From SimonG: A Seductive Guardian for the Second Circle (35 points)

 For my second submission what better than a visit to the Second Circle, the Tempest of Lust. Our tour guide for the day is Barbariccia a Black Rose Wars (BRW) figure from the Inferno expansion.

Barbariccia (with the Brizzi "Inferno" [1] behind)

Now it has to be said that this interpretation of Barbariccia [2] probably owes more to Final Fantasy then she does to Dante, but as the designers of BRW are Italian we can perhaps allow them some creative licence! It is however a very clever sculpt with exceptionally clever integration of the snakes growing out of her torso.

There were two main challenges in painting this figure (apart from the obvious problem of access to the bits hidden behind snakes!). Firstly getting a believable blend between person and snake [3], and achieving the gradients of shades of gray in the snakes themselves. I believe I managed this one pretty well and am especially pleased with how the skin to snake transition came off -- aided especially by layers of shade, from darker/snakier to redder/fleshier.

Transition from human to snake!

Less happy was the second challenge -- the half face -- I struggle mightily with female faces, especially on these plastics which tend to have a rough surface and one on which it seems impossible to get a smooth single colour, let alone a blend. I think I'll need to work on my airbrushing. At least I managed to meet the Val Garland standard and get a symmetrical lip!

Much easier faces are the ones of the many snakes and I enjoyed slotting in their eyes and giving them nice glossy tongues and teeth!

Overall I enjoyed working on this figure and the challenges it presented, one of these days I might even get around to playing a game of Black Rose Wars as well!

Points wise she's a 54mm figure but with all the snakes and what not stands 80mm tall, so perhaps halfway between standing and mounted so 15 points plus a 20 point bonus for the second circle.

Next time we'll be chasing down some heretics!

[1] Highly recommended, the Graphic Novel adaptation of Inferno by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, originally in French but just published in English

[2] Barbariccia ("curly beard") is of course the guardian of Bolgia Five in the Eighth Circle and looks nothing like this character (even allowing for gender swapping!)

[3] For Barabariccia's boss, Lucifer, I opted out of the human to snake transition by painting each snake individually as a specific, highly venomous, species!

From TeemuL: I can see the painting challenges presented by this mini, especially being a larger one, but you have done a great job with her and she is of course well worth the Second Circle. I like the colours you have chosen, purple and gold are very fitting for her. Your reasoning behind the points sounds reasonable, so 35 points to you.