How-To: Painting Carcharodons Astra

I did say I’d post my method of painting Carcharodons, which may or may not exactly do it for you, but it’s quick and easy and gets a tabletop-standard finish.

Undercoat
Undercoat black. I use Vallejo Black Surface Primer, myself. It’s by far and away the best dedicated modelling primer on the market. It can be pricey, but it’s worth every penny.

Basecoating
Basecoat the bulk of the armour Mechanicus Standard Grey, possibly using an airbrush or similar for speed.
The shoulder pads, elbow pads and knee pads should be basecoated Eshin Grey.
The faceplace should be basecoated Dawnstone.
The weapons should be left black. Tidy up any splatter. Tidy up the eyes and optics too, being careful not to get any on the faceplate.
Any plain metal, such as bolter barrels, magazines and workings, should be basecoated Leadbelcher.

Wash
Wash everything, everything, with Nuln Oil.

Upper coats
Leaving the recesses, repeat the upper coats for the armour.
Mechanicus Standard Grey on the normal plate.
Eshin Grey on the darker plates such as the shoulders, elbows and knees.
Dawnstone on the faceplate.
Highlight the black with a little Eshin Grey, but not optics and eyes.
Highlight the plain metal with Leadbelcher.
Give any vents, such as on the backpack, or the speaker-grille of the helmets, another controlled wash of Nuln Oil.

Brass
Basecoat the shoulder pad edges and any decorations such as on the chestplate, the back of the shoulder pad, or on the bolter, with Brass Scorpion.
Give all this a careful wash of Reikland Fleshshade. Be careful not to get it on the grey plate.
Paint the upper parts of the decorations and shoulder pad edges with Hashut Copper.

Transfers
Coat area, such as the shoulder pad, with matt varnish.
Attempt to attach transfer.
Swear profusely.
Coat transfer with matt varnish.
Continue to swear profusely.

Weathering and finishing
For gun barrels and flamer nozzles, blend a little Forge World Black Soot weathering powder with a little water, and coat the furthest point of the barrel. Do not coat the whole thing. When dry, carefully go over the edge with the flat of a pencil.
On melee weapons and on fists, if you want, paint a little Blood for the Blood God and smear along the direction of travel with a finger. On, say, a chainaxe this would be from the teeth to the motor, and on fists it would be up fist toward the elbow. Go for thin coats, and try not to go overkill, or it’ll look silly.
Sponge weather everything with Administratum Grey, focus on edges.
Depending on your base, you may wish to blend in some weathering powders around the legs and feet.
Airbrush matt varnish to seal it all in.
Give the eyes and optics one or two coats of gloss varnish.

Job’s a good’un!