This tutorial explains, step by step, how I painted Maddog, one of Hasslefree Miniatures' Zombie Hunter range (and my favourite of the group) sculpted by Kev White.
Before starting to paint any mini, I like to decide roughly what colours I am going to use, as it can give me a general idea of what the finished item is going to look like; also, it helps to make sure the colours work well together and don't clash.
Laying the Foundations...
Maddog is a one-piece miniature, so no assembly was required. Using a craft knife and a small needle file, I removed any flash or mould lines that I could see (thankfully, very few). Next, I glued the mini to a rather-nice Urban War resin base I've had lying around for a while.
With the cleaning-up done and the glue dry, it was time for the ever-so-important black undercoat.
Before I get onto the actual "how to" of the painting, you may want to review what I wrote previously about my layering method. Throughout the painting of this mini I use the layering technique, and most layers are made up of 3-4 coats to give good coverage.
I use paints from various manufacturers, and a lot of it is down to personal preference. On this mini, I used paints from Games Workshop (GW) and Vallejo - Game Colour (VGC) and Model Colour (VMC).
Here's Looking at You, Kid...
I always start with the main focal point of a mini: the Face (assuming it has one). First off, the Eyes.
- Eyes Step 1
- Paint the eyes (GW) Bleached Bone - absolute neatness isn't required here, as it can be tidied up in step 3.
- Eyes Step 2
- I paint a thin line of (GW) Chaos Black down the centre of the eye. I find this better than an actual dot for the pupil, as it stops them looking cross-eyed.
- Eyes Step 3
- Tidy up the edges of the eye using some (GW) Dark Flesh.