Learn how to paint your Adeptus Custodes quickly with this awesome how-to tutorial from Peachy and the Painting Phase
Peachy has recently joined the Painting Phase and started making awesome YouTube tutorials! They also have a really cool Patreon, so if you want to show some extra support and get great rewards, go check that out here!
If you’re looking for an easy way to paint your Custodes but don’t want to spend too much time on them (as they are one of the fastest armies to paint in general), this tutorial will help you tackle the steps without much hassle!
Painting Custodes Quickly: Peachy Painting Tutorial
He started by priming them with Retributor Armour, so nothing too crazy yet. Remember that this is for painting fast, not for the highest quality! Before we get into the steps, let’s check out the paints used in this video!
- Retributor Armour – Undercoat
- Reikland Fleshshade
- Retributor Armour
- Stormhost Silver
- Mephiston Red
- Wild rider Red
- Word Bearers red
- Iron Hands Steel
- Basilicanum Grey
- Black legion
- Corax White
- Stormfiend
- Frostheart
Step 1:
First up is an all-over coat of Reikland Fleshshade, don’t worry about being too careful here. Then a good drybrush of Stormhost Silver; this might take a few coats, but just built up some good highlights on the armor.
The armor is almost already done; the next step is to paint Black Legion into all the armor parts, such as the armor joints.
Step 2:
Now, he adds Iron Hands Steel onto all the silver sections; just keep in mind that the weapons might take two coats.
For the cloak, he does the whole thing in Mephiston Red, and for the back of the coat, he thins it down ever so slightly. Then, he hits them with Wild Rider Red for the rest of the details. Lastly, in this step, he hits the cords, gems, and other details with Corax White (but any white will do).
Step 3:
Now it’s time to apply some more washes. Starting with Reikland Fleshshade on all the red (minus the plume), for the plume and silvers, he uses Basilicanum Grey.
For the gems and eyes, he does a quick highlight with Frostheart. For the main blade, he starts with 50/50 Frostheart and white, slowly moving all the way to Stormfiend to give the blade more depth.
This is about as painted as you would need to play on the tabletop. However, you can take it a few steps further if you want. Minus the base, obviously.
Step 4:
He starts with Astrogranite for the base; he then waters down the same color and sort of stabs the brush onto the boots and cloak to give the idea they are actually on the planet and not just hovering above it.
Next, he applies Reikland to the base and boots to give them more depth. Lastly, for the base, he will apply three thin coats of Steel Legion Drab around the outside.
That’s really all you have to do to have great-looking minis on the tabletop, but if you want to spend a little more time, check out some further steps below!
Taking it a Step Further:
If you want to keep going, Peachy starts by thinning down Auric Armour Gold almost down to a glaze and highlighting all the armor with it.
Then for the robes and cloth, he’s going to edge highlight with Wild Rider red. For the plume, he highlights that with Mephiston Red. For the white areas, he highlights those with Corax White.
Next, he mixes that water and does minor lighting effects on the blade. To tie in the lightning bolts, he does a 50/50 mix with water and Frosthear and does a light glaze over the blade.
Finished Model:
There you have it, some amazing models without much effort! Be sure to check out the full video below for all the tips, or you can check out the links below for more content!
Click Here To Follow Painting Phase on Patreon or YouTube
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
