Imperial Fists are one of the more iconic Space Marine chapters out there. As I’m well known for painting incredibly lazy, but to acceptable standards, I wanted to share this method with you all. Maybe you might find it helpful when painting your very own legion!
STEP 1: PRIME
I sprayed the model using Army Painter’s Skeleton Bone. Now, Army Painter isn’t known for it’s incredible quality sprays, but the color range is actually pretty good. Before you are using one of these cans, prepare as best as you can:
- Lay all models on a spray-tray, or use a spray-stick or whatever you are accustomed to.
- Shake the can for at least one minute.
- Put the can for 5 minutes in warm tap water.
- Shake it again for at least one minute
- Use one burst while going from one side of the model to the other.
- Once done and dry, check all models. Lay all models on the spray-tray with the parts you might have missed, and re-spray thinly, using the same steps here above.
STEP 2: PRE-SHADE
Mix 1 part Citadel’s Agrax Earthshade and 1 part Citadel’s Lahmia Medium. Use a large basecoat brush to wash the entire model with this mixture. Be sure that this stuff settles in the recesses of the model. Whilst doing this, make sure it doesn’t pool anywhere on the flat surfaces. This is one of the steps that needs to be quite neat. You only want the surfaces to be a bit darkened, as long as it’s smooth. All the recesses, for example, around the kneepads, and between the armor joints, should become brown. Use your brush to steer away any excess wash mixture.
STEP 3: OVER-WASH
Use Citadel’s Cassandora Yellow, and wash all over the miniature. You don’t need any Lahmia Medium for this step, but you do need to make sure it doesn’t pool any where. Use your brush to steer away any Cassandora Yellow until you are happy with the result. It should be as smooth as possible.
STEP 4: WEATHERING
Using a piece of fine sponge (the stuff used in Miniature Carrying Cases is ideal!), stipple Rhinox Hide on some plates. Don’t over do it, and focus on area’s weathering might naturally occur: on edges, feet, hands etcetra. But it’s quite allright to dep some Rhinox Hide on the flat surfaces as well, or even on the helmet if you so desire.
To create a Stippling Sponge, take a flat surface of the sponge, dip it in Rhinox Hide lightly, and start depping on a piece of kitchen towel, until you almost don’t get any paint off of it. Dep it on a piece of paper and if you see a mottled pattern, you’re good to go to start stippling this on the model. If you overdo it, use a piece of kitchen towel to remove your stippling, and make your sponge a bit more dry. You should get something like the following:
STEP 5: BASECOATING DETAILS
Use the following Citadel Paints to paint the details:
All metal parts: Iron Hands Metal
The Chest-Eagle: Mephiston Red
Purity Seals, Bolter Symbol and Chest-Eagle Skull: Screaming Skull
Leather Pouches: Doombull Brown
For the black, I used Citadel’s Contrast Paint: Black Templar. This is a bit of a special paint and you do need a larger quantity of it. Use this stuff to neatly paint the shoulder pad Rims, the bolter casing and the under suit. If you get this stuff on the yellow, it’s a bit harder to wipe it away without staining the yellow, so be careful! If you do get any black on the yellow, you can use Averland Sunset to neaten it up. It might be a bit off in color, but trust me, in a squadron, you will never notice it.
STEP 6: FINAL SHADES
Paint the eyes and the gun lenses with Baharoth Blue, and once it’s dry, wash it with Asurmen Blue.
Wash all metal parts with Nuln Oil
Wash all red and brown parts with Agrax Earthshade
Washing is a technique where you use very, almost completely liquid paint to stain the color underneath. Because it’s so thin, it will run in the surfaces just like the Agrax Earthshade in Step 2. As previously, don’t let it pool. If you happen to go over the gun, don’t worry about it, as it’s hardly noticable.
FINAL STEP:
Do the bases, and grab yourself a beer!
Voila! A Imperial Fist Space Marine, in a very quick and easy way. I honestly cannot do it faster than this method. If you want to add your own painting or modelling tutorial to the Tabletop Kingdom Articles Archive, send us your pictures and text and we’ll get it in here!