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I'm currently in the process of rebuilding my first army project - Death Guard and Nurgle Daemons as allies. I just finished stripping the old paint job and getting everything ready to be repainted, so I'm looking for a good Death Guard Plague Marine paint scheme. As I looked for inspiration I came across the DG Hellbrute in White Dwarf Issue 6 from 8 March 2014. This WD and the next one both have painting guides for the Hellbrute, but neither touch on the awesome Death Guard style paint job showcased on the cover of Issue 6!? Looking through the GW webstore I see the How to Paint Citadel Miniatures: Hellbrute and it shows this DG Hellbrute on the cover and probably details what I want to know, but it is only for iBooks and I do not own any apple products. I'm wondering if anyone here has this guide and wouldn't mind sharing with me the paints and a few of the steps used in painting this DG Hellbrute so I can use it on the rest of my DG army. I'm not so much concerned about the steps, but just the paints and washes used for the armor, the fleshy bits, and the necrotic looking head. Thanks in advance! - Jeremy

Dakka has a number of tutorials on painting Death Guard.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/339318.page#2320710

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/491452.page#5021601

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/498719.page#5144779 - links to other sites

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/380750.page#3027718

Hopefully these are helpful

This is how I did mine:
undercoat with grey car primer (for uk users - from Halford's)
base coat of rotting flesh
dipped in quick drying wood stain - light oak - from wilkinsons
coat of thraka grenn ink
coat of develan mud ink
brazen brass washed with a mix of the old green & brown inks. this was left to dry then a wash of vile green and finally a dry brush of brass to blend down the vile green.
bleached bone washed with a mix of the old brown & yellow inks
rusty metal (not finished on the marines) - dark flesh base coat, then vermin fur & blazing orange then a dry brush of bolt gun metal then flecks of bolt gun metal painted on.
the models then had areas stained with baal red and the old red ink.

a note on the dipping - i won't be using this again on such lovely detailed minis as it did tend to settle & fill in some of the recesses & when i came to high-light some areas there wasn't much ridge detail left. i might try the army painter system next though. the reason i did it this way was at the time my right arm was in a cast following an operation.

typhus and the nurlings were mostly done with the foundation paints as base colours then washed (& in the case of typhus, high-lighted the usual way).

Here's the infantry so far:


link to all my Death Guard

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

@ SilverMK2. I was hoping for stuff using mostly Citadel colors, as most of those use other types of paint. But the GirlPainting guide, as always, is great! I was out of the hobby for a few years and completely forgot about her tutorials! But none of those other tutorials really get to what I'm trying to emulate. Here is an image:


The coloring is just a little different from any of the links you provided, or any I have been able to find in my own searching. That's why I decided to make a post about it. Thank you for your input!

@ Bubber: Thanks, man. This looks very similar to an old guide I had written down that I have since lost, so this will be very helpful! Btw, your stuff rocks! Your painting is awesome. Thanks for sharing your formula with me! The only thing I'm really missing is the Hellbrute head. Which I think I can figure out - probably a mid grey, hled with a light grey, washed with purple and then blue.

I would start off with whatever passes for 'Pallid Flesh' now, then a purple ink wash. Then add a touch of mid-blue ink & blend the edge with a slightly damp brush.
Purple ink over a light grey base may also work.


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Oh & thanks for the comments!

Good idea, Bubber. I think you're right and Pallid Wych Flesh is a better choice with a few blue and purple washes. Seems like it'll look better than even a light grey.

And no worries on the compliments - your stuff deserves the accolades!

Have you got an airbrush or any army painter spray cans available nearby? If you have access to army painter products, then buy their necrotic flesh spray primer.

Prime necrotic flesh (replace with nurgling green/elysian green 50/50 if airbrushing.)

Basecoat metal areas with leadbelcher.

Wash entire model with agrax earthshade (heavily) and athonian camoshade (less heavily) - dry with hairdryer to cut painting time in half.

Very lightly drybrush edges with nurgling green

heavily drybrush flesh areas and distorted faces with rakarth flesh and then ushabti bone.


drybrush carefully metal with necron compound.

if it is a helbrute or large chaos beast like a heldrake base the trims either in leadbelcher or runelord brass and edgehighlight with runefang steel (using a zenithal approach).


if you want use pigments - I recommend burnt umber on the legs+base, and a light rust on metal areas (DON'T GO TO HEAVILY WITH PIGMENTS)


Base to liking. I like a contrasting grey base with some tufts of dead grass - it looks dark and gritty but still contrasts to the model.


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Alternatively, if you want a white green but still nurgly look (like transforming death guard legionaires) prime white, wash seraphim sepia, drybrush heavily white/blend white in depending on how skilled you are. basecoat shoulderpads in castellan green, highlight elysian green, wash everything lightly with agrax earthshade, and then blotch on athonian camoshade in small patches. use soot and rust pigments.


do trims in leadbelcher

Thanks Apower101! That is a very thorough rundown. I am familiar with pigments, but I have never used them. Since you seem to be especially familiar with them can you tell me which ones you would recommend? I know of various places that sell them, but I'd rather go with something recommended. Thanks again!

I have MIG & 1 Forgeworld (soot).
I have also ground my own using cheap artists' pastels using a spice grater which has a dish to catch the dust like this:

I used the home-made verdigris on my Typhus model:

I haven't used any others but am very happy with all 3 types.
I suggest if you're not sure try with the pastels. You can mix loads of different colours much cheaper. The grain size will be a little courser but I've had no real problems with that.
I use both water & white spirit to mix the powders in before applying.
If you have any other queries just PM me & I can PM you through it.

I use vallejo burnt umber and red ochre, but mig and forgeworld are also brilliant. Or you could try the above method of making your own, though I have never managed to make it work.