Army Painting better than Gamesworkshop || Tyranids Hormagaunts 

Painting tyranids like this turns them from Saturday morning cartoon character to horror movie terrors.

That's the dopest paint scheme I've seen on nids. Definitely grim dark, if I had them, I would paint em up like this , good job sir

Just remembered another little effects trick from many, many years ago, that helps achieve a nice, lifelike but creepy sheen to carapace like you see on beetles, that would really enhance either Tyranids or the new minis from the Aliens game that's come out. If you mix black and blue Quink writing ink together, (DON'T thin it down, or you lose the cohesion and it takes days to dry, and then looks streaky. Talking from experience here, believe me 🙂), and apply it to carapace armour with a fine/detail brush, and let it dry naturally, you get a gorgeous black/blue rainbow effect that not only settles in the ridges, but shines beautifully on the flatter surfaces, and can be very gently dry-brushed over once totally dry, to highlight any edging areas. I learned this by accident way back in the late 1980's, when I was painting a beetle as part of a large mini's base, and the end result blew my mind. Even after matte varnishing, the sheen stays vivid, and when the light hits it, the effect looks awesome and very realistic. I'd forgotten about this technique until I re-watched your video again today, and saw just how it could be used to make the carapace stand out on the Tyranid minis (Or on the new Aliens minis that I've been asked to paint, so I'll apply it to them, too). Again, thanks for posting your truly amazing videos, and even more for jump-starting my memory of techniques I'd almost forgotten about until now (I've been in the hobby since 1972, so have forgotten a LOT, but am still learning more every day), and can share with you and your viewers.

This is honestly one of the best classic-looking Tyranids I have ever seen. Bravo!

I just got into 40k (my friends got me Tyranids.) I have never painted any kind of mini before. I have been following your grimdark series since they look so good. Your instruction on how to paint is outstanding, especially coming from a true rookie painter. They definitely are not nearly as good as yours, but I am very happy with how they turned out so far. Thanks for your great content and keep it up!

It IS better than GW. I have always hated the cartoonish ‘Eavy Metal painting both because it is difficult and time consuming but also because it looks so flat. Thank you and all of the other Grimdark painters that have inspired me to attempt this style. I love it!

Do you airbrush normal Army Painter Venom Wyrm as primer? I can't find a rattlecan primer. Would Death Guard Green From Citadel give the same effect?

It's hard, especially for new painters, to get away from the game's workshop style and recipe. There's nothing wrong with this, and I think a lot of people pick their armies based on the gw examples and end up creating their own take on the style. What I like about this is it is a great example of someone doing exactly that. Taking the models and painting them like the gw example but in their own style and take, which I think is what many people want to do.

Well now look what you've done. I went and joined the channel and it looks like I'm going to have to go and try out some enamels, too. Paint for the paint god! Really cool nids btw!🤘

This scheme will look amazing on the malstrain genestealers coming out

As always love your scheme. ATyranid Magma/Lava Scheme would be something. Lava/Maga Skin - Scales in Basalt and Ash

I have order EVERYTHING I need for this build, hormagaunts, everything, but one. The trench brown primer. I live in the US and it seems impossible to get over here. I tried looking at the alternative method you showed Venom Wyrm, but it looked more forest green than the light brownish tan shown on the model. I’ve even tried using Colour Forges conversion chart to find other alternatives but none of them seemed to be primers or sprays. I’m at a loss I don’t want to use rustoleom

Man your just killing it with these videos good job. Still waiting on a grim dark angron video....

This amazing. I just found your channel and really like the grimdark style. I’d love to see your take on grimdark thousand sons

The speckling / mottling for skin pigments was gold! IVe got to find the right brush and technique / feel for this, but I’ll do it sometime. Thanks man and cheers!! I dunno how to support you other than subscribing - which I already did. And the villainy ink thing sounds interesting too, especially if they’re less toxic. For me, I use water based oil colors for everything, they’re less smelly aswell as their thinner. Kudos man and keep it up! Marvelous technique and walkthrough!!

This is the greatest paint job I’ve ever seen of a model (I’m very new to warhammer but something gonna have a hard time beating this) I’m def doing this for my army

Nice paint job but it kills me that you don’t paint the base rims.

Good sir, fantastic job. Question, which company did you mention for your base scenics? I checked your links and comments and couldnt find it

One trick I learned many years ago for stippling using an airbrush and a paint brush combined, to get some seriously nice stippling effects on saurian/alien skin is this: get a flat brush, apply some paint to the tip, and, using just an empty airbrush, spray air through the airbrush toward the paint brush, which you hold near the model, and the air blows little specks of paint over the areas you aim for. You can use this technique for doing lizard style stripes on dinosaur models, for getting some very nice mottling on alien skin, Nurgle flesh and even use it to help weather space marine minis and even armoured vehicles that you want to make more Grimdark. I haven't used an airbrush in many years, but am slowly turning toward getting back into using one, and seeing how you did the mottling on the Tyranid model brought back the memory of how I was taught to do it so long ago. Hope this tip comes in handy, and some of you give it a try, and it works out to be fun and informative for your hobby 🙂 LOVE this video, as I'm thinking of painting a Tyranid force for a side project, and seeing how you painted this mini so dark and truly scary has inspired me even more.

Please do some Krieg or Imperial Guard! Especially with the Krieg release coming this Christmas!

good vid, deserves more attention

If we add those extra steps... When you color crimson the segments. Do you still drybrush after that? Thanks 🙏

Great tutorial. Would love to see a tutorial for the Kraken color scheme.

Do you happen to have affiliate links for Krautcover? I *hate* basing, I find it so unbelievably boring and by the time I get to it I'm just ready to be working on the next project and instead I've got this base to deal with, so watching you just dunk that little guy in there and come out, base completed and looking good I know I have to get some.

I realy like your technique. But i already have my own homebrew tyranid sceme. Are there any Overall Tips to make them realy grimdark? The body of mine are are Orange yellow and the chitin armor is green. The lore idea was that from the ground level it would seme like a wall of Orange and from above it would be not realy vidible since the theme was a forest wolrd.

That first technique would work on almost any grimdark flesh but especially chaos, will give it a go for sure, also picking up some goons grime soon so I'm excited to try that out!

Are mineral spirits always better then water to thin paints? And i've been wondering do you have any plans for a grimdark kreig video?

Do you varnish before using the enamel wash? If you do; how many layers and what type of varnish?

Do you have any photos of units on the table to share, the scheme is quite dark across both the model and the basing and for an army scheme i feel like it will be a little indiscernable on the tabletop? Maybe a spot colour to make them pop or taking the top highlights on the chitin higher will make them mroe readable.

Instead of using trench Brown primer, could you use something like vallejo dessert yellow or Will that be too bright in color? Any sugestions maybe?

Really makes me want to play Nids.

Is there a trench brown (colour forge) variant from citadel colors?

What other colors could I use for the Trench brown? I'm in the us and I'm looking for an army painter or citadel equivalent

Nice video. What was the music you used in the background?

Can you explain the part where you first dry brushing the skin. How did you prevent the unwanted chalkiness? I couldn't really understand what you mentioned in the video for that part. Your video really inspires me and I will paint my army using your video as a reference. Thank you very much.

Tried this last night on a few minis, very easy, very cool 😎 no more cartoon nids lol

Just started nids and inadvertently started doing a very similar theme. Gonna do the entire army like this now

I love the way you paint Tyranids. They feel alive and attractively terrifying. Without a doubt, this is the best combination. Thanks for your content!

Awesome work! I just bought the introductory set and want a darker style army so this is PERFECT! Quick question, do you thin down the paint with water when u paint the claws or just straight from det bottle? And the same with the carapace? I cant get the trench brown where i live, do you know any other simular solution maybe? Love your vids btw!

Would love to try this paint scheme but colour forge isn't available outside of the UK. Do you have any close alternative to recommend?

Holy it looks so nice But I rly wonder why ur brown looks so much lighter cuz i am using the sameone and it looks way darker 😢

The first step should probably be to clean up the model and scrape mould lines. Paint jobs look great but having the mould lines down the arms really detracts from the overall finish.

I use a very simklar scheme ahah, ty for helping me improove it

Very nice! What Color do you use to highlight the naggaroth night?

Where can I find this Voluptuous pink?

I do Primer, basecoat, color blocks, wash, then highlight and glowing effects. IDK if anyone else does it this way, but I think my minis look nice! :)

Helllo very awesome work! Best tyranids ive ever seen! Do you have any replacement for villainy inks groom grime? I cant collect it in my country☺️

Anything you’d recommend to do them green?

Dear Friend, You add what to the grime? I sadly dont understand it. i need to thin it down or what? Would be Great to get an answer. Because i ordered it and i am afraid to fail. Ty ❤

Can you please do a space wolves episode 🙏🏼

Holy shit

I live in the US and the trench brown spray cant be delivered here yet, is there an alternative?

These look amazing 😮

First off great vids. Terrific painting. Amazingly well done. Some advice - Help us focus on the painting and wear black painting gloves. More professional. Helps focus of the camera.

very nice, love the Grimdark style. Could you possibly do a Drukhari mini in this style ? Organic flesh/armor vs Artificial armor painting can be different, would be nice to see differences.

Do you have a link for the basing stuff you used?

Gotta tell ya that gaunt looks great. I'll definitely apply some grim dark techniques from my own perspective to my orks. Do you have any videos painting those?

Absolutely sick, I started Nids last week and I've binged every video you have and I got to try this tomorrow

WHY DID I SEE THIS RIGHT AFTER I FINISHED PAINTING TYRANIDS' SKIN FROMLEVIATHAN BOX, THIS IS BETTER THAN BOX ART

Just started collecting combat patrol magazine for the space marine 2 game coming out! Going to mainly get the armies in the game, love this tutorial I’m going to try it. The game is unbelievable btw!

I don't need nids... I don't need nids. No seriously i really don't need nids... I already have 27 black templars ( 10 finished ) and just got terminators to add to them. Seeing this makes me want to paint up some nids. Looks great dude

Those look amazing. I think I'll get some Tyranid models and see if I can replicate what you have done here. I have all of the paints you used, which is super convenient. Thanks for sharing!!

I did this backwards. I tend to jump all over the place when painting so I ended up with a pretty solidly detailed skintone after going through Lupercal green/naggaroth night with a contrast of magos purple before going over it with vallejo leather brown. While the carapace was mostly red tinted with yellow, white, abaddon black and nuln oil brightened by kislev flesh admittedly I am pretty new to painting mini's the hardest part was probably putting them together. Coming up with the idea on what I wanted to paint my hive fleet is probably the hardest especially considering I wanted them to be like a mushroom this really helped me figure out if I was in the right direction especially considering how sloppy some of my painting can be. Thanks a bunch mate!

I've been hunting a cool, simple Tyranid scheme that has some good brightness to it but nothing too crazy. I might just use something like - the slick coat effect you've achieved looks amazing!

These are amazing, this is how I picture nids in my mind. Is there any chance you could do a grimdark grey knights at some point?

This looks really damn cool. Can you also show how to make grimdark grey knights? please :)

Thats seems so easy

Awesome video as always. For those Villany inks. Why would you recommend them over oil washes? Cheers

I'm kinda wanting to get into Death Guard and I was wondering if you plan on doing a army painting style tutorial for painting up Plague Marines?

just want to throw this out there for some Canadians who might have a hard time getting the UHU glue, E6000 works just the same

4:00 tbh that there looks great already with the white armour

Every video I see, grimdark seems to be code for "not well highlighted".

For such a simple and quick army painting method, it really looks worthy of being a competition piece and with extra time spent can be made to look even better. Awesome video. 👍

Another great tutorial! You really shouldn’t feel the need to repeat all the caveats about the extra steps, they are brilliantly simple and add a lot to the overall scheme. 👍👏

I really liked the skin before the grime was applied.

Great as always! I definitely will be taking a look at that basing material, geek gaming scenics also makes some pretty awesome basing ranges

Your golden mate. Keep them coming , painting models has saved my sanity and I love your style

Thank you! This is actual “speed painting”.

Any plans for some AoS content when it launches? Love to see your take on some grimdark Stormcast.

This is similar to the scheme I chose for mine! Love how yours turned out

Can you paint up some grimdark gsc please!

In all my years I have never considered 'nids but, I feel as if I should steal a few plastic ones to try. Great ideas 👍

That grime is too good. I will see if I can get that goon stuff

imagine giving their eyes the fluorescent treatment of space marine lenses?

Bro this is epic 👌🏼💥

Juhuuu Clue 😂😂❤

❤