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)
GoldRetributor Armour
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade
Pale goldLiberator Gold
Bright silverStormhost Silver
Teal blueThousand Sons Blue
Blue washDrakenhof Nightshade
Light tealAhriman Blue
SteelLeadbelcher
Black washNuln Oil
Leather brownMournfang Brown
Brown washAgrax Earthshade
Dark earthRhinox Hide
BoneUshabti Bone

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 06 How I Painted My First Warcraft Miniature (Thrall, Not Shrek)Episode notes

How to paint: A Stormcast Eternal Liberator (Dry brushing and Contrast paint)Tutorial by Nayfee Paints · watch on YouTube

How to Paint Stormcast LiberatorsTutorial by The Brush and Boltgun · watch on YouTube

How Do You Paint Metallics on Miniatures?How Do You Use a Wash on Miniatures?How to Highlight 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 06 · How I Painted My First Warcraft Miniature (Thrall, Not Shrek)Her real attempt, mistakes left in. Opens on YouTube.Watch on YouTube →

Gold armour

Base
GoldRetributor Armour

Two thin coats over black. Gold covers better over a brown or black primer than over white.
Shade
Flesh washReikland Fleshshade

Warm wash over all the gold. Brown wash works too.
Highlight
Pale goldLiberator Gold

Every raised edge, with a thin line.
Highlight
Bright silverStormhost Silver

Optional: tiny points on the very sharpest corners.

Shoulder pads and cloth

Base
Teal blueThousand Sons Blue

Shoulder pads, shield and cloth panels.
Shade
Blue washDrakenhof Nightshade

Recesses only.
Highlight
Light tealAhriman Blue

Edges and the top of folds.

Weapon

Base
SteelLeadbelcher

Hammer or sword head.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil
Highlight
Bright silverStormhost Silver

Edge of the blade.

Leather grips

Base
Leather brownMournfang Brown

Handles and straps.
Shade
Brown washAgrax Earthshade

Base

Base
Dark earthRhinox Hide
Layer
BoneUshabti Bone

Drybrush, then a few tufts of static grass.

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

Gold base, one warm wash, done. Edge highlights are the bonus round.
Prime black or brown, never white, under metallics: gaps in the gold look like shadow instead of chalk.

Display level

When you want people to stop and look

Shade the gold with a mix of brown and purple washes in the deepest recesses, keep the warm wash elsewhere.
Paint the face on any unhelmeted heroes first; mistakes are easier to fix before the armour is done.

Other directions

Same model, your look

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

Silver knights

Swap gold for steel, shade with blue wash, highlight bright silver, and use deep red cloth.

Dark armour

Deep blue or black armour with pale gold trim. Edge highlight the armour with pale blue-grey.

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.
Gold	Retributor Armour	Polished Gold	Greedy Gold	look for: warm rich gold	look for: warm rich gold	Any gold. Too pale? Glaze it with a brown or flesh wash to warm it up.
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 gold	Liberator Gold	Glorious Gold	mix it	look for: light bright gold	look for: light bright gold	Your gold + silver about 2:1.
Bright silver	Stormhost Silver	Silver	Shining Silver	look for: bright clean silver	look for: bright clean silver	Use the brightest silver you own, straight. Edges only.
Teal blue	Thousand Sons Blue	Turquoise	Hydra Turquoise	look for: deep blue-teal	look for: deep blue-teal	Mid blue + a little green (about 3:1) + a touch of black.
Blue wash	Drakenhof Nightshade	Blue Wash	Blue Tone	look for: dark blue shade/wash	look for: dark blue shade/wash	Dark blue + a touch of black, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.
Light teal	Ahriman Blue	mix it	mix it	look for: bright light teal	look for: bright light teal	Your teal blue + 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.
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.
Leather brown	Mournfang Brown	Leather Brown	Leather Brown	look for: mid leather brown	look for: mid leather brown	Red-brown: brown + a touch of red.
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.
Dark earth	Rhinox Hide	Charred Brown	Oak Brown	look for: very dark brown	look for: very dark brown	Brown + black about 3:1.
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).

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.

Gold

Citadel: Retributor Armour
Vallejo: Polished Gold
Army Painter: Greedy Gold
AK: look for: warm rich gold
Scale75: look for: warm rich gold
Mix: Any gold. Too pale? Glaze it with a brown or flesh wash to warm it up.

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 gold

Citadel: Liberator Gold
Vallejo: Glorious Gold
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: light bright gold
Scale75: look for: light bright gold
Mix: Your gold + silver about 2:1.

Bright silver

Citadel: Stormhost Silver
Vallejo: Silver
Army Painter: Shining Silver
AK: look for: bright clean silver
Scale75: look for: bright clean silver
Mix: Use the brightest silver you own, straight. Edges only.

Teal blue

Citadel: Thousand Sons Blue
Vallejo: Turquoise
Army Painter: Hydra Turquoise
AK: look for: deep blue-teal
Scale75: look for: deep blue-teal
Mix: Mid blue + a little green (about 3:1) + a touch of black.

Blue wash

Citadel: Drakenhof Nightshade
Vallejo: Blue Wash
Army Painter: Blue Tone
AK: look for: dark blue shade/wash
Scale75: look for: dark blue shade/wash
Mix: Dark blue + a touch of black, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.

Light teal

Citadel: Ahriman Blue
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: bright light teal
Scale75: look for: bright light teal
Mix: Your teal blue + 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.

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.

Leather brown

Citadel: Mournfang Brown
Vallejo: Leather Brown
Army Painter: Leather Brown
AK: look for: mid leather brown
Scale75: look for: mid leather brown
Mix: Red-brown: brown + a touch of red.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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