Some models never really leave the hobby, they just wait patiently for their moment to come back. The Noise Marine is one of those sculpts. Instantly recognisable, unapologetically loud, and dripping with late-90s Warhammer attitude, it’s a miniature that captures a very specific era of Warhammer 40,000 history.
In this video, we head back into the archives and take a proper look at what happens when an old-school Noise Marine meets modern painting techniques. Rather than sanding away its character or trying to disguise its age, the aim here is the opposite: lean into the sculpt’s personality while giving it the depth, contrast, and finish we expect from contemporary tabletop pieces.
The process blends bold choices with careful restraint. Vibrant pink armour and that unmistakable hair-metal energy sit alongside controlled grime, weathering, and tonal balance. Zenithal highlights set the foundations, while markers, pens, and enamel effects are used to pick out details that older sculpts often hide in plain sight.
This isn’t about reinventing the model, it’s about showing just how far a classic can be pushed without losing what made it special in the first place. If you’ve got a pile of vintage Chaos lurking in a box somewhere, this is proof they still deserve a place on the table.
Paints used
Paints used in this tutorial
- Wicked Pink Paint (The Army Painter)
- Bright Gold Paint (The Army Painter)
- Turquoise Siren Paint (The Army Painter)
- Black Legion Contrast Paint (Citadel)
- Electric Lime Paint (The Army Painter)
- Incubi Darkness Base Paint (Citadel)
- Leadbelcher Base Paint (Citadel)
- Dark Orange Playmarker (AK Interactive)
- White Playmarker (AK Interactive)
- Black Playmarker (AK Interactive)
- Magenta Ink Game Colour (Vallejo)
- Nuln Oil (Citadel)
- Reikland Fleshshade (Citadel)
- Streaking Grime Weathering Effects (Vallejo)
- Striking Scorpion Green Contrast Paint (Citadel)
- Basing Pigments Core Set (Gamers Grass)
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Preparation & Zenithal Highlight
- Zenithal Highlight: Start with a black undercoat. Use an airbrush to apply white paint at a 45-degree angle from the top. This creates natural light and shadow, keeping the upper parts of the model vibrant while maintaining dark shadows.
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Base Layering
- Pink Armor: Apply two thin coats of Wicked Pink over the lighter areas created by the zenithal highlight.
- Gold Details: Use Bright Gold for all the metallic gold sections of the marine.
- Plume: Paint the mohawk or plume with Turquoise Siren.
- Guitar & Cables: Use Black Legion contrast paint for the guitar body. Use Electric Lime for the cables to give the model a vibrant, "hair metal" look.
- Main Armor: Use Incubi Darkness for the darker armour panels.
- Silver Details: Apply Leadbelcher to any silver metallic parts and the guitar strings.
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Marker & Pen Details
- Shoulder Pad & Helmet: Use a Dark Orange paint marker for the shoulder pad and a White paint marker for the helmet. Note that these may require multiple coats for solid coverage.
- Patterns: Use a Black marker to add animal print patterns over the orange shoulder pad.
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Shading & Weathering
- Inks: Use Magenta Ink as a wash or glaze around the bolts and recesses of the pink areas to add depth.
- Nuln Oil: Apply Nuln Oil over the black and silver sections to define the details.
- Fleshshade: Use Reikland Fleshshade over the gold areas to add warmth.
- Enamel Grime: Apply Streaking Grime (an enamel/oil-based paint) over the entire model. Use a makeup sponge with mineral spirits to wipe away the excess from the raised surfaces, leaving the grime in the recesses for a weathered look.
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Highlighting & Finishing Touches
- Re-Brightening: Once the grime is dry, use Wicked Pink and Turquoise Siren to stipple or drybrush the base colors back onto the raised areas to restore their vibrancy.
- Edge Highlighting:
- Black Armour: Mix a grey color to edge highlight the black armour sections.
- Other Colours: Highlight the Incubi Darkness armour panels, the green cables, and the gold sections.
- Eyes & Details: Use Striking Scorpion Green for the eye lenses and the gem on the armour. Add Nihilakh Oxide to some of the silver sections for a touch of technical detail.
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Basing
- Texture: Apply Concrete texture paint to the base.
- Pigment: Finish the base with Pigment Powders for a realistic, dusty look.
