Hey guys
So this is a tutorial I’ve been meaning to do for a while now. Over the course of doing this army a few people have asked me how I do the yellow on the Imperial Fists. The truth is I’ve tried several different techniques on both test models and models in the army. Below is the technique I’ve settled on for the bulk of the army. I find it gives the best mix of ease and speed, while still giving a good result.
Also, I apologize for the not great pics. Photographing yellow is hard at the best of times, so it’s sometimes hard to see the changes in the pics below. The differences between stages are a lot more noticeable in the flesh.
Step 1. It’s fairly obvious, but start with a white undercoat. Sorry for white on white pic here…
Step 1.
Start with a white undercoat
Step 2. Paint the whole model Yriel Yellow. You want a solid coat of paint here, so you might need to do two coats.
Step 2.
Paint the whole model Yriel Yellow
Step 3. Do an edge highlight of Flash Gitz Yellow.
Step 3.
Do an edge highlight with flash gitz yellow
Step 4. Wash the model with a mix of one part Casandora Yellow and four parts water. This should blend the yriel and flash gitz yellow, as well as give a bit more warmth and depth to the colour.
Step 4.
Wash the model with a mix of 1 part casandora yellow and 4 parts water
Step 5. Next step is a targeted wash of one part seraphim sepia and three parts water. This is a targeted wash, focusing on the recesses of the armour. When I say a targeted wash, I mean you are painting the wash over specific sections of the armour, rather than the whole model.
Step 5.
Do a targeted wash of one part seraphim sepia and three parts water in the recesses of the model
Step 6. Another targeted wash, this time of pure seraphim sepia in the deepest recesses of the model and around details you want to draw attention to. I use this to edge the details on the helmets and back packs as well. This is the basic yellow finished at this stage.
Step 6. Next, do a targeted wash of pure seraphim sepia in the deepest recesses of the model
Rear view of step 6.
A comparison pic of a model at this stage and one painted with pure yriel yellow
Step 7. Next, I paint the rest of the details of the model.
Step 7. Paint the remaining details of the model
Step 8. As with the tanks in the army, the weathering is an important component in the final look of the models. So, now on to weathering. Firstly, I sponge on a 50/50 mix of Rhinox Hide and Abaddon Black. The sponged on chipping focuses on the edges of the armour, especially around the legs. Then, paint a small amount of Leadbelchers in the middle of the larger chips.
Step 8.
Chipping is done by sponging on a 1:1 mix of Rhinox Hide and Abaddon Black
Step 9. Finally, brush on Old Rust weathering powder, followed by Light Rust weathering powder. Again, these are concentrated on the lower sections of the model. Once this has been done, seal the weathering powders with a matt varnish.
Step 9.
Old Rust and Light Rust weathering powders are brushed over the lower portions of the model
And that’s basically it. I’ve found it to be a fairly simple technique, but one that still looks good on the table. Hope that helps, and if you have any questions, just leave a comment below.
Cheers guys!
Rusty's Workshop 
Very nice tutorial.
That is a very nice yellow! I’m about to try the same weathering that you used, but its my first time with pigment powders. Is there anything special to keep in mind? A certain type of brush, or maybe a special brand of varnish that you use?
The varnish especially makes me nervous, i’ve seen to many nice models go milky white from bad varnishes.
Glad you like the tutorial Lottomannen
Best of luck with the pigment powders. I find they’re actually fairly simple to use. I apply them with an old brush, usually something like a GW wash brush. You don’t want the brush to be to small, and I prefer longer bristles as well. If you’re applying the pigments dry then just start with a small amount on the brush and apply more as needed. Also, if applying them dry, make sure the model and brush are completely dry otherwise it will change the effect you get and where the pigments stick. Finally, have some white spirits with you and a clean brush. If you make a mistake, you should be able to use the white spirits to remove most of the pigment (although probably not all).
I’d also recommend trying the pigments on a spare model first while you get the hand of them.
Varnishes can be tricky, and I’ve also had trouble with models turning white from time to time. I believe this mostly happens when you apply the varnish in very cold conditions (less than 10 degrees Celsius). I also believe once a can of varnish has been exposed to cold conditions they tend to continue to spray milky varnish from then on. I use Tamiya varnishes and they tend to work quite well. Again, I recommend applying the varnish to a test model first in case the can is no good. Also, keep your coats light, which should help as well. Finally, if your model does turn milky, you can often salvage them by applying a wash of an appropriate colour afterwards. I had a couple of Imperial Fists go milky after a varnish and I fixed it by applying washes of cassandora yellow and yellow glaze over the affected areas.
I hope that helps! I love weathering powders, and usually they are very easy to apply and give fantastic results.
Good luck!
Amazing job on the yellow, I will certainly be using this to help me paint my Imperial fists.
Quick question though, I intend to paint them using 5th company color scheme, so black trims like your mini’s show, what color do you use to edge highlight the black? I was thinking Citadel – Eshin Grey perhaps. Any advice would be great!
Hi Novayne, glad you liked the tutorial!
I use Eshin grey to highlight the black on my models, followed with a little edge highlight of dawnstone. It’s nice and simple, which is always handy when you’re working on a lot of models! If you want to you could also wash the black areas with nuln oil after you highlight them, as this would help blend the different greys and blacks together. This is up to you, and I only do this on some of my models.
Hope that helps, and best of luck with your own Imperial Fists!