Painting the Tribals

Techniques

For these minis, I used traditional techniques that any intermediate painter can do. For beginning painters, I suggest trying these techniques in order to hone your skills. The only way to get better is practice!

I mainly stuck with thinning out my paints and layering the different shades on. This is how really nice highlights are achieved. For anyone out there who doesn't thin their paints... start doing this! It will help you achieve a smoother look on your mini, and the paint won't appear to be clumpy once it dries. I actually didn't use drybrushing on anything in these minis! Everything that was done was done by layering and blending, with some washes on the furs and hair.

Layering is a great technique that any painter needs to learn how to do. When you first start out learning it, though, it is very frustrating. Layering requires that you thin your paints out almost to a wash. You want it thin enough that the basecoat can come through a little bit, but thick enough so that a lighter pigment is being put down on the mini and is visible. You will have to do several rounds of layering, making each layer tighter to achieve a nice highlight.

Notice the smooth skin tones. This was achieved by using the layering technique. I used the Reaper Tanned Skin Triad, and did a basecoat of Tanned Skin Shadow. Then I thinned out the Tanned Skin (the mid-tone of the triad) and started applying several layers to the areas that needed highlights (what the sun/light source is hitting). Once those layers were dry and bright enough, I did the same with the Tanned Skin Highlight. I made those layers tighter, though, to give a nice, bright, small highlight that blends in well with the rest of the paintjob.

Blacklining/Darklining is another technique I use on every miniature. For those who don't know what that is, it's where you use black or a really dark color (such as brown or navy blue) and outline the different surfaces on the mini. This helps your eye to see a break in color and in object, which means the different parts of the mini won't "run together" - they appear more separate. You can see where I added black lining on the minis (where the red arrows are pointing).

Paint Recipes

Darklining

RPP Dragon Black 18042

Hair

Basecoat

RPP Bloodstone 18036

Highlight 1

RPP Bloodstone 18036 + RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 2

RMS Pure White 09039 (very thin, built up)
Wash of thinned-out RPP Bloodstone 18036

Highlight 3

RMS Pure White 09039 (very thin, built up, touch up of the highlights)

Leathers

Basecoat

RPP Imperial Purple 18016

Highlight 1

2 RPP Imperial Purple 18016 + 1 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 2

1 RPP Imperial Purple 18016 + 1 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 3

1 RPP Imperial Purple 18016 + 2 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 4

RMS Pure White 09039

Skin

Basecoat

RMS Tanned Shadow 09043

Highlight 1

RMS Tanned Skin 09044

Highlight 2

RMS Tanned Highlight 09045

Furs

Basecoat

RMS Earth Brown 09029

Highlight 1

RMS Earth Brown 09029 + RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 2

RMS Pure White 09039 (thinned down a lot)
Wash of flesh-shade ink that is very thin

Metals

Basecoat

RMS Shadowed Steel 09052

Highlight 1

RMS Honed Steel 09053

Highlight 2

RMS Polished Silver 09054

Drums, Purple Arm and Ankle Band, Rope on Spear

Basecoat

VGC Royal Purple

Highlight 1

2 VGC Royal Purple + 1 VGC Skull White

Highlight 2

1 VGC Royal Purple + 1 VGC Skull White

Highlight 3

1 VGC Royal Purple + 2 VGC Skull White

Spear Shaft and Totem Pole

Basecoat

RPP Volcano Brown 18025

Highlight 1

2 RPP Volcano Brown 18025 + 1 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 2

1 RPP Volcano Brown 18025 + 1 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 3

RMS Pure White 09039

Drum Tops and Bottoms

Basecoat

RPP Desert Gold 18005

Highlight 1

RPP Desert Gold 18005 + RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 2

RPP Desert Gold 18005 + 2 RMS Pure White 09039

Highlight 3

RMS Pure White 09039