. The ‘ardcoat on the black bits helps him on the table, and the yellow and green provide a sort of otherworldly strangeness to the whole thing.

Mr. Graves, on the other hand, I found very satisfactory. I had to go with the bare-fisted build for the model, and I had to splatter him with blood. It was funny, though, that I didn’t realize the picture of the man had them; I always thought I’d seen it on someone else’s model and thought it was an awesome move. It’s still an awesome move, but I admit to feeling slightly unoriginal for doing it. Still did it, still may go back with a brush and daub some blood on the proper striking surfaces of his fists. I love the pale skin, though, and the shadows on the face play much better in person. It feels like I have a tiny Mr. Downs of my very own.

Finally, Mister Lynch himself is looking very dapper. I went with a skin tone that resembles my own, and put him in a suit like one I often wear. Not so much like, wear to important business meetings; I just straight up wear the suit, or the suit jacket, to go grocery shopping or the like. Suit jacket, toe shoes, sweatpants, irreverent t-shirt—that’s my style. The suit, proper, is powder-blue pinstripe (I have no pictures handy because I am never in pictures of any kind due to my ghostly nature). I’d considered trying to replicate that effect on the model, but ultimately decided that I’m nowhere near skilled enough to pull it off. I plan to ask my wife to do it. I also skipped the fiery skeleton guy; I don’t see the point of that guy, and don’t think he fits Lynch. He’ll find a home somewhere, as something, but he’s got nothing to do with my guy. On the other hand, I do have several Big Lebowski miniatures, which means I have several White Russians. I think one of those may find its way into his perfectly outstretched hand, though that requires me to learn how to paint glass. Much like the object-sourced lighting, I’ve read tutorials and seen examples but…euh, I just don’t have the hunger.

Also, sneaking in at the buzzer, my little buddy…the Emberling! Not remotely related to Jazzy L’s crew, but he was one of the first models I dove into painting. I’ve been working on coal/magma/molten metal stuff since the beginning. He played out much more simply than early efforts, though I didn’t quite manage the perception of glowing cracks. One of these days—probably soon, since I’m finally putting paint to my Heldrake—I’ll attempt object-sourced lighting. I just…man, I’ve seen (hell, I own) so many poor examples of that process that I’m both loathe to rely on it and intimidated by attempting it.