Painting

Turquoise salamander with a fiery sail

Cool turquoise scales meet a fiery orange dorsal sail. Ivory teeth and claws, a deep red tongue and an amber eye make the salamander's open mouth and head the focal point.

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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

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.
Inspect the sail tips and claws, remove dust and support marks without rounding them. Wash away release residue where needed and dry fully. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, keeping the mouth and scale gaps open.
Expected result
The dry primer follows every scale without filling its border.
Points to watch
Do not brace the miniature by its tall sail.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.
Where to paint: Whole model
Blackvallejo · 70.602
Inspect the sail tips and claws, remove dust and support marks without rounding them. Wash away release residue where needed and dry fully. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, keeping the mouth and scale gaps open.
Expected result
The dry primer follows every scale without filling its border.
Points to watch
Do not brace the miniature by its tall sail.

2. Apply the base colours

Set a deep cool body colour.
Where to paint: Blue scales
Stegadon Scale Greencitadel · 21-10
Work Stegadon Scale Green along the scale rows, turning the animal to cover the inner legs without touching the jaw or sail.
Expected result
The body is uniformly blue-green with readable scale separations.
Points to watch
Do not bridge the toes with thick paint.
Establish the warm dorsal accent.
Where to paint: Dorsal sail
Troll Slayer Orangecitadel · 22-03
Build Troll Slayer Orange in several thin passes along the sail, keeping its roots separate from the blue scales.
Expected result
Orange covers both sail faces without patchy black showing through.
Points to watch
Do not let paint collect at the narrow sail tips.
Unify the warm pale materials.
Where to paint: Jaw and claws
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Cover these pale areas with Zandri Dust, tracing the lip edge and reaching between the teeth with a fine point.
Expected result
The jaw and claws have a solid warm foundation.
Points to watch
Keep the red tongue boundary free of bone colour.
Give the mouth living warmth.
Where to paint: Tongue
Khorne Redcitadel · 21-04
Paint Khorne Red from the tongue root towards its tips, reaching the underside while avoiding the ivory teeth.
Expected result
The tongue is red on both sides and separate from the jaw.
Points to watch
Do not fill the central tongue split.
Add a compact amber focal point.
Where to paint: Amber eye
Averland Sunsetcitadel · 21-01
Place Averland Sunset inside the iris, leaving a dark border beneath the heavy upper lid.
Expected result
Amber remains confined to the eye.
Points to watch
Do not enlarge the eye onto the blue eyelid.
Distinguish the tail ornament.
Where to paint: Tail band
Brassvallejo · 70.801
Follow the band with Brass, using the brush point beside its engraved marks and stopping at the scale border.
Expected result
A warm metallic ring is visible against the blue tail.
Points to watch
Do not fill the engraved square motifs.

3. Build the shadows

Separate jaw scales and deepen the sail roots.
Where to paint: Jaw and claws
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Guide Agrax Earthshade through these recessed lines, drawing it back from broad orange membrane and pale tooth tips.
Expected result
Warm shadows remain localized at material roots.
Points to watch
Do not wash the amber iris brown.

4. Build the highlights

Reveal the cool scale volumes.
Where to paint: Blue scales
Sotek Greencitadel · 22-19
Layer Sotek Green towards the upper faces of scale groups; leave Stegadon Scale Green beneath each overhang and along the belly sides.
Expected result
The upper body reads turquoise above deep blue-green shadows.
Points to watch
Do not outline every scale with equal brightness.
Focus cool highlights near the head.
Where to paint: Blue scales
Temple Guard Bluecitadel · 22-20
Touch Temple Guard Blue to short sections of the brow and shoulder tips, keeping the hindquarters less bright.
Expected result
The face leads the cool highlights.
Points to watch
Avoid scattered turquoise dots in the dark recesses.
Make the sail rise from dark to bright.
Where to paint: Dorsal sail
Fire Dragon Brightcitadel · 22-04
Draw thin Fire Dragon Bright upwards along the sail, stopping short of the dark folds at its root.
Expected result
Orange becomes lighter towards the tips without hard stripes.
Points to watch
Do not lighten the whole membrane to the same value.
Bring the pale anatomy forward.
Where to paint: Jaw and claws
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Layer Ushabti Bone onto the raised pale forms, narrowing each stroke towards the tips; add only a small ivory cap to the tallest sail ribs.
Expected result
Ivory tips and jaw texture remain warm and distinct.
Points to watch
Do not cover the brown roots of the claws.
Give the tongue a soft raised centre.
Where to paint: Tongue
Wazdakka Redcitadel · 22-07
Apply translucent Wazdakka Red along the raised tongue folds, leaving the split and root in Khorne Red.
Expected result
Red tissue has volume without a wet plastic glare.
Points to watch
Do not touch the pale teeth with the red-loaded brush.

5. Paint the details

Give the eye a clear direction.
Where to paint: Amber eye
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
With a nearly unloaded fine point, draw one short dark pupil inside the amber eye, leaving amber visible around it.
Expected result
A small pupil sits wholly inside the iris.
Points to watch
Do not extend the pupil across the eyelid.

All paints and materials (14)

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Stegadon Scale Greencitadel · 21-10

Sotek Greencitadel · 22-19

Temple Guard Bluecitadel · 22-20

Troll Slayer Orangecitadel · 22-03

Fire Dragon Brightcitadel · 22-04

Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

Khorne Redcitadel · 21-04

Wazdakka Redcitadel · 22-07

Averland Sunsetcitadel · 21-01

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Brassvallejo · 70.801

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Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 5

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.
Inspect the sail tips and claws, remove dust and support marks without rounding them. Wash away release residue where needed and dry fully. Apply a thin even Black Surface Primer coat, keeping the mouth and scale gaps open.
Expected result
The dry primer follows every scale without filling its border.
Points to watch
Do not brace the miniature by its tall sail.

Turquoise salamander with a fiery sail

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Set a deep cool body colour.

Expected result

Points to watch

Establish the warm dorsal accent.

Expected result

Points to watch

Unify the warm pale materials.

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the mouth living warmth.

Expected result

Points to watch

Add a compact amber focal point.

Expected result

Points to watch

Distinguish the tail ornament.

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Separate jaw scales and deepen the sail roots.

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Reveal the cool scale volumes.

Expected result

Points to watch

Focus cool highlights near the head.

Expected result

Points to watch

Make the sail rise from dark to bright.

Expected result

Points to watch

Bring the pale anatomy forward.

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the tongue a soft raised centre.

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Give the eye a clear direction.

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Turquoise salamander with a fiery sail

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Prepare the fragile sail and open mouth.

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Set a deep cool body colour.

Expected result

Points to watch

Establish the warm dorsal accent.

Expected result

Points to watch

Unify the warm pale materials.

Expected result

Points to watch

Give the mouth living warmth.

Expected result