Painting the Army of the Dead- Lord of the Rings

 Here is just a little guide on how I painted the Army of the Dead from GW. The figures themselves are very crisp, not to many mould lines and go together well. 

Once the figures were cleaned in warm soapy water and left to dry overnight,  I used an off white aerosol undercoat (Citadel Wraith Bone), which I warm on a radiator and give a good shake, and you get a good coverage.

I work a bit backwards to others, I grit & paint the base next with the base colour and highlight. This way any of the base colour on the figure can be painted over before the washes go on! This customer anted the bases left just gritted.

The first thing to paint is any metalwork, Weapons, chainmail, armour. I use Chainmail by Foundry 35A 

Next I paint the characters cloaks as they need to stand out in the unit. I leave all the rest of the army white.I use pastel type colours as they seem more "Ghostly"

Next is a Wash by Wargames Foundry Leather/Metals Wash 47B, which is superb for "dulling" armour for that old, used, look. Make sure this is completely dry ( a good 6 hours at least or it will run off the model as the next wash reacts with it!)

Looks shiny below, but I think that is the lighting.

Next is to dirty up the cloaks. They are a few thousand years in the underworld after all. I use Humbrol 110 which their paint wood, but I think it creates a nice dusty effect.

Now I wash the figures with GW Coelia Greenshade, picking up any "pooling" off the figure with the brush.

  

Penultimate stage is the dry brushing. Any white is fine, but I use a number 8 semi- stiff brush. Be careful and brush in one direction, from the head down (this would be where the natural light would hit the figure) and brush along the weapons lengths from the weapon tip back. Also follow the flow of the cloaks. Remember this stage is not highlighting but Ghostifying the figures! 

Before and after the dry brushing.

  

Last process is Varnish, and flock base. As stated customer wanted bases left just gritted. And I am still waiting for the shields from customer.

Here is another unit I painted for someone else.