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 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*

Updated Warpfire Thrower and Poison Wind Mortar

*Squeek*

Following advice and comments from some of the fine Warlords who visited my Skaven Warpfire Thrower and Poison Wind Mortar Gallery, I have finally found some time to just add a bit of dirt and age to these two units.

Essentially all I did was add a layer of home-made Verdigris (heavily watered-down Ice Blue paint) to the brass areas of the equipment and follow this up with some carefully applied Devlan Mud. This has dulled them down a bit and made them look a bit dustier and not quite so bright. In reality, they now look duller than these photos show...

Before aging...

After aging...

Before aging...

After aging...

If you look closely, you can see how the ice blue paint has been left to collect around the edges and rims of the brass, while I used a folded tissue to gently wick away any excess. This is one reason why it is important if using a home-made wash to water it down properly. This makes it easy to wick away from areas where you don't want to leave a stain.

Now that I've got these two units to a point where I feel as though they are "Finished" I'll try to post a step-by-step guide in the next few days and add some more photos to the gallery. After that I'm going to have to buckle down to either doing another big unit...
...30-40 Slaves?
...40 Clanrats?
...20 Storm Vermin?

The list of models still to paint never ends for a horde army does it??
;-)

*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*

Skaven Doomwheel Stage-by-Stage

*Neek*

Behold - the Skaven Doomwheel...

Click here for my Doomwheel Gallery

Perhaps the most devious of the inventions of Clan Skryre and a fearsome sight on the battlefield (even to the Skaven, given how regularly it goes out of control...) After starting on this as a result of a poll held on the site, I finally finished it a couple of days ago.

Here are the steps followed: (Roughly...consuming too much pilfered Bugman's may have affected my memory...and I sometimes do highlights/ drybrushing and washes "out of order" etc.)

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 and General Tips:

• Remember to follow the instructions and assemble and paint the pilot and pilot's cage first. It would be extremely difficult to paint once you have glued the wheels and other parts on!  
• I painted up almost all parts before assembly. Trust me, it's easier...

2. Undercoat:

• All parts were sprayed with Chaos Black.

3.  Basecoat/ Layering:

• Pilot:
• Cloth: Red Gore, layered with 50/50 Red Gore/ Blood Red mix.
• Skin: Tallarn Flesh, layered with Elf Flesh.
• Helmet/ Armour: Boltgun Metal.
• Gloves: Snakebite leather, layered with 50/50 Snakebite Leather/ Skull White mix.
• Pilot's cage:
• Inner cage: Dwarf Bronze.
• Outer cage: Boltgun Metal.
• Steering column: Boltgun Metal.
• Pipes: Codex Grey. Drybrush Fortress Grey
• Tubes: Snot Green, Yellow, Regal Blue. 
• Compressor/ Tank: Dwarf Bronze.
• Pilot's periscope: Boltgun Metal/ Dwarf Bronze on the plates. Dark Angels Green on Lens, highlight 50/ 50 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green, and then 25/75 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green.

Lens detail

• Wheel units:
• Wood: Bestial Brown.
• Cogs/ Gears/ Wheelstuds/ Symbols: Boltgun Metal.
• Warpstone: Dark Angels Green.
• Outer Cage/ Blades.
• Blades: Boltgun Metal.
• Cage: Boltgun Metal/ Dwarf Bronze. (Clasps, coachwork)
• Lightning(?): Dwarf Bronze. 

Various parts, before Devlan Mud wash.

• Flag/ Pennant. (See "Custom Bitz" below for more info...)
• Wood: Bestial Brown.
• Symbol: Dwarf Bronze/ Boltgun Metal. 
• Cord: Bleached Bone. 
• Cloth: Red Gore, layered with 50/50 Red Gore/Blood Red mix, and then pure Blood Red.
• Cloth: Ice Blue, layered with 50/50 Ice Blue/ Skull White mix.)
• Rats: 
• Calthan Brown, drybrushed successively with lighter and lighter shades of Calthan Brown/ Snakebite leather mix. 
• Crew/ Crew Platform:
• Cloth (Hood): Gore Red (Hood), layered with Gore Red/ Blood Red mix. 
• Cloth (Robes): Codex Grey, layered with 50/50 Codex Grey/ Fortress Grey mix.
• Skin/ Feet: Dwarf Flesh, then Elf Flesh Highlights. (Horns are Skull White or Bleached Bone.) 
• Platform: Bestial Brown drybrush.

4. Drybrushing:

• Warpstone: 50/50 Darkangels Green/ Snot Green mix, then Darkangels Green/ Snot Green/ Skull White mix. (Drybrush this quite lightly so it doesn't overpower the darker greens.)
• Wheel units: 75/ 25 Bestial Brown/ Skull White mix on all wooden parts. 
• Wires: Gryphonne Sepia 

NOTE: All the above was done when the parts were separate, as was the Devlan Mud wash below.

5. Washes:

• First, Devlan Mud everywhere except Warpstone/ Rats for the base. 
• Use Thraka Green Wash on warpstone.
• Gryphonne Sepia on the rats. 

Pilot and Pilot's cage after Devlan Mud wash.

Wheels after Devlan Mud wash.

 At this point, the model was assembled, but not glued to the base.

• Then Rust wash: (25/75 Calthan Brown/ Blazing Orange mix, very, very watered down.) This was brushed onto most metallic areas. Immediately after applying , I then dabbed/ wiped away excess using a tissue, leaving the rust wash around spikes and gathered around areas where rust would naturally occur.
• Then Verdigris wash: (20/80 Regal Blue/ Ice Blue mix, again, very, very watered down.) This was brushed onto and around most Dwarf Bronze areas. Dabbed away as above immediately after application. 

Rust and Verdigris (Around Skaven symbol)

6. Base:

• Brush P.V.A. glue all over, being careful not to get too much on the model.
• Pour modelling sand over glue. Allow to dry.
• Brush with a watery Calthan Brown.
• Drybrush successively lighter layers of Calthan Brown.
• Final (very light) drybrushing of Fortress Grey. 

Custom Bitz...

• Pennant/ Flag. This is taken from the Skaven Warlord in the Island of Blood Set. I hate really extravagant back pennants (They just seem silly to me...especially for a tunnel-dwelling race!). Also, the huge and very dynamically modeled pennant that comes with the Doomwheel model could be used as an awesome army banner! 
• "Ratty Roadkill": Used a spear arm and a Plague Monk head from my Bitz Box.

Lessons learned?
I attempted a couple of things I haven't tried before - rust and verdigris washes. In both cases I didn't have any professional washes so I used watered down Games Workshop colours. I'm not sure they worked 100%, but I think they achieve the desired effect.
- Definitely test them on a small, out-of-the-way part of the model before using them on a larger surface.
- For the rust, the balance of Calthan Brown to Blazing Orange is tricky - too brown and it looks like mud, too orange and it looks too bright. I found about 25/75 CB to BO to be about right.
- Also, test the consistency of the mix once you have added water. Not enough and it will be like paint and impossible to remove, too watery and you won't get the desired effect. Experimentation is key!

Bases. I should have done the base properly before gluing the model on. The glue and sand was difficult to do with the model in place and I ended up getting it on the Doomwheel and other places I didn't want it to go.

For all that though, I have a Doomwheel to add to my fledgling Skaven force!

All comments and criticism or advice welcome.

*Squeek*