RAY LAROSE|MINIATURES

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Gold 4 steps The basecoat, wash, highlight sequence most metal is built on. Ultramarine Armour 4 steps The same idea with an edge highlight, which is what makes armour read as armour. Rust 3 steps Stippling and drybrushing, and hard to get wrong. Ork Flesh 9 steps The whole ladder: a basecoat, two layers, a highlight, then glazes to blend it together.

Every miniature I have painted, with the paints and the steps to paint it again.

Paint Schemes

How I painted each model: the exact paints, the order they went on, and the finish they gave.

What the technique words mean

basecoat: The first solid colour over primer. Two thin coats beat one thick one.
highlight: A lighter colour on the parts that would catch the light.
layer: A slightly lighter colour over part of the coat below, leaving its edges showing.
wash: Thin, watery paint that runs into the recesses and shades the whole area at once.
edge: A highlight along a sharp edge only, painted with the side of the brush.
shade: Darker paint placed deliberately in the shadows rather than left to flow.
glaze: Heavily thinned paint over dry paint, to tint it and soften the join between two colours.
stipple: Dabbed on with the tip of the brush for a broken, rough, mottled surface.
drybrush: Almost-dry paint dragged across raised texture so it catches only the high points.
blend: Two colours worked into each other while both are wet, so there is no visible line.
special: Anything that is not one of the above. The step note says what it is.

Recipes

Methods I reuse across models - skin, metal, armour, cloth and the rest. Each step is one named paint, one technique and a note. Unless a step says otherwise, every recipe here starts on a primed model - the scheme that uses it usually says which colour.

What the technique words mean

basecoat: The first solid colour over primer. Two thin coats beat one thick one.
highlight: A lighter colour on the parts that would catch the light.
layer: A slightly lighter colour over part of the coat below, leaving its edges showing.
wash: Thin, watery paint that runs into the recesses and shades the whole area at once.
edge: A highlight along a sharp edge only, painted with the side of the brush.
shade: Darker paint placed deliberately in the shadows rather than left to flow.
glaze: Heavily thinned paint over dry paint, to tint it and soften the join between two colours.
stipple: Dabbed on with the tip of the brush for a broken, rough, mottled surface.
drybrush: Almost-dry paint dragged across raised texture so it catches only the high points.
blend: Two colours worked into each other while both are wet, so there is no visible line.
special: Anything that is not one of the above. The step note says what it is.

Black Weapons

🔗🖨

Weapon

Goto scheme for simple black weapons

Paints Used

Steps

1
basecoatCoal BlackPro Acryl
Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
2
edgeMechanicus Standard GreyCitadel
Edge all panels·Artis Opus Series S 1
3
highlightWolf Grey (72.047)Vallejo
Dot highlights·Artis Opus Series S 1
4
basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
Barrels, clips·Vallejo Detail 2
5
washNuln OilCitadel
Barrels, clips·Vallejo Detail 2

Used in: Ultramarines 4th Company, Ghazghkull Thraka, Maulers, Kommandos, Dreadnought, Commissar, Death Riders, Beast Snagga Boyz, Death Korps Artillery, Commissar Yarrick, Cadien Shock Troops, Imperial Knights - Knight Questoris, Catachan Jungle Fighters

Plasma Glow

🔗🖨

Weapon

Green plasma glow

Paints Used

Steps

1
basecoatBold Titanium WhitePro Acryl
Base weapon area·Artis Opus Series S 1
2
drybrushBaharroth BlueCitadel
Brush top of glow - spreading onto metal·Artis Opus Series D Small
3
drybrushTemple Guard BlueCitadel
Very light, very top·Artis Opus Series D Small
4
highlightBold Titanium WhitePro Acryl
Reestablish highlight glow·Artis Opus Series S 00

Used in: Jump Pack Intercessors, Saturnine Praetor

Red Weapons

🔗🖨

Weapon

My goto colours for bolters and whatnot

Paints Used

Steps

1
basecoatMephiston RedCitadel
Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
2
edgeEvil Sunz ScarletCitadel
1st edge (long edges)·Artis Opus Series S 1
3
edgeWild Rider RedCitadel
2nd edge (corners)·Artis Opus Series S 1
4
highlightDeep Orange IntenseAK Interactive
Dot highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
5
basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
Metal bits·Vallejo Detail
6
washNuln OilCitadel
Wash metal bits·Vallejo Detail 2

Notes

I'll sometimes make the orange dot highlight a little longer along the edges and come in with a pale yellow for the dot instead - but that's rare.

Used in: Hounds of Morka, Squig Rider, Ghazghkull Thraka, Maulers, Kommandos, Kronus Hegemony Black Scheme, Jump Pack Intercessors, Wonka Boyz, Commissar Yarrick

Squat Weapons

🔗🖨

SquatsWeapon

All my squat weapons follow this one scheme

Paints Used

Steps

1
basecoatBlackVallejo
Primer black·Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush ULTRA 2024 Medium
2
basecoatField Blue (70.964)Vallejo
Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
3
edgeTurquoise (72.024)Vallejo
Edge highlight weapons·Artis Opus Series S 1
4
basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
Barrels / clips·Vallejo Detail
5
washNuln OilCitadel
Barrels / clips·Vallejo Detail
6
basecoatBrassy Brass (72.058)Vallejo
Brassy bits·Vallejo Detail
7
washAgrax EarthshadeCitadel
Brassy bits·Vallejo Detail

Used in: Ironhead Squat Prospectors, Ironhead Squat Exo-Kyn, Ironhead Squat Svenotar Scout Trikes

Paint Inventory

The paints I actually own - every pot on my shelf, not a catalogue of what exists. This is what the schemes and recipes are painted with.

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Paint	Brand	Type	Hue	Used in

Paint Conversion Chart

Citadel colours matched to their closest Vallejo, Pro Acryl and Two Thin Coats equivalents, by eye, over time. Nothing here is a measured colour match - the dots say how close each one really is.

How close the match is: near identical usable avoid

Citadel	Vallejo	Pro Acryl	Two Thin Coats