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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.

White primerWraithbone (spray)
Pale boneScreaming Skull
Sepia washSeraphim Sepia
WhiteWhite Scar
PurpleXereus Purple
Purple washDruchii Violet
Light purpleGenestealer Purple
Deep redKhorne Red
Black washNuln Oil
RedMephiston Red
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 05 How I Batch Painted 3 Warhammer Poxwalkers TogetherEpisode notes

How To Paint Hive Fleet Leviathan Termagants for Warhammer 40,000Tutorial by TableTopReady · watch on YouTube

How to Paint Hive Fleet Leviathan TERMAGANTS Full Painting Tutorial - Warhammer 40K 10th EditionTutorial by StrikingScorpion82 · watch on YouTube

How Do You Use a Wash on Miniatures?How to Prime 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 05 · How I Batch Painted 3 Warhammer Poxwalkers TogetherHer real attempt, mistakes left in. Opens on YouTube.Watch on YouTube →

Carapace (shell)

Base
Pale boneScreaming Skull

The primer can do this job if you used white or bone.
Shade
Sepia washSeraphim Sepia

Recesses of each plate.
Highlight
WhiteWhite Scar

Top edges of the bigger plates.

Skin

Base
PurpleXereus Purple

Everything that is not shell. Careful near the carapace; touch up later.
Shade
Purple washDruchii Violet

Wash the skin.
Highlight
Light purpleGenestealer Purple

Ribs and muscle tops.

Claws and gun

Base
Deep redKhorne Red

Talon tips and the living gun.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil

Only on the claws, so they darken toward the tips.
Highlight
RedMephiston Red

A thin line on the gun's ridges.

Eyes

Base
RedMephiston Red

Tiny dot. Add a white speck for a wet look.

Base

Base
Dark earthRhinox Hide

Alien rock or sand.
Layer
KhakiBaneblade Brown

Drybrush.

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

Prime white or bone so the carapace is done before you open a pot.
Paint the skin with a purple one-coat paint over the light primer: base and shade in one go.

Display level

When you want people to stop and look

Blend the carapace from bone at the base of each plate to white at the tip.
Glaze very thin purple wash where skin meets shell to tie the colours together.

Other directions

Same model, your look

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

Dark shell, bright skin

Reverse it: deep purple or black carapace with pale bone skin. Very striking in a big swarm.

Red and blue swarm

Deep red carapace with a pale blue-grey skin, or blue carapace with bone skin. Any two contrasting colours work: one for shell, one for flesh.

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
White primer	Wraithbone (spray)	Surface Primer White	Colour Primer Matt White	look for: white or off-white primer	look for: white or off-white primer	No mixing: any white or bone primer. Bright colours over white look cleaner with fewer coats.
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.
Sepia wash	Seraphim Sepia	Sepia Wash	Soft Tone	look for: light yellow-brown shade/wash	look for: light yellow-brown shade/wash	Mid brown + a little yellow, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.
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.
Purple	Xereus Purple	Royal Purple	Alien Purple	look for: deep royal purple	look for: deep royal purple	Red + blue about 1:1, then a touch of black. Test it: some reds mix muddy.
Purple wash	Druchii Violet	mix it	Purple Tone	look for: deep purple shade/wash	look for: deep purple shade/wash	Purple paint + a touch of black, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.
Light purple	Genestealer Purple	mix it	mix it	look for: mid-light violet	look for: mid-light violet	Your purple + white about 2:1.
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.
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.

White primer

Citadel: Wraithbone (spray)
Vallejo: Surface Primer White
Army Painter: Colour Primer Matt White
AK: look for: white or off-white primer
Scale75: look for: white or off-white primer
Mix: No mixing: any white or bone primer. Bright colours over white look cleaner with fewer coats.

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.

Sepia wash

Citadel: Seraphim Sepia
Vallejo: Sepia Wash
Army Painter: Soft Tone
AK: look for: light yellow-brown shade/wash
Scale75: look for: light yellow-brown shade/wash
Mix: Mid brown + a little yellow, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.

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.

Purple

Citadel: Xereus Purple
Vallejo: Royal Purple
Army Painter: Alien Purple
AK: look for: deep royal purple
Scale75: look for: deep royal purple
Mix: Red + blue about 1:1, then a touch of black. Test it: some reds mix muddy.

Purple wash

Citadel: Druchii Violet
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: Purple Tone
AK: look for: deep purple shade/wash
Scale75: look for: deep purple shade/wash
Mix: Purple paint + a touch of black, heavily thinned (1:8) + a drop of flow improver.

Light purple

Citadel: Genestealer Purple
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: mid-light violet
Scale75: look for: mid-light violet
Mix: Your purple + white about 2:1.

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.

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.

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