Every so often, we come across an army that someone’s painted that completely blows our mind. That was very much the case with Jennie Ruskin’s Thousand Sons collection, so we asked her to let us know how she went about creating her stunning host.
Jennie: I fell in love with the Thousand Sons through reading Black Library fiction. I’d always loved their beautifully ornate models, and the idea of a Legion of ghosts led by powerful Sorcerers, but it was getting to know the characters that finally persuaded me I needed to collect them.
Although I’ve had many armies over the years, I’ve only ever managed to finish painting one of them before this one – my Death Guard, and they took me almost four years.* So, when I started my Thousand Sons I knew I needed a plan to make them fun and quick to paint.
I spent a lot of time working out colours and the order in which to paint them so that I could batch-paint units, and I’m so happy with the result. I enjoyed painting them a lot, and finishing the larger units quickly meant I had more time to focus on the centrepiece models, giving them some extra attention and taking them to the next level with freehand and sculpted details. This allowed me to give each Sorcerer a real sense of individuality and character.
As the majority of the troops are Rubric Marines, who are pretty much automatons, only active when commanded by a Sorcerer, it made sense to leave them relatively plain (only when compared to the Characters, mind, as their armour is beautifully detailed anyway). Instead, I focused on the Sorcerers commanding them. Being wielders of powerful magic and followers of Tzeentch means that things don’t always need to look as they should, and if I want to do something outrageous and different, I can just blame it on the Changer of the Ways.
The Thousand Sons have so much potential for crazy opportunities while building and painting them, and that really appealed to me. It’s a sort of freedom to go wild and do things you wouldn’t be able to justify as easily for other armies. The Sorcerers are often arrogant, and this gave me an excuse to make them huge show-offs, like flaunting their power by manifesting a giant phoenix or stepping out of a portal from the void.
I sculpted the phoenix, the portal, and the other clear flames using an acrylic resin with a little Contrast paint mixed in. The basic shapes were cut from a clear plastic bottle, which I then applied the resin-contrast mix to and shaped it into little spikes. It was done in many layers, leaving them to dry for a day in between each one.
The Sorcerer with the phoenix, Khem, was influenced heavily by Ctesias, one of my favourite Thousand Sons characters.** I was taken by the concept of a Space Marine who had given up their physical strength to gain mental and psychic might, and how this is reminiscent of wizards in fantasy stories. Where Ctesias is a summoner of Daemons, Khem belongs to the Cult of Magic and is flaunting his mastery over pure sorcery.
For a Daemon Prince, I decided to use the Sphiranx from Warcry. A cat with three eyes fit the theme of my army well, and I’ve always loved the model and wanted an excuse to use it. The tiny wings were originally a joke, but I loved them so much I kept them. His name is Atum, Finisher of Worlds, and you can see the void of destruction he has left behind through the portal he’s stepping from.
The two things I’ve loved most about collecting Thousand Sons are how much fun I’ve had – both painting and playing with them – and how much I’ve learned while doing so. It’s been a good mix of speed-painting and creating display pieces.
Some models, such as the Tzaangor Shaman, I painted entirely with Contrast paints and drybrushing. For others, like Ahriman, I used techniques like wet blending and freehand. This has been such an enjoyable way to paint an army with a lot of variety, and a chance to try out some new things. I can’t wait to get started on my next box of Rubric Marines and finish Magnus the Red.
Thanks, Jennie – the Sphiranx makes for a noble Daemon Prince indeed! If you’ve got a beautiful army you’d like to show off, remember that it’s not long until this year’s Armies on Parade kicks off, so you’ll have the perfect opportunity.
If you’ve been inspired to start your own army of the sons of Magnus, grab the Start Collecting! Thousand Sons set. While you’re at it, set your scryers to focus on the upcoming Hexfire battlebox that pits Castellan Crowe’s Grey Knights strike force against a host of Thousand Sons led by the new Infernal Master.
* Jennie’s Death Guard are currently on display in Warhammer World – if you’re in the area, they’re definitely worth a look.
** To find out more about Ctesias, check out John French’s Ahriman series from Black Library – particularly the short stories in the anthology Ahriman: Exodus.