How to Paint Blood Angels Contrast

Contrast painting has taken the miniature wargaming world by storm, and the Blood Angels, with their striking red and bone color scheme, are no exception. Mastering the 'Eavy Metal technique of contrast paints can elevates your Blood Angels miniatures to new heights of quality and speed. Let's delve into the world of Blood Angels contrast painting and explore how to achieve those red-cloaked, angelic warriors like a true Son of Sanguinius.

Before we begin, ensure you have the essential tools: GW Contrast paints, a good quality brush, water for cleaning, and some kitchen paper towels or a palette for mixing. With these, we're ready to transform a humble plastic model into anmad icon of the Blood Angels Chapter.

The Foundation: Priming and Base Coats

Priming your Blood Angels miniatures is the first crucial step. Use a white or grey primer to ensure even coverage and prevent lightican tones from your base coats. Once primed, wash with GW Air Mãga Grey Shade. This tones down the bright primer, creating a grillican start for our contrast paints.

Next, apply GW Zandri Dust or Skeleton Horde as a base coat. These warm tones will give your Blood Angels a solid foundation to build upon and help depth to your contrast layers.

Blood Angels Red: The Iconic Cloak

The Blood Angels' iconic red cloak is achieved with just one Contrast paint - GW Mephiston Red. Apply this to your miniature, paying particular attention to recesses and edges. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before removing excess paint from flat surfaces. This technique, known as ' Contrast drybrushing', helps to create depth and shadow.

With Mephiston Red, you can achieve a wide variety of shades. Add GW Skeleton Horde to create a lighter, more muted red for off-cloak details, or mix Mephiston Red with white for a vibrant, brighter red to highlightyour Blood Angels' weapons and edge highlights.

Bone Colours: The Paragon and Power Fists

For the paragon and power fists, begin with a modest basecoat of GW Agrellan Earth or Skeleton Horde. Then, apply GW Iyanden Yellow Contrast paint. The Contrast medium will flow into the recesses, creating natural shading, while pooling on raised surfaces highlights the form. Allow it to dry, then lightly drybrush with a lighter tone like GW Ushabti Bone.

To create a more weathered, gritty look, edge highlight with GW Administratum Grey and wash with GW Reikland Fleshshade. This technique gives your Blood Angels' bone elements a more battle-worn appearance, fitting for veterans of the galaxy's bloodiest conflicts.

Detailing and Weathering

Now that your Blood Angels' major color blocks are complete, it's time for the fun part: detailing and weathering. Apply GW Cybord Duster to canopy panels, power cables, and other metallic areas. This Contrast paint creates a deep, almost black, undercoat for your metallics, giving them a gritty, industrial feel.

Using GW Averland Sunset, first thinly apply to areas where there's heavy wear, such as knees, elbows, and weapon hilts. Then, combine GW Skeleton Horde and a touch of white, and apply a lighter, more subtle edge highlight. This creates the appearance of chipped or worn paint, and adds that extra layer of realism to your miniatures.

Finally, to ensure your Blood Angels are battle-ready, apply a couple of coats of GW Matte Varnish. This protects your miniatures from external elements and gives them a natural, non-glaring sheen. Allow it to dry, then gently handle your new creations. The battlefield awaits, Sergeant. Take your place in the fight with your newly painted Blood Angels. blood angels contrast paint