Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've painted minis off and on for years for boardgames, but only to low standards using dips, rough drybrushing, and similar hacks. This is a test fig for my Ultramarine color scheme and my first attempt at painting properly using layers and edge highlights. So CC on the main blue and gold painting are especially encouraged (color choice, paint consistency, technique, etc.). Suggestions on the detail bits are welcome too, but I know some of those are subpar, either because I didn't have the right paints handy or just didn't feel like looking up the right way to do it at the time.

that is one nice looking model

That's a very clean and by-the-book Ultramarine. Good highlights, but the shading on the gunmetal parts looks a little shallow. I would probably wash those with Nuln Oil (again if you haven't already)and call it a day!

Perfect shade of blue, but I will agree with Brother SRM that the metals could use a wash or some starker highlighting.

Thanks for the comments. I agree the bolter is weaker than the other parts - I was pretty happy with everything else when I got to it and was rushing ahead wanting to finish. I should have at least glanced at some guides to see what others had done. I didn't wash the bolter at all, but I'll certainly go back and hit it with some Nuln Oil. I also realized (too late) that using gunmetal for the edge highlights on the stock doesn't work well, since you want that thin highlight to be uniform and metallics just don't reflect that way. Steel Gray would've been better, I think. But in general, it seems like properly detailing the bolter is a fair bit of work for something that has little visual impact at tabletop distances. For rank-and-file troopers, I'll probably just go with a simple gunmetal drybrush over black in the future.

Very nicely done, and very oldschool. It looks like something straight out of 2ed 'Eavy Metal. "How to paint Ultramarines"

Everything looks tabletop perfect. The only flaw I really see is the nozzle of the gun. Blend that better.

Needs more purple. (in-joke)


Looks great, nice one. If it's that good up close, it'll be blinding on the table!

 Quarterdime wrote:
Everything looks tabletop perfect. The only flaw I really see is the nozzle of the gun. Blend that better.

god, I normally don't do this but....guns have muzzles, not nozzles, nozzles are what hoses or spray bottles have.

You're starting pretty well off with this fig. Nice job

It's great to see Ultramarines back in favour again. That's a nice mini too by the way. I'm digging the old skool colour scheme, it looks like an Ultramarine from back in the day, in the Dark Millenium rule book maybe. Top job

edit: Thanks for the "old-school" comments, BTW... I purchased the original Rogue Trader off the shelf back in the day, but never really stuck with the game. So I'm very much going for the old-school look.

Someone PM'd asking for the color scheme and general technique on the mini. I figure it makes more sense to post it here in case it's useful to others, and to solicit any other suggestions for improvement.

The model minus the shoulder pads, backpack, and bolter was primed with Army Painter's Ultramarine Blue. The pads/backpack/bolter were brush primed separately and assembled later to get better access - the blues were painted with AP's Ultramarine Blue bottled paint, which matches the primer. The whole model was then liberally washed with GW's Drakenhof Nightshade. I'm currently experimenting on my next couple guys with GW Nuln Oil instead and I think I'll keep that change - while it looks a bit heavier in extreme close-up, I think it will provide better contrast at tabletop distances. After washing, the blue areas minus the shaded recesses were repainted with VGC Ultramarine Blue (thinned 3:1). (All other details were painted at this point before highlighting.) The first highlight was 2:1:2 VGC Glacier Blue to VGC Magic Blue to water, but I think 3:1:2 will be better in the future (again, more dramatic way up close in photos, but better on the table in normal light). The second highlight (on the hand and kneepad) was straight Glacier Blue thinned 2:1.

Gold areas were base-coated with GW Balthasar Gold, inked with (thinned, IIRC) Reaper Brown Ink, then painted with Vallejo's alcohol-based Old Gold. This got dulled significantly by the final matte spray - the shoulder pad trim got repainted, the rest left alone. I'm experimenting with different base-coating here, as I think the current result is a tad too reddish (more noticeable in person than in the photo).

Eye sockets were painted black (thinned 3:1), then with (slightly thinned) GW Mechrite Red, 2:1 thinned VGC Bloody Red, and 2:1 VGC Orange Fire. I'm not sure those are ideal colors/consistencies, though. The lens effect dot was 3:1 thinned white.

The bolter (which isn't very good at all, IMO) was basecoated black, then VGC Gunmetal on the metallic bits with silver highlights. As noted, I should've washed with Nuln Oil before picking out highlights - I've done that now, and that part looks better. The stock was edged with Gunmetal as well - I think that's very wrong and that some kind of gray would've been much better.

The base is GF9 fine basing grit, washed with GW Agrax Earthshade, then drybrushed with 1:1 VGC Earth to VGC Bone White (IIRC). This was covered with irregular patches of Army Painter's Grass Green flock and decorated with one of their tufts (the "Highland" ones, I think).

Testors Dullcote went over the whole thing at the end, minus the tuft which was applied after.

The other details are unremarkable, I think, but I can try to remember them if anyone cares.

Man, I can never resist a well painted ultramarine, and thats a damn fine one you have there. I agree with all comments on the bolter, but the rest of the model is ace

Hope to see you do a sternguard, I love ultras with white

for some quick C&C, I'd reccomend you paint the sights on the top of the bolter silver instead of black