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Space Marine Painting Guide
Welcome to the place where I have spent many hours working on. This is a simple short guide to painting marines. For now the guide will be aimed towards painting Dark Angels. If I get enough requests I will add tips on the other three major chapters. So enjoy!
 

Step 1
the First and most important step is pick a spot to paint. When Picking this spot make sure it has sufficient light, it is well ventilated, comfortable, and most important a spot where your Mom, Wife, Significant Other, etc won't become annoyed by your being there.
If you can't have a permanent spot make your Painting equipment easy to store and take out. That way It takes only a few minutes to set up and clean up.
 

Step 2
Assemble your miniature. clean off the mold lines and flash. Use your Hobby knife, files and sand paper to do this. Then glue arms, legs, etc  to their appropriate spots. If a gluing a part on will inhibit your access to an area of the miniature don't glue it on. If you're unsure about this drop me a line and ask me about it.
 

Step 3
Prime your miniature with your spray primer, or with a good paint on primer. Paint on Primers are good but you must be careful so you don't get an uneven coat. See the Supplies section for more details about primer. For all marine chapters  prime the minatures in white. Including the Chaplains. They will look great if you use white.
 

Step 4
Paint your mini a base coat of Dark Angels Green. The spray paint color of the same name that GW has is great because it makes this step a lot faster, and you can paint whole squads at a time. If you're painting a sergeant that has his helmet off paint his face and hair with Smelly Primer. Then Paint his face with Flesh and paint his hair whatever color you want. The greatest thing about this step is that you can paint the whole miniature green. Don't worry about getting it on the chest decorations etc it won't matter for now.
 

Step 5
Now comes the fun part. Make a wash from black paint. DO NOT USE BLACK INK. It is too dark. (Don't know how to make a wash click here.) Use this wash of black on all the areas you have painted green. If you have done it right the black will flow all over and into the areas where shades are needed. It will also stain the green to look a little darker. If you have flesh tones to shade use either Chestnut or Flesh wash Ink. And for hair it all depends on the color.
 

Step 6
Next Drybrush on a lighter green shade than Dark Angels Green to all your green areas. I use Ral Partha's Troll Flesh Green. You don't want to go too light because if you do your marines will either look chalky or  they will look like Orks. NO GOOD. For the Flesh areas add a touch of white to lighten up the flesh tone you're using, and dry brush  this color on the face. Once again too much white will make your model look chalky.
 

Step 7
Now paint all the details VERY CAREFULLY with Smelly Primer. (eg Chest Insignias, pouches, bolters, jewlery, raised armor designs, etc.) You must be VERY CAREFUL not to slop any primer onto what you just finished. If you do let it dry and touch it up with Dark Angel Green. If you screw up too much you may need to go back and rpeat step 5 and 6 again. (Perfect incentive for a steady hand.)
 

Step 8
Now paint your details. Pouches and Bolters look best if you paint them red. Paint the Chest insignia Ivory, Or whatever color you're going to use for your Death Wing Terminators. ( I personally like the look of Ral Partha's Ivory because it best duplicates the bone color of the Death Wing.) Paint Jewlery whatever metalic you think is best. Paint Barrels, clips and butt ends of bolters Steel. On the Backpacks paint the hoses and vents with RP's Steel or GW's Bolt Gun Silver. I'll give instructions in another place on how to paint gems.
 

Step 9
Next prepare a red wash for your red details. Mix Crimson red with a small touch of brown ink and then make your wash as usual. Now apply your wash to all of the red areas on your model, and be careful not to slop any of this wash onto other areas of your model. Using a more detailed brush will help.  Use RP's Leather and make a wash for the chest insignia.
 

Step 10
Next Drybrush the Red areas with a dark orange color RP's Elemental Orange is Perfect. Dry Brush chest insignia white, and dry brush all Areas that are steel color Silver.

Step 11
Paint Eyes white and then place a touch of black in the center. Then paint top Eyelid leather. Paint Eye Brows Hair Color.
 

Step 12
Paint Company design on left Knee pad. Draw  it on the Pad if neccessary.
 

Step 13
Apply GW decals to shoulder pads. Eventhough this is looked down upon by Competion judges most of you will never be involved in a competion. so make life easy for yourself and use decals. Apply decals according to the directions included.
 

Step 14
Paint Base Troll flesh green. And apply spray or paint matte varnish to entire model.
 

Step 15
Apply elmers glue to top of base. Create a gue puddle on your wax paper pallete and thin it out with a little water. Thin it out so that it isa little thicker then milk, and apply it to the base with an old paint brush. Wash your brush out when you're done.
 

Step 16
Make and paint sergeant's banner and affix it to his banner pole.
 

Step 17
Spray varnish the model again so that it has a nice protective coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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