Dark Angels Intercessor — Painting Recipe

Ratios list ingredients in the order shown. The armor highlight mixes are already prepared in labeled bottles.

Greenskin Punch and Slime Green are both AK 3GEN Color Punch paints. The black used for joints and grips is Citadel Contrast Black Legion.

Use the 1:1 airbrush ratio for acrylic color layers. For varnishes, retain the thinning that works with the specific bottle and your airbrush; a varnish ratio has not been specified in this recipe.

Select any photo to open the full-size image.

Front viewLeft-side view

Rear viewRight-side view

1. Prime with black or Renegade Green from The Colour Forge.
2. Spray Salamander Green from above to create a zenithal highlight, leaving lower surfaces darker.

This provides a green foundation suitable for tabletop use while the full paint job is pending. It is an intentional stopping point even though the later airbrush layers may cover much of the spray gradient.

Green basecoat and volumetric highlights

1. Airbrush AK 3GEN Black Green over the green armor, thinned 1:1 with AK Airbrush Thinner, usually at 15–20 PSI.
2. Use AK Color Punch Greenskin Punch, with the same thinning ratio, to add quick, restrained volumetric highlights.

Go lightly with Greenskin Punch: it has a blue-green appearance at this stage. The later edge-highlight mixes introduce the yellow-green emphasis of the finished scheme.

Targeted recess wash

1. Mix Pro Acryl Black Wash and Lahmian Medium 1:1. Optionally add 1–2 drops of flow improver to the prepared batch.
2. Apply carefully to armor panel lines and cavities to create near-black recess shadows.
3. Do not apply this as an all-over wash. Keep it off the broad green panels so they retain their color.
4. Skip the exposed rubber joints; they receive Black Legion in Step 4.

This is the recipe's acrylic method for a freely flowing recess wash, without an enamel cleanup stage. Keep the lining neat and allow it to dry before handling the next areas.

Do the broad base work before the fine model details. Leave the gold street features for the shared pale-undercoat and gold batches later.

1. Apply an even coat of Citadel Eshin Grey over the ground and stone features, including embedded metal features that will be repainted. Paint the base rim Eshin Grey in the same batch.
2. When dry, use a flat filbert brush to skim Warpaints Fanatic Ash Grey over the upper ground surfaces. This is a controlled surface coat, heavier than a conventional drybrush, while retaining dark recesses.
3. Apply Pro Acryl 1-Step Graphite Grey over the prepared ground. Keep this treatment on the scenic top; the rim stays Eshin Grey.

If the ground reads too dark, replace Ash Grey with Company Grey or Brigade Grey for a brighter undercoat. These are alternatives, not mandatory extra layers. Avoid Wraithbone for the ground undercoat; it made this treatment too bright in previous tests.

The rim should need another coat only if later painting or weathering marks it.

Black Legion and Deep Grey

1. Paint all exposed rubber armor joints, sword and knife handles, bolter grips, and foregrips with Citadel Contrast Black Legion.
2. Where appropriate, highlight these black details with Warpaints Fanatic Deep Grey.

Keep metallic fittings separate from these black grips.

Leather

1. Basecoat all leather straps, belts, holsters, and bags with AK 3GEN Hull Red.
2. Add subtle highlights with AK Color Punch Beast Brown. The restrained contrast is intentional.

Silver Grey — all matching foundations

Apply thin, opaque coats of AK 3GEN Silver Grey to:

• The chest aquila on standard marines.
• All purity-seal parchment.
• All purity-seal wax.
• The entire gold street feature on the base, including sides, recesses, and lettering.

Aquila alternative: Citadel Wraithbone may replace Silver Grey on the aquila only. Keep Silver Grey on the street features and purity seals.

Sergeants: Skip the bone aquila treatment; their aquila joins the Emperor Gold batch in Step 7.

Build smooth coverage carefully, especially on the aquila, so thinned paint does not spill onto the green chest.

White eye foundations

Paint the eye lenses neatly with Pro Acryl Bold Titanium White and let them dry.

Tint the prepared details

1. Apply Citadel Contrast Skeleton Horde to both the standard aquila and the purity-seal parchment. This creates the bone tone that complements the Deathwing scheme.
2. Apply Citadel Contrast Doomfire Magenta to the seal wax.
3. Apply Citadel Contrast Flesh Tearers Red over the dry white lenses.
4. Leave the Silver Grey street features ready for Old Gold in Step 7.

1. Basecoat the weapon casings and 3rd Company marking on the model's left kneepad with AK 3GEN Dirty Red.
2. Highlight both with AK 3GEN Carmine. The weapon highlights can be broad and rough; keep the knee marking neatly defined.
3. Shade the weapon casings with a 1:1 mix of Warpaints Fanatic Strong Skin Shade and Warpaints Stabilizer for a light, uniform result.

The knee uses the same Dirty Red/Carmine color pairing. The casing wash is not a required part of the knee recipe.

Paint the larger red casings before their metallic fittings to minimize later metal touch-ups. For company-marking placement, consult the supplied Dark Angels marking reference. Left and right refer to the model's own sides.

Scale75 Black Metal

Apply an even coat of Scale75 Black Metal to all appropriate exposed steel details:

• Gun barrels and metallic weapon hardware.
• Metal handles and fittings that are not the Black Legion grips from Step 4.
• Grenades, belt buckles, and similar metal details.
• Backpack lower vents and upper exhausts: paint the vent interiors and exposed metal around the rounded exhaust housings.
• Helmet tubes entering the mask and accessible ports at the rear of the helmet.

Keep the upper armor shell of each backpack exhaust green. Use the rear and side reference photos to identify this boundary.

Black Metal normally needs no additional shade in this recipe. If a sharper silver highlight is wanted, use Scale75 Heavy Metal or Citadel Dry Necron Compound.

Blade and chainsword-tooth treatment: Exact basecoat awaiting confirmation; the proposed shared treatment is Black Metal with the optional silver highlights above.

Rusty Brass

Paint bullet shells, magazines, and other projectile ammunition with AK 3GEN Metallic Rusty Brass.

Emperor Gold — all marine gold

Use The Army Painter John Blanche Masterclass Emperor Gold on:

• Knife and sword pommels and guards.
• Imperial symbols on weapons.
• Appropriate relics on the belt.
• Any other marine ornaments intended to be gold.

For sergeants only, add the chest aquila, helmet ornament or marking if present, and pauldron rims to this same batch. This is a deliberate variation in this collection's scheme.

Emperor Gold is the preferred gold for this recipe, even if it appears reddish brown in the bottle.

Old Gold — scenic-base details

Apply AK Quick Gen Old Gold over the Silver Grey street features prepared in Step 5. Cover the full feature and let it dry.

Reikland Fleshshade — two strengths in one session

1. Use undiluted Reikland Fleshshade on the base's Old Gold street features. Deep recess shadows help the gold lettering stand out.
2. Prepare a separate 1:1 mix of Reikland Fleshshade and Lahmian Medium and apply it lightly to all Emperor Gold details on the marine. Avoid heavy pooling; this wash strongly tints the gold.

Keep the two strengths distinct: full-strength shade for the street, diluted shade for the marine.

Repair stray marks

1. Correct mistakes in dark, lower armor areas with AK 3GEN Black Green.
2. In lighter areas, mix in Greenskin Punch to match the surrounding armor.

This cleanup is deliberately after the base and detail painting.

Main highlights — bottled 2:1 mix

Use the premixed 2 parts Greenskin Punch : 1 part Slime Green on upward-facing green armor edges and surfaces. Concentrate on the upper half of the model. Keep highlights narrow, crisp, and strong enough to read on the tabletop.

Include the green pauldron rims, upper helmet rim, tops of the helmet's ear details, and other upward-facing edges visible in the reference photos.

Sergeant exception: Keep gold pauldron rims gold; do not line them with the green mix.

Sharpest highlights — bottled 1:1 mix

Use 1 part Greenskin Punch : 1 part Slime Green sparingly inside previously highlighted areas. Concentrate these sharp accents on the upper quarter of the model to draw attention toward the head and shoulders.

This incorporates the layered-transfer workflow from the earlier Decal Application Guide discussion. The timing windows below are practical checkpoints; surface readiness determines when to continue.

Prepare with Pro Acryl Gloss

1. Make sure the paint is dry and thoroughly mix the Pro Acryl Gloss Varnish.
2. Apply one thin, smooth coat over the complete shoulder face, inside the trim. Airbrushing is convenient for a squad; a brush works for an individual shoulder.
3. Let the gloss become properly touch-dry and stable before adding decal solutions. Use the readiness that has worked with this combination; full-cure times are not automatic minimum recoat times.

Use Pro Acryl Gloss for both clear coats in this transfer stage. The current recipe retains its separate all-over satin protection and final Ultra Matte finish in Steps 10–11.

Place the Battleline or chapter transfer

1. Cut the transfer out and wet its backing until it slides freely. About 10 seconds of soaking is a starting point, not a reason to force it off the paper.
2. Apply a small amount of Micro Set, slide the transfer into place, and align it carefully.
3. Gently wick away excess liquid. While positioning, a damp soft brush or tightly wound cotton bud can help settle it.
4. Wait about 5–10 minutes, until the transfer is no longer floating or easily shifting.

Conform the first transfer

1. Apply one light treatment of Micro Sol, using as few brush strokes as possible.
2. Leave it alone while it softens. Do not press, reposition, or touch a softened or wrinkled transfer.
3. Check after 30–60 minutes. Continue only when the transfer is dry, flat, and no longer soft. Repeat Micro Sol only where needed, allowing each application to dry.

Layer the squad number

For a squad number placed over the Battleline symbol:

1. Apply a small amount of Micro Set and place the number directly over the settled lower transfer. No intermediate gloss coat is needed in this workflow.
2. Position and wick gently without scrubbing the lower transfer.
3. Wait about 5–10 minutes, until the number stops floating.
4. Use Micro Sol only if needed to conform the number. Leave it untouched, and inspect after 30–60 minutes. Extend the wait if either transfer remains wet or soft.

Dry, clean if needed, and seal

1. After the final decal solution, give the transfers a few hours before sealing when practical; 3–4 hours is a same-day checkpoint, not a guaranteed dry time. They must be completely dry, settled, and no longer soft.
2. If visible adhesive or solution residue remains, gently remove it with a soft brush barely dampened with clean water. Do not rub across the transfers. Let the area dry completely; 30–60 minutes is a useful checkpoint after light cleaning. Skip this step if there is no residue.
3. Apply one thin, continuous coat of Pro Acryl Gloss over the complete shoulder face to seal the transfers and even the surface.
4. Let the gloss dry normally and become ready for the next coat before the final finishing stages.

Use small amounts of Micro Set and Micro Sol rather than saturating the shoulder. Favor natural drying; if using a hairdryer or air blower, keep it low and gentle and do not let airflow disturb a softened transfer.

Microscale's Micro Sol instructions likewise emphasize leaving the softened decal undisturbed until dry.

1. Inspect the base rim. Touch up Eshin Grey only if needed; the initial even rim coat was completed with the ground in Step 3.
2. Once the paint, transfers, and sealing gloss are dry enough for the next coat, apply an all-over coat of AK Satin Varnish. This is the protective layer beneath the pigment weathering.
3. Allow the satin to dry before applying pigments. About 10–20 minutes is this recipe's observed working pause in a humidity-controlled basement, with relative humidity kept below roughly 45–50%. Check that the surface is dry and no longer tacky before continuing. This is a working interval, not a claim of full cure.

1. Apply Vallejo Pigment FX Natural Iron Oxide to selected base areas to suggest dark battle dust, ash, and scorched debris.
2. Add smaller amounts to the feet and shins to tie the marine into the base.
3. Use gentle airbrush airflow to remove excess pigment until the armor color and weathering are balanced.
4. Thoroughly mix AK Ultra Matte Varnish and apply light, thin passes. Aim for an evenly wetted film: lightly wet, without soaking the model or leaving a dry, dusty spray. Preserve the pigment texture: use a light final application to secure the pigments and establish the matte finish. Avoid saturating the pigment or building a heavy varnish layer over it. Include the metallic areas: a subdued metal finish is intentional for these non-character models. Keep metallic painting and highlights in the shared paint batches before varnishing.
5. Let the finish dry, then leave the model until the next day—about 24 hours before gaming or transport in this workflow.

The model is finished.

• Eshin Grey: scenic base and rim together; conditional rim touch-up only.
• Black Legion / Deep Grey: all rubber joints and black grips together.
• Hull Red / Beast Brown: all leather together.
• Silver Grey: standard aquila, parchment, wax, and street foundations together.
• Skeleton Horde: standard aquila and parchment together.
• Dirty Red / Carmine: weapon casings and 3rd Company knees together.
• Black Metal / optional silver highlights: matching weapon, armor, backpack, and helmet hardware together.
• Emperor Gold: every marine gold detail, including sergeant-only ornaments, in one batch.
• Reikland Fleshshade: street and marine gold in one session, keeping undiluted and 1:1 mixtures separate.
• Armor mixes: revisit green only for necessary cleanup and the final controlled highlights.