Reaper Chronoscope 50132 Jessica Blaze, Smuggler

Jessica Blaze is a metal miniature from Reaper Miniatures' Chronoscope line. I bought this figure back in my "it looks cool, I must have it NOW" days of miniature collecting. After putting it off for multiple sci-fi games, I finally put paint on this model for Five Parsecs From Home.

I experimented with shading using highlight layers over darker coats. This technique requires more brush control than my usual reliance on washes. The outcome was mixed, so I ended up using washes on some areas to get the results I wanted.

Primer
The initial coat was a dark gray sprayed to evenly coat all surfaces. A second coat of white was sprayed from above. I recently learned that his technique has a name - zenithal priming. It gave me a better idea of which areas needed to be highlights and which would be shaded.

Skin
Reaper 98982 Golden Skin diluted with water to act as a glaze. The idea was to let the zenithal priming to show through. It didn't quite take, so I followed up with Secret Weapon W006 Parchment Wash.

Hair and Top
Reaper 09183 Cloud Pink. Highlighted with Reaper 09281 Brains Pink. The result turned out more pastel than I intended. Some Secret Weapon W025 Just Red Wash pushed the color over to the bright pink I was aiming for.

Pants
Reaper 09285 Demin Blue. Highlighted with Reaper 09057 Ashen Blue. This actually came out as desired.

Jacket, Boots, and Accessories
Reaper 09088 Stormy Grey. Reaper 09090 Misty Grey used to highlight these areas. The outcome was lighter than I intended. I used Secret Weapon W001 Soft Body Black to darken these areas and fill the recesses. A few spots turned out a little too dark, so I highlighted them with Citadel Colour Codex Grey.

Pistol
The pistol was painted using the same colors and techniques as the Jacket with one additional step. I lightly brushed on a little Citadel Colour Mithril Silver on some of the raised details to represent bare metal showing through the worn paint of a well-used weapon.

Base
I cut the miniature off its slot and glued it to a Champ Industries Industrial Design Base before priming. Even though I am happy with the brand of super glue I favor, I wonder if I should start pinning figures to such bases in the future. The base is painted with Citadel Colour Chaos Black. I diluted it for the top to fill in the recesses while not completely coating the raised areas and used it undiluted for the sides.

My experiment with not using washes turned out to need washes to get the desired results. Still, I did learn a thing or two that I can apply moving forward. And I have another sci-fi miniature suitable for Five Parsecs From Home painted and ready.