Painting

Jade ridges and a brass crown

Pale jade highlights pick out the projecting rows above a deep turquoise body. A warm brass crown and darker right-hand channels give the stepped relief a clear direction of light.

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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 beneath the ridges and prime
Inspect the thin fins for support scars and brush dust from the gaps. Wash off greasy residue and let the piece dry completely. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles, including beneath the fins; keep their narrow gaps open.
Expected result
The primer covers the underside of each ridge without bridging the gaps.
Points to watch
Do not push a stiff brush against the thin fins.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Clean beneath the ridges and prime
Where to paint: Whole model
Greyvallejo · 70.601
Inspect the thin fins for support scars and brush dust from the gaps. Wash off greasy residue and let the piece dry completely. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles, including beneath the fins; keep their narrow gaps open.
Expected result
The primer covers the underside of each ridge without bridging the gaps.
Points to watch
Do not push a stiff brush against the thin fins.

2. Apply the base colours

Cover the body in dark turquoise
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11
Apply thin Incubi Darkness between the rows before painting their outer faces. Turn the piece as you work and check beneath each projecting fin for grey primer. Keep the top disk clear for the brass colour.
Expected result
The whole relief is dark turquoise, including its undersides.
Points to watch
Do not fill narrow gaps with a heavy coat.
Paint the warm metal top
Where to paint: Brass top disk
Retributor Armourcitadel · 21-35
Cover the disk and its side with Retributor Armour in thin coats. Work toward the turquoise boundary with the point of the brush, keeping metallic flakes off the upper fins.
Expected result
The disk has even metallic coverage and a clean turquoise boundary.
Points to watch
The source top is closed; do not paint a false opening.

3. Build the shadows

Separate the stepped rows
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Darken Incubi Darkness with a little Abaddon Black and thin the mix. Draw it beneath the projecting rows and into the deepest right-hand channels. Remove excess before it dries across the outer faces.
Expected result
Individual rows remain distinct even when viewed from a distance.
Points to watch
Do not make the outer body uniformly black.
Give the brass edge depth
Where to paint: Brass top disk
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Apply a small amount of Agrax Earthshade to the lower side of the disk. Draw the brush toward the rear-right edge and leave the upper-left surface bright. Wick away any bead along the bottom seam.
Expected result
The side wall is darker than the top, with no dried ring.
Points to watch
Do not wash the entire top to the same dull brown.

4. Build the highlights

Restore clean turquoise
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11
Cover stray dark stains with thin Incubi Darkness, following the sweeping curves of the relief. Leave the shade beneath the fins untouched.
Expected result
The midtone is clean and the underside shadows remain intact.
Points to watch
Do not widen the fins with a ridge of paint.
Build light across the upper body
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11
Kabalite Greencitadel · 22-21
Add Kabalite Green gradually to Incubi Darkness. Apply overlapping thin layers to the upper-left curves, shrinking each lighter layer toward the light. Keep the lower-right body deep turquoise.
Expected result
Light moves gradually across the curves rather than forming stripes.
Points to watch
Keep the channels shaded as you blend.
Highlight the projecting fins
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Kabalite Greencitadel · 22-21
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Mix a little Ushabti Bone into Kabalite Green for a muted pale jade. With little paint on the brush, follow the upper face of each fin. Use shorter, brighter marks near the upper-left crown and softer ones below.
Expected result
Pale tips reveal the pattern without covering its dark undercuts.
Points to watch
Do not give every fin an equally bright outline.
Light the brass crown
Where to paint: Brass top disk
Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71
Apply thin Liberator Gold over the left side of the disk, then add a narrow stroke along its front-left edge. Let some of the warmer base metal show toward the right.
Expected result
The disk remains warm metal with a clear light-facing side.
Points to watch
Do not cover the whole disk with the brighter colour.
Refine the brightest ridge tips
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Kabalite Greencitadel · 22-21
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Lighten the jade mixture with more Ushabti Bone. Touch a few fin corners nearest the upper-left light, keeping these accents much shorter than the previous highlights.
Expected result
The brightest jade accents gather near the crown.
Points to watch
Do not add new painted symbols or surface grain.
Add one pale metallic glint
Where to paint: Brass top disk
Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71
Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75
Add a little Stormhost Silver to Liberator Gold and place one short accent on the brightest front-left edge. Keep it within the earlier gold highlight so the disk never reads as silver.
Expected result
A small glint sharpens the warm-metal finish.
Points to watch
No silver line around the entire circumference.

5. Finish the model

Inspect the relief from below
Where to paint: Blue-green body and ridges
Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11
Kabalite Greencitadel · 22-21
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Tilt the piece and inspect the underside of each row for missed grey areas or metallic specks. Repair them with Incubi Darkness; use the appropriate jade mix only on lit upper faces. Keep the narrow gaps free of paint buildup.
Expected result
Every visible surface is painted and the stepped silhouette stays crisp.
Points to watch
Do not hide unfinished undersides with a dark presentation background.

All paints and materials (9)

Greyvallejo · 70.601

Incubi Darknesscitadel · 21-11

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Kabalite Greencitadel · 22-21

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

Retributor Armourcitadel · 21-35

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71

Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75

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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 beneath the ridges and prime
Inspect the thin fins for support scars and brush dust from the gaps. Wash off greasy residue and let the piece dry completely. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles, including beneath the fins; keep their narrow gaps open.
Expected result
The primer covers the underside of each ridge without bridging the gaps.
Points to watch
Do not push a stiff brush against the thin fins.

Jade ridges and a brass crown

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean beneath the ridges and prime

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean beneath the ridges and prime

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Cover the body in dark turquoise

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the warm metal top

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Separate the stepped rows

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the brass edge depth

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Restore clean turquoise

Expected result

Points to watch

Build light across the upper body

Expected result

Points to watch

Highlight the projecting fins

Expected result

Points to watch

Light the brass crown

Expected result

Points to watch

Refine the brightest ridge tips

Expected result

Points to watch

Add one pale metallic glint

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Finish the model

Inspect the relief from below

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Jade ridges and a brass crown

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean beneath the ridges and prime

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean beneath the ridges and prime

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Cover the body in dark turquoise

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the warm metal top

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Separate the stepped rows

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the brass edge depth

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Restore clean turquoise

Expected result

Points to watch