Tutorial: How to paint Skaven Clanrats from Skaventide

Prime the model with the black primer of your choice, I used black primer from Vallejo.

Basecoat the model with Two Thin Coats Eidolon Grey [or Skavenblight Dinge]. I used an airbrush for this but you can do it with a brush as well.

Apply a zenithal highlight of Warpaints Air Yeti White [or Corax White or a similar white grey], holding the airbrush at about 45 degrees to create a natural gradient.

Paint the texture of the base with Pro Acryl Warm Grey [or Dawnstone or any medium grey].

Pick out the rocks with Corax White [or Vallejo Model Color White Grey].

Gently drybrush the model and base with Vallejo Game Color Dead White [or White Scar] to bring out the sharpest details. I recommend a large synthetic drybrush with a domed head for this, I love Chronicle’s Techlon Tiger brushes (review here).

Create a 1:1 mix of Strong Tone and Dark Tone wash [or Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade] and add a drop of Scale 75 Dispel Magic medium [or Contrast Medium or Lahmian Medium]. Apply this mix all over the base.

Give the fleshy parts two coats of Speedpaint Crusader Skin [or Reikland Fleshshade, or a single coat of Guilliman Flesh].

Paint all the areas covered with fur with a 1:1 mix of Black Legion and Speedpaint Gravelord Grey [or Basilicanum Grey].

Layer the robes with two coats of Green Stuff World Dipping Ink Green Shark Skin [or Nighthaunt Gloom].

Wash the robes with Drakenhof Nightshade. Wipe away excess paint with a clean brush from the flat areas to avoid pooling.

Apply two layers of Briar Queen Chill to the hood.

Wash the hood with a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Xpress Color Starship Steel [or Gryph-charger Grey] and Contrast Medium. Again, take care to remove excess paint with a clean brush from the flat areas.

Give all the warpstone details a layer of Karandras Green.

Pick out all the leather bits with a coat of VXP Mahogany [or Gore-grunta Fur].

Apply a coat of Instant Color Dead Flesh [or Wyldwood thinned with Contrast Medium] to the wooden pieces. Avoid going over the areas left dark from the zenithal basecoat, as Dead Flesh is quite opaque.

To add some natural variation to the wood, pick out a few panels with a thin coat of Pro Acryl Brown wash, more like a glaze.

Wash the teeth and claws with a coat of Speedpaint Bony Matter.

Paint the chainmail with Vallejo Mecha Color Steel [or Iron Hands Steel].

Basecoat the steel with Vallejo Mecha Color Dark Steel [or Leadbelcher].

Wash the chainmail and steel with Nuln Oil.

Basecoat the armour with Two Thin Coats Steampunk Copper [or Balthasar Gold].

Wash the armour with Targor Rageshade.

Highlight the edges and sharpest folds of the dark petrol clothes with AK 3rd Gen Dark Blue Grey [or mix Dark Reaper with Celestra Grey].

Apply an even finer highlight of Vallejo Model Color Medium Grey Blue. Also highlight the light blue cloth with this colour.

Apply an even finer highlight of VMC Pale Grey Blue to the light blue clothes only.

Next, highlight the grey fur. Use Pro Acryl Dark Warm Grey [or Skavenblight Dinge] for the areas left dark by the zenithal undershading (or just leave them dark if they are not visible anyway). For the upward-facing light areas, use Pro Acryl Warm Grey [or mix Skavenblight Dinge with Pallid Wych Flesh], and if necessary, a mix of PA Dark Warm Grey and PA Warm Grey for the transitions.

Highlight the tips of the sculpted tufts of hair on the fur by mixing some Two Thin Coats Ivory Tusk in PA Warm Grey [or add more Pallid Wych Flesh to your previous Skavenblight Dinge mix].

For the fleshy parts, we use a similar approach as with the fur. Use Pro Acryl Shadow Flesh [or Bugman’s Glow] for the areas left dark by the zenithal undershading. For the upward-facing light areas, use Warpaints Fanatic Barbarian Flesh [or Cadian Flesh], and if necessary, a mix of PA Shadow Flesh Grey and WPF Barbarian Flesh for the transitions.

Basecoat the nose and ears with WPF Barbarian Flesh [or Cadian Flesh]. Then, mix in a little bit of Pro Acryl Dark Warm Grey [or Skavenblight Dinge] and use this mix to create a gradient, blending the fleshy parts into the fur.

Wash the inner of the ears with a coat of Speedpaint Crusader Skin [or Reikland Fleshshade]

Thin Volupus Pink about 1:1 with Contrast Medium. Glaze the tip of the nose, the knuckles, the inner of the ears, and about two third of the tail. Use a clean brush wetted with a bit of Contrast Medium to feather out the glaze on the tail. Once dry, glaze the last third of the tail one more time to create a gradient.

Paint the eye sockets with VGC Scarlet Red [or Khorne Red].

Layer the eyeball with VMC Vermilion [or Evil Sunz Scarlet].

Add a small dot of AK Dead Red [or Pink Horror] for a highlight.

Layer the teeth and claws with TTC Griffon Claw [or Rakarth Flesh], leaving the recesses dark.

Highlight the teeth and claws with TTC Ivory Tusk [or Pallid Wych Flesh with a little bit of Rakarth Flesh added].

Add little dots of VGC Dead White [or White Scar] to the tips of the teeth and claws.

Highlight the leather with TTC Fur Cloak [or Tuskgor Fur]. Make the lines irregular and add some scratches to add some texture.

Apply a finer highlight and finer scratches with TT Combat Rumble Skin [or Ratskin Flesh].

Highlight the warpstone with VGC Scorpy Green [or Moot Green mixed with a little bit of Dorn Yellow].

Apply an even finer highlight of Reaper Master Series Dungeon Slime [or Moot Green mixed with more Dorn Yellow].

Mix 3 parts of VMC White Grey [or Corax White] with 1 part of Instant Color Dead Flesh and use this mix to highlight the light, upward-facing wooden parts.

Edge highlight the bandages and wrappings with VMC White Grey [or Corax White].

Thin VXP Mahogany [or Gore-grunta Fur] about 2:1 with Contrast Medium and use this mix to recess shade the steel and chainmail to build up rust.

Apply a second recess shade of TTC Iron Oxide [or Troll Slayer Orange thinned with Contrast Medium]. Make sure to leave some of the Mahogany from the previous step visible.

Create a wash by thinning VGC Scurvy Green [or Kabalite Green] about 1:1 with Contrast Medium and apply it into the recesses of the copper armour for a verdigris effect.

Add more depth to the recess shading by applying TTC Verdigris [or Nihilakh Oxide]. Make sure to leave some of Scurvy Green visible.

Edge highlight the copper armour with TTC Battle Axe Brass [or Retributor Armour].

Edge highlight the steel with Vallejo Mecha Color Dark Steel [or Leadbelcher].

Paint the trim of the base with Warpaints Fanatic Matt Black [or Abaddon Black].