A set of video tutorials on how to paint a black Primaris Marine, including his reflective black armour, the freehand on his shoulder pads, NMM golds on his chest eagle, weapons, purity seal, leather and more! With step by step guide and all materials and paints needed.

Scroll down to explore all the tutorials in order, or you can use the contents below to quickly jump to a technique or part of the marine to paint!

Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part One – Reflective Black Armour

The goal here is to create armour that, while predominantly black, subtly reflects light and suggests wear through precise highlights and glazes.

Materials Needed

• Primer: Vallejo Surface Primer Black
• Base Paints: Vallejo German Grey, Neutral Grey, Heavy Bluegray; Games Workshop Abaddon Black
• Highlight Paints: Games Workshop Ceramite White; Vallejo Neutral Grey, German Grey, Heavy Bluegray
• Glaze Paints: Games Workshop Xereus Purple, Rhinox Hide
• Brushes: A fine detail brush (e.g., size 0 or 00 for detailed work) and a larger brush for glazing and smoother finishes.
• Other Supplies: Wet palette, water for thinning paints, kitchen towel for wiping excess paint.

Step by Step Guide on How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Reflective Armour

1. Priming and Base Coating:

• Start with a black primer over the entire model to create a smooth, dark foundation.
• Apply Vallejo German Grey as a base to sketch the initial highlights. This step involves identifying where light naturally hits the model and marking those areas with this dark grey to prepare for further layering.

2. Building Up Highlights:

• Gradually build highlights using a tonal range from Vallejo German Grey to Ceramite White. Begin with darker greys, moving to lighter greys and finally white for the brightest points.
• Focus highlights on areas where light would naturally catch the most, such as the helmet, shoulders, and upper parts of the armour, to create focal points.

3. Refining Highlights:

• Use the lighter greys and white to refine the highlights, making them more precise and pronounced where necessary. Apply these colours sparingly to maintain the armour’s predominantly black appearance.
• Incorporate small amounts of Heavy Bluegray for a subtle cool tone in the highlights, suggesting a metallic sheen.

4. Applying Glazes:

• Mix thin glazes of Xereus Purple and Rhinox Hide separately. These colours add depth and richness to the black without overwhelming the base colour.
• Apply glazes carefully, focusing on shadowed areas and over the transitions between highlights to smooth out any stark contrasts. The key is to enhance the reflective quality without diminishing the armour’s blackness.

5. Adding Battle Damage:

• With a fine detail brush, introduce small scratches and nicks using Neutral Grey and German Grey. These should be concentrated on edges and areas that would logically sustain wear.
• Keep the battle damage subtle and avoid overdoing it. The aim is to suggest use without detracting from the overall sleekness.

6. Final Adjustments:

• Revisit any areas that need more defined highlights or deeper shadows, applying additional glazes or fine-tuning the highlights.
• Ensure that the armour reads as reflective and not just grey or white by balancing the contrast and maintaining a predominantly black base.

7. Sealing the Model:

• Once satisfied with the painting, seal the model with a matte varnish to protect your work and reduce any unwanted shine that could detract from the painted reflective effect.

All videos are recorded in HD 1080p or higher – use full screen for the full effect and let the video load completely.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Two – Shoulder Pad Freehand (bird skull and wings)

Materials Needed

• Games Workshop paints: Balor Brown, Ushabti Bone
• Vallejo paints: German Grey, Neutral Grey, Heavy Bluegrey
• Fine detail brushes for the intricate work (I use the Artist Opus range).
• A wet palette to keep your paints thinned and workable
• A Space Marine model with a shoulder pad primed and base coated

Step by Step Guide to The Raven Skull Freehand

Step 1: Base Sketch – Start with a rough sketch of the raven skull in the centre of the shoulder pad using Balor Brown. Aim for an upside-down teardrop shape for the skull, keeping the paint light and not worrying about solid color or precise shape at this stage.

Step 2: Highlighting Background – Before detailing the freehand, ensure the shoulder pad is highlighted properly. This includes spot highlights and broader highlights to emulate light reflection. These will later integrate with the highlights on the freehand design.

Step 3: Painting the Wings – Using Neutral Grey by Vallejo, paint the rough shape of the wings flaring from the sides of the skull. The wings should be asymmetrical but balanced, with feathers ruffling outward. Utilize German Grey to add depth and shading, creating a transition between the colours and the black of the armour.

Step 4: Detailing the Skull – Refine the raven skull, paying special attention to its beak and eye sockets. Use German Grey to outline and add depth, ensuring the skull retains its distinct shape against the black armour. For the tip of the beak, maintain a dark but slightly contrasted tone to distinguish it from the background.

Step 5: Feather Texture – Gradually build up the feather texture on the wings using a combination of Neutral Grey and German Grey. Paint the feathers with a fine brush, starting from the base of the wing and working outwards, increasing in size. This creates a natural feathered effect.

Step 6: Final Highlights and Details – Use Ushabti Bone to add highlights to the skull, focusing on the top edges and the eye sockets to enhance its dimensional appearance. Apply Heavy Bluegrey for the final highlights on the wings, blending them into the armour’s highlights for a cohesive look.

Step 7: Finishing Touches – Review the entire piece, adding final adjustments to the skull and wings as necessary. You may need to retouch some areas to ensure a smooth gradient and correct any overspill. The aim is to have a clear, recognisable raven symbol that integrates well with the armour’s existing highlights and shadows.

Step 8: Sealing the Work – Once you’re satisfied with the painting, allow it to dry thoroughly. Consider sealing the model with a matte varnish to protect the freehand work and the model’s overall finish.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Three – Arrow Shoulder Pad

Materials Needed

• Vallejo Heavy Greyblue (Celestra Grey equivalent)
• Vallejo German Grey (akin to a mixture of Skavenblight Dinge and black)
• P3 Morrow White (similar to Ceramite White from Games Workshop)
• Fine detail brushes
• A wet palette to keep your paints workable

Preparation

Ensure the shoulder pad is base coated and highlighted beforehand. This foundational work is crucial as it sets the stage for the tactical arrow, allowing the highlights to seamlessly integrate with the overall design.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Arrow Shoulderpad

Sketching the Arrow – Begin by painting a central line down the middle of the shoulder pad with Vallejo Heavy Greyblue. This line acts as a guide, ensuring symmetry in your design.

Expand outwards from this line to sketch the arrow’s shape. Focus on achieving neat, straight edges, but don’t worry about opacity at this stage.

Refining the Shape – Adjust the width and angles of the arrow to fill the shoulder pad appropriately. Work from the centre outwards to maintain symmetry.

If mistakes occur, remember you can incorporate chips and scratches into the arrow later to mask any imperfections.

Painting Over Obstacles – Take care when painting near the rope or other raised details on the shoulder pad. It may be necessary to rotate the model for better brush access and to prevent paint from touching these areas inadvertently.

Achieving a Smooth Base – Apply additional layers of Heavy Greyblue to solidify the base of the arrow. Aim for a smooth, opaque finish, paying extra attention to the edges for sharpness.

Adding Highlights – Use P3 Morrow White to highlight the top of the arrow, creating a gradient effect towards the base. This step requires patience and a steady hand to maintain clean lines and prevent the white from overwhelming the greyblue base.

Blending Techniques – Mix the Heavy Greyblue and Morrow White on your palette (or directly on the model) to create intermediate shades for blending. Use these mixed shades to smooth the transition from the white highlights to the greyblue base.

Glazing for Smoothness – With Morrow White, apply thin glazes towards the highlight areas to enhance the smooth gradient effect. This technique helps to soften any harsh lines between the white and greyblue.

Adding Battle Damage – Use Vallejo German Grey to add chips and scratches to the arrow, giving it a battle-worn look. Apply these marks sparingly and with precision to avoid detracting from the overall design.

Final Adjustments – Revisit the entire marking, making any necessary corrections or refinements. This may include tightening up the edges, enhancing the gradient, or adding more battle damage for realism.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Four – NMM Gold Chest Eagle

Materials Needed

• Games Workshop paints: Rhinox Hide, Ceramite White, Mournfang Brown
• Vallejo paints: English Uniform, Japanese Uniform, Ice Yellow
• Fine detail brushes, including a 00 size for the finest details
• A wet palette to keep your paints thinned and workable

Preparation

Ensure the Space Marine is assembled except for the arms and weapon, which should be removed to provide full access to the chest eagle. The base coat should be black to start with – follow this tutorial for his black base coat.

Step by Step Guide to the Gold Chest Eagle in NMM

Base Coat – Start with Vallejo English Uniform as the base colour for the entire chest eagle. This doesn’t need to be perfectly neat but aim to leave the black recesses between feathers for natural shading.

First Highlights – Move on to Vallejo Japanese Uniform to start highlighting. Focus on areas that will catch the most light, considering the light source as coming from the model’s upper front. This creates a warm, mustardy base for the gold effect.

Building Up Highlights – Introduce Vallejo Ice Yellow to begin creating the gold’s reflective properties. Mix Ice Yellow with Japanese Uniform directly on the brush for smooth transitions, and apply these to the higher points and edges that would naturally catch more light.

Refining Edges and Details – Use Ice Yellow to pick out hard edges on the lower sides of the wings and other raised details. This step requires precision, as too much paint can obscure fine details.

Adding Contrast and Depth – Incorporate Games Workshop Rhinox Hide to add depth to the darker areas and enhance the contrast. This helps deepen the colour and adds to the NMM effect by providing a richer base against which the highlights can stand out.

Final Highlights – Ceramite White from Games Workshop is used sparingly for the highest points of light on the eagle. Place tiny dots or thin lines on the most prominent edges where the light would be strongest.

Blending and Smoothing – Continue to blend between the three primary colours (English Uniform, Japanese Uniform, Ice Yellow) to smooth out any harsh transitions and refine the illusion of metal.

Adjustments and Corrections – Go back with your base colours to neaten up any areas where highlights may have extended too far. This is crucial for maintaining sharp, clean details on such a small scale.

Final Touches – Add small imperfections or ‘chips’ in the metal using Rhinox Hide to simulate wear and create a more realistic metallic effect. These should be very small and placed strategically to enhance the realism without detracting from the overall effect.

Once completed, the chest eagle should have a realistic metallic sheen, achieved entirely through the use of non-metallic paints. This technique requires patience and practice, especially when working on such detailed and small areas. The key to successful NMM is understanding how light interacts with metal surfaces and replicating that interaction with paint – I usually keep a few reference photos of ‘real life’ metal open to refer to whenever I am painting metal and recommend you do, too!

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Five – Gold Awards

The process of painting the golden awards or trinkets on a Raven Guard space marine’s shoulder. This will include a non-metallic metal (NMM) technique to achieve a realistic gold effect on both a bolt shell (awarded for marksmanship) and a Crux Terminatus (denoting veteran status).

Materials Needed

• Base Paints:
  • Vallejo English Uniform
  • Vallejo Japanese Uniform
  • Vallejo Ice Yellow
  • Games Workshop Mournfang Brown
• Highlight Paints:
  • P3 Morrow White
• Brushes:
  • Fine detail brush
• Other Supplies:
  • Wet palette
  • Water for thinning paints

Step by Step Guide to the Gold Awards

Step 1: Base Coating – Start with Vallejo English Uniform as your base colour. This shade will serve as the foundation for our NMM gold effect. Apply it evenly across the awards, ensuring a smooth base layer.

Step 2: First Highlights – Apply Vallejo Japanese Uniform over the English Uniform, but cover slightly smaller areas to begin building up the highlight effect. Focus on the areas where light would naturally hit the object, such as the top left of the Crux Terminatus and along the left-hand side of the bolt shell.

Step 3: Secondary Highlights – Introduce Vallejo Ice Yellow to enhance the highlights further. Apply it over the previous highlight areas, concentrating on the very edges and points where the light would be strongest. Remember, this stage is crucial for defining the metallic sheen.

Step 4: Fine Tuning Highlights – P3 Morrow White comes in for the final highlighting. Use it sparingly to dot the highest points where the light would be most intense. This step is key to selling the NMM effect, creating the illusion of a reflective metallic surface.

Step 5: Adding Depth and Warmth Games Workshop – Mournfang Brown is used to add depth and warmth. Apply it very carefully to areas adjacent to the highlights, blending it into the base colours. This not only adds a touch of realism but also helps in creating a smoother transition between the light and dark areas.

Step 6: Final Adjustments – Revisit any areas that require adjustments. The secondary highlight with Ice Yellow might seem too bright initially, but as you progress, you might find it appropriate. It’s essential to keep these marks small and precise to reflect light accurately.

Step 7: Reflections and Refinements – Focus on refining reflections and ensuring the highlights on various sections of the awards are consistent with the light source. This includes adding subtle reflections on areas like the elbow, using a mix of English Uniform and Japanese Uniform for a softer highlight.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Six – Purity Seal

Creating a detailed and worn purity seal on a Raven Guard Space Marine involves several stages, employing the following techniques and colours to achieve a realistic, battered appearance. Lets get started!

Materials Needed

• Paints: Vallejo English Uniform, Vallejo Black, Games Workshop Ushabti Bone, Games Workshop Rhinox Hide, P3 Morrow White.
• Brushes: A size 0 or 1 is recommended for most steps, but ensure a fine point for precision.

Step by Step Guide to Painting the Purity Seal

Base Layer

Preparation: Begin with Vallejo English Uniform as your base colour. This step sets the foundation for the scroll’s worn appearance.

Application: Use downward brush strokes to apply the base layer. This technique allows the brush to naturally skip over recesses, creating an initial layer of shadows and texture. The coverage need not be perfect; a slightly patchy appearance adds to the worn look.

Initial Highlights

Colour Selection: Although Vallejo Black is listed, it is not used directly in the scrollwork. Instead, focus on building up from the base colour.

Technique: Lightly apply Ushabti Bone to start defining the scroll’s details and folds. This stage is not about achieving final highlights but rather setting up layers and depth.

Enhancing Texture

Layering: Continue to build up highlights with Ushabti Bone, focusing on the raised folds and edges. This is a gradual process, using very thin layers to slowly increase brightness and contrast.

Detailing: Apply Rhinox Hide sparingly to add shadows and enhance the texture. This helps create a more dynamic, worn look, contrasting with the brighter highlights.

Defining Edges

Edge Highlighting: Use a fine brush to lightly edge-highlight the folds and details. This step requires precision to maintain the worn and battered appearance without making it look too clean or new.

Balance: Keep the highlights subtle to preserve the overall gritty aesthetic of the purity seal.

Text Detailing

Text Application: With a very fine brush, apply tiny dots and dashes with Ushabti Bone to simulate text on the scroll. The goal is to suggest text rather than detail it fully, reflecting the scale of the model.

Consistency: Ensure the paint is not too thin or too thick to avoid pooling or overly bold marks. This step might require practice to perfect the delicate balance needed.

Final Highlights and Adjustments

Refinement: Use P3 Morrow White to apply very selective, final highlights to the most prominent edges and details. This step should be used sparingly to avoid overpowering the previously established texture and depth.

Glazing: Dilute Rhinox Hide to create a glaze. Apply this over the scroll to unify the colours and add depth to the shadows, enhancing the worn effect.

Finishing Touches

Adjustments: Revisit any areas that may need further definition or correction, using the previous colours to tweak the details and ensure a cohesive look.

Evaluation: Examine the purity seal from multiple angles to ensure the text appears realistic and the overall appearance is suitably worn and textured.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Seven – Bolt Gun

This guide shows how, using both Vallejo and Games Workshop paints, you can achieve a distinct, worn, and metallic look without actual metallic paints on the bolt gun. This approach is often referred to as non-metallic metal (NMM) painting.

Materials and Paints

• Vallejo Paints: Black, German Grey, Neutral Grey, Heavy Bluegrey, English Uniform, Japanese Uniform, Ice Yellow
• Games Workshop Paints: Naggroth Night, Mournfang Brown, Rhinox Hide
• P3 Paints: Morrow White
• Brushes: Fine detail brushes for precise application and edge highlighting
• Palette: Wet palette to keep paints moist and workable
• Water: For thinning paints and cleaning brushes

Step by Step on How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Bolt Gun

Base Coating

Preparation: Start with a primer of Vallejo Black to ensure subsequent colours adhere well and show their true tones.

Base Colour: Apply Vallejo Neutral Grey as the base colour for the boltgun. Work from the top down, allowing for a natural gradient from black to a light grey at the bottom, avoiding past Neutral Grey.

Gradients and Highlights

Mixing Colours: Without cleaning your brush, dip into different greys on your palette (German Grey to Heavy Bluegrey) to mix directly on the model for smooth transitions.

Texture: Aim for a rough transition to mimic wear and texture. The boltgun should transition from darker at the top to lighter at the bottom.

Detailing

Edge Highlights: Use Neutral Grey and Heavy Bluegrey for edge highlights. Keep these subtle to avoid overpowering the mid-tones.

Barrel and Ammo Clip: For brighter metal areas like the barrel, use a stronger line of Heavy Bluegrey, blending up to white for the highest highlights. This contrast creates the illusion of reflective metal.

Scratches and Wear

Scratches: Use Neutral Grey to add fine scratches across the gun. This adds to the worn, used look of the weapon.

Glazing: Apply a glaze of Naggroth Night to add depth and further separate the gun from its metallic parts. Mix one part paint to six or seven parts water for a translucent effect. Avoid glazing over the brightest highlights.

Final Touches

Rivets and Details: Highlight rivets with Heavy Bluegrey and white to simulate shiny metal.

Ammo Clip and Barrel: Ensure these are highlighted to match the metallic look of the scope and barrel. Curved surfaces should appear brighter due to their reflective nature.

Skull and Wings

Base Colour: Start with English Uniform for the skull and wings, part of the boltgun decoration.

Highlights: Progress through Japanese Uniform to Ice Yellow, adding highlights to mimic the light source’s direction.

Shadows: Use Mournfang Brown and Rhinox Hide for deep shadows, enhancing the contrast.

Detailing: Apply fine details and edge highlights to create a metallic look without using metallic paints.

Cleanup and Review

Tidying: Use black to clean up any overpainting or to sharpen details.

Contrast Check: Ensure there is a balance between the bright highlights and deep shadows to maintain the illusion of metal.

Tips

• Consistency is Key: Keep your paint consistency uniform; too thick can obscure details, too thin can be translucent.
• Layering: Build up colours gradually, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next.
• Brush Care: Maintain a fine point on your brushes for precise work, especially on small details like text and rivets.

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Video: How to Paint a Black Primaris Marine Part Eight – Leather Bolt Pistol Holder

Creating a realistic leather texture on a miniature model, such as a bolt pistol holster for a Raven Guard Space Marine, requires a nuanced approach with layers and subtle detailing. This guide will walk you through painting a leather holster using a select palette of colours and techniques.

Materials Needed

• Paints: Games Workshop’s Rhinox Hide, Ushabti Bone, Xereus Purple; Vallejo’s English Uniform, Japanese Uniform; AK Interactive Ultra Matte Varnish.
• Brushes: Fine detail brushes for precise application and texture creation.
• Palette: A wet palette to keep your paints moist and workable.
• Water or Medium: For thinning paints as needed.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Leather Bolt Pistol Holder

Base Coating

Prepare the Surface: Ensure the holster is primed, ideally in black, to enhance the depth of the leather texture.

Apply Rhinox Hide: Using Rhinox Hide, block in the leather holster. Focus on a rough application; it’s beneficial for some of the black primer to peek through. This step lays the groundwork for the textured appearance.

Building Texture

Layer with English Uniform: Target the edges of the holster with English Uniform, as these areas would naturally show more wear. The paint can mix on the brush with Rhinox Hide for a blended transition. This process begins to introduce the worn leather effect.

Detail with Japanese Uniform: Apply Japanese Uniform sparingly to highlight the very edges and areas of most wear, such as corners and folds. This colour adds a yellowish hue to the leather, simulating sunlight bleaching and aging.

Adding Scratches and Wear

Scratch Technique: With a fine brush, add scratches using the lighter brown tones (English Uniform and Japanese Uniform). These should be fine and random, to mimic real leather wear. Ensure your brush is almost dry; too much paint will result in an unnatural appearance.

Texture Variation: Incorporate varied directions and lengths of scratches, focusing on areas that would logically receive more wear. This step enhances the realism of the leather.

Deepening the Texture

Reinforce Shadows: Return to Rhinox Hide to glaze over the holster. This step unifies the previous layers and softens the contrast, embedding the scratches into the leather more authentically.

Glaze with Xereus Purple: Apply a very diluted Xereus Purple glaze. This subtle hue adjustment adds depth and visual interest, subtly shifting the leather’s tone.

Finishing Touches

Apply Matte Varnish: To consolidate the texture and mute any unwanted shine, apply a coat of AK Interactive Ultra Matte Varnish. This enhances the leather’s realistic matte finish.

Final Adjustments: Review the holster for any necessary touch-ups. Additional glazes of Rhinox Hide can be used to adjust the depth and uniformity of the colour.

Tips for Success

• Layering: Build up the texture in layers; patience is key to achieving a realistic leather look.
• Variation: Ensure the scratches and wear marks vary in direction and length for a natural appearance.
• Glazing: Use thin glazes to subtly adjust tones and blend layers without obscuring the detail beneath.
• Matte Finish: The final matte varnish is crucial for achieving the authentic look of leather.

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