Dan’s 2025 Side Projects

To finish the model off I re-highlighted the bright colours so not everything had a green tint from the wash.

Doing this exercise of forcing myself to mix my colours from the primary colours was very interesting. I wouldn’t do it for every project, but doing it every once in a while should help my painting. It forced me to think about what primary colours must be in a given colour and then try to achieve it. I think it was a valuable exercise.

A few months ago, during the unofficial hobby hangout, Gerry was looking at a model I’d painted and he suggested I pick up the skin tone paint set from the army painter and give it a go. So I have.

At the time, there was a kickstarter running for some models that had a lot of exposed skin (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylerbridwell/fantastic-ladies-of-the-dimensions-2). You know the type. About 25% of the gaming kickstarters are semi-naked lady 3D print files.

This first models isn’t the best example as she’s heavily clothed, but I painted her first simply because she’s the only model on a large base and I wanted to paint her so I could get the model out of the way.

The skin was painted onyx skin, washed with dark skin wash, then highlighted a few times with a little more amber skin mixed in to the onyx skin with each layer.

The bulk of the robes were simply washed with druchii violet. The cloth has sculpted texture which came out well just from a wash. The frilly bits on the front were painted shyish purple then highlighted xereus purple followed by genestealer purple. The cape was painted the same, but with a few layers of naggaroth night rather than the contrast paint as the base.

The hair was simply painted white scar. The metal bits of the scythe were painted leadbelcher, washed nuln oil, then highlighted with ironbreaker then runefang steel.

I wanted to try getting a marble effect on the plinth so I sponged on russ grey followed by fenrisian grey. I’m not sure it worked great, but it looks different to block colours with highlights.

The rocky base was simply painted mechanicus standard grey then dry brushed longbeard grey.

The candles were painted mephiston red then highlighted evil sunz scarlet. The flames were painted white scar then painted with drakenhoff nightshade.

For these models I started with about three layers of jasper skin to give me a nice smooth base. The tribal got a wash of soft skin wash while the cowgirl got a wash of strong skin wash. I then mixed amber skin into the jasper skin to apply a broad highlight. I then did another smaller layer with more amber skin added, etc. In total I think I did about five layers in this way.

The brown leather was painted xv-88, washed agrax earthshade, then highlighted in the same fashion as the skin, adding in more zamesi desert with each layer.

The red clothes were painted mephiston red, washed carroburg crimson, then highlighted with increasing amounts of evil sunz scarlet added in.

The blue denim was painted macragge blue, washed drakenhoff nightshade, then highlighted with increasing amounts of calgar blue. To make the denim look frayed I added little lines of fenrisian grey at the edges.

The black hair was painted corvus black, highlighted with increasing amounts of administratum grey, then washed with nuln oil.

The blond hair was painted averland sunset, washed seraphim sepia, then highlighted with increasing amounts of flayed one flesh.

The wooden axe shaft was painted steel legion drab then had fine lines of karak stone painted on to it.

The metal areas were painted leadbelcher, washed nuln oil, then highlighted runefang steel.

The spent bullet casings were painted screaming bell then highlighted sycorax bronze.

The eyes were painted abaddon black and then had dots of pallid wych flesh added on either side.

The bases were simply painted with contrast paints: skeleton horde, warp lightning, guilliman flesh and basilicanum grey.

For this skin tone, I started with amber skin, washed it with soft skin tone, then highlighted it with subsequent layers where I added more and more pearl pigment toner into the amber skin.

The armour was painted warplock bronze then highlighted with runelord brass added into the mix in increasing quantities.

The sword blade was painted screaming bell then edge highlighted with sycorax bronze.

The leather was painted xv-88, washed agrax earthshade, then highlighted with more and more zamesi desert.

The cloth areas were painted apothecary white. The hair was painted iyanden yellow.

The base was painted darkoath flesh and the edge of it was painted gore-grunta fur.

The skin for this model was painted a few layers of ruby skin, then washed reikland fleshshade, then given several highlights with more and more opal skin being mixed in to the ruby skin.

The boots, legs, and gloves were painted mephiston red, washed carroburg crimson, then highlighted with more and more evil sunz scarlet being mixed in.

The cape and corset were painted khorne red, washed with a 50:50 mix of carroburg crimson and druchii violet. It was then highlighted with more and more evil sunz scarlet being mixed in.

The leather belts and strings were painted xv-88 then washed agrax earthshade.

The horns were painted zandri dust, then washed seraphim sepia, then drybrushed screaming skull.

The hair was painted apothecary white.

The swords and hair chains were painted leadbelcher, washed nuln oil, then highlighted with runefang steel.

I painted these models for this month’s painting competition: https://www.beastsofwar.com/forums/topic/paintcomp-july-2025/

These three models are from the Black Powder Moonstone set.

The male skin was painted bugman’s glow and then highlighted with kislev flesh added in. The female flesh was cadian fleshtone with kislev flesh added in.

The white clothes were painted apothecary white. The grey trousers were painted basilicanum grey. The yellow trousers were painted iyanden yellow.

The leather areas were painted mournfang brown then washed agrax earthshade.

The monkey fur was painted with a 50:50 mix of dawnstone and steel legion drab. It was highlighted with a bit of xv-88 added in.

The blue areas of the clothes were painted macragge blue, washed with drakenhoff nightshade then highlighted with lothern blue.

The purple head scarf was painted genestealer purple then washed druchii violet.

The gloves and other black clothes were painted black templars.

The black hair was painted corvus black.

The guy’s grey hair was painted a 50:50 mix of apothecary white and basilicanum grey.

The bases were painted with a 50:50 mix of skeleton horde and iyanden yellow. The rims were painted abaddon black.

The bomb fuse was painted gryph-hound orange.

The glass bottle was painted warp lightning.

The steel areas were painted leadbelcher, washed with nuln oil, then highlighted runefang steel.

The brass areas were painted screaming bell, washed reikland fleshshade, then highlighted sycorax bronze.

Time for a cyberpunk model.

The skin started with several layers of topaz skin. It then had a wash of soft skin wash just around the edges and in the recesses. Several layers were then applied with more and more opal skin being mixed in to the topaz skin.

The blue clothes were painted macragge blue, washed drakenhoff nightshade, then highlighted with calgar blue being mixed in with the macragge blue. The hard armour panels received an edge highlight of pure calgar blue.

The straps were painted jokaero orange, washed fuegan orange, then edge highlighted with trollslayer orange.

The hair was painted caliban green, highlighted with more and more moot green added in, then washed with biel-tan green.

The cybernetics and weapons were painted apothecary white.

The base was painted basilicanum grey.

The skin for this model was dorado skin, washed around the edges and in the recesses with soft skin wash, then highlighted with pearl pigment tone mixed in in increasing amounts. Garnet pigment tone was then used to paint the lips and finger nails.

The hair and beaks were painted averland sunset, washed casendora yellow, then highlighted with more and more flash gitz yellow mixed in.

The eagle heads were painted apothecary white. The top row of feathers were painted steel legion drab. The layer beneath had some karak stone mixed in. The layer beneath had some more mixed in. The layer beneath that was pure karak stone. The bottom layer of feathers were left the grey seer undercoat. All the feathers were then washed agrax earthshade.

The dress was painted corvus black, highlighted with some dawnstone mixed in, then it was washed nuln oil.

The gold areas were painted retributor armour then highlighted liberator gold.

The stone plinth was painted pallid wych flesh, leaving the recesses with the grey seer undercoat. Administratum grey was used to paint in some cracks, and then used as a glaze to try and blur out the edges of the cracks. Then the whole area was painted with a glaze of pallid wych flesh. A very fine line of skavenblight dinge was then applied into the middle of the administratum grey painted cracks. Then the entire plinth was painted with apothecary white. Finally, the plinth was painted ardcoat to give it a gloss finish.