How to create rust effects

29 November 2025 No re.

Following my first post about concrete fortifications, this second entry in the Trench Crusade scenery series focuses on creating simple and effective rust effects on anti-tank obstacle or barricade by Vargasminiatures. Today we have a wide range of products that replicate realistic rust by mimicking real metal oxidation, which makes our work much easier. These dramatic, chaotic, and naturally random effects fit perfectly with the grimdark atmosphere of Trench Crusade. In this tutorial, I will be using the U-RUST set by AMMO, which I have previously applied on infantry models (here). Step 1 Using a modelling knife and fine files…

How to paint concrete fortifications

9 November 2025 2 Re.

I have been quite busy lately with several projects, including a new series of books, and although my interest now leans more toward fantasy than historical subjects, I am still working on several World War II projects (stay tuned). The reason for this shift is a relatively new game, Trench Crusade, whose atmosphere, a haunting fusion of grimdark aesthetics, religious symbolism, and historical inspiration, has captivated thousands of hobbyists and painters. Its world, forged from the mud and madness of a holy war fought across endless trenches, evokes both fascination and dread. The mix of medieval devotion and early twentieth-century warfare…

How to paint WH30K Night Lords

16 July 2024 No re.

After several years of wanting to start painting a Horus Heresy Legion army, I finally had the chance to do it. I chose the Night Lords, a Legion that is perhaps a bit underrepresented compared to others but features a beautiful color scheme and rich lore. I finished painting the first squad and decided to write a tutorial using the last miniature. Instead of the official painting scheme, which is very dark blue often with lightning on the armor, I opted for a desaturated and slightly greenish blue inspired by some great painters such as @loyalistareboring and @Maybug_Games on Instagram.…

How to apply decals on curved surfaces

11 June 2024 1 Re.

The easiest way to identify the chapter of our Space Marines is by using decals. These typically go on the shoulder pads, but their curved surface can be challenging for some modelers, as it is tricky to perfectly adapt a decal to a curved or irregular surface. We have previously discussed numerous times how to apply decals, but here we will focus on how to deal with curved surfaces. Here, we used customized decals from Scumb4g Kustoms. Other articles about decals: Decals, transfers and stencils How to apply decals correctly How to apply name tag decals How to create glowing…

How to create glowing runes using decals

27 May 2024 No re.

In this tutorial, we will explore how to create glowing runes using decals and fluorescent paints. While I primarily applied these techniques to scenery elements, they can also be used on miniatures. We will require white rune decals, such as those available from Scumb4g Kustoms. Step 1 – Basic paintjob Firstly, we paint the scenery element or miniature completely. The glowing effect is created at the very end of the painting process. For the crypt, I employed straightforward techniques. I painted the rock using the airbrush and drybrush techniques. For the rusted metal elements, I utilized the U-Rust set from…

Videotutorial: how to paint skeletons

29 March 2024 No re.

A while back, we reviewed the U-Rust kit from AMMO, which allows for the creation of realistic rust effects in a simple and effective manner (see more here). Capitalizing on the knowledge obtained from that test, I decided to use it to paint one of my Grave Guard units for my Soulblight Gravelords army in Age of Sigmar. This seemed ideal, given that these miniatures are predominantly clad in rusted armor! In collaboration with AMMO, I created three video tutorials featuring how to create rust effects using the U-Rust kit, how to paint bones, and how to paint fabric. The…

PaintingWar: WWII British and Commonwealth armies

6 March 2024 4 Re.

After 10 years since the publication of my very first painting book I am delighted to announce another PaintingWar (PW) publication, made possible by Miniaturama Publishing. This marks my third contribution to the PW series (with the previous two being WWII German army and Spanish Civil War), delving again into one of my favorite topics in historical wargaming: World War II. While my initial PaintingWar issue centered around the German army, this latest book shifts its focus to the British and Commonwealth armies. Using exclusively Warlord Games miniatures in 28mm, and similar to previous PaintingWar publications, this book is divided…

How to create desert bases

3 December 2022 No re.

In the previous post we discussed one way to paint true metallic metal gold using as an example model a unit of LOTR Easterling (28mm, Games-Workshop). Now, we will see how to finish these miniatures by making desert bases. According to my experience, one of the most difficult aspects of this hobby for newcomers (and also for veterans!) is how to make the bases. Probably one reason for this is that bases are not painted, but created. That is, we need to generate a texture and add 3D elements such as rocks, plants, debris, etc. Luckily, the market is full…

True Metallic Metal (TMM): gold

16 October 2022 2 Re.

I previously wrote a short tutorial on painting TMM steel (which you can read here). Now, it’s time to write a similar post on how to paint TMM gold, using a batch of Easterling warriors (Games Workshop, 28mm) that I’m currently working on. I’ll also expand the tutorial to cover how to paint the red and marine blue clothing. The bases are still unfinished, but I plan to create another tutorial focusing on that aspect. I would like to clarify that this is my own interpretation of the TMM gold technique; it’s not the only method, nor is it necessarily…

New book: How to Paint Miniatures for Wargames

24 August 2022 1 Re.

A few years back I published a painting book featuring how to paint wargames tanks and edited by AMMO. I had the intention to write a second volume about painting infantry for wargames, but it was postponed because I was very busy doing my PhD. Now, eight years later, the second volume has been finally released again thanks to the support of the AMMO team: How to paint miniatures for Wargames. I was not alone in this project. I had the great opportunity to collaborate with some of the wargames painters I admire the most, including the amazing historical painters…