Lysander is one of those characters who already feels larger than life before you even pick up a brush. The armour, the pose, the size — everything about him screams unyielding. And that’s exactly what makes him such a rewarding miniature to paint: he’s MASSIVE, a real Imperial Fist.
For this project, I wanted to lean into that identity without drowning the model in noise. Imperial Fists yellow can easily go cartoony or chalky if handled too aggressively. On Lysander, the key was subtle modulation: a grounded base, pulled up through controlled highlights, and kept tight with carefully placed weathering. It gives the armour weight instead of gloss. AND FOR GOD SAKE STOP USING PINK TO SHADE YOUR YELLOW’S!
The shield is where the personality of the model really sits. It’s a huge, surface — perfect for telling a story, and perfect for showing every mistake. I kept it true to the studio design, adding blood, gore and weathering the hell out of it, on contrast with the slightly more polished armour.
What struck me most when painting him is how much of Lysander’s character comes from stillness. He’s not charging, leaping, or roaring. He just stands — planted, resolute, immovable. That confidence lets you simplify the paint job he doesn’t need effects to sell the moment, just a massive hammer and shield.
Basing was kept sparse and architectural. Cracked stone, desaturated debris, light dust — enough to frame the yellow without fighting it. The biggest trap with Imperial Fists is clutter; they want space to breathe.
