How to paint a Skeleton

Quick guide on how I paint a basic skeleton. This tutorial will only cover the skeleton itself, I’ll do another article with the rest of the Tomb Kings bits in the near future.

There are many, many ways to paint the humble skeleton. Some of insanely fast, only a couple steps. This is a longer approach but the end result is worth it.

The paints I used are listed below. All are from Citadel unless otherwise noted.

BaseShadeLayer
Rakarth FleshAgrax EarthshadePallid Wych Flesh
White Scar

Model used is a Wargames Atlantic Classic Fantasy Skeleton Warrior.

1 – Prime the model black once it’s built and has a basing material applied. I used Vallejo Dark Earth texture for the base.

2 – Basecoat the entire skeleton with Rakarth Flesh. To make sure you get good, even coverage you’ll need to apply multiple thin coats. Three coats should do the trick. Use a large brush and just go for it. No need to be careful here.

3 – Give the entire model a wash using Agrax Earthshade. Watch for pooling and use your brush to spread the shade to make sure you don’t end up with any tide lines.

4 – Now the real work begins. Layer the whole skeleton with Rakarth Flesh but leave all the dark recesses. This is our first step to add some real depth to the model. Take your time and be care of the areas like the face, hands and rib cage.

5 – Apply our first highlight with Pallid Wych Flesh. You want to hit the same areas as the previous step, but leave some of the Rakarth Flesh showing in the darker areas.

6 – Apply the second and final highlight with White Scar.

There we have it! The skeleton himself is complete and ready for the details. I’ll post another guide that covers all the equipment.

3 thoughts on “How to paint a Skeleton

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