Painting Yog-Sothoth

The final grand commission of 2024, paying off printing debts for some Warhammer books I never actually used due to them going out of date so fast. Not salty about that at all. Anyway.

The miniature is Reaper Bones from the 5th kickstarter.

I had no vision for this monster, and no idea how to start on it. My client came up with the idea of red tentacles, fading into purple innards, and lighter purple carapace. We synced several times during the paintjob, and this is where it went.

Preparation

The included base (also Reaper bones) had already warped by the time I got my hands on this mini, so I glued it to a hard plastic base, and shored it up using milliput.

Red/purple

I went at the inside details first, basecoating all the tentacles and innards Baal Red.

Coat the tentacles Blood Angels Red for some shading and more intense coloring.

First gradient: Doomfire Magenta. Very subtle shift, almost invisible.

I transitioned (pun intended) to Sigvald Burgundy instead, 2 layers feathered out for a more marked shift to purply tones.

Just a bit of diluted Luxion Purple at the base of the tentacles.

Coat the innards Shyish Purple. About the same color as the base of the tentacles.

With the fleshy bits painted, I went at the light purple carapace. Dreadful Visage, then Magos Purple.

Too pinky. Drybrush Spectral White.

Bring it all together using Druchii Violet.

Unfortunately, the client disliked  the light shade, so I went over with two layers of diluted Leviathan Purple. The result is this intense purple.

I mixed a light Heavy Violet/Spectral White color for a highlight which fits like a glove. Spot highlights Spectral White.

Intermission: bones

Paint all the fangs and exposed ribs (?) Bone. Unfortunately, by the time I applied 2-3 basecoats of Wraithbone to cover up the dark purple, I sprayed a bit over the other details. Clean it up using Shyish Purple, Leviathan Purple, Bloodletter. Also place Leviathan Purple in the small dimples on the tentacles.

Intermission: base

As the layers of washes dried on the bones, I took some time to think about the base. Given the eldritch horror hovering over, I decided on barren earth with no plants. But that would be bland, so the client agreed on some added skulls. Including non human skulls for extra strangeness. 

I built up the ground on the exterior of the cast base using milliput. Glue in the skulls. Then cover it up using terrain paste. Paint as Rugged wasteland base. Then paint the Skulls with Off White as a base, to differentiate from the monster's bones.

Stone and obelisk

My initial thought was , but I decided against it. Already enough bone color. Then I thought of obsidian painted Shiny black, but the pillar has script on it, and I wanted that to be visible. So I experimented with a dark turqoise based on Black fur. Basecoat Terradon Turqoise.

Coat Black Templar.

Drybrush Turqoise, then mix in White and drybrush lighter for a highlight.

Eyes

The last detail to be painted: the multitude of eyes all over this guy. We discussed several options, and decided on a yellow-to-orange gradient.

Basecoat Moon Yellow, on Heavy Goldbrown undercoat.

I went in with Fuegan Orange first, but it came out all splotchy.

But that is why we have Contrast! Gryph Hound Orange worked wonders after a couple of layers, going back and forth, feathering out towards the center.

Highlight the center of the eyes Moon Yellow, then Fluorescent Yellow.

Finished!