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Emperors Paintbrush, otherwise known as Sion, juggles life between IT during the day and a deep-seated passion for painting during off-hours. This dedication to art often sees Sion trading sleep for more time with the brush, driven by a love for the craft that’s been unwavering since childhood. Now at 34, Sion’s journey with art, especially painting Warhammer models like the Xenos in 40K, reflects a broad palette of interests fueled by genuine enthusiasm. Having returned to painting a decade ago after a break, Sion’s engagement with painting is as vibrant as ever, blending professional life with a personal zeal for the canvas. Sion is a big fan of the XL Caps and Pinning Cork for the 360Handle from Redgrass.
I started painting minis when I was a kid. Walked past a store when I was maybe 7-8 and fell in love. I picked up many models and painted them terribly! But I loved every minute of it. Eventually I stopped painting when I became a teenager because I became more interested in sports and girls and being “cool”… when I was in my early 20s I walked past a store again and a Tau Riptide caught my eye… I fell back in love with painting in no time at all. It’s been 10 years since getting back into it and I just fall in love over and over again when I get a new mini I’m passionate about.
Honestly, there’s so much inspiration out there in the world if you’re open to it. All over the place. Nature, movies, books, box art, traditional paintings.
It’s hard to pick a single point of inspiration, but I find so much inspiration in other painters. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a huge competition painter with a massive following, or a small painter trying out something new and cool. There’s so much to be inspired by out there. Instagram is a great source of inspiration for me.
I think the models I paint are important to my inspiration too. I largely paint warhammer models and find myself getting really excited about certain models. That’s what’s most important for me. Finding something you’re excited to paint, the inspiration will flow from those outside sources.
Decent brushes top the list here. People spend so much money on models and paints, but somehow forget that good brushes are vital for painting.
Close runners up (and believe me when I say this isn’t because I’m being asked by Redgrass, but because it’s genuinely true) are my Redgrass wet palette and painting handles. They see use daily and have made my life so much easier!
I recently won a gold in the Cult of Paint Miniature Painting Open. This is my first victory in a painting competition, so I was over the moon. That felt really good.
But honestly, my proudest achievement isn’t a single moment. It’s every time someone messages me to say I’ve inspired them or they use my tutorials to bring their own models to life. It feels amazing to be seen as an inspiration, the same way I’m inspired by others. I want to continue inspiring people and being a positive force in the community.
This is such a difficult question! I think every model I’m working on at any time feels the most meaningful in the moment. But I think the model that really means the most to me is my Ogryn that I did for my first ever Golden Demon. It only got a finalist pin, but that didn’t really matter. It was the first time I’d entered a big competition and the first time I’d tried to push myself to that level. I’m still really proud of it even if it isn’t a winner! That first competition made me really want to keep trying and keep pushing myself.
I could not live without my Vallejo Model Color (VMC) black and white. They’re such key paints in any situation.
Rakarth flesh is probably next on my list. It seems to make its way in to every job I do. It always feels so versatile in its dullness.
Then I’ll round it out with VMC Royal Purple and Blue violet. I am a sucker for purple. It’s my favourite colour and these two make it so easy to paint. They’re so rich and lovely.
I don’t really have one. I think they all have their uses depending on time available, level you’re going for, finish you want to achieve. However, I’ve been really enjoying pushing my NMM skills lately. It’s something I’m still learning and it’s such a fantastic feeling when you paint something and it looks metallic! It also gives you a much greater understanding of light and materials.
The list is way too long. There are so many incredible painters and so many of them are also amazingly lovely and supportive people. To even attempt to scratch the surface I’d say Andy Wardle, Rich Gray, Albert Moreto Font, Juan (elmimiaturists), Dave Ugolini, Dave Soper, Nikolas Rubens Mortensen, David Colwell, Hendarion… I could keep going with this list forever and I feel bad that I’ve missed out so many others! This list doesn’t even include people who are just fantastic people to talk to and people who are positive forces in the community (like Matt Avis) or collectives like Cult of Paint. This space is filled with so many wonderful people!
Setting goals will vary from person to person. When you’re first starting out focus on finding what you enjoy and what feels good. Don’t worry too much about the goals at first. Some people love seeing a completed army that’s been painted quickly with less focus on detail. Others enjoy focusing all their efforts on a single model or unit, focusing on advanced techniques and detail. Some people fall between the two (this is mostly where I sit).
Once you work out what it is you want to paint, that’s when you can work on setting goals. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t quite meet those goals at first. Put the project down and do something else and come back to it. Remember, it can always wait until the next competition or the next game. If you’re not having fun and enjoying your hobby, find something else that fills you with excitement! (Bad advice for your wallet, but great advice for your enjoyment)
To be honest, it’s something I’m still working on. I’ve only started doing it over the last couple of years and it’s something I find challenging and at times frustrating, but also deeply rewarding when it goes right. For me the key principle is to keep learning and practising. I take a lot of inspiration from other painters and tutorials (like Night Shift on Youtube).
I’ve begun to realise too that it’s an element of the hobby that needs the most inspiration from real life. The more I’ve started looking at real examples, the better I’ve got. Sure, it doesn’t have to be perfectly realistic. But it helps. My biggest piece of advice would be for people to just start and give it a go. It’s an extension of your model. It can tell a story. Don’t neglect it like I did for so long. It’s a real ‘level up’ moment when it starts going right.
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