This is the second in our series of CH Armies features and this time it is the turn of my old friend ‘Sketchy’ Adam Chandler to confess his secrets upon Interrogator Chaplain Beans slab. For my sins I have known Adam for the better part of 15 years  starting back when he was a regular customer at the comic book store in Canterbury that I worked in. Adam was a student at the time and a disgusting mosher whom I took under my wing somewhat and introduced to the local hardcore punk scene that was slowly gestating in the area. Around this time I also discovered just how talented an artist he was and quickly put him to task designing gig posters, shirts and record sleeves. His reputation as an artist  soon outgrew the confines of the local underground punk community and he eventually started producing artwork for touring bands on an international level.

Since those early days Adam has continued to work dilligently churning out oddball fanzines and eccentric artwork (as well as doing favours for whatever band I happened to be in at the time!) and in recent years has built himself a solid reputation as an excellent tattoo artist, with most members of our crew carrying his work on their skin. Adam also runs the Old Bones Bmx/Skateboarding clothing company (links in the sidebar). Some day he and I will finally get round to working on the comic book we’ve been talking about producing for the past fifteen years, but for now he is going to take us through the nuts and bolts of his sickeningly well painted Raptor Legion……
How Long have you been working on this Raptors army mate?

Been working on them for about 2 years when I started them I was waiting for the new Dark angel codex to come out so I could start a DA army, I had brought a load of vets in robes who ended up forming the start of my Raptors.

What was it that attracted you to the Raptors Legion? They are not one of the most immediate Legions that springs to mind so was it simply a case of appealing aesthetics, fluff or perhaps the scope for potential experimentation?

The first thing was the colour, I always knew I wanted to paint some of them since I first saw the picture of them in the Space Marine Codex back in 1998. It seemed more unusual to have a mute colour scheme, once I started to read the fluff I pictured them as a Vietnam Air Cav style army with lots of scouts and air support.

Being a Raven guard 2nd founding felt that there was the opportunity to do something new with them and once I had done further reading in the first Badab campaign book I was hooked. I planned to use the Dark Angel robes to kit out my second company who I set up as an advance scout and recon force that was made up of the most cunning and sneaky warriors to pass through the 10th company. I wanted the army to be based around an American Vietnam army hitting hard from the air.

Can you talk us through each of your units and key character models, give us an overview of why you chose them?

My favourite models are usual the last ones I painted I tend to put way too many hours into each model and I spend most of the painting figuring out who the model is within the army .The land raider was the last model I finished but I have some Forgeworld Recon scouts which I’ve made into a Sternguard unit almost done and a Vindicator that’s underway too.Then I’m taking a break for a bit to start my 30k Space Wolves.

The models I’ve really enjoyed painting have been the Landraider and the Centurions which I slightly remodelled because I was unhappy with how they looked straight from the box.The Terminator sergeant was a treat too as he originally started life as a leftover model from my 30k deathguard. He’s typical of what I’m trying to do with my models push lighting and battle damaged forward on each model, it takes it’s time but I’ve found it to be really rewarding.

Within our group you are known as a man who gets spectacular results with the brush even if you don’t always match that performance on the table top, can you talk us through your approach to painting these guys? Any interesting specific techniques applied?

I’ve only lost four times I’ve won way more than that. It’s those Eldar fucks and Boardmans bent Tau that I come unstuck against. In smaller battles they don’t get to have as much fun because I have to leave all the goodies out, though I do remember kicking the shit out of your Space Puppy’s. Although I also remember that my Storm Raven couldn’t get a hit on your longfangs. (Editors note: This is cobblers, it was Matt Beech’s Eldar that spanked my Wolves, Adam just drove his Rhino round the back of some ruins and took cheapshots at my Longfangs with his flyer and still missed. Little tart.)

I’ve always been a painter more than a player but I’m shifting more to the other way now as I’m enjoying the challenge.

When it comes to painting I’m always trying to push something new on to a model, I spend a lot looking at painting websites and reading the Forgeworld books for tips. The big game changer for me was using a wet pallet and painting medium to thin the paints. Sometimes a clean model can look amazing but for me I wanna make my guys look like they are fighting for their lives in some hellhole.

For me colour is the most important tool in your arsenal keep it simple and use a splash colour to link your army together. I use hawk turquoise in every model to add a really strong solid colour amongst the browns and greens.

The other rule I follow is that you should not be afraid to change something with your models if you think it looks better my Raptors change all the time especially the green base colours, I started with camo green from the old range and have since moved to Death World Forest and finally on to Castellen Green. There’s a really nice progression in my army as I’ve fallen further back into the hobby.

How long have you been involved in the hobby? Is this the first full army you’ve painted?

I got into the hobby when Heroquest came out in 1989 and when Space Crusade came out a little later I was totally hooked. It was hard getting models back then but when I first started to buy White Dwarf in 1991 I was finally able to get my hands on some of the Golden Age models like the Rogue Trader Space Marines and the first Eldar models. I played abit but was way more into the painting side. It was BloodBowl that made me really get into the player side and even when I was too busy with girls and getting wasted I still continue to paint and play Bloodbowl and Inquisitor.

This is my first big complete army but I painted a lot as a kid but there was a lot of stop starts when it came to collecting more than 1000 points money mainly and the fact there was always something new coming out , but I did manage to paint some Death guard and imperial guard. They were the first army’s I had that were at least 1000 points.

One of the things that constantly impresses me is your use of light on your models, from the simple dynamics of light and shade, the spectral glow of your lightning claws to the witchery of objective source lighting. Do you have any tips for the less gifted amongst us who struggle with achieving acceptable results?

Like I said before thin layers of wash and paint help transform your models, also GW’s new technical paints and weathering powders are game changers. The main advice though is to keep practicing and be happy with what you are achieving no matter your skill level it’s always better to be making an effort then playing unpainted models, nothing boils my blood more. Peace out.