I have finally finished the two sets of Genestealers I started painting a year ago. These models come from the 2014 reissue of Space Hulk and because my skill level isn't very high and I am kind of busy normally it took me a while to get all of this done. These pics don't really do the paint job justice. The result I got was better than I thought they were going to turn out. I mostly used the scheme detailed here:
with some help from the good people at
I added some ideas of my own and the results were much better than my previous efforts painting monster type models. I primed the model with an iwata airbrush using vallejo black primer 74.602. then I did the carapace with drybrush layers of the following Vallejo paints: imperial blue 72.020, magic blue 72.021, then washed them with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's Drakenhoff nightshade and Lahmian Medium then a drybrush of Vallejo sky blue 70961. Then I painted the fleshy parts with Vallejo white 70.951. After that I did the fleshy parts with drybrush layers of the following Vallejo paints: royal purple 70.810, warlord purple 72.014, then I washed them with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's Druchii Violet and Lahmian Medium then a drybrush of Vallejo squid pink 72.013. I painted the claws with Vallejo white 70.951 then bonewhite 72.034. Then I washed them with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's Seraphim Sepia and Lahmian Medium then a drybrush of Vallejo white 70.951.
The faces were various greens and reds for the teeth and eyes. I forget which I used. The eyes were three different greens. I went from large and dark to small and bright. The tongue was a drybrush from dark near the mouth to bright orange near the tip. I wanted the teeth to pop so those are just Vallejo white 70.951.
The horns that are on some of the bugs are a drubrush from warlord purple, to squid pink to white. The skulls are painted Vallejo white 70.951. then wolf grey 72.047, then washed with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's nuln oil and Lahmian Medium. finally the skulls were drybrush with a bit of Vallejo white 70.951.
The terminator armor was painted with Vallejo Heavy red 72.141, then drybrushed with vallejo bloody red 72.010 and then I washed them with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's nuln oil, and Lahmian Medium then I used a sponge to creat paint chips with Vallejo gunmetal 72.054.
The bases were all painted with Vallejo gunmetal 72.054 and washed them with a 50/50 mix of Games Workshop's nuln oil, and Lahmian Medium. One of the bases has a rust wash mix on it.
This is basically what you can accomplish with just base coating, washing, drybrushing and a bit of layering. You don't have to be a golden demon winner to get something that looks pretty good. Also other people that look at your models will always think they look better than you do.
I can heartily recommend using Vallejo paints. They are reasonably priced and because they come in a dropper they last longer than paints that come in pots. Just use a wet pallet and you will be streets ahead. Games Workshop washes are my preferred method as well just make sure you use a bit of poster tack on the bottom of the pot to avoid tipping them over and losing a whole pot due to clumsiness.
Anyway here are the pics:
