Feldkaplan for Saints and Sinners: Army Painter Sets, Zenithal Undercoat, Clean Finishes

A Feldkaplan model submitted to the PaintComp theme "Saints and Sinners" took a deliberate turn away from heavy Grimdark shading and toward a brighter, display-quality tabletop finish. The project entry, posted January 18, 2026, laid out a compact workflow built around John Blanche Army Painter sets, a zenithal undercoat, and careful use of thinned acrylics to preserve undertones and control saturation.

The author opened with a zenithal prime to map light and shadow before laying down base colors from the John Blanche-themed Army Painter selection. That undercoat provided a consistent lighting foundation so subsequent layers could be kept thin and translucent, allowing the sculpt’s details and painted undertones to show through rather than being buried under heavy washes. Photos and step notes in the entry document the progression from prime to finished figure, showing how subtle highlights and glazing replace the deep, textured washes that often define a Grimdark approach.

Technique notes emphasize practical, repeatable choices. The zenithal undercoat served as a built-in guide for highlights and core shadows, reducing guesswork during edge highlights and preventing overworking. The author thinned acrylics to maintain brightness and undertone variation, using multiple translucent passes instead of single heavy coats. This preserved the vibrancy of the John Blanche palette while delivering the controlled contrast needed for tabletop display at standard viewing distances.

Color selection and finish choices were framed around the PaintComp theme. The saintly elements of the Feldkaplan were kept luminous and clean, while sinner cues, weathering and subtle grime, were suggested with restrained glazing rather than full-coverage washes. The result reads well from three feet away, which is crucial for display and friendly gaming tables, while still rewarding close inspection thanks to crisp edge highlights and preserved sculpt detail.

This entry matters because it demonstrates an accessible route to a refined finish without expensive airs or extreme technical steps. The workflow is equipment-light: a reliable zenithal prime, Army Painter John Blanche sets for cohesive color, a wet palette and a few glazing layers. That makes the approach useful for PaintComp entrants and painters focused on display-quality tabletop results who want to avoid the muddying effects of over-shading.

For readers, the entry is a practical nudge to try zenithal priming and thinner acrylics when aiming for clarity and color fidelity. Expect to see other PaintComp entries pick up similar techniques as competitors balance theme interpretation with readability and tabletop presence.