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MINIATURES

RAY LAROSE|MINIATURES

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New to this? Start here

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.

Before you start, and what the technique words mean
Thin your paint
Almost everything here goes on thinner than it comes out of the pot. Neat paint dries thick and fills in the detail you paid for. Add water a drop at a time on a palette until it runs somewhere between milk and heavy cream, depending on the brand, then build the colour up in two or three coats rather than one.
Start on a primed model
Unless a step says otherwise, every recipe here begins on a model that has already been primed - paint will not sit properly on bare plastic. Black unless the scheme says otherwise, which is what most of these were painted over.
The same words mean two things
Wash, shade and layer are both things you do and names Citadel puts on pots. The badge on a step is the action. The Type column in the paint list is which range the pot came from. A step badged "layer" is often painted with a Base paint, and that is not a mistake.
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.

Death Riders

🔗
Astra Militarum40kMay 2026 · 4 models
FinishLight battle worn, muddy.
PrimaryPale sickly skin tones
ContrastGrey armour and flashes of red in gas masks.
TechniqueLots of washes to get the skin right.
BASE
PrimePanzer Grey
HORSE
RecipeDeath Riders' Horses
NOTEDo base layer, than horse leathers, then go back to flesh for rest of recipe. Clean-up easier this way.
LEATHERS
RecipeBrown Leather (do before washing flesh)
HORSE GAS MASK
BaseXV-88 (with leather recipe trim)
WashAgrax
HORSE MASK LENSES
OutlineLeadbelcher
BaseEvil Sunz
HighlightWildrider
HighlightDeep Orange Intense
DotBold Titanium
TUBES
BaseWarpstone
HighlightMoot Green
RIDER
Follow the Death Korps of Krieg Scheme below
SchemeInfantry + Command Squad
TROUSERS
BaseDark Sea Green
HighlightDeck Tan (soft lift)
BOOTS / GLOVES
BaseCharcoal
HighlightDark Sea Green (subtle tie-in)
GAS MASK
BaseWolf Grey
LensesMephiston Red
TrimLeadbelcher (edge)
DotBold Titanium
WEAPONS
RecipeBlack Weapons
WOODS
RecipeDark Wood
RecipeLight Wood
RecipeBlack Weapons
  1. 1
    basecoatCoal BlackPro Acryl
    Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    edgeMechanicus Standard GreyCitadel
    Edge all panels·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    highlightWolf Grey (72.047)Vallejo
    Dot highlights·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
    Barrels, clips·Vallejo Detail 2
  5. 5
    washNuln OilCitadel
    Barrels, clips·Vallejo Detail 2
RecipeBrown Leather
  1. 1
    basecoatRhinox HideCitadel
    Base all leather·Artis Opus Series S 1
  2. 2
    basecoatAbaddon BlackCitadel + Lahmian MediumCitadel (1:2)
    Shade all leather recesses·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    highlightDoombull BrownCitadel
    Chunky·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    highlightSkrag BrownCitadel
    Scratchy damage highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
  5. 5
    edgeXV-88 (Deep Ochre)Citadel
    Shakey - edge and scratch·Artis Opus Series S 00
  6. 6
    highlightUshabti BoneCitadel
    Dot highlight sparingly·Artis Opus Series S 00
RecipeDark Wood
  1. 1
    basecoatDryad BarkCitadel
    Base all wood·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    edgeDoombull BrownCitadel
    Ragged edge·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    shadeAgrax EarthshadeCitadel
    One or two coats depending how you want to age·Vallejo Detail 2
RecipeDeath Korps Vehicle Armour
  1. 1
    basecoatGerman Grey (70.995)Vallejo
    Base armour sections·Artis Opus Series D Large
  2. 2
    layerDark Sea Green (70.868)Vallejo
    Torn sponge weathering·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  3. 3
    layerBlack Grey (70.862)Vallejo
    Torn sponge weathering·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  4. 4
    shadeBurnt UmberGamblin Artist Oils
    Pin line entire vehicle and work into lower half for wear and tear·Vallejo Detail
  5. 5
    highlightEarth (72.062)Vallejo
    Used for mud splash like great coat·Artis Opus Series S 3
RecipeDeath Riders' Horses
  1. 1
    basecoatPanzer GreyVallejo
    Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush ULTRA 2024 Medium
  2. 2
    basecoatRakarth FleshCitadel
    3-4 thin coats - want some of the sickly grey to shine through in recesses·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    washReikland FleshshadeCitadel
    Thin wash over all flesh·Artis Opus Series S 5
  4. 4
    highlightRakarth FleshCitadel
    Bring back subtle highlights·Artis Opus Series D Medium
  5. 5
    shadeDruchii VioletCitadel
    Thinned, into muscle shadows·Artis Opus Series S 5
  6. 6
    washFlesh Tearers RedCitadel
    Wash into hooves and blend up into lower legs for blood hooves·Artis Opus Series S 3
  7. 7
    basecoatCoal BlackPro Acryl
    Claws·Artis Opus Series S 1
  8. 8
    highlightMechanicus Standard GreyCitadel
    Edge highlight claws
RecipeGold
  1. 1
    basecoatRetributor ArmourCitadel
    Base gold·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    washReikland FleshshadeCitadel
    Light wash·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    highlightRetributor ArmourCitadel
    Bring back the edges·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    basecoatSilver (72.052)Vallejo
    Dot highlights·Artis Opus Series S 1
RecipeGreatcoat
  1. 1
    basecoatGerman Field Grey (70.830)Vallejo
    Based with two thin coats·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    highlightGerman Field Grey (70.830)Vallejo + Sunny Skin Tone (70.845)Vallejo (2:1)
    Nice light highlight on just the upwards facing creases·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    washAgrax EarthshadeCitadel
    Mix with water - bottoms of coat to show wet / damp·Artis Opus Series S 3
  4. 4
    highlightBrown Earth (26.219)Vallejo
    Stipple in mud splash·Artis Opus Series S 3
RecipeLight Wood
  1. 1
    basecoatDoombull BrownCitadel
    Base layer·Artis Opus Series S 1
  2. 2
    edgeXV-88 (Deep Ochre)Citadel
    Very light edge·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    shadeAgrax EarthshadeCitadel
    Shade to weather·Vallejo Detail 2
Other Paints
Warpstone GlowCitadel⇆Blood for the Blood GodCitadel⇆Carroburg CrimsonCitadel⇆Bold Titanium WhitePro Acryl⇆Mephiston RedCitadel⇆Deck Tan (70.986)Vallejo⇆Evil Sunz ScarletCitadel⇆Wild Rider RedCitadel⇆Deep Orange IntenseAK InteractiveMoot GreenCitadel⇆

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.

Before you start, and what the technique words mean
Thin your paint
Almost everything here goes on thinner than it comes out of the pot. Neat paint dries thick and fills in the detail you paid for. Add water a drop at a time on a palette until it runs somewhere between milk and heavy cream, depending on the brand, then build the colour up in two or three coats rather than one.
Start on a primed model
Unless a step says otherwise, every recipe here begins on a model that has already been primed - paint will not sit properly on bare plastic. Black unless the scheme says otherwise, which is what most of these were painted over.
The same words mean two things
Wash, shade and layer are both things you do and names Citadel puts on pots. The badge on a step is the action. The Type column in the paint list is which range the pot came from. A step badged "layer" is often painted with a Base paint, and that is not a mistake.
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.

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.

PaintBrandTypeHueUsed 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.

Still filling this in: 8 of the 108 colours used in the recipes here have no row yet. Mostly Vallejo. A blank means not mapped, not that no equivalent exists.

How close the match is: near identical usable avoid

CitadelVallejoPro AcrylTwo Thin Coats