There’s no question that Sigvald’s updated model provides a fantastic opportunity to practise display-painting techniques like Non-metallic Metal (NMM), smooth blending, and dramatic lighting. We expect it will be a popular entry in painting competitions for years to come.
We couldn’t wait to see some top-level work on it, so we sent copies to some of our favourite artists to see what they could do with the Prince of Slaanesh. The sharp-eyed amongst you may recognise their signature styles from similar painting extravaganzas in the past. Let’s take a look at what they’ve achieved this time around.
Vince: This was a wonderful piece to paint. Sigvald was one of my favourite models from the Old World, and I was excited to get my hands on this incredible new version.
When I sat down to paint this model, I knew I didn't want to go with the traditional gold scheme – this is the vain-glorious champion of Slaanesh after all. He needed BRIGHT colours. Pink and purple are two of my favourite colours to paint, so I knew they would be my primary palette, along with the turquoise of the rest of the cloth and the gold trim that defines the brocade armour of Chaos.
Once I was done with that, however, I wasn't satisfied. He didn't have the ‘pop’ – so I added the blue-green shadow to accentuate the transitions of the armour. Lastly, the shield was a unique challenge. As it’s called the Mirror Shield, I wanted to dive deep with a true sky-earth, Non-metallic Metal reflection scheme, reflecting the world he’s stepping into. All in all, this piece was a complete pleasure to paint, and I recommend you grab your own ASAP.
Colin: When I first saw the new Sigvald sculpt, I was excited to paint it. For inspiration, I turned back the clock to the vintage 90s Slaanesh colour palette of pink, black, white, and turquoise. Coupled with gold metallics and his flowing blonde locks, it makes for a striking combination.
I decided to have a little fun with the armour and concoct a metallic mauve panoply for Slaanesh’s favoured son. The black cape makes a great backdrop for his head, and the turquoise shield and gems add a vibrant pop of colour to compliment the scheme. You certainly aren’t going to lose track of him on the table!
For the base, I wanted to contrast the ethereal nature of the sculpt and very unnatural colouration of the model by placing Sigvald in a verdant, healthy setting. I think the followers of Slaanesh would seek out the most beautiful places in the Mortal Realms to fight their battles and exalt their god.
Andy: I was really excited to paint this miniature. The ’Eavy Metal version was a perfect inspiration, and the colour palette was right up my street. I love practising the NMM technique and combined with the excuse to paint purple, it was a win-win miniature for me.
I was delighted with how well this miniature went together – it definitely shows the advancement in miniatures design. Not only does Sigvald look incredible, but putting it together in sub-assemblies was very easy.
I wanted to paint the model with a strong light source coming from one direction. This means the light only falls on certain areas of the face, and I used the base elements, like the pillar, to help emphasise this light direction.
The folds in the cloak are well-sculpted and were such a pleasure to paint in my style. I used Screamer Pink and added a little bit of off-white for highlights. When you add white, it will desaturate the colours. We don’t always want this, but it helped make sure the cloak didn’t get too vibrant and overpowering.
I tried to do the same with the gold. Even though the contrast of light and dark is high, I avoided saturated yellows to try to make an ancient gold look. What an awesome mini!
Peter: I love to convert miniatures, and when I first saw the new Sigvald model, I knew immediately what I wanted to do with him. The ornate detailing of his armour reminded me of that worn by the Vampire Lords, so I set about making a few modifications to emphasise this aspect.
I made heavy use of the Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon kit to acquire the gorget, shoulder pads, head, and the additional armour at the top of the legs. His shield was swapped out with an Auralan Warden’s blade to mirror his rapier.
Finally, I painted the whole model in a scheme that matched the Blood Knights by using deep reds for the armour. I used cooler tones for the cloth and the base to contrast against this blood-red armour and help it stand out even further.
Richard: I started planning how to paint Sigvald as soon as I saw the reveal on Warhammer TV. The main feature of the model is the armour, so I wanted to make that eye-catching. I went with a Non-metallic Metal gold effect so I would have complete control over the reflections.
The shield was another interesting feature. My first instinct was to paint it as a silver mirror, but due to my predilection for freehand, I couldn't resist adding some to the model. I went with a vaguely daemonic face, but I didn't want it to take the focus away from Sigvald himself. To counter that, I glazed a soft light over the freehand to dull it down.
I tried to keep the face smooth and clean, with a light source towards the top left to make everything consistent and add a bit of drama. I added texture to the horns to contrast against the smoothness of the face. Finally, I kept the base simple and dark to allow Sigvald to shine.
Sam: I'm enjoying this new wave of Slaanesh designs, so I was happy to satisfy the urge to paint some of them by bringing Sigvald to life. I wanted to capture something that said “Dark Majesty” with this colour scheme. The sculpt is just right in that sense – it isn't covered in spikes, but it still conveys an evil presence.
Deep, semi-reflective armour lined with gold, lavish purple robes, reality-bending hair – it’s truly a delight for all who paint. He also comes bearing a mirror shield, how fun is that? My idea was to capture a bit of the battlefield without making a mess. I landed somewhere in the middle of that in my depiction of a burning tower, the flames of which are also reflected on his shining sword. Every piece is an experiment, I raise my chalice to Chaos and it is filled by the Dark Prince.
What are you waiting for? Grab Sigvald, Prince of Slaanesh right now and break out the brushes. If you find yourself intrigued by this stunning swordsman, you can read about his rivalry with Glutos Orscollion in the Broken Realms short story, The Golden Son.