"Shall We Not Revenge" - The Merchant

Would I could afford to buy my love a fine gown

Made of gold and silk Arabian thread

But, I am dead and gone and lying in a church ground

And still I push my barrow all the day

Still I push my barrow all the day

'Eli the Barrow Boy' - The Decemberists

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018 on The Art of Caesura!

I hope you've all had a great holiday and are greeting 2018 with new resolve for whatever hobby and life projects lie ahead! We had a bit of snow here in the south west of Ireland so that was quite exciting, but not as dramatic as some of the Canadian winters I grew up with!

Anyway, it has been quite a celebratory time of year here on The Art of Caesura. First we had the 100th blog post, then Christmas, New Years and in a couple weeks the 2nd birthday of the blog! So I want to cram in a couple more of the World of Smog busts that I was working on before all this excitement landed. 

The man nicknamed the Merchant tirelessly strides along the alleys of the market and questions newcomers with frantic bow strokes on his chipped and out-of-tune violin. A legend says a powerful Faerie mage, disgusted by this showman's unbearable stridency, cursed him to never leave the Shadow Market. There is a grain of truth in this tale. This satyr, despite his lack of musical ear, has an almost supernatural gift for finding amazing deals at incredible prices nobody else can match.

The World of Smog: On Her Majesty's Service

I'm going to say this right out of the gates: The Merchant is one of my favourite World of Smog minis. There, I said it. I'd even go so far as to say he's tied with The Hybrid for my fave! And I must admit, that really surprised me! 

When I first looked at him, I thought he was cool, but nothing particularly special. But as I started painting him, my opinion changed. After the bright, gaudy colours of The Comedian, I knew that I wanted to paint the next one in neutral, earthy tones. 

It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly what I love about this model so much. Long-time readers know that I love orcs and goblins, so I guess this guy sort of scratches that itch. But I think what I really like about him is that his muted tones give him some verisimilitude, making him look like he could really exist in The World of Smog. 

I had never painted blue skin before, so it was a fun challenge making that look not too bright. This was accomplished by starting with a pastel blue (The Fang) and using washes to add depth. I gave his ears and lower eyelids a lick of Druchii Violet to add some life back in. 

His hat and jacket started life Steel Legion Drab, but were grubbied up with Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade before being highlighted back up. I used gentle highlights in an attempt to give the appearance of soft worn leather. His pipe and cravat were instead shaded with the old gryphonne sepia to vary the browns and hopefully make the pipe look like worn wood.

And that's it for the first post of 2018! I'm glad to start the new year off on the right foot with a model that I especially love. See you next Friday for more on The Art of Caesura!

Reading: The Devil in the White City

Watching: Train to Busan

Next Week:

"I am [not] Zuul. I am the Gatekeeper..."