I started with a Wraithbone undercoat, and then slathered on Skeleton Horde, slightly thinned with Contrast Medium, over the skin. Highlights of Flayed One Flesh and Pallid Wych Flesh got me the pale, inhuman tone I was going for.
For the carapace, I started with Flesh Tearers Red, shaded with Agrax Earthshade, then used progressive drybrushes of Mephiston Red, Wild Rider Red, and Fire Dragon Bright. A glaze of heavily thinned Blood Angels Red added some vibrancy and tied the shading and highlighting together.
The lash whip, joints, and other areas that I wanted to distinguish from the skin were painted with a thinned coat of Volupus Pink, and the whip was randomly highlighted with Fulgrim Pink to make it look alive (and disgusting). The claws and hooves were basecoated with Abaddon Black, and highlighted with Incubi Darkness and Thunderhawk Blue. The finishing touch was painting the eyes of both the Prime and the lash whip with Averland Sunset and Yriel Yellow.
I enjoyed painting the Prime so much (and felt so bad that he’s sitting alone on a shelf) that I picked up a Warhammer 40,000 Starter Set and now have 27 more Tyranids on my painting table, all with the skin finished and waiting for their carapaces. A few more, and I’ll have to start looking for a planet or two to consume…
Jim – Berehk Stornbröw
I picked this craggy little guy up as my first attempt at a Leagues of Votann miniature, as I like to try out an individual character when deciding if I’ll enjoy painting the army as a whole. I was inspired to do the Kronus Hegemony colour scheme as my friend and I were in a doubles tournament at Warhammer World recently and one of our games was against a League of Votann–Kroot alliance, and the yellow really stood out.