Her finished Biologus Putrifier miniature on its base, green armour and glowing vials, Episode 02 — Her Biologus Putrifier, a Death Guard hero: not a Plague Marine, but the same green-armour family. Episode 02. Watch the episode
Painted by The Pigmentum — unofficial. Miniature © Games Workshop. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.

From her bench

Her real painted work in this palette

Real photos from her own episodes, not renders. The recipe below is the same colour family she uses.

Her finished Death Guard tank, green and weathered on a sandy base on the turntable, Episode 07 — Her Death Guard tank, green and weathered. Episode 07.

One of the three batch-painted daemons finished on the turntable, Episode 05 — One of her three batch-painted Poxwalkers, Death Guard infantry. Episode 05.

Painted by The Pigmentum — unofficial. Miniature © Games Workshop. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.

Shopping list

The palette

Every colour in this recipe, named for the brand you picked. Each name is an approximate visual match based on our testing; results may vary. Copy the list to your phone before the hobby shop.

Grey primerMechanicus Standard Grey (spray)
Pale plague greenDeath Guard Green
Brown washAgrax Earthshade
Pale khaki-greenKrieg Khaki
BrassBalthasar Gold
VerdigrisNihilakh Oxide (technical)
SteelLeadbelcher
Rust orangeRyza Rust (dry)
Pus greenNurgling Green
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade
Pale boneScreaming Skull
BoneUshabti Bone
Dark earthRhinox Hide
KhakiBaneblade Brown

Watch

See it painted

Her videos first, then tutorials by other painters, credited to their creators. Videos load from YouTube only when you press play.

The Pigmentum · Episode 02 How I Painted My First Warhammer Miniature (and Why I Chose the Worst One)Episode notes

The Pigmentum · Episode 03 Can a Beginner Copy a Golden Demon-Winning Paint Job?Episode notes

The Pigmentum · Episode 05 How I Batch Painted 3 Warhammer Poxwalkers TogetherEpisode notes

The Pigmentum · Episode 07 How I Painted My Biggest Warhammer Model Using Everything I've Learned So FarEpisode notes

How to paint your Death Guard Plague Marines for Warhammer 40,000 | Killteam | Duncan RhodesTutorial by Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy · watch on YouTube

How to Paint Death Guard Plague Marines for Warhammer 40K Step by StepTutorial by SKS Hobbies · watch on YouTube

How to Highlight Miniatures How Do You Use a Wash on Miniatures?How Do You Paint Metallics on Miniatures?

Painted this one? We only ever show minis The Pigmentum painted herself, never official photos. Show her yours in the comments on her YouTube channel.

Step by step

The recipe

Area by area, in painting order: base, shade, layer, highlight. Thin every paint a little with water (how to thin paint).

Watch her paint itEpisode 02 · How I Painted My First Warhammer Miniature (and Why I Chose the Worst One)Her real attempt, mistakes left in. Opens on YouTube.Watch on YouTube →

Armour

Base
Pale plague greenDeath Guard Green

Two thin coats. Grey primer helps the dusty look.
Shade
Brown washAgrax Earthshade

Wash all the armour. An olive wash is also great here.
Highlight
Pale khaki-greenKrieg Khaki

Edges and the top of round panels. Messy is on-theme.

Brass trim

Base
BrassBalthasar Gold

Armour rims and tubes.
Shade
Brown washAgrax Earthshade
Layer
VerdigrisNihilakh Oxide (technical)

Into the recesses of the brass for that corroded look.

Rusty metal

Base
SteelLeadbelcher

Weapons, chains and exposed metal.
Shade
Brown washAgrax Earthshade
Layer
Rust orangeRyza Rust (dry)

Stipple rust. Death Guard can take a lot of it.

Rotting flesh and tentacles

Base
Pus greenNurgling Green

Exposed belly, guts and tentacles.
Shade
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade

A warm wash makes flesh look sore.
Highlight
Pale boneScreaming Skull

Fine highlight on the wettest-looking bulges.

Horns and bone

Base
BoneUshabti Bone

Horns and spikes.
Shade
Brown washAgrax Earthshade

Darker at the root.
Highlight
Pale boneScreaming Skull

Tip of each horn.

Base

Base
Dark earthRhinox Hide

Swamp mud. Gloss varnish in puddles looks like slime.
Layer
KhakiBaneblade Brown

Drybrush, then a little green wash in the dips.

Tips

Quick or display

Two ways to paint it, depending on how long you want to spend.

Tabletop, fast

Get it on the table tonight

Base green, brown wash, a scruffy drybrush of pale khaki over the armour. Done.
Be dirty on purpose: dab rust and mud weathering onto the legs to hide mistakes.

Display level

When you want people to stop and look

Her own approach in Episode 03: work up the green in several thin olive mixes from the shadows, then wash and bring the brightness back (see her highlighting guide).
Add gloss varnish to slime, guts and eyes only. Shine next to matt armour looks disgusting in the best way.

Other directions

Same model, your look

Your miniature, your rules. Two alternative schemes that use the same steps.

Bone-white plague

Pale bone armour, sepia wash, with the brass and green flesh kept the same. A popular modern look.

Dark and grim

Deep olive armour (cadian green), black wash, and only very small highlights. Moody and quick.

Can't find a paint?

Swap it or mix it

Our own colour notes from independent testing. Every brand name is an approximate visual match based on our testing; results may vary, never an official equivalent. For AK and Scale75 we describe what to look for. Mix ratios are starting points: test on your palette first.

Colour	Citadel	Vallejo	Army Painter	AK	Scale75	Mix it yourself
Grey primer	Mechanicus Standard Grey (spray)	Surface Primer Grey	Colour Primer Uniform Grey	look for: mid grey spray or brush-on primer	look for: mid grey spray or brush-on primer	No mixing: any grey primer made for plastic miniatures. Grey shows detail best when you are learning.
Pale plague green	Death Guard Green	mix it	mix it	look for: pale grey-green	look for: pale grey-green	Mid grey + green + bone about 2:1:1. Aim for a dusty, sickly olive.
Brown wash	Agrax Earthshade	Umber Wash	Strong Tone	look for: warm dark brown shade/wash	look for: warm dark brown shade/wash	Dark brown paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + a drop of flow improver.
Pale khaki-green	Krieg Khaki	mix it	mix it	look for: pale yellowish khaki	look for: pale yellowish khaki	Your pale plague green + bone about 1:1.
Brass	Balthasar Gold	Brassy Brass	Weapon Bronze	look for: dull brassy gold	look for: dull brassy gold	Gold + a little steel + a brown wash over the top.
Verdigris	Nihilakh Oxide (technical)	mix it	mix it	look for: pale blue-green oxide effect	look for: pale blue-green oxide effect	White + a little teal + a touch of green, thinned like a wash and run into the recesses of bronze.
Steel	Leadbelcher	Gunmetal Metal	Gun Metal	look for: mid metallic steel	look for: mid metallic steel	Any silver + a little black (about 3:1). Mix metallics with metallics, not with normal paint, or they go chalky.
Rust orange	Ryza Rust (dry)	Hot Orange	Lava Orange	look for: orange-brown rust	look for: orange-brown rust	Orange + brown about 1:1, stippled on with an old brush.
Pus green	Nurgling Green	mix it	mix it	look for: yellow-green, fleshy	look for: yellow-green, fleshy	Yellow + green + white about 2:1:1.
Flesh wash	Reikland Fleshshade	Flesh Wash	Flesh Wash	look for: warm red-brown shade/wash	look for: warm red-brown shade/wash	Red-brown (brown + a little red) heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.
Pale bone	Screaming Skull	Off-White (Model Color)	mix it	look for: pale warm off-white	look for: pale warm off-white	White + a small dot of your bone colour.
Bone	Ushabti Bone	Bonewhite	Skeleton Bone	look for: mid bone	look for: mid bone	White + a little yellow + a touch of brown (about 6:1:0.5).
Dark earth	Rhinox Hide	Charred Brown	Oak Brown	look for: very dark brown	look for: very dark brown	Brown + black about 3:1.
Khaki	Baneblade Brown	Khaki	mix it	look for: light grey-brown khaki	look for: light grey-brown khaki	Your bone colour + dark earth about 2:1.

Grey primer

Citadel: Mechanicus Standard Grey (spray)
Vallejo: Surface Primer Grey
Army Painter: Colour Primer Uniform Grey
AK: look for: mid grey spray or brush-on primer
Scale75: look for: mid grey spray or brush-on primer
Mix: No mixing: any grey primer made for plastic miniatures. Grey shows detail best when you are learning.

Pale plague green

Citadel: Death Guard Green
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale grey-green
Scale75: look for: pale grey-green
Mix: Mid grey + green + bone about 2:1:1. Aim for a dusty, sickly olive.

Brown wash

Citadel: Agrax Earthshade
Vallejo: Umber Wash
Army Painter: Strong Tone
AK: look for: warm dark brown shade/wash
Scale75: look for: warm dark brown shade/wash
Mix: Dark brown paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + a drop of flow improver.

Pale khaki-green

Citadel: Krieg Khaki
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale yellowish khaki
Scale75: look for: pale yellowish khaki
Mix: Your pale plague green + bone about 1:1.

Brass

Citadel: Balthasar Gold
Vallejo: Brassy Brass
Army Painter: Weapon Bronze
AK: look for: dull brassy gold
Scale75: look for: dull brassy gold
Mix: Gold + a little steel + a brown wash over the top.

Verdigris

Citadel: Nihilakh Oxide (technical)
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale blue-green oxide effect
Scale75: look for: pale blue-green oxide effect
Mix: White + a little teal + a touch of green, thinned like a wash and run into the recesses of bronze.

Steel

Citadel: Leadbelcher
Vallejo: Gunmetal Metal
Army Painter: Gun Metal
AK: look for: mid metallic steel
Scale75: look for: mid metallic steel
Mix: Any silver + a little black (about 3:1). Mix metallics with metallics, not with normal paint, or they go chalky.

Rust orange

Citadel: Ryza Rust (dry)
Vallejo: Hot Orange
Army Painter: Lava Orange
AK: look for: orange-brown rust
Scale75: look for: orange-brown rust
Mix: Orange + brown about 1:1, stippled on with an old brush.

Pus green

Citadel: Nurgling Green
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: yellow-green, fleshy
Scale75: look for: yellow-green, fleshy
Mix: Yellow + green + white about 2:1:1.

Flesh wash

Citadel: Reikland Fleshshade
Vallejo: Flesh Wash
Army Painter: Flesh Wash
AK: look for: warm red-brown shade/wash
Scale75: look for: warm red-brown shade/wash
Mix: Red-brown (brown + a little red) heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.

Pale bone

Citadel: Screaming Skull
Vallejo: Off-White (Model Color)
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale warm off-white
Scale75: look for: pale warm off-white
Mix: White + a small dot of your bone colour.

Bone

Citadel: Ushabti Bone
Vallejo: Bonewhite
Army Painter: Skeleton Bone
AK: look for: mid bone
Scale75: look for: mid bone
Mix: White + a little yellow + a touch of brown (about 6:1:0.5).

Dark earth

Citadel: Rhinox Hide
Vallejo: Charred Brown
Army Painter: Oak Brown
AK: look for: very dark brown
Scale75: look for: very dark brown
Mix: Brown + black about 3:1.

Khaki

Citadel: Baneblade Brown
Vallejo: Khaki
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: light grey-brown khaki
Scale75: look for: light grey-brown khaki
Mix: Your bone colour + dark earth about 2:1.

Unofficial fan content. This is an unofficial painting guide created by independent hobbyists. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Games Workshop Limited, Warhammer, Citadel, or any of their trademarks, products, or subsidiaries in any way.

Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Citadel, and all associated names, characters, factions, units, and imagery are trademarks and/or copyright of Games Workshop Limited. All rights reserved. Used here solely for identification and descriptive purposes.

Paint recipes, colour matches, mixing tips, and any 3D visualisations are original work based on independent research and testing. They are approximate only and not official recommendations.

Photos of miniatures shown are of models painted by the site owner and are displayed for hobby illustration purposes only.

No Games Workshop logos, official artwork, box art, rules text, or product photography are used. This site is free and non-commercial with respect to Games Workshop intellectual property.

Fan-made AI visualisation. The 3D figure and its renders on this page are fan-made AI visualisations generated from a text description only (no official images used), shown for illustration and not available to download.