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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.

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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.

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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.
Wonka Boyz, Orks, painted miniature, photo 1 of 3

Wonka Boyz

Orks40kMay 2025 · 60 models
FinishBright and loud, 60 strong
PrimaryBright green skin, dark shirts
ContrastRed and yellow armour, one bright blue splotch
TechniqueSmooth skin, Contrast yellow over Deck Tan

What went where

BASE
PrimeMatte Black
SKIN
RecipeOrk Flesh
RecipeLips
ARMOUR (RED)
ARMOUR (YELLOW)
BaseDeck Tan
ContrastImperial Fist
EdgeIce Yellow
WEAPONS
BLUE PIECE
BaseMagic Blue
HighlightElectric Blue
REDS (Cloth)
BaseEvil Sunz Scarlet
ShadeFlesh Tearers Red
HighlightWild Rider Red
EdgeAK Deep Orange Intense
METALS
BaseLeadbelcher
WashNuln Oil
DECALS
BaseMicro Set
Melt InMicro Sol
VARNISH
BaseTamiya Extra Matte - there is no substitute

Recipes used

5 recipes, 27 steps
LipsFlesh · 3 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatBugman’s GlowCitadel
    Base with this colour·Artis Opus Series S 1
  2. 2
    highlightTuskgor FurCitadel
    20% of lips in this colour·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    highlightIce Yellow (70.858)Vallejo+Tuskgor FurCitadel 1:2
    Blend to lip cracks·Artis Opus Series S 00
Ork FleshFlesh · 9 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatDark Green (72.028)Vallejo
    Base all skin·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    layerCayman Green (72.067)Vallejo
    80% of upward facing flesh·Artis Opus Series S 3
  3. 3
    layerLime Green (70.827)Vallejo
    40% of Cayman layer·Artis Opus Series S 3
  4. 4
    highlightYellow Green (70.954)Vallejo
    10% of Lime layer·Artis Opus Series S 3
  5. 5
    glazeTuskgor FurCitadel
    1 part paint to 4 parts thinner·Artis Opus Series S 3
  6. 6
    basecoatIncubi DarknessCitadel
    Fingernail base·Artis Opus Series S 00
  7. 7
    highlightWolf GreyTwo Thin Coats+Incubi DarknessCitadel 1:2
    Fingernail highlights·Artis Opus Series S 00
  8. 8
    highlightWolf GreyTwo Thin Coats+Incubi DarknessCitadel 2:1
    Fingernail bright highlight·Artis Opus Series S 00
  9. 9
    highlightWolf GreyTwo Thin Coats
    Fingernail dot highlight·Artis Opus Series S 00
Red ArmourArmour · 5 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatMephiston RedCitadel
    Base armour·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    highlightEvil Sunz ScarletCitadel
    1st chunky highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    highlightWild Rider RedCitadel
    2nd thin highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    highlightDeep Orange IntenseAK Interactive
    3rd highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
  5. 5
    highlightIce Yellow (70.858)Vallejo
    Dot highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
Red WeaponsWeapon · 6 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatMephiston RedCitadel
    Base weapon·Artis Opus Series S 3
  2. 2
    edgeEvil Sunz ScarletCitadel
    1st edge (long edges)·Artis Opus Series S 1
  3. 3
    edgeWild Rider RedCitadel
    2nd edge (corners)·Artis Opus Series S 1
  4. 4
    highlightDeep Orange IntenseAK Interactive
    Dot highlight·Artis Opus Series S 1
  5. 5
    basecoatLeadbelcherCitadel
    Metal bits·Vallejo Detail
  6. 6
    washNuln OilCitadel
    Wash metal bits·Vallejo Detail 2
Squig FleshFlesh · 4 steps
  1. 1
    basecoatPurplePro Acryl
    Base entire squig·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  2. 2
    basecoatBold Pyrrole RedPro Acryl
    All light-facing surfaces - leave the purple inside the folds·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  3. 3
    basecoatOrange RedPro Acryl
    Wet blend into previous layer at about 50% coverage·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium
  4. 4
    basecoatWarm YellowPro Acryl
    Wet blend into previous, very small area·Beaky Make-up Sponge Medium

Paints

Electric Blue (72.023)Vallejo⇆Magic Blue (72.021)Vallejo⇆Deck Tan (70.986)Vallejo⇆Imperial FistCitadel⇆Extra Matte VarnishTamiya

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