Painting an Astra Militarum Chimera

Introduction

I magnetized and electrified this Chimera - time to paint it. I researched painting black, and came away with the decision of NOT doing fine grey edge highlighting on this blocky vehicle. Instead, I decided on applying the highlights as weathering. Time to redo this old painting tip.

Prime

Prepare the subassemblies: magnetized metal components separately to be primed silver. Tank and hatch to be primed black. Wrap the LED in painter's tape to avoid getting it sprayed.

Painting black

Paint the black hull as scratched black metal. Paint the metal components (guns, tracks, some hydraulics and latches) as dark metal.

Same black metal for the guns, except for the head of the hunter-killer missile where I got creative and painted it Blood Angels Red over the metallic undercoat.

Weathering (mud)

Start with some Stirland Mud on the tracks, as well as around the tracks near the ground.

Next up, Typhus Corrosion for some variety in color and texture.

Splodge on Skeleton Horde around the tracks and ground level.

Any surface that wasn't weathered doesn't show the Skeleton Horde, so I did some Gore Grunta Fur around the same areas.

Large (but light) drybrush with Khaki. Accentuate the tracks, but also do large circular motions all around the side, as well as front and back.

Bonewhite drybrush, mostly on the tracks and just at ground level.

Painting details

Paint the scroll Khaki, then stiple on diluted Bonewhite.

Write the name of the vehicle in Black Templar, using of course gothic font.

I painted the targeter on the heavy bolter turret Soulstone Blue over Silver.

Gold on any skulls on the guns.

I noticed some plasma coil-like details on the heavy flamers, so I painted them accordingly. Basecoat Dead White, then Iyanden Yellow.

Gryph Hound Orange.

Flesh Tearers Red. These steps show a harsh transition, but the detail is very small. On a regular sized plasma gun coil I would feather the transitions.

Dead White highlight at the tops - on a regular plasma coil I would do this at the corners.

Paint Gryph Hound Orange around the flamer vents. These are Leman Russ heavy flamers, but the same goes for the Chimera.