Materials Needed:

here all the paints used for a gaunt (not including white primer).

From Left to right....

Vallejo Model color LIGHT ORANGE

Vallejo Game color BLOODY RED

Vallejo Game color GORY RED

Vallejo Model color DARK RED

Vallejo Game color PLAGUE BROWN

Vallejo Game color BONE WHITE

Vallejo Game color SKULL WHITE

Vallejo Model color MEDIUM GRAY

Vallejo Model color NEUTRAL GRAY

Vallejo Game color CHAOS BLACK

Vallejo Game color BEASTY BROWN

Citadel Game color 50% BUBONIC BROWN/ 50% BLEACHED BONE

Citadel Game color FLESH WASH INK

Citadel Game color BLACK INK

Other supplies needed:

Citadel Colour White Primer

Citadel Colour Matte Varnish

Paint Brushes (I use Vallejo 4/0, Reaper 20-0 and Citadel Small Drybrush)

Clippers

Hobby/Exacto knife

Testor's Polystyrene Glue

ZAP-A-GAP CA+ Super Glue

Static Grass

Model Flock

Step One!....CLEANING UP AND FITTING THE MODEL!

Ok here is step one: Model Clean Up

First....Use clippers to Clip carefully clip the model from the sprue. Inspect the model for mold line and imperfections in the casting. Using A Hobby/Exacto Knife...scrape the mold lines away...GENTLY! The best technique is to place the blade perpendicular to the model and scrape away from you at an angle. Do this until the mold line disapears CAUTION...DO NOT CUT THE MODEL A dremel tool may be useful when shaving off large mold lines. Go over each piece of the model until you have done every piece. You will get pieces like in #1 below. After that...ensure each piece fits where it is supposed to... use model putty if needed...DO NOT ASSEMBLE YET! (Metal models need this much more than plastic since Polystyrene glue makes a Great plastic gap filler!)

Step Two: Model Priming

Generally I prime about 5-6 models at a time. But for this demonstration I'll do just one. Place the model pieces on a piece of flat cardboard. Shake the Primer very well...(1-1 1/2 minutes). -- Shaking the primer is very imortant..it will help ensure you get nice even coverage on the model. Spray the parts with short controlled bursts (almost like dusting). Allow the pieces to dry..(about 15 minutes for Citadel primer). Turn the pieces over and repeat the process. When complete..they will look like #2 below!

Next I'll discuss appying the base coat and wash that form the shading depth for the model.

Alright...step three is...Base coating.

I chose Plague brown Vallejo game color because

A. It is the same color used in the Third Edition Codex

B. I can get it cheaper than Citadel

C. It goes on better and coats better (has more pigment per drop)

With a large brush (I use a small dry brush) start coating the white primed pieces of the model with the Plague Brown. The idea is to coat all the skin area with it and I do mean ALL. Don't over do it because you don't want to cover any of the model's details up (I usually thin mine down some with water and use two coats). This coat of Paint will give the strong base color required for the shading of the next step. Don't worry about neatness on this step...trust me. When finished it will look like #3 Below

Step 4: Ink Shading

This is the step where the model gets its dark brownish shading in the crevices. Ink of choice for me is Flesh Wash...but brown or chestnut could work too. Using a Large Brush (again I use a small drybrush for this), apply the Ink to the model's skin. Coat the model smoothly and evenly. Try not to get too much ink on the model (the idea again is to leave the details showing through). Pay special attention to the areas where carapace and skin come together (like the upper legs, head crest, and mid torso). You want to have a dark ink line where those meet so that the black of the carapace has a better transition to the bone color skin. If you get too much ink on the model, use a clean and dry brush to remove it (the brush will act like a sucking tool and suck up the ink). When you get done you should have something that looks like #4 below

Now...onto step five: First Major High Light

This is the Hardest and most important step of the whole model. If you can do this step the rest will be a breeze. Using a small brush (I use my Vallejo 4/0 brush here), apply the Plague Brown to the skin areas of the model. Neatness matters here. Good brush control is the key to most all good painting. When applying the brown, keep the paint on the raised areas of the skin (in other Word to change tos don't get the paint into the crevices of the model). I don't try to do any subtle high lighting here..just bold paint strokes. Good even coating of the skin is important. Don't waste time trying to blend this first high light to the dark brown...just paint it on..trust me. Stick to the lines of the model and you will do fine. Pay speacial attention to the areas where the carapce meets the skin...leave the dark ink line showing for good seperation. Also the Flesh Borer is very detailed...pay close attention to it and try not to let any paint get into its crevices. But wait...you say you have made a mistake..? Well thats ok...I made many while painting these pieces...all you have to do is use the flesh wash to cover up the mistake. Once done you should end up with pieces that look like #5 below. I circled the areas to be very careful around as they are easy to mess up.

Step Six: Skin High Light 2

First thing I do is grab my 50/50 Citadel Mix (50% Bleached Bone and 50% Bubonic Brown). Why use Citadel?...Good question...Answer: Citadel paint sandwiched between the Vallejo paints helps bond all the layers together making the paint job more survivable to bumps and bangs. However..Citadel paints must be thinned down a lot! In fact..I need to change mine out completely because of all the chunkies mine has. Anyway....this layer is much like the last...except...it is a layered high light. Apply this layer much the same except leave some of the Plague brown showing near the edges of crevices. Also, this is a chance to do a little blending. Nothing too spectacular here just near the rib cage, tail and on the face. There are two blending techniques I use....repeated strokes and brush swapping. To use the repeat methode, you do not want a lot of paint on the brush. Just make repeated brush strokes until the color is blended at the edges with the lower color. Or, using the swapping methode, you paint a bold stroke (nice portion of paint on the brush) and then swap to clean brush and draw the paint to the edges. This technique is very difficult and I rarely use it. For the most part I use bold lines and paint strokes. These help to define the lines of the model very clearly. I like using more blending with the VERY last skin high light. If applied correctly you get #6 below. I circled points where I used some blending to help with the gradient. Also, notice how the flash shows very brightly on certain areas of the skin...that will give you a hint on the next part of the skin High Light.

Next I'll give the skin its last MAJOR coat...thats right...bone color.....

Step 7: Last Skin High light

Well after this step....you should really start to see the color scheme coming together...lets get started! First...color...Vallejo game color Bone white of course! Use a small brush (my trusty 4/0 Vallejo) and just start layering the bone on top of the last coat. This is a high light coat so reSynapse Creature to leave some of the last coat showing at the edges of the crevices. Again I don't get too fancy with blending on this coat. However...you can easily blend the bone to the last coat especially on the tail, rib cage and face. In fact I, did do a little repeat stroke blending in the circled areas of the photo. Be very neat with this coat. It is easy to get too much paint on the model especially after using the thick Citadel paint and then switching to the thinner Vallejo color. Once again if you do make a mistake...your friend flesh wash ink will save you ;). When you have covered all areas you will get something that looks like #7 below. I usually stop here with gaunts...but with bigger Tyranids I like to go one step farther and add a small bone white--skull white high light on the very edges of arms faces and weapons. This high light is really subtle and would be lost on a gaunt.

Next I will start painting the long awaited carapace!

Step Eight: Base coating the Carapace and mouth

This is the second hardest step to me as it requires a good deal of brush control. You should be SUPER NEAT on this step because messing up here can have disasterous effects. First Lets get out the old Vallejo game color Chaos Black. Use a small brush (I use my 4/0) and begin painting the black onto the carapace. I like stating at the edges of the plates and working inward. ReSynapse Creature that dark ink line I told you about in the inking stage? It comes into play here. Basically that line is where you stop the black paint. This will give a gradient of bone to mix to Plague brown to ink to black carapace. That line is key when painting the head plates and the upper legs. Also the mid torso is a key area to concentrate on. The Flesh Borer is its own beast. Not only does it have plates but it also has an assortment of pipes, claws, and an eye ball to boot! Pay close attention to these details! Also make sure you paint the opening of the gun black (a small black circle will suffice). The hoof area should have a dark ink line to follow so it should be easy. Make sure you inspect the photo I took and look at all the black parts of the model. Painting the mouth is easy if the head is still in halves. This will let you get to the teeth as well as the inside of the mouth. Whew!! After all that black is applied you will get something that resembles #8 below!

Ok...home stretch...all that is left is the red of the carapace, teeth, eyes, assembly and flocking...not to bad!

Steps Nine - Twelve: Carapace Texture Striping and other Red painting

Well this is what most people want to see. To start I needed to mix some paint up. I mixed 5 parts Vallejo Model Color Dark Red to one part Black. This will give you a dark Burgundy color. Then Use a small brush (I used my Reaper 20-0 because its stiffer bristles allow for better line painting) and start at the diagonals of the carapace and paint a straight line towards the edge. You want the line to widen as you get closer to the edge of the Carapace. Then start painting one line right next to another until you cover the carapace with thin lines. I like to connect the ends of some lines together for a little more depth. This should give #9 below. Next I high light the lines with the Dark red paint by itself. I also Paint the claws, weapon pipes, and hooves this color. This will give you #10 Below. To further High light, I use Vallejo game color Gory Red. Just layer it on right on top of the dark red. Also high light the pipes, claws and hooves. You end up with #11 when done. Last but not least I use Vallejo game color Bloody Red for another high light to the Texture Strpes. I also High light the pipes, claws and hooves with Bloody red here too. This will give #12 Below. The key to these series of steps are good gradients, straight lines, and connecting a few together on the ends. I also like to give a little extra high light of Light orange (you don't have to) to make the ends of the lines really stick out.

Next I'll go over painting the teeth and eyes

Steps Thirteen - Fourteen: Teeth and Eyes

These steps are really easy compared to what we have already done. First paint the Teeth with Vallejo Model color Neutral Gray. I also use Black Ink to darken the eye sockets. I also paint the tongue Gory Red for a base coat. This will give #13 Below.

Next, hight light the teeth with Vallejo game color Skull white. Also paint a small dot of Bloody Red onto the eye. I used my Reaper Brush for this because of the stiff point it has. Also, High light the tongue with a 50% Gory Red 50% Skull white mix. Next continue adding Skull white to the mix of each sucscessive high light until you get a light pink color on the tip of the tongue. This will give you #14 below.

Next is Assembly, Varnishing, and Flocking.

Step Fifteen: Assembly and Varnish

Pretty straight forward. I used my Testor's Polystyrene glue and glued the model into a nice pose. Then I used the Citadel Matte Varnish spray. Apply this spray just like the primer (shake well, short controlled bursts). Allow about 15-20 minutes for the Varnish to set up before handeling the model (you don't want to smudge the varnish). You will get #15 Below! Notice the dull sheen on the hoove...thats the varnish in action. I used flash photo to demonstrate the Varnish's dulling action...its sweet.

Last thing to do is Flock this guy and he shall be admitted into the swarm.

Step Sixteen: Flocking

Unlike all the books I don't use PVA glue for Flock. I use Zap-A-Gap CA+ Super Glue. WTF?? Why?...Simple...the bond formed by Super Glue is about 60X stronger than PVA Glue. Therefore you will lose less of your flock when the model is handled/transported whatever. Also the Zap-A-Gap spreads very easily over the base. So...I coat the base in the super Glue and stick it in the Flock bowl. Let that dry for about 5-10 minutes. Then I paint all of the Flock with Vallejo game color Beasty Brown.....let that dry. Next I dry brush Bone white over the top of the Flock. Now what?...STATIC GRASS. Put a drop or two on the flock and dip the model into the static grass bowl. Let that dry. For the last part I Use Citadel Dark Angels Green to paint the outside of the base. I have a special large flat brush for this. This gives you the finished Product....one Hive Fleet Kraken Gaunt #16 Below

Well thats it. I hope this was helpful to everyone. If anyone has questions... PM me...and I'll hook you right up.