Painting

Black-armoured warrior with brass trim

Black armour and warm brass symbols surround steel weapon fittings and deep red cloth. A pale skull trophy and bright red lenses provide small focal accents against the dark warrior.

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Colours on the model

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 4

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.
Check the horns, muzzle and chain for support traces and dust. Remove them carefully; wash off release residue if needed and let the model dry completely. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, drawing surplus away from the helmet grille.
Expected result
Primer is dry and every grille slit is still visible.
Points to watch
Do not round the horn tips with primer buildup.

Read the complete guide · 4

1. Prepare the model

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.
Where to paint: Whole model
Blackvallejo · 70.602
Check the horns, muzzle and chain for support traces and dust. Remove them carefully; wash off release residue if needed and let the model dry completely. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, drawing surplus away from the helmet grille.
Expected result
Primer is dry and every grille slit is still visible.
Points to watch
Do not round the horn tips with primer buildup.

2. Apply the base colours

Establish a consistent black finish.
Where to paint: Black armour
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Cover the black surfaces with Abaddon Black, carefully tracing around the shoulder ornament and leaving the knee skull clear.
Expected result
Black plates and casing are evenly covered.
Points to watch
Do not fill the gun panel seams.
Give the raised symbols a warm metal identity.
Where to paint: Brass ornament
Brassvallejo · 70.801
Paint Brass over the raised ornament, working along each pointed arm of the symbols rather than across the black panels.
Expected result
Warm metal borders are continuous and sharply separated.
Points to watch
Keep the skull on the knee nonmetallic.
Define the functional metal.
Where to paint: Gun and chain
Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28
Apply Leadbelcher to the mechanical fittings and chain, using the brush side over grille ridges while keeping the slots dark.
Expected result
Steel contrasts with both brass and black.
Points to watch
Avoid metallic paint inside the red lens recesses.
Establish a deep cloth accent.
Where to paint: Red tabard
Khorne Redcitadel · 21-04
Work Khorne Red down the folds to each torn point, rotating the model to reach the cloth behind the pendant.
Expected result
The red foundation reaches the hem without staining the chain.
Points to watch
Do not fill the tears between the hanging cloth points.
Separate the bone trophy.
Where to paint: Knee skull
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Paint Zandri Dust over the skull dome and jaw, leaving the eye and nose cavities dark.
Expected result
The skull has a warm bone foundation and open cavities.
Points to watch
Do not spill onto the surrounding black knee plate.
Set the helmet focal accent.
Where to paint: Helmet lenses
Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03
Fill each lens with Mephiston Red using the tip, keeping the dark surrounding frame intact.
Expected result
Two distinct red lenses sit within their sculpted borders.
Points to watch
Do not paint red glow on the respirator.

3. Build the shadows

Age the trim and settle the bone recesses.
Where to paint: Brass ornament
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Place Agrax Earthshade around the raised brass shapes and between the skull teeth, removing excess from the forehead.
Expected result
Recesses are brown and the raised metal remains warm.
Points to watch
Do not flood the small pendant opening.
Restore depth to the weapon.
Where to paint: Gun and chain
Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14
Draw Nuln Oil along the steel joins and between the chain links; remove pools from the gun side.
Expected result
Mechanical gaps read darker than their metal rims.
Points to watch
Keep the smooth black casing free of wash stains.

4. Build the highlights

Reveal black armour without turning it grey.
Where to paint: Black armour
Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52
Build thin Dark Reaper on the upward-facing curves, shrinking each pass and leaving broad black areas between highlights.
Expected result
The plates remain black with a coherent cool light direction.
Points to watch
Avoid outlining all the trim with a thick turquoise line.
Lift the hanging folds.
Where to paint: Red tabard
Wazdakka Redcitadel · 22-07
Pull Wazdakka Red down the raised folds, stopping before the deep tears so their edges remain dark.
Expected result
The cloth is dimensional but quieter than the helmet.
Points to watch
Do not make every torn tip equally bright.
Round the skull dome.
Where to paint: Knee skull
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Layer Ushabti Bone towards the top of the skull and touch the cheekbones with short strokes, retaining the shaded sockets.
Expected result
The bone is rounded and the cavities stay dark.
Points to watch
Do not draw a pale line through the eye sockets.
Pick out the metal edges that catch light.
Where to paint: Gun and chain
Ironbreakercitadel · 22-59
Add narrow Ironbreaker touches to the exposed steel edges and a few smaller points on the warm trim near the shoulders.
Expected result
The weapon reads clearly without outshining the head.
Points to watch
Do not turn the broad brass rims silver.
Concentrate the bright red within the lenses.
Where to paint: Helmet lenses
Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05
Place a short Evil Sunz Scarlet stroke inside each lens, leaving the upper edge dark under the brow.
Expected result
The eyes have a bright lower accent and a dark frame.
Points to watch
Do not carry the red onto the helmet bridge.

All paints and materials (14)

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Dark Reapercitadel · 22-52

Brassvallejo · 70.801

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28

Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14

Ironbreakercitadel · 22-59

Khorne Redcitadel · 21-04

Wazdakka Redcitadel · 22-07

Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03

Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05

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Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 4

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.
Check the horns, muzzle and chain for support traces and dust. Remove them carefully; wash off release residue if needed and let the model dry completely. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, drawing surplus away from the helmet grille.
Expected result
Primer is dry and every grille slit is still visible.
Points to watch
Do not round the horn tips with primer buildup.

Black-armoured warrior with brass trim

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Establish a consistent black finish.

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the raised symbols a warm metal identity.

Expected result

Points to watch

Define the functional metal.

Expected result

Points to watch

Establish a deep cloth accent.

Expected result

Points to watch

Separate the bone trophy.

Expected result

Points to watch

Set the helmet focal accent.

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Age the trim and settle the bone recesses.

Expected result

Points to watch

Restore depth to the weapon.

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Reveal black armour without turning it grey.

Expected result

Points to watch

Lift the hanging folds.

Expected result

Points to watch

Round the skull dome.

Expected result

Points to watch

Pick out the metal edges that catch light.

Expected result

Points to watch

Concentrate the bright red within the lenses.

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Black-armoured warrior with brass trim

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Preserve the weapon and helmet detail.

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Establish a consistent black finish.

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the raised symbols a warm metal identity.

Expected result

Points to watch

Define the functional metal.

Expected result

Points to watch

Establish a deep cloth accent.

Expected result

Points to watch