Hello, I'm Makiwo G, and I sell Warhammer in Nagano Prefecture.
This time, I'll be showing you my painting method for the Thousand Sons (hereafter, Sons) Rubric Marines.
I'm writing this article based on my experience painting several Rubric Marines, but of course, my method isn't the only correct way.
Nevertheless, I hope it can be of some help to someone.
From Undercoat to Base Color (Battle Ready)
I often use Contrast paints, so I apply a white undercoat, but a black undercoat is also fine (starting with black means you can skip the initial black painting step).
① Paint the back of the knees, leg joints, belts, etc., black with 'Abaddon Black'
I thought it would be troublesome to fix any black overflow after painting blue and gold, so I started with the black areas first.
② Roughly paint with 'Thousand Sons Blue'
③ Apply 'Drakenhof Nightshade' over 'Thousand Sons Blue'
The Sons have many areas where blue and gold are adjacent, so I applied the blue shade before painting the gold to prevent the shade colors from mixing.
You can adjust the order of these steps to whatever works best for you.
④ Paint with 'Retributor Armour'
The Sons are characterized by their gold and blue armor, aren't they?
⑤ Paint Contrast 'Guilliman Flesh' over the gold
I always darken the gold this way, but there are other methods, such as mixing 'Retributor Armour' and 'Rhinox Hide'.
Choose the one you prefer.
I like this gold.
⑥ Lightly tint the loincloth with 'Soulblight Grey'
It's a subtle change, but I use Soulblight Grey when painting white fabric.
Battle Ready Complete! 
Areas of Compromise
While I put a lot of effort into painting large miniatures like Magnus, for units that require 20-30 models, like Rubric Marines, I compromise on the painting to some extent.
Makiwo G's compromise points:
Don't paint areas where the brush can't reach.
Besides the 'belly hidden by the gun,' I also don't paint the 'back of the gun' or 'around the collar.'
Adding Highlights (Parade Ready)
Now, let's add highlights using layer paints.
⑦ For highlights on 'Retributor Armour,' use 'Auric Armour Gold'
Mainly highlight convex areas such as the head, feet, round parts on the shoulders, and the backpack.
※Caution:
Like other metallic paints, 'Auric Armour Gold' often separates if left unused for a while.
Shaking it by hand is difficult, and proper mixing might not be achieved, so using a machine like a vortex mixer is recommended.
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⑧ Finish with 'Stormhost Silver'
Apply a small amount of 'Stormhost Silver' to the most protruding parts where 'Auric Armour Gold' was previously applied.
It should be clear when you put them side by side.
Parade Ready complete!
Key Areas to Put Effort Into
⑨ Darken the underside of the armor's raised parts (rivets?) with 'Guilliman Flesh'
This clearly distinguishes between areas that are bright from light hitting them (↑) and those that are dark in shadow (↓).
Before
After
⑩ Paint the head with stripes
This is what the Sons are known for! I paint the Sons for this very reason.
Paint in the order of base 'Averland Sunset' → shade 'Casandora Yellow' → layer 'Flash Gitz Yellow'.
Mark out the areas to avoid painting mistakes
Yellow has weaker coverage, so starting with yellow first and then blue might be a good approach.
I consider it good enough when the blue is covered to this extent.
Apply shade → layer, and it's done!
⑪ Layering of blue armor
This is an area where I personally question if it's necessary.
It looks cool on black armor (like StoD), though.
I also tried 'Ahriman Blue' for the layer, but since there was almost no color difference, I'm using 'Temple Guard Blue'.
Honestly, it's hard to tell the difference at a glance, except for the stripes on the head, so you probably don't need to do it.
However, I recommend trying it once to see "how far can I push myself?"
⑫ Highlighting black areas
For highlighting black metal areas like armor and guns, I use 'Incubi Darkness' → (I didn't use it this time, but 'Dark Reaper' →) 'Fenrisian Grey'.
I just realized I didn't paint the back of the head... I wonder if the Sons have stripes on the back too?
Summary
This time, I painted a Rubric Marine from the Sons.
As I mentioned earlier regarding areas of compromise, I don't put my full effort into painting every miniature, nor do I believe this method is the only correct one.
Nevertheless, I hope it can be of some help to those who are just starting to paint.
The paints introduced in this article are summarized below, so if you're interested after reading, please consider purchasing from our store. Makiwo G will be delighted and will update the article.
That's all for this time.
May you all have a great painting life! Cheers!
The paints introduced this time can be purchased here.
