Painting

Adeptus Custodes auramite gold and red

Warm auramite gold and red cloth give the Custodes their ceremonial contrast. Dark weapon frames, cool steel blades and selective bright gold reflections keep the armour, fittings and working parts distinct.

◉BrushDojoOfficial guide

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Colours on the model

Letters identify paints. The same letter can appear in several places.

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 6

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare spear pose five
Under magnification, remove support marks from the spear and plume, rinse the figure and let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer as two sparse mists from opposite sides, then inspect the spear hand and inner legs.
Expected result
The tiny figure has an even black base with the spear shaft, fingers and cloth edge still separated.
Points to watch
Do not add a third wet pass to chase a pinprick; touch up any miss later with a brush.

Read the complete guide · 6

1. Prepare the model

Prepare spear pose five
Where to paint: Whole model
Blackvallejo · 70.602
Under magnification, remove support marks from the spear and plume, rinse the figure and let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer as two sparse mists from opposite sides, then inspect the spear hand and inner legs.
Expected result
The tiny figure has an even black base with the spear shaft, fingers and cloth edge still separated.
Points to watch
Do not add a third wet pass to chase a pinprick; touch up any miss later with a brush.

2. Apply the base colours

Solid auramite
Where to paint: Gold armour
Retributor Armourcitadel · 21-35
Lay down two thin coats of Retributor Armour. Turn the miniature between passes so the narrow strips beside the chest plate and the backs of both gauntlets receive colour without burying their seams.
Expected result
Gold covers the armour continuously, while every overlap around the shoulders, wrists and knees is still sharply visible.
Points to watch
Keep the spear shaft, blade, red cloth and black shoulder slots free of gold.
Crimson cloth
Where to paint: Helmet plume and red tabard
Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03
Brush Mephiston Red from the root toward the tip of each plume blade. On the waist cloth, follow the vertical folds and leave the deepest channels thin enough to accept shade later.
Expected result
The plume and cloth are fully red, with crisp separation from the gold helmet and thigh armour.
Points to watch
Do not join neighbouring plume blades with a thick bridge of paint.

3. Build the shadows

Warm depth
Where to paint: Gold armour
Reikland Fleshshadecitadel · 24-24
Touch Reikland Fleshshade into one join at a time and pull excess away from the domed shoulder faces. On the hands, let the wash settle only between the sculpted fingers.
Expected result
The joints read darker than the plates, but the broad gold surfaces remain bright and clean.
Points to watch
Do not flood the helmet face or leave brown pools on the shoulder domes.

4. Build the highlights

Upper light
Where to paint: Gold armour
Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71
Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75
Glaze Liberator Gold onto the upper third of each curved plate, then place Stormhost Silver on the helmet tip, the nearest shoulder corner and two knuckles. Break the line wherever a plate turns away from the light.
Expected result
The face and forward shoulder lead the eye, with small silver sparks rather than a continuous bright outline.
Points to watch
Do not trace every gold edge with silver or brighten the shaded lower legs equally.
Fold definition
Where to paint: Helmet plume and red tabard
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05
Run Agrax Earthshade into the plume roots and cloth valleys. Once dry, draw Evil Sunz Scarlet along the outer half of the feather tips and down the centre of the three folds facing the viewer.
Expected result
The plume separates into individual blades and the waist cloth reads as matte fabric under the weapon.
Points to watch
Keep the brightest scarlet off the shaded back of the plume and out of the gold belt circles.
Cold blade
Where to paint: Spear shaft, gold head and silver blade
Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75
Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28
Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14
Lay Leadbelcher along the blade grain, darken only the root and lower facet with Nuln Oil, then pull Stormhost Silver from the final third of each edge into the point.
Expected result
The blade has a dark seat in the gold housing and a clean, bright point without losing its steel midtone.
Points to watch
Do not wash the entire blade black or coat the gold housing with silver.

5. Paint the details

Spear shaft
Where to paint: Spear shaft, gold head and silver blade
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51
Cover the shaft with Abaddon Black, working around every finger. Add one broken Eshin Grey reflection along its upper-left side, narrowing the stroke as it approaches the rear end.
Expected result
The shaft stays black but its round form remains visible from end to end.
Points to watch
Do not paint across the gold fingers or turn the grey reflection into a solid stripe.

6. Finish the model

Quiet groundwork
Where to paint: Ground texture and rim of the base
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49
Paint the ground black, then skim Dawnstone across only the raised grit with a nearly dry brush. Rotate the miniature and finish the rim in an unbroken black band.
Expected result
The base texture is visible at arm's length, and the rim is a clean circle that does not compete with the gold figure.
Points to watch
Do not catch the gold boot rims with the dry brush.

All paints and materials (13)

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Retributor Armourcitadel · 21-35

Reikland Fleshshadecitadel · 24-24

Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71

Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75

Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51

Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28

Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14

Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49

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Adeptus Custodes auramite gold and red

◉BrushDojoOfficial guide

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 6

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare spear pose five
Under magnification, remove support marks from the spear and plume, rinse the figure and let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer as two sparse mists from opposite sides, then inspect the spear hand and inner legs.
Expected result
The tiny figure has an even black base with the spear shaft, fingers and cloth edge still separated.
Points to watch
Do not add a third wet pass to chase a pinprick; touch up any miss later with a brush.

Adeptus Custodes auramite gold and red

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare spear pose five

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare spear pose five

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Solid auramite

Expected result

Points to watch

Crimson cloth

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Warm depth

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Upper light

Expected result

Points to watch

Fold definition

Expected result

Points to watch

Cold blade

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Spear shaft

Expected result

Points to watch

6. Finish the model

Quiet groundwork

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Adeptus Custodes auramite gold and red

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare spear pose five

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare spear pose five

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Solid auramite

Expected result

Points to watch

Crimson cloth

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Warm depth

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Upper light

Expected result

Points to watch

Fold definition

Expected result

Points to watch

Cold blade

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Spear shaft

Expected result

Points to watch

6. Finish the model