Space Wolves Grey

As a Space Wolf player I have to deal a lot with painting yellow. Yellow can be a very difficult color to work with, because it requires many layers in order to achieve a solid looking area. From the start of my occupation with Warhammer 40k up to now, I have tried 3 different ways of painting yellow, which I will share with you. Mind you that I have not decided yet which is the best. However I will try to state their pros and cons.

First method

Start with a basecoat of white. This can be from the spray can, or plain skull white with a brush. It probably requires 2 coats of your basecoat for a more even coat. Then start applying several thin coats of golden yellow, until the desired effect is achieved. It will probably require about 7-9 layers of golden yellow. It is necessary to apply the paint watered down and not straight from the pot, as this would cause it to “build” on the area you are painting. However you must not water it down too much, because it will require many more layers.

This method is quite straightforward, but quite nerve-raking as well, because you might reach the 5^th layer of golden yellow and still have shadows. Be patient and do not despair! Keep on painting and you’ll get it. This method does not require many different colors, so it’s ideal for people that have just got into the hobby and don’t have to spend a fortune on a full paint set.

Second method

Again start with a basecoat of skull white, spray or brush. For this method however you can start with a basecoat of black. Then apply two coats of blazing orange. Then start painting golden yellow as described in the first method. You will probably need 4-6 layers for a clean yellow shoulder pad.

First of all, this method allows you to use black or white as a basecoat. The advantage is that if you paint your minis after you assemble them, you don’t have a problem spraying the whole of them black. Furthermore it requires less layers of golden yellow than the previous method. Finally it comes out slightly darker than the result of the previous method. After all, shiny colors are for eldar…

Third method

The third method differs from the one above, only in the color you use before applying golden yellow. In that method, iyanden darksun from the foundation range of colors is used. All the other steps are the same.

The results you get are the same with those in the second method, with a darker tone of yellow. Furthermore, since you are using a foundation color, the first step of basecoating can be skipped and you can begin with iyanden darksun straight away.

In general all three methods give satisfactory results. However I cannot say if one is better than the other as the results are similar. All three can be finished with a wash of gryphonne sepia and a light drybrush of golden yellow, in order to achieve a more weathered look. In order to see the results of the above methods you can check the following posts I made on the blog:

First method – Post on Grey Hunters

Second method – Post on Blood Claws

For the third method, you will see the results on a squad of Wolf Guard terminators I am about to finish. So stay in touch!

For Russ and the Allfather!!