I’m not a professional painter – or even a great painter – by any means. But, I know I found guides like this extremely helpful when I was learning how to paint miniatures. Hopefully someone will find the following guide helpful!
With the exception of Primer I use exclusively Citadel paints – for no other reason than it’s easy to get hold of a pot or two when I’m out shopping with my wife! Your favourite brand of paint will have equivalent shades and colours, just substitute colours where required.
Mini was primed with Vallejo Surface Primer Black.
Jacket, waistcoat and book were base-coated with Khorne Red.
Jacket hem was base-coated with Castellan Green. Skin base-coated with Bugman’s Glow.
Red areas were washed with Carroburg Crimson. Green hem washed with Athonian Camoshade. Flesh washed with Reikland Fleshshade and finally trousers and hair were washed with Nuln Oil.
Hair dry-brushed with Dawnstone. Hem was carefully dry-brushed with Loren Forest. Scarf was base-coated with Caliban Green.
Now’s the time to do the eyes if you’re doing them. I always use watered-down Pallid Wych Flesh to paint a thin line for each eye, then a thin line down the center for the pupil.
Red areas were highlighted with Wazdakka Red.
Flesh highlighted with Cadian Fleshtone. Usually I’d do another layer of Kislev Flesh, but Bilbo is getting on a bit – I quite liked the tone achieved with the one highlight.
Trousers were highlighted with Skavenblight Dinge. Looking back I might have preferred to use a darker grey as there was a bit too much contrast. Scarf washed with Athonian Camoshade and highlighted with Straken Green.
Bilbo’s waistcoat was highlighted with Evil Sunz Scarlet.
The Red Book’s pages were painted with Screaming Skull, washed with Seraphim Sepia then highlighted with Screaming Skull. The star on the cover was carefully painted with Screaming Skull, then a layer of White Scar.
Gold buttons were painted with Retributor Armour. Also, the One Ring in Bilbo’s hand was carefully painted with the same.
The model was based to match my collection – Stirland Mud drybrushed with Baneblade Brown, XV88 for the rim and a few random Middenland Tufts.
