How To Paint: Blood Angels Captain

1. PREPARATION & ZENITHAL PRIMING

Establish strong baseline volumes by utilising a standard zenithal primer approach. Base coat the entire miniature in a solid matte black. Once dry, pass a bright white primer directly from above at a 45-to-90-degree angle to catch the top edges, natural highlights, and exposed textures.

2. The Red ArmoUr Base

Apply two thin coats of Burnt Red across all armour plating. Use the largest brush you feel comfortable with to ensure flat, brush-stroke-free coverage. This deep, rich red establishes our shadow layer in the recessed crevices.

3. Volumetric Sponge Layering

Ditch the traditional blending brushes for the main armour transition. Dampen a small cosmetic wedge sponge and load it with Mephiston Red. Dab the excess paint off onto a palette until it is nearly dry, then gently stipple the sponge onto the prominent, upward-facing surfaces of the armour.

Immediately follow up with a second, tighter sponge application using Evil Sunz Scarlet, concentrating strictly on the extreme high points. This creates a remarkably smooth, airbrush-like gradient with zero visible harsh transition lines.

4. Blocking the Blacks

Using Black Legion Contrast directly out of the bottle, coat the exterior cape, the under-suit ribbed joints, and structural frame elements. The smooth flow of this paint makes it ideal for quick, opaque blocking around highly complex structures.

5. Base Metals (Antique Gold & Iron)

Coat the sword blade, backpack vents, and mechanical joints with Pig Iron. For the ornate chest iconography, shoulder trim, and iron halo, apply Blighted Gold. This specific gold tone delivers a beautiful, slightly dirty antique quality that provides a historic contrast to the vibrant red armor.

6. Base Metals (Antique Gold & Iron)

Block out the inner cape lining, purity seal scrolls, and hanging parchment using Great Hall Grey. This paint offers excellent, non-chalky coverage over dark colors when thinned slightly with water.

7. Ropes and Purity Seals

Paint the chest cords and decorative tassels with Iron Hull Grey. Next, hit the wax seals on the purity scrolls with a pop of Wicked Pink. Selecting a bright pink tone instead of a traditional red ensures the seals stand out visually against the red power armour.

8. The Uniform Contrast Wash

 Mix Brown Black with Contrast Medium at a strict 50:50 ratio. Apply this shade fluidly over the entire model, focusing specifically on the red armour, gold filigree, and silver metals. Avoid the cream cape areas during this pass.

The medium helps the wash settle perfectly into the panel lines, definitions, and metallic recesses without tinting or darkening our beautiful sponge-blended red mid-tones.

9. Smart Edge Highlighting

Save time by pulling highlights straight from your original palette colours. Use a precise brush to line edge-highlight the red armour plating with solid Evil Sunz Scarlet. Because it is applied over a washed surface, it will look incredibly sharp and punchy. Edge-highlight the grey ropes and tassels by mixing a tiny drop of Great Hall Grey into your leftover Iron Hull Grey.

10. Fine Details, Lenses, & The Power Sword

Paint the eye lenses and decorative decorative green gems with Deep Green. To make the eyes instantly pop, place a micro-dot of pure white paint in the back corner of each lens.

For the power sword, paint the central energy node white. Thin down Deep Green or a blue contrast alternative with medium and wash it down from the tip towards the crossguard, allowing the pigment to naturally pool heavily near the hilt to create a vibrant power blade aesthetic.

11. Atmospheric Basing & Cape Weathering

Texture the base with desert mud paste and paint the prominent rock features with a warm tan tone. Wash the entire base with your remaining thinned dark wash. Once fully dry, heavily drybrush the stones with your cream tone.

To blend the Captain seamlessly into his war-torn environment, take a dry brush loaded with raw pigment powder and lightly dust the lower third of the cream cape and boots, creating a highly realistic battlefield dust effect.