How to Paint a Skaven Warlord

*Squeek*

Below is a step-by-step guide to painting an Island of Blood Skaven Warlord. No claims that it is high-art or anything like that, but I think that it works pretty well on the table-top!

At a couple of stages I have added some WIP pics, and there are some images of the finished item at the bottom (Note that I painted this ages a go, so some of the steps may not be in order.)

Hope you like it...

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.

1. Assembly.

• File away any flash or very carefully remove using a modelling knife. (My ratty fingers carry many scars that are mute testimony to how important it is to be careful...)
• Glue to base.

2. First Basing.

• Paint some slightly watered-down PVA glue to the base.
• Dip base into modelling sand.
• Shake away excess and leave to dry.

3. Undercoat.

• Undercoat whole model. (I use GW Chaos Black spray paint.)

4. Dry Brush base.

• Calthan Brown.

5. Basecoat.

• Boltgun Metal: Halberd blade, chains on the back-banner, fixtures on back banner symbol (holding symbol to pole), chainmail, front edge of helmet
• Dwarf Bronze: Armour, helmet, Skaven symbol on back-banner, brazier
• Bleached Bone: Skull, cords on back-banner pole, stitching at the top of the back-banner flags.
• Dark Angels Green: Warpstone fumes.
• Codex Grey: Plinth/ masonry, back-banner flag:
• Tallarn Flesh: face, hands, feet, tail.
• Ice Blue: Robes, halberd pendant. 
• Snakebite Leather: leather armour straps, pouch
• Knarloc Green: Back-banner flag.
• Skull White: Teeth, nails.
• Red Gore: Eyes, jewel on plinth/ masonry.

6. Layers.

• Robes/ Halberd Pendant: Ice Blue/ Skull White (50/50 mix), then Ice Blue/ Skull White (25/75 mix)
• Flesh/ Tail: Tallarn Flesh/ Dwarf Flesh (50/50 mix)
• Skull: Bleached Bone/ Skull White (50/50 mix)
• Back Banner Flag (Green): Calthan Green/ Skull White (50/ 50 mix) then Calthan Green/ Skull White (25/75 mix)
• Back Banner Flag (Grey): Codex Grey/ Fortress Grey (50/50 mix) then Codex Grey/ Fortress Grey (25/75 mix)
• Warpstone Pendant: Dark Angels Green/ Snot Green (50/50 mix) then Dark Angels Green/ Snot Green (25/75 mix)
• Warpstone Flame: Dark Angels Green/ Snot Green (50/50 mix) then Dark Angels Green/ Snot Green (25/75 mix) then Dark Angels Green/ Snot Green/ Skull White (50/25/25 mix)
• Pouch/ Leather straps: Snakebite Leather/ Skull White (50/50 mix)
• Eyes: Red Gore/ Blood Red (50/50 mix)
• Jewel on Plinth/ Masonry: Red Gore/ Blood Red (50/ 50 mix) then 25/75 mix, then Red Gore/ Blood Red/ Skull White (25/50/ 15)

If you want to add Skaven symbols to the back-banner flags, now is a good time to do it - before washes...

7. Washes.

• Devlan Mud: Armour, chainmail, halberd Blade, halberd pole, hatchet, robes, back-banner flags, back banner pole (not cords.), halberd pendant, Plinth/ masonry.
• Thraka Green: Warpstone amulet, warpstone smoke.
• Gryphonne Sepia: Cords on back-banner pole, skull.
• Ogryn Flesh: Flesh, tail, feet, hands.

8. Drybrushing.

• Shining Gold: Armour, brazier, Skaven symbol on back-banner
• Mithril Silver: Chainmail.
• Calthan Brown/ Skull White (75/25 mix): Halberd pole, back-banner pole
• Codex Grey: very lightly brush across the exposed fur on the Warlord's back.
• Banner Chains: Chainmail or Mithril Silver.
• Earth: Calthan Brown/ Snakebite leather (50/50 mix)

9. Highlights.

• Weapon edges: Chainmail
• Metal clasps on back banner/ Skaven Symbol: Chainmail or Mithril Silver.
• Add a dot of white on the jewel on the plinth/ masonry. (See images below)

10. Final Basing.

• Dab on a couple of spots of PVA glue.
• Dip in green flock.
• Leave to set for a few minutes then shake off excess.
• Carefully paint around base edge using Snakebite Leather.

11. Verdigris (Optional)

This is the light blue patina that you see on old statues or layers of bronze in museums or exposed to the elements. Having this will add an additional sense of age to any bronze parts. Please note, if you haven't done this before, experiment first, as if you get it wrong this is the last stage of the model, so it may be difficult to correct...

• Heavily water down GW Ice Blue. You'll have to experiment to find the right consistency, but I would say 1 part paint to between 7 and 10 parts water. It should be watery enough that you can wipe away WITHOUT leaving a stain. (Very important so you can correct mistakes if necessary!)
• Carefully paint onto any bronze parts where Verdigris would naturally appear so that it gathers. In the case of the Skaven Warlord, a good place is around the base of the shoulder spikes on his armour. (recessed areas, around nails, buttons and joins between bronze parts are also good too.)
• Quickly take a tissue, fold to a point, and dab away any excess, so it is left gathered around the parts mentioned above.
• Leave remainder to dry. (Be patient!)
• HINT: Only add Verdigris to one area at a time so you have time to wick or dab away excess before it dries. Don't add to ALL bronze parts on the whole model at the same time! 

FINISHED!

Skaven Poisoned Wind Mortar Step-by-Step painting guide.

*Squeek*

The Poisoned Wind Mortar is another of those crazy Clan Skryre inventions that any self-respecting Warlord just has to love...

Firstly, it seems like it must be almost as lethal to the team using it (and their comrades) as the enemy themselves. Its also easy to mentally picture the two crew nervously loading and firing this thing from the relative safety of (behind) a large unit, all the while worrying about a misfire, a dropped mortar shell or the whole mortar exploding! (I also like to imagine the accompanying Clan Rat unit waiting expectantly to see mortar shells flying over their heads towards the rapidly approaching enemy, only to turn around to find the two operators arguing heatedly about who gets to fire and who gets to load!)

Having posted my Warpfire Thrower guide, I noted that it wouldn't be difficult to quickly throw up a similar guide for the Poisoned Wind Mortar as many of the colours and steps used were the same. While many of the steps and colours below are the same, I still hope that this will prove useful! (More pics below the guide.)

1. Assembly.

• File down or carefully cut away any flash from the model.
• Glue to base.

2. 1st Basing.

• Paint watered-down PVA glue to the base.
• Dip base into modelling sand
• Shake away excess and leave to dry

3. Undercoat.

• Undercoat whole model Chaos Black (I use GW Spray paint.)

4. Drybrush base.

• Calthan Brown.
• Snakebite Leather

5. Basecoat.

Apply base colours to all parts of the model:

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.

• Boltgun Metal: Metal bands and pipes on the mortar and backpack containing the poisoned wind globe, rim/ band on support wheel, symbol on mortar.
• Red Gore: Robes.
• Tallarn Flesh: Skin, tail etc.
• Dwarf Bronze: Mortar, mortar valve (by operator's hand), gas mask "nose".
• Dark Angels Green: Pipes, Poisoned Wind mortar globes, shard of warpstone by front operator's back foot, gas mask eyes.
• Codex Grey: Weapon team hoods and gas masks.
• Bestial Brown or Calthan Brown: backpack containing poisoned wind globe.
• Snakebite Leather: Leather shoulder straps on backpack, weapon team gloves, belts.

6. Layers.

• Robes: Red Gore/ Blood Red (50/50 Mix), then Red Gore/ Blood Red (25/75 mix) and finally Blood Red.
• Mortar Pipes: Snot Green/ Dark Angels Green 50/50 mix, then Snot Green.
• Warpstone Shard: Snot Green/ Dark Angels Green 50/50 mix.
• Poisoned Wind Globes: Stripe with lines of Snot Green, then a few more lines of Snot Green/ Skull White (75/ 25)
• Gas mask eyes: Snot green, then Snot Green/ Skull White mix (50/50). Finally add a tiny spot of white a the top of each eye.

7. Washes.

• Skin, Tail/ Ears, feet: Ogryn Flesh.
• Robes/ Gas mask hoods: Devlan Mud.
• Poison Wind Mortar: Devlan Mud
• Warpstone shard: Thrakka Green

8. Drybrushing.

• Mortar (Bronze parts): Light drybrushing of Dwarf Bronze on edges.
• Mortar (Boltgun Metal parts): Light drybrushing of Chainmail on edges.

9. Highlights.

• Edges of any parts done in Boltgun Metal: Boltgun Metal OR Chainmail.
• Edge of mortar barrel: Chainmail OR Dwarf Bronze as appropriate.
• Skin/ Tail/ Ears: Tallarn Flesh/ Dwarf Flesh (50/50 mix)

10. Verdigris (Optional)

This is the light blue patina that you see on old statues or layers of bronze in museums or exposed to the elements. Having this will add an additional sense of age to any bronze parts. Please note, if you haven't done this before, experiment first, as if you get it wrong this is the last stage of the model, so it may be difficult to correct...

• Heavily water down GW Ice Blue. You'll have to experiment to find the right consistency, but I would say 1 part paint to between 7 and 10 parts water. It should be watery enough that you can wipe away WITHOUT leaving a stain. (Very important so you can correct mistakes if necessary!)
• Carefully paint onto any bronze parts where Verdigris would naturally appear so that it gathers. See "bluish" areas on photos below on the mortar. (recessed areas between bronze parts.)
• Quickly take a tissue, fold to a point, and dab away any excess, so it is left gathered around the parts mentioned above.
• Leave remainder to dry. (Be patient!)
• HINT: Only add Verdigris to one area at a time so you have time to wick or dab away excess before it dries. Don't add to ALL bronze parts on the whole model at the same time! E.g. Do the Bronze top of the mortar, then wipe away. Then do another bit, then wipe away. Then do the... you get the picture!

11. Varnishing (Optional)

I wanted to add a "Glassy" effect to the Poisoned Wind globes to make them stand out (I don't use varnish anywhere else in my army) and because I wasn't happy with the "Gas" effect on the globes themselves. In the end, I think that this very simple use of varnish actually works well and makes the globes really stand out!

• Poisoned Wind Globes: GW 'ardcoat was evenly applied.
• Gas mask eyes: GW 'ardcoat was added to each eye.

12. Final Basing

• Dab on a couple of spots of PVA glue.
• Dip in flock.
• Shake away excess and leave to dry.

Done!

Here's the finished Poisoned Wind Mortar, ready to dissolve and gas the enemy!

Hope you find this useful!

*Squeek*

Skaven Warpfire Thrower Step-by-Step Painting Guide

*Squeek*

I'm probably not the only Skaven Warlord that decided to start a Skaven army based on the access the minions of the Great Horned Rat have to weird and wacky war machines! See below for a guide and more pics...

One of the (many) excellent things about our hordes are the supporting vehicles and almost "Steampunk" home-brew weapons that can be found in almost any force...

...massive engines of destruction?
Check!
Deafen and madden your enemies with the Screaming Bell or stink them out or putrify them with the Plague Furnace or Plague Claw catapult.

...fast moving vehicles that slice, dice and "electri-fry?"
Check!
Courtesy of randomized greenish bolts of warplightning from your fast-moving, rodent-powered Doomwheel.

Now, as cool as those things are, let's not forget one more really cool thing the Skaven have...

...core-unit support?  

Check!

One Doomflayer sized serving of whirling chopping death comin' up (OR burn and gas'em with your Warpfire Throwers or Poison Wind Mortars.)

Now of course, all these items also have one glaring caveat...

...frequent failure due to poor build quality? (or sabotage?) 

Check...

:-(

But that is something that many people think adds to the dark humor of playing Skaven in the first place!

Onto the guide, which has taken some time to get done due to other things. Below you will find a simple Skaven Warpfire Thrower stage-by-stage guide with some big photos at the bottom (I'll post a guide to the Poison Wind Mortar in the next few days or so.) It is a while so I painted this, so this may not be exact, but you'll get the idea!

1. Assembly.

• File down or carefully cut away any flash from the model.
• Glue to base.

2. 1st Basing.

• Paint watered-down PVA glue to the base.
• Dip base into modelling sand
• Shake away excess and leave to dry

3. Undercoat.

• Undercoat whole model Chaos Black (I use GW Spray paint.)

4. Drybrush base.

• Calthan Brown.
• Snakebite Leather

5. Basecoat.

Apply base colours to all parts of the model:

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.

• Boltgun Metal: Condenser pipes on Warpfire backpack. Nozzle and handle on warpfire thrower.
• Red Gore: Robes, flames on small rat that is on fire on the base.
• Tallarn Flesh: Skin, tail etc.
• Dwarf Bronze: Warpfire backpack top, chimney, skaven symbol. Bands on warpfire thrower.
• Dark Angels Green: Warpstone smoke.
• Codex Grey: Weapon team hoods.
• Bestial Brown or Calthan Brown: Wooden parts of Warpfire backpack.
• Vermin Brown or Bestial Brown: Fur.
• Snakebite Leather: Leather shoulder straps on backpack, weapon team gloves, belts.
• Bleached Bone: Nails on feet.

6. Layers.

• Robes: Red Gore/ Blood Red (50/50 Mix), then Red Gore/ Blood Red (25/75 mix) and finally Blood Red.
• Warpstone Smoke: Snot Green/ Dark Angels Green 50/50 mix, then progressively lighter mixes, working through Snot Green/ Skull White (50/50 then 50/25) and finally almost pure Skull White.
• Flames on Rat: Red Gore/ Blazing Orange Mix (75/25 then 50/50) Then add some yellow to that mix to get the tip of the flames.

7. Washes.

• Skin, Tail/ Ears, feet: Ogryn Flesh.
• Robes: Devlan Mud.
• Warpfire backpack: Devlan Mud
• Warpstone smoke: Thrakka Green

8. Drybrushing.

• Warpfire backpack (Wood parts): Drybrush slighter lighter shade of the basecoat brown (above)
• Warpfire backpack (Bronzed parts): Light drybrushing of Dwarf Bronze
• Warpfire thrower hose: Light drybrushing of Chainmail (just to bring out raised areas on hose.)
• Fur: Light drybrushing of lighter shade of the brown you used as a basecoat. 

9. Highlights.

• Edges of any parts done in Boltgun Metal: Boltgun Metal OR Chainmail
• Edge of warpfire weapon barrel: Chainmail OR Dwarf Bronze as appropriate
• Warpfire backpack edges of Bronzed parts: Dwarf Bronze
• Nails: Bleached Bone
• Skin/ Tail/ Ears: Tallarn Flesh/ Dwarf Flesh (50/50 mix)

10. Verdigris (Optional)

This is the light blue patina that you see on old statues or layers of bronze in museums or exposed to the elements. Having this will add an additional sense of age to any bronze parts. Please note, if you haven't done this before, experiment first, as if you get it wrong this is the last stage of the model, so it may be difficult to correct...

• Heavily water down GW Ice Blue. You'll have to experiment to find the right consistency, but I would say 1 part paint to between 7 and 10 parts water. It should be watery enough that you can wipe away WITHOUT leaving a stain. (Very important so you can correct mistakes if necessary!)
• Carefully paint onto any bronze parts where Verdigris would naturally appear so that it gathers. See "bluish" areas on photos below on the warpfire backpack and thrower nozzle. (recessed areas, around nails, buttons and joins between bronze parts.)
• Quickly take a tissue, fold to a point, and dab away any excess, so it is left gathered around the parts mentioned above.
• Leave remainder to dry. (Be patient!)
• HINT: Only add Verdigris to one area at a time so you have time to wick or dab away excess before it dries. Don't add to ALL bronze parts on the whole model at the same time! E.g. Do the Bronze top of the backpack, then wipe away. Then do the pipes, then wipe away. Then do the - you get the picture!

11. Final Basing

• Dab on a couple of spots of PVA glue.
• Dip in flock.
• Shake away excess and leave to dry.

Done!

Here's the finished Warpfire Thrower...

The observant among you will notice that the guide above closely follows those of the other Clan Skryre units I have done to date as the basic clan colours remain the same. (Warlock Engineer, Warplightning Cannon, Jezzails and Doomwheel.)

Hope you like it. Let me know what you think!

*Squeek*

Grey Seer Stage-by-Stage Painting Guide

*Squeek*

Having completed my first Grey Seer, I posted a few pictures, but wanted to put up a stage-by-stage guide that I hope other new Skaven players will find useful. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all the stages (one example being after layers but before washes...) but I think you'll get the general idea!

So here we go... (scroll down for finished pics at the end...)



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.

1. Assembly.

• File down or carefully cut away any flash from the model.
• Glue to base.

2. 1st Basing.

• Paint watered-down PVA glue to the base.
• Dip base into modelling sand
• Shake away excess and leave to dry

3. Undercoat.

• Undercoat whole model Chaos Black (I use GW Spray paint.) 

NOTE: I was given this Grey Seer model by a gaming buddy, and it came without the original symbol on the staff, so I added the staff head from my bitz box...

4. Drybrush base.

• Calthan Brown.
• Snakebite Leather

5. Basecoat.

Apply base colours to all parts of the model.

• Boltgun Metal: Sword, helmet, base of staff.
• Tallarn Flesh: Hands, tail, feet.
• Dwarf Bronze: Staff symbol, guard on sword, talisman on chain, and chain.
• Bleached Bone: Skull on staff, horns on helmet, nails on hands/ feet, scrolls.
• Dark Angels Green: Sigil on sword, warpstone studs on robes.
• Fortress Grey: Fur.
• Bestial Brown: Staff, belt.
• Snakebite Leather: Leather pouch on belt, leather pouch on staff.
• Chainmail: Bolts on staff symbol.

6. Layers. (Before washes)

• Robes: Codex Grey/ Fortress Grey(50/50 Mix), then Codex Grey Fortress Grey (25/75 mix) and finally Fortress Grey with some Skull White (75/15 mix).
• Leather/ Leather Pouches: Snakehide Leather/ Skull White (50/50 mix)
• Skulls: Skull White over Bleached Bone.

7. Washes.

• Skin, Tail/ Ears: Ogryn Flesh.
• Everything else(!): Devlan Mud.

8. Highlights. (After washes)

• Armour/ weapon edges (e.g. Helmet): Chainmail.
• Nails on staff symbol: Mithril Silver.
• Skull: Bleached Bone/ Skull White (50/50 mix)
• Skin/ Tail/ Ears: Tallarn Flesh/ Dwarf Flesh (50/50 mix)
• Warpstone: Snot Green/ Skull White (75/25 mix) then building up...Snot Green/ Skull White (50/50 mix), Snot Green/ Skull White (25/75)
• Skin (Hands, Feet etc.): Dwarf Flesh/ Tallarn Flesh (50/50 mix) and/ or Dwarf Flesh/ Elf Flesh (50/50 mix)

7. Drybrushing.

• Staff symbol: Dwarf Bronze. 
• Robes: Fortress Grey. 
• Staff: Bestial Brown/ Skull White (75/25 mix)

8. Final Basing

In this case, I decided not to add anything to the base other than the colours added previously, but if you wanted to...

• Dab on a couple of spots of PVA glue.
• Dip in flock.
• Shake away excess and leave to dry.

Done!

...or not QUITE done, because following advice and comments on other models, I decided to have a go at adding some verdigris to the Dwarf Bronze staff symbol. I had tried this before and so followed the same method.

9. Verdigris Wash.

• Heavily water down ICE BLUE (10 parts water to 1 part Ice Blue.) You'll need to experiment to find the right balance of water/ paint...
• Paint or dab onto the bronze symbol, so wash gathers in recesses or raised areas. Feel free to apply quite heavily, but be careful it doesn't drip down the staff.
• Using a rolled up piece of tissue paper (so it has a point) carefully dab or drain away wash from flat surfaces, leaving the wash gathered around raised areas or in recesses.

NOTE: Don't totally drain away from smooth surfaces...leave a thin film of wash if you can so it dulls down the overall metallic effect.

The finished product. 

Let me know what you think - all comments and suggestions welcome!

;-)

*Squeek*

How to Paint a Skaven Warlock Engineer

*Squeek*

At the moment, I haven't even managed to get a game of WFB in, so I don't have any experience of using Warlock Engineers, but from what I gather from reading around these guys make an excellent addition to any force.

1. Decent magic - Warplightning coupled with a Condenser pumps out the pain...
2. Fun - Skitterleap next to the enemy flank and launch a Doomrocket along their line of assault.
3. Cheap - basic unit costs 15 points?? (although adding the fun bits above may not be cheap...)

But as the man says:

"That's not important right now."

'coz the purpose of this post is to look at painting up one of these guys. In particular, this is the sculpt from the new Island of Blood set. Looking around at other WE models on the net, I actually think this is one of the best. It's got some nice detail (posing on a High Elf shield) and yet pretty clean looking. (Unlike the current Ikit Claw model, which looks too "busy" for my taste.)

1. Assembly.

• File down or carefully cut away any flash from the model.
• Glue to base.

2. 1st Basing.

• Paint watered-down PVA glue to the base.
• Dip base into modelling sand
• Shake away excess and leave to dry

3. Undercoat.

• Undercoat whole model Chaos Black (I use GW Spray paint.)

4. Drybrush base.

• Calthan Brown.
• Snakebite Leather

5. Basecoat.

Apply base colours to all parts of the model.

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.

• Boltgun Metal: Armour, glaive blade, warplock weapon barrel, telescopic site, band around warp energy condenser etc.
• Red Gore: Robes.
• Tallarn Flesh: Skin, tail etc.
• Dwarf Bronze: Warp Energy condenser, Skaven charm, armour details
• Bleached Bone: Skull, Glaive handle.
• Dark Angels Green: Warpstone, condenser and weapon pipes/ hoses.
• Regal Blue: High Elf Shield (under his feet)
• Skull White: High Elf Shield
• Blood Red: High Elf Shield

6. Layers.

• Robes: Red Gore/ Blood Red (50/50 Mix), then Red Gore/ Blood Red (25/75 mix) and finally Blood Red.
• Condenser Pipes/ Hoses: Snot Green
• Warpstone: Snot Green
• Skull: Skull White/ Bleached Bone (50/ 50 mix)

7. Washes.

• Skin, Tail/ Ears: Ogryn Flesh.
• Robes: Devlan Mud (example at left above) OR Gryphonne Sepia (example at right above.)
• Armour/ Glaive Blade/ Warplock weapon barrel: Devlan Mud
• Glaive handle: Gryphonne Sepia
• Skull: Gryphonne Sepia
• Elf Shield: Devlan Mud
• Warpstone: Thrakka Green

8. Highlights.

• Armour edges: Boltgun Metal/ Chainmail
• Edge of Glaive blade/ warplock weapon barrel: Chainmail
• Warp Energy Condenser: Dwarf Bronze
• Nails: Bleached Bone
• Skull: Bleached Bone/ Skull White (50/50 mix)
• Skin/ Tail/ Ears: Tallarn Flesh/ Dwarf Flesh (50/50 mix)
• Warpstone/ Pipes/ Hose: Snot Green/ Skull White (75/25 mix)
• Telescopic Sight lens: Snot Green/ Skull White (75/25 mix) then (50/50 mix). Finally a dab of skull white at the top of the lens

7. Final Basing

• Dab on a couple of spots of PVA glue.
• Dip in flock.
• Shake away excess and leave to dry.

Done!

Here's the finished Warlock Engineer...

Hope this is useful!

*Squeek*

Blog Redesign.

*Neek*

I've posted quite a few step-by-step guides to the minis I have painted recently, and now that these are (slowly...) increasing in number I felt it was worth making them more prominent and easier to find.

So, take a look to the right...

...and hopefully you'll see "Squeek's Skaven Painting Guides".

Each is a direct link to a page outlining the steps that I took to paint the model. A few important things to mention here:

• I'm not posting these guides or pics because I think I'm any good! I'm posting this to experiment with writing a blog and to keep myself motivated for painting all those Skaven units.
• The only reason for I use all GW paints is that I live near a Hobby Center and have never really looked into any others.
• I don't write down the painting process as I paint. This means that each step-by-step is written up later and from memory - and as my friends (and wife) would tell you, my memory is really, really bad - the guide might not be exact in terms of the order or paints used etc. (But it should give you the general idea.)

Thanks!

*Squeek*

Plague Priest Step-by-Step

*Neek*
It's taken me longer to get around to writing this up than I thought...
Excuse 1: Working on finishing my Warlord.
Excuse 2: A warpstone meteor landed in our garden the other day, necessitating days of painstaking study and repairs to our lair's defences. (As well as a secret operation to hide some of this precious gift from the emissaries of the Council of Thirteen - truly the Great Horned One favors me!)
Excuse 3: A crazed group of drunken Rat Ogres escaped from their pen and ate their way into our supply of slaves...(good job too, as there is significant overcrowding in our Tokyo burrow etc. etc.)

Actually, as a Skaven, all of the above should have the label changed from "Excuse" to "Perfectly plausible reason".
Granted, one of them isn't really believable...
...after all, it is never truly possible to finish painting one's warlord is it?

But to the matter at hand (Paw?) - painting a Plague Priest.

First a couple of snaps, and below that the process used.

Step-by-Step:
Colours used for this model: (All Games Workshop)

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.

• Chaos Black, Knarloc Green, Codex Grey, Fortress Grey, Tallarn Flesh, Dwarf Flesh, Elf Flesh, Dwarf Bronze, Shining Gold, Gunmetal, Chainmail, Dark Angels Green, Snot Green, Skull White, Bestial Brown, Calthan Brown
• Washes: Thraka Green, Devlan Mud.

The  process followed was:

A.) Undercoat and Base texturing:

1. Undercoat. (I use Chaos Black spraypaint.)

B.) Base colours:

1. Fur: Calthan Brown.
2. Hands/ Tail/ Feet/ Face: Tallarn Flesh.
3. Spines: Skull White, followed up with a layer of Codex grey and Fortress Grey from the back about halfway up the spine (so the tip of the spine stays white.)
4. Cloth: Knarloc Green/ Codex Grey 1:1 mix.  Follow this with a lighter Knarloc Green/ Codex Grey (1:2) on raised areas of cloth/ edges. If you want, apply a final lighter shade of this mix along the edges of folds of robes.
5. Fumes/ Smoke: Start with the darkest green at the censer, then lighter shades up to pure skull white at the tips of the smoke. E.g.Dark Angels green within the censer, working your way up the fumes using progressively lighter shades...
• 100% Dark Angels Green (Within censer)
• 50/ 50 Dark Angels Green: Snot Green mix.
• 10/20/70 Skull White:Dark Angels Green: Snot Green (from the censer halfway up the smoke)
• 100% Skull White (tips of the smoke.) 
6. Metal: Dwarf Bronze (on Censer and Bells) and Gunmetal (Bell clappers)
7. Rope: Snakebite leather. (rope belt and censer rope.)
8. Staff: Bestial brown on wood. Dark Angels Green on Warpstone.
9. Bandages: Chaos White. (Bindings on staff and around warpstone shard.)

C.) Apply Washes: 

1. Devlan Mud: Liberally apply all over robes, skin, tail, censer rope, censer (censer ball only, NOT smoke or fumes...), staff (but NOT warpstone shard)
2. Thraka Green wash: Warpstone shard, Censer contents. (From ball to approx 5-10 mm up the smoke, but not on any pure white areas of the smoke.)

D.) Reapply base colours: Layer up lighter shades/ colours: 

1. Skin/ Tail/ Feet: Dwarf Flesh on raised areas of face, hands etc.  NOTE: Unlike my Clan Rats, I didn't use too much Dwarf Flesh on the tail of this guy, preferring to leave it feeling dirtier.
2. Metal: Chainmail or Mithril Silver applied to edges of the bell clapper. Shining Gold to the edges/ rims of the bells.
3. Boils, Pus-filled buboes etc. 
• For "Angry sores": Apply a spot of VERY watered-down blood red onto the top of the spot and let it run down naturally.
• For "Pus-filled boils" (mmmMMMM) etc: Paint the boil Dwarf Flesh. When dry, just touch the top with a spot of Elf Flesh.

E.) Final Drybrushing:

1. Fur: (Optional): Drybrush Calthan Brown/ Skull White (50/50).
2.  Rope: Snakebite leather/ Skull white (1:2 mix). (rope belt and censer rope.)
3. Metal: (Optional): Drybrush Mithril silver or shining gold to the bells. 
4. Staff: Lightly drybrush a lighter Bestial Brown/ Skull White mix OR Calthan brown onto the wood.
5. Warpstone Shard: First drybrush Snot green onto shard edges. Then repeat with a lighter shade (Snot Green/ Skull White mix)

Phew! That sounds like a really complicated process, but actually, it took me a couple of hours from start to finish over the course of a day.

The hardest thing by far for me was tackling the fumes from the censer that he is swinging. I think the key here is to take a long, hard look at Plague Priest and Plague Censer images on the web. For the fumes in particular, definitely take a look at the Skaven: Screaming Bell Stage-by-Stage guide on the GW website. The section on "Painting the Bell" give a description of how to tackle the smoke effect (this time on the clapper of the Screaming Bell). I didn't follow it exactly - so of course mine is nowhere near as good, but I think it is good enough, especially when viewed from a couple of feet away.

I hope this is useful. Let me know if you have any comments!

*Squeek*