The Standard Template Construct: Hobby: How to Paint Imperial Fists

This guide to painting was submitted by wash-away, a regular poster on the 40k Radio Freeboota forums. He is currently producing a Imperial Fists Pre-heresy force, and this is the colour scheme he has chosen to use

The guide has been very popular on the Freeboota Forums, and I think it as a very good guide for beginners looking to paint up a unit or more of the yellow sons of Dorn.

Anyway, enough from me.

How to Paint Imperial Fists

By wash-away (Guest Author)

I start with all my models being painted with a very very diluted vomit brown, (if you shake it there's bubbles) and it'll take about 3 coats to dry. Don't worry about making it perfect because you have a lot more coats to do. All of my paints are watered down so that they flow better.

Next, I do Bleached Bone over the helmet, and when the vomit brown coats dry (I believe he does enough to get a smooth coat. -ed) I do a wash of Ogryn Flesh Wash. On the helmet I did a Sepia wash.

On the vomit brown I then did a 2:1:1 mix of Vomit Brown, Bleached Bone and Skull White. In all honesty its pretty close to Dwarf Flesh. So, just cover all of the armor with this mix and be sure keep it out of the cracks.

Here I used Golden Yellow (watered down) and blocked out basic colors. Remember when you're painting yellow its like doing a huge highligh. You're not going to cover the entire leg like you will with say ultra blue. (Damn Smurfs! -ed)

Now put another layer of thinned Bleached Bone on the helmet, and repeat this step till you are pleased with the look.

Take sunburst yellow and hit the edges. Don't be afraid to (with a wet brush) put a lot of yellow on top of the larger areas like the leg and pull it down and push it into position. If you didn't get it all covered let it dry and go back over it. Keep doing this until you get a depth of yellow you enjoy.

The helmet is then just Skull White applied in thin layers until you get the look you desire. All metals are Mithril Silver with Badab Black wash.

Light layers and lots of them are your best friend. Just remember; you're not painting yellow you're painting brown. You simply highlight with the yellow.

Article by Seth (wash-away)