ProjectBACCHAE - Leopards of Dionysos

 

The association between Dionysos and leopards runs deep in Classical art and literature - likely linked to the god's conquest of India. He is often shown accompanied by, riding on, or driving a chariot pulled by leopards or panthers. For my Fantastic Battles army, I am planning on fielding these as fantastic beasts with the ephemeral, fast, and feast traits.

The above depictions are a famous 4th C. BC Paestan krater, now in the Louvre, and a contemporary mosaic floor from Pella (and still there!). 

These 28mm beasties are from Warmonger Miniatures. They are slightly over-sized for the scale - which is a good thing for divine cats - and the moulds are getting a bit roapy around the eyes of the sculpts, but they are still a decent set.

I found the thought of painting leopard spots a bit daunting. The trick for me was to stare long enough at photos of leopards to realise the spots are all irregular, and most of them are actually tan/light brown surrounded by a darker ring. The solution: paint (inluding shade and highlight) the main fur and then apply black splots first, followed by light brown splots in the centre. It was a slow process but surprisingly easy, and the pattern distracts from the inadiquate paint job underneath!