Marc Raley: I knew from the outset that I wanted to give my Autarch a more-subtle paint scheme than is usually seen on Eldar. The trick was to achieve a that subdued scheme while still maintaining a clean, polished look.

Before I painted the Autarch, I experimented with the black and brown armor scheme on a Guardian first. I usually find it is easier to hone your palette on a couple of rank-and-file troops before moving on to a more elaborate character. I stuck with this basic black and brown look for the Autarch’s armor but used a little more color on the drapery and details. Still wanting to keep the colors muted, I used Shadow Grey for the blues and Snakebite Leather for the yellows. The only really rich color on the model is in the gems, where I used Enchanted Blue. Since the rest of the colors are so subdued, the gems really stand out on this Autarch.