One of the reasons I decided to use the new Sternguard kit was that I really like the look of space marines accented with robes, cloaks, and loin clothes. Maybe it is because I also love the imagery of super heroes that I find myself wanting the same with my marines (after all, space marines are the super heroes of the 40k universe). The challenge in the past was that the only models that really had such a look were in metal or finecrap. Thankfully that has changed with the new kit and I can now expand my army to fit the idea I have had for years.
When it came to painting the loincloth, I wanted to use the scheme provided in the GW painting guide, but I did not want to use GW paints again. To this end, I needed to match-up my Vallejo paints with the ones being suggested by GW. Thankfully, DAKKDAKKA has a great conversion chart that allowed me to identify close matches in the Vallejo range. To begin the process, I painted the cloth areas with Vallejo Game Color Khaki (061). Once the paint was dry, I applied a wash of GW Seraphim Sepia. While I generally dislike the GW paint line, I do admit that their washes are superior to any other ones I have tried. When applying the washes, I apply two or three coats. The first one is a general coat over all of the khaki areas. Once the first coat has dried, I do another layer into the deeper portions of the model.
Once the washes have dried (usually a couple of hours or the next day), I begin the process of layering the highlights. I begin with a layer of thinned khaki (4:1:1) and slowly add Vallejo Bleached Bone to each new layer of the mix. As the layers become lighter, I also add Vallejo Glaze Medium and thinner to the paint to better blend the layers.
