In July, we posted a painting article by the winner of the Best Painted Squad category for our first Dust Tactics painting contest, Nam Nguyen. That article presented a clear step-by-step guide to recreating the painstaking work he put into the Axis hero, Manfred. Now Nam returns with a detailed guide to painting his dramatic, high-contrast take on the Allied hero, Rosie.

Preparation

Nam uses the following paints, listed here as a reference in the order they are applied:
Citadel Paints Tallarn Flesh
Citadel Paints Elf Flesh
Citadel Paints Ogryn Flesh
Citadel Paints Skull White
Citadel Paints Astronomican Grey
Citadel Paints Badab Black
Reaper Master Series Misty Grey
Tamiya Model Paints Khaki
Citadel Paints Devlan Mud
Reaper Master Series Stained Ivory
Citadel Paints Boltgun Metal
Citadel Paints Mithril Silver
Citadel Paints Snakebite Leather
Citadel Paints Iyandun Darksun

Step One–Skin

The skin is the trickiest part of the model, so I paint it first, applying a basecoat of Tallarn Flesh. Then I paint Elf Flesh directly over the previous color, covering all of it.

The deepest recesses receive a wash with Ogryn Flesh, and another application of Elf Flesh tidies it up.

Editor’s Note: Nam adds depth and richness to different parts of Rosie’s sculpt with washes. Washes apply several very light layers of watery paint across the creases of the miniature. This darkens the color in the deeper recesses of the sculpt work, darkening them so the color reflects a more natural balance of light and dark tones.

Next, blend the Elf Flesh up to highlights of Skull White to create the effect of shine on the skin. Concentrate your highlights on the raised parts of the flesh. Complete the final highlights with straight Skull White, just touching the bottom of the bellybutton, the tops of the hips, and prominent areas of the face.

Editor’s Note: Just as washes can add depth and texture to your paint work, highlights can catch the eye by creating contrast. The fine control required for highlights can make adding them a challenge for new painters, but they can prove the difference between a good miniature and an outstanding one. While some painters aiming for more realistic color schemes favor subtler contrast, Nam adds bold character to Rosie with his dramatic contrasts.

Step Two–Shirt

Rosie’s shirt is base-coated with Astronomican Grey. When the first layer is dry, wash with Badab Black. The base color is rebuilt, taking care to leave the shadows in the folds. Concentrate the first highlight of Misty Grey on the raised folds. The final highlights are made with Skull White.

Step Three–Fatigues

Apply Khaki to the fatigues, and wash with Devlan Mud. Work to restore the original Khaki color of Khaki, being careful to leave the shadows from your wash in the recesses.

Concentrating on the raised areas, highlight with a 1-to-1 mix of Khaki and Stained Ivory. The last highlight is pure Stained Ivory.

Step Four–Hair

Rosie’s blond hair was undercoated with Snakebite Leather, and the base color of Iyandan Darksun was applied with care to leave the basecoat in the recesses.

The hair received highlights of Stained Ivory.

Step Five–Metal

First, cover all the metal parts with Boltgun Metal. Then wash Badab Black over all the surface of the metal. When the wash dries, catch the glint of the sun with highlights of Mithril Silver.

Thanks, Nam! This is truly a hero to inspire Allied forces.

We will continue to feature other excellent examples of painted Dust Tactics miniatures along with our previews of upcoming units, tactical spotlights, and other news items.

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