writes:
This tutorial explains, step by step, how I painted Jess, one of Hasslefree Miniatures' excellent Zombie Hunter range sculpted by Kev White. Jess and the rest of her Zombie-hunting friends are among my favourite miniatures.
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 Groundwork
Jess is a one-piece miniature, so no assembly was required. Using a craft knife and a small needle file, I removed any flash or mouldlines that I could see (thankfully, very few).
Next I glued the mini to the base. I decided to use some rather nice Urban War resin bases 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. Undercoating a miniature gives the paint something to grip onto - otherwise, all your lovingly applied paint will rub off with even the gentlest handling.
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.
Jeepers Peepers!
I always start with the main focal point of a mini: the face. First off, the Eyes.
- Eyes Step 1
- Paint the eyes (Games Workshop) 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 (Games Workshop) 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 (Games Workshop) Dark Flesh.
Creeping Flesh
- Skin Step 1
- I gave the skin a basecoat of Dark Flesh. Since I use thinned paint, I built it up with several coats to get a good solid basecolour.
- Skin Step 2
- Using a mix of 50/50 Dark Flesh + (Games Workshop) Tanned Flesh, I painted over the basecoat - only leaving it showing through in the deepest recesses.
- Skin Step 3
- Using Tanned Flesh, I built up the highlights on the more pronounced areas (upper surfaces of the arms, body and face).
- Skin Step 4
- The next highlight was built up using a mix of 50/50 Tanned Flesh + (Games Workshop) Dwarf Flesh.
- Skin Step 5
- The final highlight uses Dwarf Flesh, concentrating on the very highest points (knuckles, nose, cheekbones, etc.).
