Painting

Chestnut feathers and a honey-coloured collar

Chestnut body feathers, a honey-coloured neck and a dark tail create a warm, natural hen. Red comb and wattles sharpen the face, while careful shading separates the overlapping feather rows.

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Colours on the model

Chestnut feathers and a honey-coloured collar

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 hen
Inspect the comb and feather tips for support scars, then remove dust with a soft brush. Wash off greasy marks and let the figure dry fully. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles so the feet, feather undersides and base are covered without filling the relief.
Expected result
Dry grey primer covers the model while the fine feather grooves remain open.
Points to watch
Do not bend the comb or narrow tail tips while cleaning.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the hen
Where to paint: Whole model
Greyvallejo · 70.601
Inspect the comb and feather tips for support scars, then remove dust with a soft brush. Wash off greasy marks and let the figure dry fully. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles so the feet, feather undersides and base are covered without filling the relief.
Expected result
Dry grey primer covers the model while the fine feather grooves remain open.
Points to watch
Do not bend the comb or narrow tail tips while cleaning.

2. Apply the base colours

Separate the three feather colours
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Paint the body and wings Mournfang Brown, the neck collar Zandri Dust and the large tail feathers Rhinox Hide. Work in thin coats from the recesses toward the tips. Follow the existing feather rows instead of drawing a straight colour boundary across them.
Expected result
All three feather groups have even coverage, including their undersides.
Points to watch
Do not let brown paint cover the red facial skin.
Paint the comb and wattles red
Where to paint: Red comb and wattles
Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03
Cover the red skin with thin Mephiston Red, working carefully around the eyes and beak. Let the brush follow the existing bumps and folds without adding new dots.
Expected result
Red skin is clearly separated from the feathers, beak and eyes.
Points to watch
Keep the tiny recesses in the comb open.
Establish the beak and foot colours
Where to paint: Beak, feet and claws
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Paint the beak and foot scales Zandri Dust. Cover the claws with Karak Stone, keeping their boundary with the toes sharp. Use thin coats so the small scale divisions remain visible.
Expected result
Beak, toes and claws are fully covered and easy to distinguish.
Points to watch
Do not fill the beak seam or nostrils.
Paint the eyes black
Where to paint: Black eyes
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Fill the sculpted eyes with Abaddon Black using the point of a fine brush. Keep the surrounding red eyelids separate, and check both sides of the head before moving on.
Expected result
Both black eyes sit cleanly inside the eyelids.
Points to watch
Do not add a white ring around either eye.
Paint the original base
Where to paint: Earth-coloured base and black rim
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Steel Legion Drabcitadel · 21-17
Cover the top of the base with Steel Legion Drab, painting carefully around the toes. Paint the vertical rim Abaddon Black. Keep the source shape unchanged; no extra grass or stones are needed for this scheme.
Expected result
Earth colour stays on top and the rim is solid black.
Points to watch
Keep base paint off the claws.

3. Build the shadows

Separate overlapping feathers
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Guide small amounts of Agrax Earthshade into the gaps beneath overlapping feathers. Keep the pale neck surfaces mostly clean, and lift any pool from the tips before it dries.
Expected result
The rows are separated by brown shadow while their main colours remain visible.
Points to watch
Do not stain the whole pale collar dark brown.
Deepen the red folds
Where to paint: Red comb and wattles
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03
Darken Mephiston Red with a little Rhinox Hide and thin the mix. Apply it between the comb lobes and into the deep wattle folds, keeping the raised red skin warm and clear.
Expected result
Red folds have depth without looking dirty or black.
Points to watch
Do not carry this shade onto the pale neck feathers.
Define the beak seam and foot scales
Where to paint: Beak, feet and claws
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Thin Mournfang Brown and draw it into the existing beak seam and foot-scale divisions. Shade the roots of the claws lightly, removing excess from their broad upper surfaces.
Expected result
Small divisions are visible without a thick brown outline.
Points to watch
Leave the centres of the beak and scales ochre.

4. Build the highlights

Blend the breast and neck feathers
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
For the chest, lighten Mournfang Brown gradually with Skrag Brown. For the neck, lighten Zandri Dust with Ushabti Bone. Layer each mixture toward the feather tips, leaving a darker band at the roots and following the sculpted feather direction.
Expected result
Feathers brighten toward their tips through smooth, warm transitions.
Points to watch
Do not draw new feather barbs across blank areas.
Pick out the feather tips
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Highlight chestnut feather tips with Skrag Brown and the neck tips with Ushabti Bone. Use much smaller Karak Stone marks on the existing ridges of the dark tail. Keep the face and pale collar brighter than the lower belly.
Expected result
The feather rows are readable and the neck remains the brightest plumage.
Points to watch
Avoid drybrushing every surface to the same pale tone.
Light the raised red skin
Where to paint: Red comb and wattles
Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05
Apply thin Evil Sunz Scarlet to the upper comb tips and raised wattle folds. Add a restrained highlight to the red eyelid edges without touching the black eyes. Highlight only existing bumps.
Expected result
The comb looks bright red, not pink or uniformly orange.
Points to watch
Do not outline every skin bump in white.
Highlight beak and claws
Where to paint: Beak, feet and claws
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Add thin Ushabti Bone along the upper beak ridge and the top of selected foot scales. Use Karak Stone mixed with Ushabti Bone on the claw tips, tapering each mark toward the darker root.
Expected result
Beak and claws have a clear light-to-dark direction.
Points to watch
Do not make the entire feet bone-white.
Keep the ground readable but subdued
Where to paint: Earth-coloured base and black rim
Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35
Steel Legion Drabcitadel · 21-17
Lighten Steel Legion Drab with a little Karak Stone. Apply thin, restrained patches on the upward base surface, leaving darker contact shadows directly beneath the feet. Keep the black rim clean.
Expected result
The base supports the colour scheme without competing with the hen.
Points to watch
No bright stone chips, grass or extra sculpted texture.
Refine the pale neck around the face
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Wraithbonecitadel · 21-53
Add Wraithbone to Ushabti Bone and place short accents on a few neck feather tips nearest the light. Leave the previous honey colour visible around every mark and keep the tail untouched.
Expected result
The brightest feather accents frame the head rather than covering the whole collar.
Points to watch
Do not turn every feather tip pure white.
Place the eye reflections
Where to paint: Black eyes
White Scarcitadel · 22-57
Place one small White Scar dot inside each black eye toward the light. Match the direction on both sides and keep the dots much smaller than the eyes themselves.
Expected result
Both eyes have a clear reflection while remaining predominantly black.
Points to watch
Do not cover the red eyelids with the reflection.

5. Finish the model

Check all feather rows
Where to paint: Chestnut body, pale neck and dark tail
Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Turn the hen under soft light and check beneath the wings and wattles for grey gaps or misplaced red paint. Restore chestnut feathers with the brown mixture, neck feathers with the honey mixture and tail shadows with Rhinox Hide. Match the dry colour before touching up a finished highlight.
Expected result
No primer is visible, colour boundaries are clean and the head remains the focus.
Points to watch
Do not hide unfinished areas by darkening the whole figure.

All paints and materials (14)

Greyvallejo · 70.601

Mournfang Browncitadel · 21-20

Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16

Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Skrag Browncitadel · 22-40

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

Karak Stonecitadel · 22-35

Wraithbonecitadel · 21-53

Mephiston Redcitadel · 21-03

Evil Sunz Scarletcitadel · 22-05

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

White Scarcitadel · 22-57

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 hen
Inspect the comb and feather tips for support scars, then remove dust with a soft brush. Wash off greasy marks and let the figure dry fully. Apply thin Grey Surface Primer from several angles so the feet, feather undersides and base are covered without filling the relief.
Expected result
Dry grey primer covers the model while the fine feather grooves remain open.
Points to watch
Do not bend the comb or narrow tail tips while cleaning.

Chestnut feathers and a honey-coloured collar

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime the hen

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the hen

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Separate the three feather colours

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the comb and wattles red

Expected result

Points to watch

Establish the beak and foot colours

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the eyes black

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the original base

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Separate overlapping feathers

Expected result

Points to watch

Deepen the red folds

Expected result

Points to watch

Define the beak seam and foot scales

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Blend the breast and neck feathers

Expected result

Points to watch

Pick out the feather tips

Expected result

Points to watch

Light the raised red skin

Expected result

Points to watch

Highlight beak and claws

Expected result

Points to watch

Keep the ground readable but subdued

Expected result

Points to watch

Refine the pale neck around the face

Expected result

Points to watch

Place the eye reflections

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Finish the model

Check all feather rows

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Chestnut feathers and a honey-coloured collar

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Clean and prime the hen

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Clean and prime the hen

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Separate the three feather colours

Expected result