Let's get back to the grunt for the base. This is actually the first non-battle-armor infantry I've ever painted, so I actually had to achieve a real flesh tone for the exposed skin. I started out by applying the basic colors directly to the model. I used Black for the boots, rifle and chin strap; Sky Grey for the basic uniform; Neutral Grey for the vest and body armor; U.S. Field Drab for the face and hands; and finally, Gory Red for the belt and vest stripes.
If you didn't notice already, these are the same colors I've used on the mech. The main reason I did this was to have it match, as the infantry fall under the same unit as the Maelstrom. The second was that I figured the colors - although applied differently - would compliment the entire miniature instead of standing out too much.
Once all the base colors were applied, I went with a GW Brown Ink wash that was thinned with some water, Flo-Aid, and with a dab of Black paint. I applied four washes to get a nice shaded effect and to give an appearance of a combat uniform. Once that dried, a very light drybrush of Neutral Grey was applied over the boots and rifle to give some subtle highlights.
Next, I painted the nose art - starting with Ares. I used German Camo Pale Brown as the base, along with Skull White, Neutral Grey, Black and Beige Brown. Once I had the basic shapes, I began to add the details carefully using a size 00 Brush. The gold color is actually Brass, but will be highlighted with Gold later. Using Sky Grey for highlights on the straps, and some touches of Gory Red for ornamentation, really added some detail. The shading of muscles and the shield was done by blending with Black, Sky Grey and the Pale Brown.
Once Ares was complete, I painted his dog on the right arm. Using similar colors and techniques for painting his master, but adding some streaks of Grey and Black to look like fur.
Unfortunately, I didn't take step-by-step pictures of Zeus, but I did paint him using the same colors - only adding more Skull White and Grey for the beard and toga. However, I did take pictures of how I painted the lightning. Using a base of GW Imperial Purple mixed 50/50 with Ral Partha Sky Blue gave me a soft color that would help contrast the white lightning bolts. After the basic pattern was painted, I went over it with touches of thinned Ral Partha Sky Blue. While I was doing this, I also tried to add little thin offshoots of lightning to give it more realism. Finally, I added Skull White in different areas to add brightness.
Nearly finished now, I mixed some Black with a touch of Ink and Glaze Medium, so I could re-define some of the panel lines and shadowed areas. A steady hand and patience paid off.
I jeweled the laser barrel in the left arm, and added GW Boltgun Metal and GW Chainmail to the right arm barrel.
All that's left was to attach the soldier to the base, and then flock. I used superglue and various Woodland Scenics flocking to get a lush green vegetation effect. Two coats of GW Matte Sealant were used, to protect the mini and subdue any shiny spots. Once dry, GW Varnish glosscoated the cockpit glass and laser barrel.
There you have it, probably the most work I've ever put into a paint job, but definitely one of the best times I've had working on a miniature.
Regards!