Painting

Slate planes and warm ochre

Blue-grey body planes surround a warm ochre face, hands and toes. Highlights stay within the polygon boundaries, giving the gorilla depth without softening its low-poly edges.

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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 without softening the facets
Remove dust and support marks while preserving the deliberate polygon edges. Wash off greasy residue, let the figure dry fully and brush on thin Grey Surface Primer. Turn it to reach beneath the forearms and crossed legs without filling the eye sockets.
Expected result
The dry primer is continuous and every plane edge remains distinct.
Points to watch
Do not sand away intentional low-poly edges.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime without softening the facets
Where to paint: Whole model
Greyvallejo · 70.601
Remove dust and support marks while preserving the deliberate polygon edges. Wash off greasy residue, let the figure dry fully and brush on thin Grey Surface Primer. Turn it to reach beneath the forearms and crossed legs without filling the eye sockets.
Expected result
The dry primer is continuous and every plane edge remains distinct.
Points to watch
Do not sand away intentional low-poly edges.

2. Apply the base colours

Set a dark blue-grey body
Where to paint: Slate body planes
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Darken Dark Reaper with a little Abaddon Black until it reads as a deep blue-grey. Apply thin coats to the body planes, stopping cleanly at the face, hands and toes. Cover the hidden lower faces as carefully as the shoulders.
Expected result
The body is evenly dark blue-grey with no exposed primer beneath the limbs.
Points to watch
Do not make the whole body light grey.
Paint the warm ochre areas
Where to paint: Warm face, hands and toes
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Mix Karak Stone into Mournfang Brown until it becomes a warm medium ochre. Cover the faceted face, ears, hands and toes, following the original polygon boundaries. Keep the eye recesses clear for black.
Expected result
Warm ochre meets the slate body at clean sculpted boundaries.
Points to watch
Do not paint fur or extra finger divisions on the flat faces.
Define the eyes
Where to paint: Black eyes
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Fill each existing eye with Abaddon Black using a fine brush. Follow the recessed outline rather than enlarging the eye onto the ochre brow.
Expected result
Both eyes have clear, equally controlled outlines.
Points to watch
Do not add human-like white sclera.

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the inward-facing planes
Where to paint: Slate body planes
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Thin a black-heavy mix of Abaddon Black and Dark Reaper. Glaze the inward and downward planes, letting each pass dry before strengthening the deepest overlaps. Stop at the hard polygon edges.
Expected result
The overlaps are deep and readable, not a featureless black mass.
Points to watch
Do not flood the entire figure with a wash.
Shape the warm facial shadows
Where to paint: Warm face, hands and toes
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Darken Mournfang Brown with a little Rhinox Hide and thin it. Shade under the brow and lower muzzle, then the existing gaps between fingers and toes. Keep the broad front of the muzzle ochre.
Expected result
The muzzle and hands have depth without new lines cut across their planes.
Points to watch
Do not turn these warm areas black.

4. Build the highlights

Blend colour within the broad planes
Where to paint: Slate body planes
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Russ Greycitadel · 22-67
Add Russ Grey gradually to Dark Reaper. Layer the mix inside each lit plane, using thinner overlaps toward its darker end. Leave the hard edge between neighbouring polygons intact.
Expected result
Each broad face has a smooth transition without losing its angular shape.
Points to watch
No stippling, stone grain or fur strokes.
Light the upper body planes
Where to paint: Slate body planes
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Russ Greycitadel · 22-67
Use Russ Grey softened with a little Dark Reaper on the upward-facing planes. Keep the strongest light on the crown and near shoulder. Leave the abdomen and inner legs darker; outline only a few edges nearest the light.
Expected result
The cool light reveals the geometry without turning the body pale blue.
Points to watch
Avoid a bright continuous outline around every polygon.
Light the brow, muzzle and knuckles
Where to paint: Warm face, hands and toes
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Lighten the ochre base with more Karak Stone. Paint the top of the brow, nose and hands in thin layers, keeping the side cheeks and undersides darker. Give the toes a smaller, quieter highlight.
Expected result
The face attracts more attention than the toes.
Points to watch
Do not soften the sculpted muzzle into a rounded human face.
Refine the brightest facial corners
Where to paint: Warm face, hands and toes
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Lighten Karak Stone with a little Ushabti Bone. Place short accents on the upper brow corners and nose ridge only, leaving a wider band of ochre beneath each mark.
Expected result
Small pale marks focus the face without whitening it.
Points to watch
Keep cheeks and the lower muzzle warmer and darker.
Add tiny eye reflections
Where to paint: Black eyes
White Scarcitadel · 22-57
With almost no White Scar on the tip, place one tiny dot inside each eye toward the upper-left light. The black area should remain much larger than the reflection.
Expected result
Both eyes stay black with a small, consistent reflection.
Points to watch
Do not enlarge the eye to make room for a highlight.

5. Finish the model

Check the planar colour boundaries
Where to paint: Slate body planes
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Russ Greycitadel · 22-67
Turn the figure and inspect where ochre meets slate. Correct any spill from the slate side with a matching mix of Dark Reaper, Russ Grey and Abaddon Black. Check beneath the limbs for missed primer and leave the intended facets sharp.
Expected result
The two palettes stay cleanly separated and every facet is intentional.
Points to watch
Do not replace clean colour planes with all-over drybrushing.

All paints and materials (9)

Greyvallejo · 70.601

Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Russ Greycitadel · 22-67

Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20

Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35

Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

White Scarcitadel · 22-57

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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 without softening the facets
Remove dust and support marks while preserving the deliberate polygon edges. Wash off greasy residue, let the figure dry fully and brush on thin Grey Surface Primer. Turn it to reach beneath the forearms and crossed legs without filling the eye sockets.
Expected result
The dry primer is continuous and every plane edge remains distinct.
Points to watch
Do not sand away intentional low-poly edges.

Slate planes and warm ochre

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime without softening the facets

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime without softening the facets

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Set a dark blue-grey body

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the warm ochre areas

Expected result

Points to watch

Define the eyes

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the inward-facing planes

Expected result

Points to watch

Shape the warm facial shadows

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Blend colour within the broad planes

Expected result

Points to watch

Light the upper body planes

Expected result

Points to watch

Light the brow, muzzle and knuckles

Expected result

Points to watch

Refine the brightest facial corners

Expected result

Points to watch

Add tiny eye reflections

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Finish the model

Check the planar colour boundaries

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Slate planes and warm ochre

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime without softening the facets

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime without softening the facets

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Set a dark blue-grey body

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the warm ochre areas

Expected result

Points to watch

Define the eyes

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the inward-facing planes

Expected result

Points to watch

Shape the warm facial shadows

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights