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.

Black primerChaos Black (spray)
BlackAbaddon Black
Dark greyEshin Grey
Mid greyDawnstone
Deep redKhorne Red
Black washNuln Oil
RedMephiston Red
Bright redEvil Sunz Scarlet
Light greyUlthuan Grey
WhiteWhite Scar
Mid skinCadian Fleshtone
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade
Light skin highlightKislev Flesh
SteelLeadbelcher
BoneUshabti Bone
Dark earthRhinox Hide

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

How to Paint: Order of our Martyred Lady Battle Sister.Tutorial by Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy · watch on YouTube

How to Paint: Order of our Martyred Lady Battle SisterTutorial by The Painting Coach · watch on YouTube

How to Highlight Miniatures How Do You Thin Paint for Miniatures?Common Beginner Miniature Painting Mistakes

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 03 · Can a Beginner Copy a Golden Demon-Winning Paint Job?Her real attempt, mistakes left in. Opens on YouTube.Watch on YouTube →

Black armour

Base
BlackAbaddon Black

Clean up over the primer.
Highlight
Dark greyEshin Grey

Edges of every plate.
Highlight
Mid greyDawnstone

Finer line on the top edges only.

Red robes

Base
Deep redKhorne Red

Two or three thin coats over black. Red covers badly: be patient.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil

Deep folds only.
Layer
RedMephiston Red

Tops of the folds.
Highlight
Bright redEvil Sunz Scarlet

Thin line on the highest edges.

White cloak lining

Base
Light greyUlthuan Grey

Never start white over black: start light grey, it covers faster.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil

Thinned 1:1 with water, recesses only.
Highlight
WhiteWhite Scar

Build up white on the raised areas.

Face and hair

Base
Mid skinCadian Fleshtone

Face. Any skin tone works.
Shade
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade
Highlight
Light skin highlightKislev Flesh

Nose and cheekbones.
Base
WhiteWhite Scar

Hair: white bob over light grey, or any hair colour you like.

Weapon and seals

Base
SteelLeadbelcher

Gun metal and fleur details.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil
Base
Deep redKhorne Red

Purity seal wax.
Base
BoneUshabti Bone

Purity seal parchment, then a brown wash.

Base

Base
Dark earthRhinox Hide

Ruined city rubble.
Layer
Mid greyDawnstone

Drybrush the rubble.

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

Paint the robes with a red one-coat paint over a light grey or white area for a fast, rich red.
Keep the white lining off-white (light grey + a little wash). Pure white is hard to keep clean on a tabletop model.

Display level

When you want people to stop and look

Paint the face first, then everything else, so you never touch finished armour with a big brush.
Blend the robes with three or four thin layers of red, stopping each layer a little higher up the fold.

Other directions

Same model, your look

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

Silver and red

Steel armour with black wash, same red robes. Easier than black armour and very bright.

White armour, black robes

Light grey armour built up to white, black robes edge highlighted with dark grey, red details.

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
Black primer	Chaos Black (spray)	Surface Primer Black	Colour Primer Matt Black	look for: black spray or brush-on primer	look for: black spray or brush-on primer	No mixing: any black primer made for plastic miniatures. Thin coats, 20-30 cm away.
Black	Abaddon Black	Black	Matt Black	look for: matt black	look for: matt black	Any matt black. In a pinch, dark blue + dark brown 1:1 makes a soft near-black that highlights more naturally.
Dark grey	Eshin Grey	German Grey (Model Color)	mix it	look for: dark neutral grey	look for: dark neutral grey	Black + white about 4:1. Add a speck of blue for a cooler armour grey.
Mid grey	Dawnstone	Stonewall Grey	Uniform Grey	look for: mid grey	look for: mid grey	Black + white about 1:1, then adjust. Test on the palette: it dries darker.
Deep red	Khorne Red	Gory Red	Dragon Red	look for: dark crimson	look for: dark crimson	Your red + a touch of black or dark brown (about 4:1).
Black wash	Nuln Oil	Black Wash	Dark Tone	look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash	look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash	Black paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + one drop of flow improver or a tiny drop of dish soap so it runs into recesses.
Red	Mephiston Red	Bloody Red	Pure Red	look for: strong mid red	look for: strong mid red	Red with a touch of brown so it is not too pink. Over grey primer it needs 2-3 thin coats.
Bright red	Evil Sunz Scarlet	Scarlet Red	mix it	look for: orange-leaning bright red	look for: orange-leaning bright red	Your red + a little orange (about 3:1). Never white: it turns red pink.
Light grey	Ulthuan Grey	Ghost Grey	Ash Grey	look for: pale cool grey	look for: pale cool grey	White + a small touch of your mid grey (about 6:1).
White	White Scar	Dead White	Matt White	look for: matt white	look for: matt white	Any matt white, including artist titanium white thinned with water.
Mid skin	Cadian Fleshtone	Dwarf Skin	Barbarian Flesh	look for: mid warm skin tone	look for: mid warm skin tone	White + red + yellow + brown, start around 4:1:1:1. Skin comes in every tone: see the tips.
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.
Light skin highlight	Kislev Flesh	Elfic Flesh	mix it	look for: pale warm skin highlight	look for: pale warm skin highlight	Your mid skin + white about 2:1.
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.
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.

Black primer

Citadel: Chaos Black (spray)
Vallejo: Surface Primer Black
Army Painter: Colour Primer Matt Black
AK: look for: black spray or brush-on primer
Scale75: look for: black spray or brush-on primer
Mix: No mixing: any black primer made for plastic miniatures. Thin coats, 20-30 cm away.

Black

Citadel: Abaddon Black
Vallejo: Black
Army Painter: Matt Black
AK: look for: matt black
Scale75: look for: matt black
Mix: Any matt black. In a pinch, dark blue + dark brown 1:1 makes a soft near-black that highlights more naturally.

Dark grey

Citadel: Eshin Grey
Vallejo: German Grey (Model Color)
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: dark neutral grey
Scale75: look for: dark neutral grey
Mix: Black + white about 4:1. Add a speck of blue for a cooler armour grey.

Mid grey

Citadel: Dawnstone
Vallejo: Stonewall Grey
Army Painter: Uniform Grey
AK: look for: mid grey
Scale75: look for: mid grey
Mix: Black + white about 1:1, then adjust. Test on the palette: it dries darker.

Deep red

Citadel: Khorne Red
Vallejo: Gory Red
Army Painter: Dragon Red
AK: look for: dark crimson
Scale75: look for: dark crimson
Mix: Your red + a touch of black or dark brown (about 4:1).

Black wash

Citadel: Nuln Oil
Vallejo: Black Wash
Army Painter: Dark Tone
AK: look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash
Scale75: look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash
Mix: Black paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + one drop of flow improver or a tiny drop of dish soap so it runs into recesses.

Red

Citadel: Mephiston Red
Vallejo: Bloody Red
Army Painter: Pure Red
AK: look for: strong mid red
Scale75: look for: strong mid red
Mix: Red with a touch of brown so it is not too pink. Over grey primer it needs 2-3 thin coats.

Bright red

Citadel: Evil Sunz Scarlet
Vallejo: Scarlet Red
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: orange-leaning bright red
Scale75: look for: orange-leaning bright red
Mix: Your red + a little orange (about 3:1). Never white: it turns red pink.

Light grey

Citadel: Ulthuan Grey
Vallejo: Ghost Grey
Army Painter: Ash Grey
AK: look for: pale cool grey
Scale75: look for: pale cool grey
Mix: White + a small touch of your mid grey (about 6:1).

White

Citadel: White Scar
Vallejo: Dead White
Army Painter: Matt White
AK: look for: matt white
Scale75: look for: matt white
Mix: Any matt white, including artist titanium white thinned with water.

Mid skin

Citadel: Cadian Fleshtone
Vallejo: Dwarf Skin
Army Painter: Barbarian Flesh
AK: look for: mid warm skin tone
Scale75: look for: mid warm skin tone
Mix: White + red + yellow + brown, start around 4:1:1:1. Skin comes in every tone: see the tips.

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.

Light skin highlight

Citadel: Kislev Flesh
Vallejo: Elfic Flesh
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale warm skin highlight
Scale75: look for: pale warm skin highlight
Mix: Your mid skin + white about 2:1.

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.

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.

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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.

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