Sunday, May 30, 2010

Skaven Clanrat Painting

Following my post yesterday of my first 15 Clanrats, I thought I would post a few more pictures and some specifics on the process I used.

First, the finished product. 


























This is a fairly typical example of  an assembled 4th generation Clanrat model. (See here for my feelings about these older models...). I would say that this is what people would call "Tabletop" quality - so it looks fine on the gaming table but deliberately hasn't had lots of detail or attention that would make it good enough to enter a painting competition. (Of course, I don't know how to do that well enough anyway! haha!)

EDIT: Following the launch of the latest Citadel Paint range in 2012, please note that the colours listed below are from the previous range. I hope to have time to rewrite in the future, but for the time being, you can use the conversion chart/ list I made here or use the official Citadel Conversion chart here.

The  process followed was:
A.) Undercoat and layering:
  1. After assembly, liberally apply PVA glue to base and dip in modelling sand.
  2. Wait until dry, then undercoat. (I use Chaos Black spraypaint.)
  3. Fur: Drybrush Calthan Brown.
  4. Skin/ Tail/ Feet: Tallarn Flesh.
  5. Cloth: Ice Blue.
  6. Metal: Boltgun metal. (Weapons, belt buckle)
  7. Leathers: Snakebite leather. (Belt, wristband, armour crosspiece on the back of the Clanrat.)
B.) Apply Washes: Liberally apply Devlan Mud Wash all over.

C.) Reapply base colours: Layered up lighter shades/ colours: 


  1. Skin/ Tail/ Feet: Dwarf Flesh on raised areas. (Being careful to leave some Tallarn flesh areas and the shadows created by the Devlan Mud wash and the black undercoat - especially on the tail.)
  2. Cloth: Ice Blue on raised areas of cloth.
  3. Leathers: Snakebite leather/ Skull white (50/50 mix). 
D.) Final Drybrushing:
  1. Fur: Drybrush Calthan Brown/ Skull White (50/50).
  2. Metal: Drybrush Mithril silver (Weapon edges) buttons etc. (e.g. Rivets if the model has a shield etc.) or just apply as an "Extreme Highlight" on the edge of the weapon.
  3. Base: Drybrush Calthan brown, then drybrush Tallarn Flesh.
E.) Final Basing:
  1. Apply dabs of PVA glue onto the base and dip into green flock.
  2. Paint base sides Knarloc Green.
Looking at this model now, some final observations and self-criticism would be:
  • I need to pay more attention to the feet. I should really do something with the nails/ toes so that they are visible...but I just hate the feet on these models so much I can't motivate myself to do it. (I'll get around to it sometime.)
  • I'm still undecided on the Ice Blue colour. As some people have noted, it is just too bright to really be very "Skavenish". On the other hand, if I like it, who cares? I could try toning it down a bit OR go to another colour.
  • Skaven weapons that have rust on them look absolutely great. I haven't tried that yet so the weapons on these Clanrats look too well-cared for, and definitely not from the scavenge pile.
  • Could I make the flesh areas stand out even more by using a further highlight or drybrushing of Elf flesh? Would it be worth it?
  • Applying the modelling sand BEFORE undercoating is fine, but unfortunately it gets on the feet of the model and makes it harder to paint later. I might go back to applying the modelling sand after finishing the paint job.
Only a hundred more models to go and then I'm done!
;-)

3 comments:

  1. Think your right about the weapons,rusty looks great for skaven. However i'm a fan of the blue for some reason!

    When it comes to the base why not pencil a line around the foot(and glue sand to the base) before attatching the model.

    Been after a skaven scheme i like for the last few days, just got the beginings of an army.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your comments. I'm going to try doing more serious rust on another Clanrat unit (I just got the IOB set) and trying decent weathering on the Doomwheel I am working on. Glad you like the blue! It have now decided I do like it! It works I think because of the Devlan Mud washes.
    I'm going to post an updated Clanrats step-by-step for the newer Clanrat sculpts soon I hope.
    Good luck with your army!

    ReplyDelete
  3. cool blog.keep it up man.

    ReplyDelete

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