Painting Challenge: Tyranids and Ankhegs

So, here’s the deal. I recently spilled the beans about this massive backlog of miniatures I’ve got going on. I know everyone’s got the grey plastic cupboard of shame. It’s like our collections keep growing, you know what I mean? Anyway, I thought it was high time I tackled this beast and made some serious progress. To that end, I decided my Tyranids were first up!

So, I made it my mission to bring these little guys to life but as quickly as possible. I mean, they’ve been sitting in my cupboard, untouched and unpainted for too long. It’s time to bust out the brushes and show some love to each and every one of them.

I want to share this quick paint recipe with you, and also it gives me a good place to come back to when I want to paint some more Tyranids. It’s not just about ticking off a checklist, it’s about taking these guys from grey plastic in a box to something I’m half proud of.

So buckle up and get ready for some serious miniature painting action! Whether you’re a pro with a paintbrush or just curious about our painting hobby (like me) I’ve got you covered. Stay tuned for more painting recipes too (Imperial Guard Cadian minis or WW2 Brits in Africa etc)

Preamble over with, lets get painting…

So high on the spreadsheet are a bunch of Games Workshop Tyranid models that I had bought off Ebay flipping ages ago. I purchased them second hand and was going to throw them at my players in a D&D game as some Ankheg proxy.

Well I’ve just bought some of GWs new Contrast paints and wanted to try them out. I thought the organic surfaces of the Tyranids would work well.

So here they are, the first completed miniatures from my 2019 painting backlog.

Tyranid Painting Recipe

  • Base Coat – Non-specific white spray paint,
  • Green flesh – Contrast Militarum Green ,
  • Blue Carapace Armour – Contrast Talassar Blue,
  • Claws – Ushabi Bone, then coated with Contrast Darkoath Flesh,
  • Tongues – Contrast Darkoath Flesh

After posting these pics of my Tyranids on Twitter, @harryaccused suggested using them as Ankhegs in Dungeons and Dragons. Perfect!

Nine miniatures done, that’s probably more than the last several years!

So, off to a good start with my painting challenge.

Next, maybe the Necromunda sprues (about 8 figures), a handful of Grey Knights or the final few stages of some WWII German Infantry from Bolt Action.

Stay tuned for more painting and less grey on the battlefields 🙂

Leave a comment