The Riders are back, so check out how to get your Death Korps of Krieg horses, or any mounts really ready in this painting tutorial.
For whatever reason, horses are somewhat weird models to paint. If you’re not careful, they could turn out looking like a cheap little plastic mini you’d find in the dollar store. But with a little time and refined technique, you can have these Guardsmen mounts looking beyond ready for the tabletop.
Check out this tutorial using paints from The Army Painter. Let’s go!
Painting Death Korps of Krieg Horses: Tutorial
It might look like a lot has gone into this model. But with a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to batch paint your whole squad quickly and have them turn heads on the tabletop! Check out these step-by-step instructions for bringing those horses to life.
Step 1: Base Coat
The Army Painter’s Monster Brown was airbrushed over the horse to lay down a base coat. A similar Leather Brown canned spray could be used instead. But base coating with the airbrush is good practice if you need it! If you use spray, more definition will need to be added later. When using the airbrush, the paint can be applied in various thin layers to create depth.
Step 2: Gloss Coat
Next, you’ll want to spray a varnish of Gloss medium. Model Master’s spray varnish can be sprayed in just about any weather condition. It’s extremely useful if you live in an area where it’s always humid or damp. This will help when washing the model to be sure the wash goes where you want it to go. Apply gloss varnish in a well-ventilated area.
Step 3: Wash
Once dry, mix some Strong Tone with Quickshade Mixing Medium to thin down the wash to 50/50. Using a chisel brush, apply the wash over the model from top to bottom. Do not drench the model, and be careful of pooling too heavily. When dry, it will bring out all the details on the model easily.
Step 4: Highlight
Desert Yellow is mixed into the airbrush with flow improver here. Spray over areas that highlights are desired. Use thin coats to trace the muscles and try your best to have a steady hand here. Add in Banshee Brown to the yellow and go back over the highlights once again to bring out the muscles a bit more.
Step 5: Glaze
Using a little Strong Tone and Quickshade Mixing Medium once again, mixing more medium than Strong Tone, create a light glaze. Brush over the surfaces with a thin coat and allow time to dry. Do not let this pool, as it is only to pop shadows and blend in the airbrushed colors more.
Using the Army Painter system, painting calvary riders can be pretty easy. Especially using it on organic models that have way more muscle curvature than models strictly with armor panels. If you want to get even more creative and have a strong blending game, you can add some color fading with the fur on your horse minis as well!
If you want to see a more in-depth look at how to paint your horses, be sure to check out the full video above!
Plus, in case you’re wondering what to do with your horse riders, you can check out this video on Painting Death Korps of Krieg Greys as well.
What’s your method of painting DKoK cavalry? Will you be running them with the new rules?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
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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!
