How to Paint Raptors Chapter Power Armor

In this step-by-step Raptors Chapter painting tutorial, I’ll show you how to paint a high-contrast Raptors Space Marine power armor scheme starting from a black primer. The method combines airbrush volumetric highlights, controlled edge highlighting, dark recess shading, metallics, decals, scratches, and battle damage to create the distinctive muted grey and black appearance of the Raptors Chapter.

The key to this Raptors Chapter power armor painting guide is establishing the lighting from the very beginning. Using a simple lighting reference, we’ll build the armor highlights layer by layer, then push the contrast with selective edge highlights and bright reflection points. Finally, we’ll add metallic highlights, integrate the decals, and finish the armor with scratches and chipping for a worn battlefield look.

Whether you’re looking for a Raptors Space Marine painting tutorial or want to improve your volumetric highlighting, edge highlighting, and miniature weathering, this guide covers the complete painting process from black primer to the finished model.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Abaddon Black, Black Templar, Ogryn Camo
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Pale Grey Blue, Basalt Grey, Neutral Grey, Heavy Grey, Airbrush Thinner
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set, Pro Acryl Expansion Set Metallics GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Gaahleri	Premium Series GHPM-Mobius 0.2mm Airbrush GET 10% Discount on Gaahleri products! Discount Code: Plaguenarr

Brush Alternative

The same general process can also be completed with a brush instead of an airbrush. When adapting the technique for brushwork, use approximately twice as much Water as the amount of Airbrush Thinner used in the airbrush mixes.

For Steps 1 and 2, use the colors and mixes specified in this guide. If you prefer to apply these highlights with a brush instead of an airbrush, use the Raven Guard painting guide as a reference for the brush technique.

Step 1 – Black Primer and First Volumetric Highlights

Start with the miniature primed black.

Before applying the highlights, take a photograph of the miniature under your painting lamp and use it to simulate the light source from the angle you prefer. Keep this reference image open on a tablet throughout the painting process.

Use the reference to determine exactly where each highlight should fall and how strong it should be. Build the transition gradually between the black primer and Heavy Grey by using multiple short bursts rather than applying large amounts of paint at once.

For the first volumetric highlight layer, use a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey and Airbrush Thinner. Thin the paint to a very fluid consistency and apply it with an airbrush using short, controlled bursts.

Repeat the same process on the rear of the miniature, but keep the highlights slightly darker than those on the front.

Step 2 – Second Volumetric Highlight

For the second volumetric highlight, use a 1:1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey, Citadel – Ogryn Camo and Airbrush Thinner.

Apply this highlight more selectively than the previous layer. Concentrate the paint only on the areas where the light is strongest according to your reference image.

This second layer should reinforce the existing volumetric highlights rather than covering them completely. Keep the darker Heavy Grey transitions visible so the armor maintains a strong gradient from black through grey into the brighter highlight areas.

Step 3 – Black Base Coats

Once the volumetric highlights are complete, set the airbrush aside and move to a brush.

Base coat the following areas with a 1:1 mix of Citadel – Abaddon Black and Water:

Weapon casing
Sub-suit
Waist bags

Apply the black carefully and maintain clean boundaries around the highlighted power armor.

Step 4 – Metallic Base Coat

Base coat all metallic areas with pure Vallejo – Gunmetal Grey.

Apply the metallic paint to the relevant metal components while keeping the surrounding armor clean.

The silver metallic areas provide an important contrast against the otherwise dark and muted armor scheme, particularly on the chest eagle.

Step 5 – Metallic and Recess Shading

Shade the metallic areas and add recessed shadows to the armor using Citadel – Black Templar Contrast thinned with 2 parts Water.

Use the mixture to darken the metallic surfaces while also reinforcing the recesses between armor panels.

Work carefully during this stage and aim for clean, controlled shadows. The dark shading helps separate individual armor panels and strengthens the contrast between the black armor, grey highlights, and metallic details.

Step 6 – Apply the Decals

Apply the decals before beginning the main edge-highlighting stages.

Cover the area where the decal will be placed with Micro Sol, then position the decal on top of the solution.

Once the decal is positioned, apply another coat of Micro Sol over the top.

Allow the Micro Sol to almost completely dry. As the decal softens, gently dab the surface so the decal conforms to the shape of the armor.

This helps the decal follow curved and irregular surfaces instead of appearing completely flat on top of the miniature.

Step 7 – First Armor Edge Highlight

For the first edge-highlight stage, use a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey and Water.

Highlight essentially all of the armor edges, including edges located in the darker areas and on the rear of the miniature.

At this stage, do not be overly selective. The purpose of the first edge highlight is to establish a strong overall contrast across the entire armor of the model.

Make sure to highlight all armor edges, including those in the darkest areas and on the backside of the miniature. This broad coverage is essential for pushing the overall contrast and creating the distinctive high-contrast appearance of the Raptors Chapter armor scheme.

Step 8 – Armor Variation and Chipping

Continue using the 1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey and Water to add variation to the darker armor areas.

Use the paint to create small areas of armor chipping and surface variation. Keep the marks irregular rather than making every panel look identical.

These additional marks begin to break up the large dark armor surfaces and introduce more visual variation before the brighter highlights are added.

Step 9 – Second Armor Edge Highlight

For the second edge highlight, use a 1:1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey, Citadel – Ogryn Camo and Water.

For the second edge highlight, become more selective and focus only on the light-facing edges indicated by your reference image. At this stage, stop highlighting edges in the shadowed areas. This selective highlight placement increases the contrast between the illuminated and shadowed areas while reinforcing the direction of the light across the armor.

Step 10 – Additional Scratches and Chipping

Use the same 1:1:1 mix of Vallejo Game Color – Heavy Grey, Citadel – Ogryn Camo and Water to add additional scratches, variation, and armor chipping.

Use the brighter highlight mix to add a few extra scratches, chips, and little bits of wear to the armor. Keep the damage fairly random and concentrate it in selected areas rather than putting the same amount of chipping on every panel. Make sure the placement still follows the direction of your light source so the weathering works with the highlights rather than fighting against them.

Step 11 – Refine the Shadows

Return to the Citadel – Black Templar Contrast mix and use it to define a few soft shadows across the armor.

Use the Black Templar mix to reinforce a few of the deeper shadows and recesses. Apply it selectively to deepen the areas that need more definition, while leaving your existing highlights untouched.

Step 12 – Integrate the Decals

Use the Citadel – Black Templar Contrast mix to glaze over the decals and blend them more naturally into the surrounding shadows.

You can also use the highlight color over selected parts of the decals to tie them into the volumetric highlights and make them feel more like part of the armor.

Step 13 – Black Scratches and Battle Damage

Before the final highlight stages, use pure Citadel – Abaddon Black to add additional scratches and chips across the armor panels.

Feel free to paint some of the damage over the decals as well, which helps tie them into the weathered armor. Vary the size and placement of the scratches and chips to keep the damage looking natural and avoid a repetitive pattern.

Step 14 – Reflection Highlights

Add the next level of reflection highlights using a 1:1 mix of Citadel – Ogryn Camo and Water.

Return to the lighting reference and identify the armor edges that receive the strongest reflected light.

Apply the Ogryn Camo selectively to these areas rather than treating every edge equally. The strongest reflection highlights should remain concentrated around the areas indicated by the lighting reference.

Step 15 – Add Depth to the Armor Damage

Use Citadel – Ogryn Camo to add small highlights underneath the Abaddon Black scratches and chips.

Place these small marks directly beneath selected areas of dark damage. This creates additional depth and helps the scratches and chips read as part of the three-dimensional armor surface rather than as flat black lines.

Keep these highlights small and controlled so they remain secondary to the main armor highlights.

Step 16 – Sub-Suit Highlights

Move on to the sub-suit using a 1:1 mix of Basalt Grey and Water.

Apply the mixture to all raised areas of the sub-suit, following the sculpted forms and folds.

The transcript does not specify a manufacturer for Basalt Grey, so no manufacturer is assigned here.

Step 17 – Refine the Sub-Suit

Apply a smaller and more selective version of the previous highlight using a 1:1 mix of Neutral Grey and Water.

Concentrate the Neutral Grey on the more prominent raised areas of the sub-suit, leaving the previous Basalt Grey layer visible around the transitions.

This creates a second level of contrast without flattening the texture.

Step 18 – Final Sub-Suit Reflections

Finish the sub-suit with small reflection highlights using a 1:1 mix of Pale Grey Blue and Water.

Apply these highlights selectively to the areas catching the strongest light. Keep the marks small so they function as final reflections rather than another broad layer of coverage.

Step 19 – Final Metallic Highlights

Highlight the metallic areas with a 1:1 mix of Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl – Silver and Airbrush Thinner.

Focus the brightest silver on the raised metal surfaces, sharp edges, and bolts.

Concentrating the silver on these areas creates stronger reflective contrast while leaving the darker Gunmetal Grey and Black Templar shading visible underneath.

Step 20 – Final Details

Finish the miniature by painting the eye lenses and completing the remaining details.

Final Result

The finished Raptors Chapter scheme combines a predominantly black armor foundation with controlled grey volumetric highlights, selective grey-green edge highlights, strong metallic contrast, and layered battle damage.

The most important part of the process is maintaining a consistent lighting direction. Use the reference image throughout the painting process to determine where the volumetric highlights, selective edge highlights, reflection highlights, and final surface details should be placed.

The result is a muted but highly contrasted power armor scheme with strong definition across both the armor panels and metallic details.

Legio Custodes – Leather, Fabrics and Gemstones

The rich red fabrics, deep leather tones, and bright gemstones are what give Adeptus Custodes their visual hierarchy and character. In Part One of this guide, we established a clean metallic foundation using thin films, low‑tension washes, and controlled volumetric highlights. This second part builds on that base by developing the contrasting materials that frame the armor: the cloak, leather straps, unit markings, and gemstones.

The goal is the same—smooth transitions, crisp definition, and strong material separation—using a repeatable workflow that keeps the miniature readable at arm’s length while still rewarding close inspection. All steps shown here were demonstrated on the same Shield‑Captain used in Part One, ensuring full continuity between both guides.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Mephiston Red, Khorne Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Wild Rider Red, Squig Orange, Jokaero Orange, Abaddon Black, Kantor Blue, Thousand Sons Blue, Sybarite Green
P3	Morrow White

Step 1 – Leather & Leg Fabric Basecoat

Basecoat all leather parts and the fabric sections on the legs with a 3:1 mix of Khorne Red and Abaddon Black. These leg fabrics sit at awkward angles, so starting darker makes the later highlight stages cleaner and more controlled. Use thin, even layers to avoid texture buildup. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 0).

Step 2 – Main Fabric Basecoat

Basecoat all cloak fabrics, the helm plume, and unit markings with Mephiston Red thinned 1:1 with water. This mix requires around three coats for full coverage but preserves all sculpted detail. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 0).

Step 3 – Leather Recess Shading

Shade all leather recesses with a 1:1:1 mix of Mephiston Red, Abaddon Black, and Water. Apply this selectively into folds, undercuts, and deep lines to establish structure. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 0).

Step 4 – Leather Highlights (Khorne Red)

Using pure Khorne Red, begin highlighting all leather areas. Use volumetric highlights on raised, light‑facing surfaces and add sharper edge highlights to corners for definition. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 00). Optional: A gel pen can help refine micro‑edges.

Step 5 – Leather Highlights (Khorne Red + Squig Orange)

Mix 1:1 Khorne Red and Squig Orange and repeat the previous highlight pattern. Reduce the size of both volumetric and edge highlights by roughly one third to build a clean transition. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 00).

Step 6 – Final Leather Highlights (Squig Orange)

Finish the leather with pure Squig Orange. Add small, bright reflections on raised areas and crisp edge highlights on corners to create a polished finish. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 00).

Step 7 – First Fabric Highlights (Mephiston Red Glaze)

Create a 1:3 mix of Mephiston Red and Water and apply volumetric glaze highlights across the cloak and leg fabrics. Push the highlights toward the upper, light‑facing areas while keeping lower sections darker for natural shadowing.

Step 8 – Soft Cloak Shadows (Khorne Red Glaze)

Mix 1 part Khorne Red with 2 parts Water and glaze soft shadows into the lower folds and recesses of the cloak. Apply 2–3 thin layers to build smooth transitions.

Step 9 – Deep Cloak Shadows (Khorne Red + Abaddon Black)

Mix 2 parts Khorne Red, 1 part Abaddon Black, and 3 parts Water to create a deep shadow glaze. Use it in two ways:

As a recess shade: load the brush and place it directly into panel lines and edges.
As a glaze: wipe most paint off and glaze into the deepest folds for rich shadow depth.

Step 10 – Midtone Restoration (Mephiston Red)

Use a 1:1 mix of Mephiston Red and Water to restore midtones, smooth transitions, and add highlights to raised areas that may have been dulled during shading. Brush: Artis Opus Series S (Size 1).

Step 11 – Intense Highlights (Evil Sunz Scarlet)

Mix 1 part Evil Sunz Scarlet with 1 part Water and apply intense highlights to raised fabric areas. Blend softly into the layers below to maintain smooth transitions. Add small reflection points on areas that should visually pop. Also apply these highlights to the leg fabrics.

Step 12 – Final Fabric Highlights (Wild Rider Red)

Mix 1 part Wild Rider Red with 1 part Water and add thin edge highlights to all fabric edges and corners. Place small, bright reflection dots on raised areas to increase overall contrast. Repeat this on the leg fabrics as well.

Step 13 – Gemstone Basecoat

Basecoat all gemstones with a 1:1 mix of Kantor Blue and Water. Apply one smooth, even layer.

Step 14 – Gemstone Midtone Highlight

Mix 1:1:1 Thousand Sons Blue, Sybarite Green, and Water. Paint a highlight covering roughly one third of the gemstone, placed on the shadowed side to create depth.

Add a small dot highlight on the opposite side to simulate a light reflection.

Step 15 – Bright Gemstone Highlight

Add one part P3 Morrow White to the previous gemstone mix and repeat the highlight pattern with a smaller shape. This increases contrast and curvature.

Step 16 – Final Gemstone Reflections

Use pure P3 Morrow White to:

Place a crisp white dot at the center of the previous highlight for maximum brilliance

Add a thin reflection line in the shadowed area

Intensify the upper reflection dot

Legio Custodes – Easy True Metallic Gold Armor

Thin, believable metallics are one of the hardest things to get right on Adeptus Custodes. In this first part of my Custodes TMM guide, I break down a complete armor and metallics workflow built around ultra‑thin metallic films, low‑surface‑tension washes, and controlled drybrushing. The goal is a repeatable process that keeps the gold rich, the silver cool and sharp, and the overall read clean—without using any masking.

This article covers every step I used on a Custodes Shield‑Captain, from the first black prime to the final micro‑highlights on the armor. Part two will focus on the cloak, leather and gems, and how they tie into this metallic foundation.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Basilicanum Grey, Lahmian Medium, Guilliman Flesh, Talassar Blue
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Expansion Set Metallics GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Gaahleri	12 Metal Colors Set GET 10% Discount on Gaahleri products! Discount Code: Plaguenarr
Vallejo	Pigment FX, Burnt Sienna, Airbrush Thinner, Airbrush Flow Improver, Dark Aluminium

Step 1 – Prime and preparation

Prime the miniature black. I work in sub‑assemblies so I can reach awkward angles and covered details without building up unnecessary paint thickness. A clean black prime gives strong shadow definition and makes it easier to judge the transparency of the metallic layers.

Step 2 – Gold basecoat with thin metallic film

For the gold armor, I use Gaahleri Kaleido Acrylics – Champagne Gold. The key idea here is film thickness: I want a very thin metallic layer that doesn’t obscure detail or look “chunky”. With an airbrush, apply multiple ultra‑thin passes until you reach an even coverage. If you’re using a brush, work with several very thin coats instead of one heavy layer. The paint’s fluidity and fine pigment help keep the surface smooth.

Step 3 – Low‑surface‑tension wash for gold shading

To establish initial shading without shifting the gold too far in color, I mix a custom low‑surface‑tension wash:

5 drops Guilliman Flesh
3 drops Lahmian Medium
2 drops Airbrush Thinner
1 drop Flow Improver

The medium and thinner reduce surface tension so the wash flows into recesses instead of staining flat areas. Apply this panel by panel over the gold armor, letting it settle into lines and undercuts. This creates warm red‑brown shadows while preserving the main Champagne Gold tone.

Step 4 – Rebuilding gold midtones with drybrushing

After the wash, the gold can look slightly dulled. To bring the midtones back and start building volume, I drybrush Gaahleri – Champagne Gold again. I use an Artis Opus Series D (Size M+) with a texture palette and dampening pad. Load the brush, work most of the paint out, then use circular motions over the armor. This technique rebuilds the gold on raised areas while leaving the shaded recesses intact, creating soft volumetric highlights.

Step 5 – Bright gold volumetric highlights

Next, I push the highlights with Pro‑Acryl – Bright Gold. This paint has very fine, strong pigments and a fluid consistency, which makes it ideal for thin, bright layers. Using the same Series D (Size M+) brush, I drybrush in circular motions again, but now I focus on upper and forward‑facing surfaces: chest, shoulders, helmet crest, and other areas that would catch the most light. This step establishes a clear light direction and a brighter gold read without losing the underlying tone.

Step 6 – Silver basecoat

Before finishing the gold, I block in all silver metallics with Vallejo – Dark Aluminium. This includes the sword, crown, power cables, subsuit, helmet details and shield elements. Doing this at this stage lets me handle later drybrushing and highlighting across all metallics more efficiently, instead of treating gold and silver completely separately.

Step 7 – Cool low‑tension wash for silver

For the silver shading, I want a cooler, slightly blue recess tone to contrast the warm gold. I mix another low‑surface‑tension wash:

5 drops Basilicanum Grey
2 drops Talassar Blue
6 drops Lahmian Medium
6 drops airbrush thinner
1 drop flow improver

Apply this mix panel by panel over the silver areas. The Basilicanum Grey and Talassar Blue combination creates a blue‑grey shade that settles into recesses and grooves, giving the silver a cool, slightly Grey Knights‑inspired feel that plays nicely against the red‑tinted gold shadows.

Step 8 – Muting the blue with a silver drybrush

After the wash, the silver can look a bit too blue. To balance it, I lightly drybrush Vallejo – Dark Aluminium again. Here I switch to an Artis Opus Series D (Size XS+) for better control on small details. With minimal paint on the brush, gently pass over raised areas to reintroduce neutral metallic midtones while keeping the cool recesses intact.

Step 9 – Sharp silver edge highlights

With the silver balanced, I add sharp highlights using Pro‑Acryl – Silver. Using an Artis Opus Series D (Size S+), I apply precise edge strikes to armor trim, bolts, weapon edges and other hard lines. The goal is to increase perceived sharpness and material definition without overwhelming the gold or turning the whole scheme too silver. Keep the highlights selective and controlled.

Step 10 – Deep silver recess glazes

To push depth in specific areas, I mix a glaze on the wet palette:

2 parts Basilicanum Grey
1 part Talassar Blue

With an Artis Opus Series S (Size 1), I wipe most of the paint off and glaze this mix into the deepest recesses of the silver—sword grooves, undercuts, and shadowed mechanical details. For very deep recesses, you can load the brush a bit more and carefully flood the area. This adds a final layer of depth without creating harsh transitions.

Step 11 – Gold armor glazes

Now I return to the gold to unify the tones. I thin Guilliman Flesh with water to a glazing consistency and apply it with an Artis Opus Series S (Size 1). Glaze into panel lines, undercuts and shadowed areas of the gold armor. This step reintroduces warmth into the shadows and ties the Champagne Gold and Bright Gold layers together into a cohesive surface.

Step 12 – Final edge and spot highlights

The last step for the metallics is micro‑highlighting. With an Artis Opus Series S (Size 1) and Pro‑Acryl – Silver (or a similar bright metallic), I place tiny spot highlights and edge lines on the sharpest armor edges, bolts and weapon tips—both on gold and silver areas. These small, high‑value points are what make the metal look crisp and finished when viewed at arm’s length.

Second Edition Ultramarines Painting Guide

This is a step-by-step painting tutorial showing how I recreated the classic Eavy Metal Second Edition Space Marines style. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the iconic bright armor colors, crisp highlights, and bold details that defined the 1990s Warhammer 40K aesthetic. Perfect for hobbyists who want to capture that nostalgic look or learn the fundamentals of clean, competition-level miniature painting.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Flash Gitz Yellow, Wild Rider Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Ironbreaker, Caledor Sky, Contrast Medium, XV-88, Warplock Bronze, Basilicanum Grey, Iyanden Yellow, Flesh Tearers Red, Snakebite Leather, Blood Angels Red, Ultramarines Blue, Teclis Blue, Lothern Blue, Trollslayer Orange, Balor Brown, Warboss Green, Straken Green
Vallejo	Premium Satin Varnish
Army Painter	Moon Dust, Military Shader

Dark Angels Deathwing 40k speed painting guide

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer 40k Space Marine Deathwing Terminator of the Dark Angels Chapter.

This is another of the guides where i tried to create a more Eavy Metal styled guide, by still maintaining time efficiency while painting.

For the whole mini including the base the process took around 3.0 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Contrast Medium, Black Templar, Screaming Skull, Fire Dragon Bright, Gore Grunta Fur
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish, Basalt Grey, Neutral Grey, Pale Grey Blue
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Space Wolves 40k speed painting guide

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer 40k Primaris Assault intercessor Space Wolve in Mark X Armor.

For the whole mini including the base the process took around 3.0 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Contrast Medium, Black Templar, Ultramarines Blue, Fire Dragon Bright, Doombull Brown, Yriell Yellow, Yriell Yellow
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish, Dark Grey, Neutral Grey, Pale Grey Blue
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Crimson Fists Easy Eavy Metal Color scheme

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer 40k Primaris intercessor Crimson Fists Space Marine in Mark X Armor.

The idea behind this paint job was to narrow down the Eavy Metal painting style to its basics, and provide you ways how to achieve a Eavy metal look with speed painting patterns.

Let me know if you like this kind of painting style and guide and we will make a series out of this!

For the whole mini including the base the process took around 2.5 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Abaddon Black, Kantor Blue, Caledor Sky, Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Contrast Medium, Black Legion, Fire Dragon Bright
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Mechanicum Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer Horus Heresy Mechanicum Thallax battle automata. It includes a full voice description of all the necessary steps and color mixtures. There is also a green OSL Plasma guide included
For the whole mini including the base the process took around 4 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Ironbreaker, Khorne Red, Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Abaddon Black, Black Templar, Contrast Medium
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Satin Varnish,Neutral Grey, Basalt Grey, Pale Grey Blue
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set, Pro Acryl Expansion Set Metallics GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR

Raven Guard Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer Horus Heresy Raven Guard Legionary Space Marine in Mark VI Armor and Jump Pack. It includes a red glowing eyes tutorial.
For the whole mini including the base the process took around 2.5 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Ironbreaker, Black Templar, Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish, German Grey, Neutral Grey, Basalt Grey
P3	Morrow White
Schmincke	burnt Sienna, ivory black
Microscale	Micro Sol

Dark Angels Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer Horus Heresy Dark Angels Legionary Space Marine in Mark IV Armor. It includes a red glowing eyes tutorial.

https://youtu.be/_44RSTmo4Yg

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set, Pro Acryl Expansion Set Metallics, Pro Acryl Expansion Set Transparents GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Imperial Fists Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer Imperial Fists Mark VI Legion Command Space Marine from the Horus Heresy. It includes a blue glowing eyes tutorial.
For the whole mini including the base the process took 3 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Ironbreaker, Contrast Medium, Darkoath Flesh Contrast, Imperial Fists Contrast, Doomfire Magenta Contrast
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Death Guard Grimdark Color Scheme and OSL

This video is a quick overview of how I paint a Warhammer Death Guard Mark III Space Marine Armor from the Horus Heresy. It includes a green glowing eyes tutorial and how I painted the OSL effect on the Plasma Gun and armor
For the whole mini including the base the process took 3.5 hours.

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Ironbreaker, Contrast Medium, Darkoath Flesh Contrast
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl	Pro Acryl Base Set GET 5% Discount on Monument Hobbies products! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Microscale	Micro Sol

Blood Angels Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview how i paint a Warhammer Blood Angels MK VI Space Marine Armor from the Horus Heresy. This Video also includes the steps for armor chipping and battle damage

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Abaddon Black, Gore-Grunta Fur, Contrast Medium, Black Templar, Mephiston Red, Wild Rider Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Ironbreaker
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Gold, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish
Scale75	Dwarven Gold
Microscale	Micro Sol

Ultramarines Grimdark Color Scheme

This video is a quick overview how i paint a Warhammer Ultramarine MK VI Space Marine Armor from the Horus Heresy. This Video also includes the steps for armor chipping and battle damage

The Base paint job i show in this tutorial needs around 2.5h.
For the whole mini including basing it took 3.5h.

Colors and materials Used in this Guide

Brand	Name
Artis Opus	Series D – Brush Set, Series S – Brush Set GET 5% Discount on Artis Opus Brushes ! Discount Code: PLAGUENARR
Citadel	Macragge Blue, Calgar Blue, Abaddon Black, Gore-Grunta Fur, Contrast Medium, Black Templar, Kantor Blue, Fenrisian Grey
Vallejo	Gunmetal Grey, Gold, Premium Gloss Varnish, Premium Satin Varnish
Scale75	Dwarven Gold
Microscale	Micro Sol

Salamanders armor and freehand flames

Another Quick painting guide, how I painted a Grimdark Salamanders Horus Heresy MK VI Space Marine. The Video also includes a guide how you can easily paint freehand flames on shoulder pads.

The base process of painting the armor I show in this video takes around 2h of painting time.

Alpha Legion Color Scheme

Here is one of my first quick video Guides that shows how i painted my Alpha Legion Armor on my Combat Patrol

So you want to join the Scarlet Crusade?

A Warhammer / Warcraft Scarlet Crusade Crossover

Last year i started with a concept mini of a Black Templar colorscheme that is a little bit more outstanding then the regular black versions.

So i researched a couple of crusader style colors in the depths of the world wide web, and then there was this moment that brought me back to some old World of Warcraft times…

What if i paint some Scarlet Crusade style?!

With that idea in mind i took a looking a couple of Artworks about the scarlet crusade and realized that i have one big problem with that idea. There are no logos or decals of the logos…

Okay, challenge accepted! So i have to test freehand painting!

So i started with the freehand which took me around two evenings of painting. As i saw the final result of the freehand i was so proud of it, that i thought, lets try hard with the model!

Here is the final result:

Armies on Parade 2024

Based on the feedback of my Armies on Parade 2023 diorama i decided to join the next competition again.

The are a couple of ideas in my mind, stay tuned for updates about it!

Leviathan Space Marine Combat Patrol

A couple of weeks ago i went to my local Warhammer store and viewed because of a rainy day a starter game from the 10th Edition of Warhammer 40k. As i saw that the new combat Patrol system is a easy stating point for the 10th edition and also realized that the Space Marine Combat Patrol only includes 12 models i decided to start a quick combat patrol painting project.

Alpha Legion Armor Video Guide: Link

Also one of my loved local Warhammer store workers who is a big Alpha Legion fan announced that he will leave the GW family for a new carrer. And an Idea was born…

So i wanted to paint all the Combat Patrol units in a Alpha Legion theme to honor my local Warhammer store worker called “Mark”.

As a Start Point and schedule i decided to almost use “speed painting patterns”. So i gave myself around 3-4h for every unit model and about 10h for each of the character models.

Half on the way to the goal i ran into a post of a Alpha Legion Member that decloaks and i was addicted to the idea that at least the Captain needs this awesome effect painted on.

Here are the final results of the combat patrol painting:

Adeptus Arbites NMM

As i saw the Adeptus Arbites Miniature of the month May 2023. I almost instandly got a a flashback about the 1987 released movie RoboCop and got in love with the model.

Thats why i decided to join another miniature of the month painting competition.

As i thought a bit foward about the movie i got the idea that i would be a awesome basic scheme to paint the armor in metallic style instead of black.

After i practiced some simple NMM (non metallic metal) parts on multiple models i decided that this might be the right time to paint a whole miniature in NMM.

This is how it came out:

Armies on Parade 2023

In November 2022 in the middle of a visit in my local Warhammer store i decided by fun to join the miniature of the month painting competiotion with the Lumineth Realm-Lords Archer.

I was verry surprised that i won and got motivated by former Golden Daemon Winner Mattias Winter to try more competition painting.

This brings me to a story addicted to my short About Me first Warhammer journey. In all those years off from the hobby. There was always this one story in the Warhammer universe i could never forget about.

Horus vs. Emperor of Mankind

As i discovered on my return to the hobby that there is now a whole game about this Warhammer era called “The Horus Heresy” i was so fascinated that i decided i need a Sons of Horus Army with the Warmaster himself.

What brings me back to 2022…

As Games Workshoup in March 2022 annouced a new Horus Heresy Version even with new models i decided this is the time to start a Sons of Horus Project!

With this in mind and the motivation of Mattias Winter the project for Armies on Parade 2023 was figured out…

This Post will be the diary of the whole project and will track my progress of thinking, building, painting, struggeling, hopes and also fears…

The Offical Schedule

January – February: New Year New Army
March – April: Supreme Command
May – June: Gods of War
July – August: Magicans and Machines
September – October: Battlefront
November: The Grand Finale

The Project

So the basic idea of the wohl proect is a Sons of Horus Army thats full Eavy Metal level painted.

It was always one of my dreams to have atleast one full display army. The Army Will contain arround 4k Points including the new Horus the Ascenden Model

These are the Current models the project will include:

HQ
- Horus Lupercal the Ascended
- Maloghurst the Twisted
- Ezekyle Abaddon
Core
- Legion Tactical Squad MK IV
  - Legoin Drop Pod
- Legion Tactical Squad MK IV
  - Legion Rhino
Elite
- Contemptor-Dreadnought
  - Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod
- Contemptor-Dreadnought
- Contemptor-Dreadnought
- Justaerin Terminators
Support
- Legion Land Raider Spartan
- Legion Kratos Heavy Assault Tank

The assembling process

First things first…

So as the offical schedule proposes i started a new army…

So i decided to assemble all the minis nefore i start to drop any paint on a mini.

I started the assembling process in the holidays of chrismas and my goal was to finish all of them at new year’s eve exept for horus and the Justaerin Terminators… Horus wasent even available to this time. And the Justaerin just came up as i started to plan the scenery….

The be honest… i fnished the assembling process on February the 10th… The good news is that Horus and the Justaerin where also ordered and finished at this time.

If you dont kitbash assembling in my opinion is one of the most boring parts in the hobby… i thought until i was finished with lets say 75%. After this marker i gopt so motivated by the pile i allready finished, that i really enjoyed even the assembly process at this point.

Im really sure that for future projects like this i have a new point of view to the whole building process and can much more enjoy it!

Building the HQ And It´s scenery

With the concept in mind to build an environment based on the heresy 2.0 trailer i started to think about how to build a scenery that will achiev the first real goal on the official schedule.

So this little piece of scenery should be a small diorama at its own and put all the focus on the warmaster itself without stealing him the whole show. It should also fit all together as a centerpiece on the wohle board later on.

Inspired by the Horus Ascended Diorama base i decided to arrange some Imperial Fist corpses arround the whole HQ.

Horus should be in the center so that he gains most of the attention. The corpses will be focus arranged arround him. To keep the scenery authentic and push also a small amount of attention to Maloghurst i decided to use his pose targeting a enemy, to let him shoot a Imperial fist within the scenery.

Abaddon will in this scenery join the battlefield in the background supported by his mighty Justaerin and a awesome looking Spartan Assault Tank.

Here the first impressions…

The photos where taken at February 18 and i started to feel some pressure about finishing the HQ until the end of April.

First drops of paint

With the pressure in mind i decided to start painting even if the diorama scenery was not finished

The Painting Order should be the following:

Maloghurst the Twisted (to transfer my basic scheme on a character)
Ezekyle Abaddon (to develop and train me the black armor scheme for Horus)
Horus Ascended (to apply all ive learned and get the best possible result)

Maloghurst the Twisted

To be honest… i allready started to pait the Maloghurst model at the end of 2022.

After i developed the armor colors on the first 5 MKVI Space Marines long time before i decided to join Armies on Parade with Sons of Horus i started to paint Maloghurst with the same scheme to see if it fits together with the gold parts.

After i achieved that step i stopped painting the model… i got a real lack of motivation with all the details on the whole model.

With the Armies on Parade challange in mind i found the motivation to finish the model

But it took me still two more weeks to finish. The photos where taken on the 3rd of March 2023

Here the final result:

Ezekyle Abaddon round one

This ist the first horror storry i’ve to tell within the project…

I started to paint Abaddon with the intention to prepare a colorscheme formula for the armor that i can trasfer the to Horus and the Justaerin and wanted to try a red OSL effect on the face that is based on a guide from Richard Gray.

I was really happy with the result and finished the model on 17th of March 2023. A Day later i want to give the model a varnish coat and finish the base.

This is wehere the horror begun…

I accidently used a gloss varnish instead of a satin. I panicked and before the gloss varnish was dry and sparyed a satin varnish coat over… this ended up i sparkelig on the armor and i had to repaint the whole model…

Ezekyle Abaddon round two

After this really frustrating expirinece i needed another two weeks to paint Abaddon…

The bright side with the previous accident… I was even more happy with the new final result of the model.

Here the final result:

A two week setback on the whole project is really hard. Im now in a situation where iam not able to finish Horus and the Whole HQ including the diorama base within the official schedule at the end of april…

Stay tuned for more updates…

Horus Ascended

As soon as i finished Abaddon i directly started with the painting of Horus. This model has so much details that i used 6 days of my vacation to paint most of the model within the offical schedule. I painted on this vacation days arround 14-16 hours. On my regular wor days i painted arround 4-6 hours a day on the model.

As i finished arround 70% of the model i got knocked out by a COVID infection. With this infection i lost another 10 days on the whole project. At this point i was sure that iam not able to finish horus and the diorama base within the april timeline for the first official goal.

After i got healthy again i finished painting Horus on 22nd of April 2023. With the vaccation and my regular work days combined it took arround three weeks and arround 120h of painting at all.

In case of the time pressure i only took one picture of the finished model until now. I also didnt finish the base at this stage because i decided to paint it parallel to the diorama base in case of fitting together. I will uploade more detailed pictures of horus in a couple of days

But here atlleast one picture of the final result:

The HQ Diorama Base / Center piece

My deadline to finish the diorama base was on 27th of April 2023. The major problem was that i had a all day appointment on this date. And the weekend was planned with a friend that i only see once a year.

So i only had 4 days left to assemble the diorama base and paint the whole stuff on it including the Horus Base.

I developed the plan to finish the building and assambling within Sunday 23rd of April 2023. And using speedpainting techniques to finish the painting within the 3 days left.

Luckly i allready assembled all the corpses and pieces i wanted to use on the base so i only hat to remove the mold lines and assemble the scenery.

It took me still a whole day to finish the assembling the secnery. But i with a little night shift i finished arround 11.40 p.m. on Sunday 23rd of April 2023.

From now on i only had arround 6-8 hours a day with only 3 days left to paint the whole stuff.

My recipie to still hit the goal had the following steps:

Imperial Fists Units
- basecoat with Citadel – Mournfang Brown
- zenithal highlights with a 50:50 mix of Citadel – Mournfang Brown and P3 – Morrow White
- spot highlights with P3 – Morrow White
- apply Citadel – Imperial Fists Contrast paint all over the models
- basecoat metal parts with Vallejo – Gunmetal Grey
- basecoat black parts with Citadel – Abaddon Black
- edge hightlight black parts with Citadel – Mechanicus Standard Grey
- apply decals with microset
- apply Vallejo – Gloss Varnish
- Oilwash with 50:50 mix of Schmincke – burnt sienna and Schmincke – ivory black
- wait until the next day
- rub off unwanted remains of oilpaint with makeup tips
- apply Vallejo – Satin Varnish
- basecoat the eyes with Citadel – Abaddon Black
- paint 60% of the eye lense with Citadel – Mechanicus Standard Grey
- paint 30% of the eye lense with Citadel – Eshin Grey
- paint a small white dot into the upper corner with P3 – Morrow White
- apply a small amount edge hightlights and glazes on focus parts with Citadel – Yriel Yellow
- apply some chipping with a sponge and Citadel – Rhinox Hide
- apply some blood with Citadel – Blood For The Blood God
Stone Terrain and Bricks
- basecoat with Citadel – Mechanicus Standard Grey
- shade with a 50:50 mix of Citadel – Black Templar Contrast paint and Water
- drybrush with Citadel – Mechanicus Standard Grey
- drybrush the light catching areas with Citadel – Eshin Grey
Steal Beams and metal Areas
- basecaot with Vallejo – Gunmetal Grey
- shade with a 50:50 mix of Citadel – Black Templar Contrast paint and Water
- apply a small amount edge hightlights with Vallejo – Silver
Terrain Ground
- basecoat with Citadel – Doombull Brown
- apply Vallejo – Pigment Binder
- apply Vallejo – Burnt Sienna

I was note able to apply the terrain effects until 26th of April 2023 so i reached the deadline of 27th of April 2023 without a finished terrain. Luckily my all day appointment on 27th of April 2023 was earlier over then expected! So i had another 2 hours to finish the terrain effects and was able to hand out my entry on 28th of April 2023 to my local Warhammer Store – Stuttgart ! I can tell you that was until now the hell of a journey!

Here the picture of the finished center piece for the project:

In case of the commitment i have done to finish the project this post has home kind of information lags about the rest of the process since the April part. I will update some more kind of information about similar other steps in the next couple of weeks

Showdown

On the 18th of November the final showdown came up! Ive cut some models out of the former planned diorama in case of space and time problems.

All i can say about time is that i took around 1000h of work to finish the Diorama to this stage.

But even with lesser models its even im my eyes a stunnig project. And with all the Eavy Metal painted models on the Board a Childhood Dream of a Eavy Metal painted Warhammer Army finally has become true!

And even more i also won the cup of our store competition!

Here the final pictures with some close captures:

Color Comparison- True metallic metal

Introduction:

With the upcoming Hexfire release i decided to paint some Grey Knights. I also thought this is maybe a good time to figure out some prejudice with metallic colors the community has in mind.

Most miniature painters say that GW metallic colors are bad for painting becuase of there small proportion to metallic pigments and the thickness.

With my ongoing research to what colors i will bench against each other i also find out that there are diffrent primers that will have impact on the result of painting metallic metal. So i decided also to bench the results of a regular primer and a metallic primer. The research also showed up that most of the pro painters that using true metallic metal colors using vallejo or GW colors to paint there models.

This is why i came up to paint 4 models at the end of the day. I needed to paint 2 diffrent color types with 2 diffrent primers.

I marked all the modells at the bottom with a series of letters to define how they will get painted.

Definition of marks

VM GW – vallejo matt primer, Games Workshop colors
VG GW – vallejo gloss primer, Games Workshop colors
VM V – vallejo matt primer, vallejo colors
VG V – vallejo gloss primer, vallejo colors

But before we start to paint lets take a lookon all the colors i used for the comparsion.

Primers

vallejo – Black surface primer (74.602) – matt
vallejo – Black surface primer (77.660) – gloss

Games Workshop metallics

Citadel (Base) – Leadbelcher
Citadel (Layer) – Runefang Steel
Citadel (Layer) – Stormhost Silver

vallejo metallics

vallejo – Dark Aluminium (77.703)
vallejo – Silver (77.724)
vallejo – Aluminium (77.701)

General colors – All models

vallejo – Black (70.950)
vallejo – White (70.951)
vallejo – Royal Blue (70.809)
vallejo – Deep Sky Blue (70.844)
Citadel (Base) – Celestra Grey
Citadel (Layer) – Dark Reaper
Citadel (Layer) – Ulthuan Grey
Citadel (Base) – Mephiston Red
Citadel (Layer) – Evil Sunz Scarlet
Citadel (Layer) – Wild Rider Red
Citadel (Base) – Zandri Dust
Citadel (Layer) – Ushabti Bone
Citadel (Layer) – Screaming Skull
Citadel (Shade) – Darkenhof Nightshade
Citadel (Shade) – Nuln oil
Citadel (Shade) – Agrax Earthshade
Citadel (Shade) – Carroburg Crimson

Varnish

vallejo – Metal varnish (77.657)

The Basecoating Process

vallejo – Black surface primer (74.602) – matt

vallejo – Black surface primer (77.660) – gloss

matt primer / Citadel (Base) – Leadbelcher

matt primer / vallejo – Dark Aluminium (77.703)

gloss primer / Citadel (Base) – Leadbelcher

gloss primer / vallejo – Dark Aluminium (77.703)

Shading

Edge Highlighting

Painted details

Varnish

Sons of Cinder – Armor color scheme

Colors you will need:

vallejo – Black (70.950)
Citadel (Layer) – Evil Sunz Scarlet
Citadel (Layer) – Fire Dragon Bright
Citadel (Layer) – Flash Gitz Yellow
Citadel (Technical) – Mordant Earth
Citadel (Layer) – Eshin Grey
Citadel (Layer) – Dawnstone

Step #1 – The base coat

Start with 2-3 layers of a slight Base Coat of “vallejo – Black (70.950)”. Try to paint these layers as thin as you can. Its important that you dont loose any details. If you have a airbrush, paint the black Base Coat with the airbrush.

Make sure that the whole model is covered after the black layers with a deep true black color environment.

Step #2 – Red layer

For the red layer take a brush in size 3+ and dip it half with the belly right into the color “Citadel (Layer) – Evil Sunz Scarlet”.

Dont thin the color with water. This is important becasue we want the color still moist, if we bring on the next layer to get a smooth transition between the colors. This technique is also called wet blending

For the later transition between the “Citadel (Technical) – Mordant Earth” and the armor color” vallejo – Black (70.950)” its important that you always have a small edge of black arround the parts painted red.

Step #3 – Orange layer

The ornage layer is basicly the same procedure as the red layer. The onyl differnce is that the are you paint with “Citadel (Layer) – Fire Dragon Bright” is inside the red area you painted in the second step.

Make also sure that you get some streaks between the red and the orange layer by wet blending these colors.

This gives the armor in the final result a more realistic ember effect.

Try to have a moist color when you get over to the next step.

Step #4 – Yellow layer

The “Citadel (Layer) – Flash Gitz Yellow” layer is the last color layer. Try to thin the color a littebit down and get it mixed with the moist parts of the layer from the previos step. Its also important for the end result of the effect that you have some more potent yellow spots.

If youre done wait until the whole layers are dry before you get to the next step.

Step #5 – Mordant Earth layer

Now its time to bring up the armor effect ba applying the “Citadel (Technical) – Mordant Earth” over the parts we painted red/orange/yellow.

For this step use a old brush. The technical color will mostly ruin your brush if youre not fast enough by cleaning it up.

Try to have an unconsitent structure by applying thick laysers to some parts and thin layers to some other parts.

Its important to know that thick layers will result in large cracks and thin layers will result smaller cracks. If your layer is to thin this will result in no cracks at all.

After you covered all areas with Citadel (Technical) – Mordant Earth wait 2-3 hours for the final result. Or speedup the process with a blow dryer.

Step #6 – Finish your model for a awesome result

To achiev a real awesome look and feel with the armor effect it is still important to finish your model in the regular way. Like edge highlighting and painting a small amount of details.

As you can see in the picture above. I finished the models by edge highlighting with “Citadel (Layer) – Eshin Grey ” and “Citadel (Layer) – Dawnstone”.

The bases got finished in the same way as the cracks of the armor.

I also added a the nice green plasma osl effect to give the models a more intressting environment.