Episode 04 · The Pigmentum, a beginner miniature-painting YouTube channel

Can a Beginner Copy a Golden Demon-Winning Paint Job?

Published 2026-09-04 · Last updated 2026-09-05

By The Pigmentum · Updated 2026-09-05

She tried to recreate a Golden Demon-winning Deathshroud painted by Richard Gray, copying his colour mixes, blending, edge highlighting, and rust weathering as her second-ever miniature — she got close on the armor and cloak but skipped his freehand skull and NMM because she's still learning the basics.

What do you need?

• rust effect
• Vallejo Metallics

How did she do it?

1. Prime grayShe primed the miniature gray, matching what Richard Gray did on the original.
2. Mix four colors and block in light/shadowFollowing Richard's advice, she mixed four colors upfront and established light and shadow from the start instead of painting flat first and adding shadows later, starting with the darkest colors in the shadows and working up to brighter mixes where the light would hit.
3. Blend with a wet brushShe used a wet brush technique to blend the colors on the armor so they faded into each other instead of looking patchy.
4. Paint the nurgling fingers and belly highlightShe painted the small nurgling fingers and added a highlight on the belly.
5. Paint the cloakShe painted the cloak using the same color palette as the armor, mixing colors freely and trying (unsuccessfully) to recreate Richard's cloak texture.
6. Paint the detailsShe worked through the miniature's many details — pipes, fangs, teeth, bone, three weapons, and the stuff on his back and head — including a multi-step process to finish the pipes.
7. Paint metallicsInstead of attempting NMM (non-metallic metal) like Richard did, she used actual metallic paint since she's still learning highlights, shadows, edge highlighting, blending, and thinning paint.
8. Weather the weaponShe asked for help at the hobby store and was given a rust effect product, then added a blue-green effect on top to make the weapon look old, dirty, and corroded.
9. Add the fliesShe finished by adding flies on his head.

FAQ

Do I need to paint everything one color first and add shadows later?

No — she mixed four colors upfront and painted the light and shadow areas from the start, rather than painting flat and adding shadows afterward.

How do you get smooth blends between colors?

She used a wet brush technique to blend the colors so they faded into each other instead of looking patchy.

Should beginners try NMM (non-metallic metal)?

She skipped it and used actual metallic paint instead, saying she's still learning highlights, shadows, edge highlighting, blending, and thinning paint, so NMM can wait for another day.

How do you make a weapon look rusty?

She got a rust effect product from the hobby store and then added a blue-green effect on top to make it look old and corroded.

Moments from this episode

The PigmentumBeginner miniature painter documenting the road to a Golden Demon.

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