Tutorial: How to Paint Age of Sigmar Stormcast Eternals Liberator

Need some help with your Soul Wars box? I thought I’d put the White Dwarf free Stormcast Eternal model to good use and create a tutorial. So if you want more than just there paint recipes in White Dwarf and want high quality photos with explanations, then you’re at the right place. Check out the detailed, quality photo tutorial after the jump.

This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of how to paint. For the beginners, I will explain the techniques as I go along. Each picture below shows four chronological steps. Underneath each picture are the corresponding instructions. Each step shows the paint I used during that step.

Paints you will need for this tutorial:

Lahmian Medium (Technical)

Black Undercoat

Mournfang Brown (Base)

Gehenna’s Gold (Layer)

Hashut Copper (Layer)

Warplock Bronze (Base)

Auric Armour Gold (Layer)

Ironbreaker (Layer)

Abaddon Black (Base)

Runefang Steel (Layer)

Macragge  Blue (Base)

Caledor Sky (Base)

Kantor Blue (Base)

Lothern Blue (Layer)

Screamer Pink (Base)

Emperor’s Children (Layer)

The Fang (Base)

Russ Grey (Layer)

Pallid Wych Flesh (Layer)

Baneblade Brown (Layer)

Rakarth Flesh (Base)

Seraphim Sepia (Shade)

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1. Undercoat the model black. For the best results use Vallejo Surface Primer (airbrush or by brush) it has a settling property in it which leaves detail crisp. Never floods the detail.

2. For this step I’ve carefully painted Mournfang Brown by hand and it took a while. I’d advise airbrushing stage 2 and 3 if you’re painting several and then painting the black detail back in. Painting by hand is tricky because you have to ensure the layers are perfectly flat.

3. The reason we’ve painted perfectly flat Mournfang Brown is because it makes it easier to paint Gold over the top. Gehenna’s Gold will now paint on in two coats. Add Lahmian Medium to the gold paint to thin it. You don’t need a lot, just enough to make it more fluid. Metallic paint has flecks of metallic colour in it, it’s a like a thicker pigment. If you don’t thin your metallic paints they can end up really lumpy which is magnified by the reflective nature of the paint. Airbrushing this stage would be a lot easier.

4. Now we’re going to create a glaze by mixing 70% of Lahmian Medium with 30% of Hashut Copper. Now don’t wash this all over, instead target the areas you specifically want to shade. This quite a subtle step, repeat this step two or three times to increase the intensity of the shading (multiple thin layers will get darker and darker the more you apply).

5. We’re going to create another glaze by mixing 70% of Lahmian Medium with 30% Warplock Bronze . Continue shading the model by carefully picking out the shadows with this glaze. Repeat to intensify. Painting multiple thin layers will create smoother blends then one thick layer. Don’t forget to pick out each rivet with Warplock Bronze as well.

6. To highlight the armour we want to thin our paint but not to much. Maybe 50:50 mix of Auric Armour Gold and Lahmian Medium. Paint several layers onto the curved raised areas and then paint the edges as well with a thin line.

7. Paint the hammer, icon on the knee and back of hand, and loincloth with IronBreaker. Once again Lahmian Medium will help keep the paint smooth and cut down on the lumpiness.

8. Create a black glaze by mixing 70% of Lahmian Medium with 30% Abaddon Black. Wash it over the loin cloth. Paint 4 to 5 thin layers (allowing each to dry) on the hammer head progressively blending each layer allowing each layer to get progressively darker. I like to have the darkest areas at the top of the head. I think it looks like reflection.

9. Highlight the edges of the knee/hand icon and Hammerhead with Runefang Steel. Pick out each rivet (including on the gold) with Runefang Steel. Finally highlight every edge of the gold armour with Runefang Steel.

10. Basecoat all the blue areas with Macragge Blue. Thin this with Lahmian Medium to produce a smoother result.

11. Highlight the blue areas by creating a glaze of 30% Caledor Sky and 70% Lahmian Medium and building up the thin layers slowly. Click on the picture above to see where to apply these layers, it’s basically any curved raised surface.

12. Create another glaze of Kantor Blue and build up the thin layers to blend shading onto the blue areas.

13. Highlight the edges of the blue areas with Lothern Blue. I glazed on a thin highlight onto the shoulders and shield as well.

14. Pick out the strapping of the dagger and hammer handles with Screamer Pink.

15. Pick out the edges of the strapping with Emperor’s Children.

16. Edge highlight the dagger scabbard and belt with The Fang. You’ll also have to highlight the gaps between the armour joins.

17. Highlight the previous stage further with a thinner line of Russ Grey. Base coat the Lightning Bolts on the shoulder pad and shield with Russ Grey.

18. Paint the lightning bolts with Pallid Wych Flesh.

19. Paint the scroll under the scabbard with Baneblade Brown.

20. Highlight the edges of the scroll with Rakarth Flesh.

21. Wash the scroll completely with Seraphim Sepia.

Finally base the model in a way that fits with your gaming table or existing collection. I used Dark Reaper for the base edge and highlighted the sand with Ushabti Bone. Some scorched static grass glued on finishes the model off.

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