9. The Last of my Infiltrators (Improving my power armour painting)

With 2024 having now arrived, I had made myself a big plan for how to use the year.

This started with finishing units which were still in progress by the end of 2023.

My Infiltrators and my Tactical Squad (although, I'll talk about that later).

My Primaris Infiltrators were seven tenths complete as the New Year arrived and while I wanted to work hard at ensuring some uniformity in their look, I also wanted to work through my remaining miniatures improving my painting skills as I went.

Therefore, I started in much the same way as I had with all previous Infiltrators. Having primed them all in Chaos Black spray back in the summer, I made a start by applying two thin coats of Macragge Blue all over. This was followed with an all over wash of Drakenhof Nightshade before drybrushing Macragge Blue in order to return the armour back to that original colour.


I followed this up with the drybrushing of Calgar Blue and then (to a lesser extent) Fenrisian Grey in order to apply the highlights. Then, finally, I applied one last coat of Macragge Blue, though this was more as a way to clean up the armour and (once again) bring the armour back to something close to the original colour.


Then came applying the remaining Base colours and washes. These were applied as follows:-
    • Gold Trim - Retributor Armour/Seraphim Sepia (Gives a real deep gold)
    • All Metal/Frag Grenades - Leadbelcher/Nuln Oil
    • Eye Lenses/Lights - Mephiston Red/Nuln Oil
    • Purity Seal - Khorne Red/Nuln Oil
    • Parchment - Rakarth Flesh/Agrax Earthshade
    • Belt Buckle/Brass Plates - Runelord Brass/Nuln Oil
    • Belt - Mournfang Brown/Agrax Earthshade
    • Weapon Handle - Dryad Bark/Agrax Earthshade
    • Smoke Grenades - Waaagh Flesh/Nuln Oil
    • Carapace Joints/Weapon Casing - Abaddon Black
    • Krak Greandes - Celestra Grey/Nuln Oil
    • Wiring - Averland Sunset/Agrax Earthshade

Then it came time to edge highlight all of the additional parts of the miniature (i.e. NOT the power armour). The paints used were applied as follows:
    • Gold - Auric Armour Gold, Liberator Gold
    • Belts and Pouches - Deathclaw Brown
    • Purity Seals - Wazdakka Red, Cadian Fleshtone
    • Parchment - Pallid Wych Flesh, White Scar
    • Gun Grips - Gorthor Brown
    • Brass - Sycorax Bronze, Runefang Steel
    • Metal/Gunmetal/Grenades - Ironbreaker, Runefang Steel
    • Black/Joints - Eshin Grey, Dawnstone
    • Smoke Grenades (Celestra Grey) - Ulthuan Grey, White Scar
    • Yellow - Yriel Yellow, Screaming Skull
    • Red - Evil Sunz Scarlet, Wild Rider Red

After all of that, I again edge highlighted the Power Armour with Calgar Blue followed by Fenrisian Grey, as I wasn't convinced that the highlights had taken sufficiently when I drybrushed.

All that left was to apply Stirland Mud to the base (which had already been painted with Steel Legion Drab) before washing it with Agrax Earthshade and then drybrushing with Screaming Skull. 

And with that (done three times), my Infiltrator unit was complete.

Now I'd say on to finishing my Tactical Squad but, remarkably, I already managed to do that too!

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