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MINIATURES

RAY LAROSE · MINIATURES

Notes from my painting desk

The paints and steps behind each finished model, and the recipes I come back to.

Try

58 painted schemes 300 photos 44 recipes 162 paint matches

Paint Necromunda? Play it.

Rise is my text adventure, set in Hive Primus. You start in the Sump and climb towards Lord Helmawr. Free, in your browser, and played the old way: you type what you do.

Play Rise →

Fresh off the bench

The newest finished schemes, each with every paint and step.

All 58 schemes →

Find your army

Paint schemes for Warhammer 40k, Blood Bowl, Necromunda and Horus Heresy and more. Pick a game or an army to see how I painted it.

Learn a part

Miniature painting recipes for one part at a time, like armour, flesh and weapon, each a short list of steps you can follow at the desk.

All 44 recipes →

New to painting? Start here

Four short recipes, in this order. Each one adds a single new skill.

How I paint a Space Marine, the finished model Start to finish How I paint a Space Marine 10 stages, from the box to the table, with a photo at each step and the paints and recipes for each. How I paint an Ork, the finished model Start to finish How I paint an Ork 11 stages, from the box to the table, with a photo at each step and the paints and recipes for each.
Ironhead Squat Svenotar Scout Trikes, Squats, painted miniature

Ironhead Squat Svenotar Scout Trikes

SquatsNecromundaAugust 2025 · 2 models
FinishCohesive, industrial
PrimaryWhite armour plates on a dark frame
ContrastWarm metals, dark tyres
TechniqueSquat white armour recipe, soft rubber tyres

What went where

CORE
METALS
BaseLeadbelcher
WashNuln Oil
WARM METALS
BaseRetributor Armour
WashAgrax Earthshade
TYRES
BaseCorvus Black (soft rubber finish)
VARNISH
BaseTamiya Extra Matte - there is no substitute

Recipes used

3 recipes, 21 steps
Squat HelmetsArmour · 6 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatSurface WhiteVallejo
    Prime·Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush ULTRA 2024 Medium
  2. 2
    basecoatImperial FistCitadel
    Evenly coat·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    edgeIce Yellow (70.858)Vallejo
    Edge helmets·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    layerMephiston RedCitadel
    Red stripes·Artis Opus Series S 1
  5. 5
    stippleMoon Yellow (72.005)Vallejo
    Weather stripe·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  6. 6
    layerElectric Blue (72.023)Vallejo+Bold Titanium WhitePro Acryl
    Visors - slight reflection·Artis Opus Series S 1
Squat WeaponsWeapon · 7 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatBlackVallejo
    Primer black·Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush ULTRA 2024 Medium
  2. 2
    basecoatField Blue (70.964)Vallejo
    Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    edgeTurquoise (72.024)Vallejo
    Edge highlight weapons·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
    Barrels / clips·Vallejo Detail
  5. 5
    washNuln OilCitadel
    Barrels / clips·Vallejo Detail
  6. 6
    basecoatBrassy Brass (72.058)Vallejo
    Brassy bits·Vallejo Detail
  7. 7
    washAgrax EarthshadeCitadel
    Brassy bits·Vallejo Detail
Squat White ArmourArmour · 8 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatSurface WhiteVallejo
    Make life easy, prime them white·Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush ULTRA 2024 Medium
  2. 2
    basecoatWolf Grey (72.047)Vallejo
    Cover all armour bits·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    shadeApothecary WhiteCitadel
    Recess shade·Artis Opus Series S 00
  4. 4
    edgeBold Titanium WhitePro Acryl
    Edges to pop·Artis Opus Series S 1
  5. 5
    basecoatYellow Olive (72.064)Vallejo
    Arms, pants·Artis Opus Series S 3
  6. 6
    highlightDesert Yellow (72.063)Vallejo
    Highlight above·Artis Opus Series S 00
  7. 7
    basecoatCoal BlackPro Acryl
    Boots·Artis Opus Series S 1
  8. 8
    highlightMechanicus Standard GreyCitadel
    Highlight boots·Artis Opus Series S 00

Paints

Corvus BlackCitadel⇆Earth (72.062)VallejoLeadbelcherCitadel⇆Extra Matte VarnishTamiya

More like this

All 58 schemes →

Recipes

Methods I reuse across models - skin, metal, armour, cloth and the rest. Each step is one named paint, one technique and a note. Unless a step says otherwise, every recipe here starts on a primed model - the scheme that uses it usually says which colour.

Paint Inventory

The paints I actually own - every pot on my shelf, not a catalogue of what exists. This is what the schemes and recipes are painted with.

PaintBrandTypeHueUsed in

Paint Conversion Chart

Citadel colours matched to their closest Vallejo, Pro Acryl and Two Thin Coats equivalents, by eye, over time. Nothing here is a measured colour match - the dots say how close each one really is.

Still filling this in: 8 of the 112 colours used in the recipes here have no row yet. Mostly Vallejo. A blank means not mapped, not that no equivalent exists.

How close the match is: near identical usable avoid
4 how many of my recipes and schemes use it - tap one to see them

CitadelVallejoPro AcrylTwo Thin Coats