Painting

Antique bronze jaguar

Antique bronze reflections follow the jaguar's sculpted facets above a charcoal plinth. Dark sheltered curves and brighter upper-left planes give the metal depth without adding new ornament.

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Colours on the model

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 7

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare and prime the sculpture
Remove support marks and any visible seams without flattening the sculpted facets. Clean the print as recommended for its material: wash filament prints with mild soapy water; finish washing and curing resin before painting. Let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer in light passes from several directions, including beneath the body and tail.
Expected result
A thin, even black coat covers the sculpture; all edges remain sharp.
Points to watch
Do not prime a damp or incompletely cured print, or fill the gaps beneath the jaguar.

Read the complete guide · 7

1. Prepare the model

Prepare and prime the sculpture
Where to paint: Whole model
Blackvallejo · 70.602
Remove support marks and any visible seams without flattening the sculpted facets. Clean the print as recommended for its material: wash filament prints with mild soapy water; finish washing and curing resin before painting. Let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer in light passes from several directions, including beneath the body and tail.
Expected result
A thin, even black coat covers the sculpture; all edges remain sharp.
Points to watch
Do not prime a damp or incompletely cured print, or fill the gaps beneath the jaguar.

2. Apply the base colours

Lay down the bronze colour
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Balthasar Goldcitadel · 21-29
Paint the jaguar with two thin coats of Balthasar Gold. Allow the first coat to dry before adding the second. Work the brush along the broad facets, then turn the sculpture to cover the underside and the inside of the tail curl.
Expected result
The bronze covers the black primer evenly without visible brush ridges.
Points to watch
Keep bronze paint off the plinth; do not use a heavy drybrush on the smooth body.
Paint the charcoal plinth
Where to paint: Charcoal plinth
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51
Mix three parts Abaddon Black with one part Eshin Grey. Apply two thin coats to the plinth, keeping the edge beside the jaguar clean. Use a larger soft brush on the broad front face and a smaller brush near the paws.
Expected result
The plinth is uniformly dark and clearly separate from the bronze.
Points to watch
Do not add stone chips, veins or new relief to the plain plinth.

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the bronze shadows
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Thin Rhinox Hide until it leaves a transparent brown tint. Apply it beneath the belly, behind the hanging foreleg and inside the curled tail. Deepen the shadow with several thin coats, letting each one dry before the next. Add a little Abaddon Black only in the narrowest contact shadows.
Expected result
The deepest recesses are dark brown, while broad bronze faces remain luminous.
Points to watch
Do not wash the whole animal or leave tide marks across the broad facets.

4. Build the highlights

Build the broad highlights
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Balthasar Goldcitadel · 21-29
Sycorax Bronzecitadel · 22-64
Mix Balthasar Gold and Sycorax Bronze equally. Paint broad, thin highlights along the upper curve of the back, the shoulders and the brow, as though the light comes from above left. Add more Sycorax Bronze for a second, smaller highlight within each of these areas. Keep the right and lower faces darker.
Expected result
The same light direction is clear on the head, back and legs.
Points to watch
Do not outline every edge equally or brighten the underside to match the back.
Add the brightest bronze reflections
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Sycorax Bronzecitadel · 22-64
Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71
Add a little Liberator Gold to Sycorax Bronze. Use the side of a fine brush to place short highlights on the brow, shoulder crest and highest part of the back. Reduce the mark to a tiny point at the brightest corners. Leave gaps between highlights so the bronze does not acquire a continuous pale outline.
Expected result
The strongest reflections lead the eye towards the jaguar's head and back.
Points to watch
Avoid thick yellow lines and silver-white marks over every facet.

5. Paint the details

Define the sculpted face
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Mix Rhinox Hide with a little Abaddon Black. With a nearly unloaded fine brush, darken only the existing eye recesses and the mouth seam. Wipe away any spill immediately. The face should remain a bronze sculpture, without painted white eyeballs or new teeth.
Expected result
The face is readable, but no new anatomical detail has been added.
Points to watch
Do not turn a shallow sculpted depression into a large black circle.

6. Add effects and weathering

Smooth the bronze transitions
Where to paint: Bronze jaguar
Balthasar Goldcitadel · 21-29
Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22
Sycorax Bronzecitadel · 22-64
Check the sculpture from the front, back and both sides. Soften a harsh dark-to-bronze boundary with a transparent mix of Balthasar Gold and a little Rhinox Hide. At a harsh light boundary, use a thin intermediate mix of Balthasar Gold and Sycorax Bronze instead. Work on the boundary, not over the whole highlight, and let each pass dry before judging it.
Expected result
The reflections change smoothly across each plane without obscuring its edges.
Points to watch
Do not blur the actual sculpted facets or glaze away the brightest points.

7. Finish the model

Finish the plinth
Where to paint: Charcoal plinth
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51
Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49
Add a little more Eshin Grey to the plinth mixture and thin it well. Lighten the upper-left area of the front face with overlapping translucent layers; keep the right face darker. Add a small amount of Dawnstone to the mixture for a restrained line along the upper edge. Leave the base plain and smooth.
Expected result
The plinth has depth but remains quieter and darker than the jaguar.
Points to watch
Do not add bright white edges or a noisy stone texture.
Protect the paint and balance the sheen
Where to paint: Charcoal plinth
Mecha Matt Varnishvallejo · 69.702
Mecha Satin Varnishvallejo · 69.703
After the paint has fully dried, apply a thin coat of Mecha Matt Varnish to the plinth and Mecha Satin Varnish to the bronze. Test both on a spare painted surface first. Remove any pooling while the varnish is still wet. After it dries, inspect the head, back and base from several angles; the bronze highlights should remain clear.
Expected result
The bronze has a gentle sheen; the plinth stays matte with no cloudy varnish patches.
Points to watch
Do not cover everything with gloss or handle the sculpture before the varnish cures.

All paints and materials (10)

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Balthasar Goldcitadel · 21-29

Rhinox Hidecitadel · 21-22

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Sycorax Bronzecitadel · 22-64

Liberator Goldcitadel · 22-71

Eshin Greycitadel · 22-51

Dawnstonecitadel · 22-49

Mecha Matt Varnishvallejo · 69.702

Mecha Satin Varnishvallejo · 69.703

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Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 7

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare and prime the sculpture
Remove support marks and any visible seams without flattening the sculpted facets. Clean the print as recommended for its material: wash filament prints with mild soapy water; finish washing and curing resin before painting. Let it dry completely. Apply Black Surface Primer in light passes from several directions, including beneath the body and tail.
Expected result
A thin, even black coat covers the sculpture; all edges remain sharp.
Points to watch
Do not prime a damp or incompletely cured print, or fill the gaps beneath the jaguar.

Antique bronze jaguar

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare and prime the sculpture

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare and prime the sculpture

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Lay down the bronze colour

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the charcoal plinth

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the bronze shadows

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Build the broad highlights

Expected result

Points to watch

Add the brightest bronze reflections

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Define the sculpted face

Expected result

Points to watch

6. Add effects and weathering

Smooth the bronze transitions

Expected result

Points to watch

7. Finish the model

Finish the plinth

Expected result

Points to watch

Protect the paint and balance the sheen

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Antique bronze jaguar

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare and prime the sculpture

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare and prime the sculpture

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Lay down the bronze colour

Expected result

Points to watch

Paint the charcoal plinth

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Deepen the bronze shadows

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Build the broad highlights

Expected result

Points to watch

Add the brightest bronze reflections

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Define the sculpted face

Expected result

Points to watch