Citadel Contrast paints are a fantastic way to get your models up to a Battle Ready standard right away, with the specially formulated colours acting as both a Layer and a Shade at the same time. To show off the kind of results you can achieve with a few Contrast paints, some details, and a metallic basecoat, we asked Tyler Mengel (who you may remember from previous From the Mind of Mengel guides) to demonstrate his technique for the notoriously finicky Howling Griffons.
Tyler: The Howling Griffons have always been one of my favourite Space Marine Chapters. They have a distinctive and striking colour scheme, but it’s also one of the more challenging ones. Not only is it quartered, but it’s also red and yellow – two of the harder colours to paint.
I’m always looking for ways to use Contrast paints to speed up my painting, and after seeing an amazing Blood Angel painted in a metallic red by the legendary Darren Latham,* I knew I had to try something similar with the Howling Griffons.
Many of the basics are taken from how he painted his Blood Angel but tweaked slightly and expanded upon to fit the Howling Griffons’ colours. This model took me about 2-3 hours to paint, which makes a playable Space Marines force very quick to complete.
Step 1
I primed the entire model with Retributor Armour spray. I then went in with some regular Retributor Armour and covered any areas the spray missed to make sure it had a nice, solid coat.
Step 2
Now we move onto the quartering – the Howling Griffons have a very distinct red and yellow quartered scheme.
I started with the red. For this, I used the Blood Angels Red contrast paint, and I started by painting the lines near where it meets the yellow. Be as neat as you can with this. Once the lines dividing the colours were on, I filled in the rest.
I did this an armour segment at a time, starting with the red half of the helmet, then the red half of the chest, then the opposite leg and the arm, and so on. By doing it this way, it’s easier to get all the paint on before it dries.
I then went back with some Retributor Armour to tidy up the middle line where it will meet the yellow.
Step 3
For this step, I did the same thing but with Iyanden Yellow for the yellow parts. This makes the gold richer and a tad more yellow. You don’t need to be quite as careful at the dividing line, since a little bit of this yellow on top of the red won’t be super obvious.
For both of these steps, I was careful to make sure the paint didn’t pool in open spaces on the model. You want as smooth a colour as you can get.
Step 4
With the two main colours on, it was time to give them a bit more definition. Using some Wyldwood thinned with water, I picked out the recesses of the armour. You don’t need to worry about this step for areas you can’t quite reach or can’t really see. Stick to what’s visible.
Step 5
I basecoated all of the weapons and other silver areas with Leadbelcher.
Step 6
I gave these a wash of a 50/50 mix of Basilicanum Grey and Contrast Medium.
Step 7
The weapon cases were given two solid coats of Black Templar.
Step 8
Now comes the fun weathering and highlight stage. Using a bit of spare foam or sponge, I added silver chipping all over the model. To do this, I put some Stormhost Silver on my palette then dipped a section of the foam into it. Do a few practice dabs on some paper towels to make sure the right amount of paint is coming off. You don’t want to overload the model with this.
Once I was happy, I went ahead and started dabbing this on high-wear areas of the model, as well as near edges. Remember, it’s easier to do too little and come back to add more instead of overdoing it to start with.
I also went in with a brush and picked out a few edges, as well as adding straight scratches on areas like the chainsword. You don't need to pick out every edge here.
When this was done, I’d finished the highlights on the main part of the model.
Step 9
Next, I went in with Black Templar and put two solid coats on all of the leather areas, as well as the soft armour between the joints.
You could do this at the same time as the weapon casings, but you’d likely have to go back and clean it up after the weathering, so it’s best just to wait till this step.
Step 10
All of the leather and the prominent areas of soft armour got an edge highlight of Dawnstone.
Step 11
This was finished up with dots of Grey Seer in the corners of the leather.
Step 12
The paper on the purity seal was basecoated with Wraithbone.
Step 13
The eye lenses were basecoated with Corax White. I left a line of the darker colour showing around the edge of this.
Step 14
The paper was then shaded with Seraphim Sepia.
Step 15
I gave the eyes a coat of Aethermatic Blue. It’s okay to have this spill over a bit onto the helmet for a slight glow effect.
Step 16
Both the paper and the eyes were highlighted with White Scar. For the eyes, I picked out an area near the middle of them so it looks brighter there.
Step 17
I then used thinned-down Wyldwood to paint the script on the purity seal and to define the line between the two pieces of paper a bit more.
Step 18
The wax of the purity seal was basecoated with Kabalite Green.
Step 19
Lastly, I highlighted this with a mix of Kabalite Green and Screaming Skull, followed by a second, much smaller highlight with a little more Screaming Skull mixed in to pick out the most prominent areas.
That’s it. Base your model how you like, and your Howling Griffon is ready to go. I went with a darker and colder city look using a Sector Imperialis base to contrast with the warmer tones of the model.
I’m already working on the rest of his five-man Assault Intercessor squad, and I have some Eradicators, Bladeguard, and champions assembled and primed to make up a 25 power level Crusade force. Soon they’ll be ready to join the Indomitus Crusade.
Thanks, Tyler. If you want to achieve results like this yourself, pick up a few Contrast Paints today and have your army ready to earn 10 extra victory points in no time. These paints work especially well with the new Citadel STC brush range too, so make sure you give them a try.
* A miniatures designer, painter, and winner of many Golden Demon awards. Even if you don’t know his name, you definitely know his work.