Painting

Amber plates and teal shadows

Amber front plates are balanced by cool teal sides and tail shadows. Small pale highlights on the crown and snout, together with amber eyes, concentrate the strongest contrast near the seahorse's head.

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Colours on the model

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 5

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Greyvallejo · 70.601

Detailed instructions · 1

Clean and prime the seahorse
Inspect the crown tips, snout and tail for support marks; remove them without flattening the ribs. Wash a filament print with mild soap and water, or complete the resin maker's cleaning and curing process. Let it dry fully. Apply Vallejo Grey Surface Primer in thin coats from the front, back and sides, reaching into the tail curl. Allow the primer to dry.
Expected result
Primer covers the figure evenly without filling the tail opening or mouth.
Points to watch
Do not paint damp material or add texture to the smooth base rim.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the seahorse
Where to paint: Whole model
Greyvallejo · 70.601
Inspect the crown tips, snout and tail for support marks; remove them without flattening the ribs. Wash a filament print with mild soap and water, or complete the resin maker's cleaning and curing process. Let it dry fully. Apply Vallejo Grey Surface Primer in thin coats from the front, back and sides, reaching into the tail curl. Allow the primer to dry.
Expected result
Primer covers the figure evenly without filling the tail opening or mouth.
Points to watch
Do not paint damp material or add texture to the smooth base rim.

2. Apply the base colours

Build the amber colour
Where to paint: Amber head, body and tail
XV-88citadel · 21-21
Tau Light Ochrecitadel · 22-42
Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40
Cover the seahorse with two thin coats of XV-88. Apply Tau Light Ochre to the broad front and upper surfaces, leaving XV-88 in the joints between plates. Add a little Skrag Brown to the base colour for a warm shadow below the crown and beneath the front ribs. Keep these shadows narrow rather than washing the entire figure brown.
Expected result
The seahorse is warm amber with clean, darker joints.
Points to watch
Do not use metallic gold: these are painted organic plates, not armour.

3. Build the highlights

Add cool teal along the sides
Where to paint: Teal sides and tail curl
Tau Light Ochrecitadel · 22-42
Stegadon Scale Greencitadel · 21-10
Sotek Greencitadel · 22-19
Apply thinned Stegadon Scale Green along the side ridges, over the back and around the inside of the tail curl, keeping the front amber. Add Sotek Green to the upper edges of these teal areas. Where teal meets ochre, soften the join with thin intermediate mixes of Sotek Green and Tau Light Ochre. Let each layer dry before adding another so that the colours do not become muddy.
Expected result
A continuous teal band follows the side and tail without covering the amber front.
Points to watch
Do not invent extra fins or turn every recess turquoise.
Highlight the crown, snout and front ridges
Where to paint: Pale front ridges and snout
Tau Light Ochrecitadel · 22-42
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Screaming Skullcitadel · 22-33
Mix Ushabti Bone into Tau Light Ochre and build thin highlights on the front ribs and upper snout. Work towards the light with progressively smaller layers, leaving ochre underneath each rib. Add a little Screaming Skull for the crown tips and a few short upper edges near the head. Use the softer ochre-and-bone mix on the lower tail so that the strongest contrast stays at the face.
Expected result
The pale ridges remain distinct, with the brightest accents around the head.
Points to watch
Do not outline every plate in white or fill the small gaps with thick paint.

4. Paint the details

Paint the small amber eyes
Where to paint: Amber eyes
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Averland Sunsetcitadel · 21-01
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
White Scarcitadel · 22-57
Paint each eye Rhinox Hide. Add Averland Sunset over the lower half, leaving a fine dark border. Place a small Abaddon Black pupil within each sculpted eye and a tiny White Scar reflection above it. Keep the eye surrounds in the amber body colours; do not enlarge them to make painting easier.
Expected result
Both eyes have a tidy dark outline and a small warm iris.
Points to watch
Avoid large white eyeballs or oversized black spots.

5. Finish the model

Keep the plinth dark and understated
Where to paint: Charcoal plinth
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51
Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49
Steel Legion Drabcitadel · 21-17
Paint the plinth Abaddon Black, then layer Eshin Grey over the top and the upper parts of the sides. Mix in a little Dawnstone for restrained edge highlights. Apply a very thin Steel Legion Drab glaze near the upper front edge for a warm stone tint. Leave the lower rim nearly black and keep the original surface free of added rubble or sand.
Expected result
The plain dark base supports the bright figure without competing with it.
Points to watch
Do not add coral, seaweed, water effects or a larger pedestal.
Check the transitions and seal the paint
Where to paint: Amber head, body and tail
Matt Varnishvallejo · 62.062
Gloss Varnishvallejo · 62.064
Inspect the rear plates, inside of the tail curl and the contact with the plinth for missed primer or abrupt colour changes. Correct them with the appropriate thin colour mixes. When the paint is fully dry, apply a light coat of Matt Varnish according to its instructions. After it dries, touch the eyes with Gloss Varnish. The body and base should remain matte.
Expected result
Coverage is complete and the warm-to-cool transitions are soft, with gloss only on the eyes.
Points to watch
Do not use an all-over gloss coat to simulate wet skin.

All paints and materials (17)

Greyvallejo · 70.601

XV-88citadel · 21-21

Tau Light Ochrecitadel · 22-42

Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40

Matt Varnishvallejo · 62.062

Gloss Varnishvallejo · 62.064

Stegadon Scale Greencitadel · 21-10

Sotek Greencitadel · 22-19

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

Screaming Skullcitadel · 22-33

Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22

Averland Sunsetcitadel · 21-01

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

White Scarcitadel · 22-57

Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51

Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49

Steel Legion Drabcitadel · 21-17

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Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 5

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Greyvallejo · 70.601

Detailed instructions · 1

Clean and prime the seahorse
Inspect the crown tips, snout and tail for support marks; remove them without flattening the ribs. Wash a filament print with mild soap and water, or complete the resin maker's cleaning and curing process. Let it dry fully. Apply Vallejo Grey Surface Primer in thin coats from the front, back and sides, reaching into the tail curl. Allow the primer to dry.
Expected result
Primer covers the figure evenly without filling the tail opening or mouth.
Points to watch
Do not paint damp material or add texture to the smooth base rim.

Amber plates and teal shadows

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime the seahorse

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the seahorse

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Build the amber colour

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the highlights

Add cool teal along the sides

Expected result

Points to watch

Highlight the crown, snout and front ridges

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Paint the details

Paint the small amber eyes

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Finish the model

Keep the plinth dark and understated

Expected result

Points to watch

Check the transitions and seal the paint

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Amber plates and teal shadows

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime the seahorse

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the seahorse

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Build the amber colour

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the highlights

Add cool teal along the sides

Expected result

Points to watch

Highlight the crown, snout and front ridges

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Paint the details

Paint the small amber eyes

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Finish the model

Keep the plinth dark and understated

Expected result

Points to watch

Check the transitions and seal the paint

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …