Painting a Gold Dragon

Introduction

This year's first larger commission piece, this Reaper Bones dragon has become golden due to a clear Heroes 3 influence.

Preparation

This is the original state I received the dragon in - fully assembled.

However, there was a large gap at the tail - this sometimes happens with Bones. I stuffed in a lot of milliput, to start filling it in.

Next, I started sculpting some scales, but the gap was still huge. Puttys don't like it if you do everything at once, as the upper layers tend to dislodge the lower ones. I stuffed in more milliput until the filling was about "skin level".

Finally, I could sculpt some scales. Silicone tools are a must. Milliput sticks like crazy to metal, but almost not at all to silicone.

Painting

Prime Munitorum Varnish, then Retributor Armor.

Follow the gold painting. I have never washed a model this big before, and I used the makeup brush to good result. I then applied all the highlights by drybrushing. The final Silver highlight went on the face and hands as usual for smaller models, but I also did multiple layers on the belly, to make that area somewhat different than the rest of the scales.

Then follow some painting tips, just at scale: bone, wings, stones. I then realized that the base actually has more elements than just stone: barren earth as well as vines. Just as I was preparing for more painting, I realized that I already have a gradient and highlights on them. And I have transparency paints! Cue heavily diluted Cygor Brown and Militarum Green.

Spray varnish, paint the rim black, then seal it by brush-on varnish.

Finished!