How I paint Goblin Infantry - Oathmark
How I Paint Oathmark Goblins
When I started building my Oathmark Orc and Goblin army, the first miniatures I painted were a handful of Goblin Soldiers. Before committing to a larger force, I wanted to develop a painting scheme that was both quick to apply and effective across large units.
For rank-and-file troops, my priority is always speed and consistency. Individual Goblins do not need to be display pieces, but a unit of twenty painted to a consistent standard can look very impressive on the battlefield. The method described below is designed with that goal in mind.
Although I originally painted these miniatures for Oathmark, the same approach would work equally well for Goblins in many other fantasy systems.
New to painting miniatures? Start with the basics before tackling larger projects.
Paints Required
- Matt Black Spray
- Leadbelcher
- Mournfang Brown
- Skrag Brown
- Skavenblight Dinge
- Stormvermin Fur
- Dryad Bark
- Khorne Red
- Evil Suns Scarlet
- Abaddon Black
- Steel Legion Drab
- Baneblade Brown
- Karak Stone
- Army Painter Strong Tone
- Rhinox Hide
- Doombull Brown
- Balthasar Gold
- Zandri Dust
- Dawnstone
- Administratum Grey
- Xereus Purple
Undercoating and Initial Drybrushing
The miniature was undercoated with Matt Black spray. Once dry, all of the metal armour and weapons were given a heavy drybrush of Leadbelcher. I was not particularly careful during this stage as the following basecoats would tidy most of the miniature.
Applying the Base Colours
With the undercoat and metalwork complete, I applied the various base colours across the model. At this stage I focused on blocking out the different materials rather than worrying about highlights or neat transitions.
- Skin – Skavenblight Dinge
- Weapon hafts – Dryad Bark
- Brown clothing – Mournfang Brown
- Dark clothing – Rhinox Hide
- Belts – Abaddon Black
- Pouches – Steel Legion Drab
- Fur – Dawnstone
- Dagger hilt – Balthasar Gold
- Dagger wrapping – Zandri Dust
- Teeth – Zandri Dust
I wanted red to act as an identifying colour throughout the unit, so each Goblin was given at least one item of red clothing. On this particular model, I used Khorne Red on the trousers.
Applying the Wash
Once all of the base colours were dry, the entire miniature was washed with Army Painter Strong Tone. This stage ties the colours together, adds shading to the recesses and provides much of the character of the finished model.
It is important to allow the wash to dry fully before moving on to the highlighting stage.
Highlights
Once the wash had dried, I began restoring brightness to the miniature with a series of quick highlights. The aim was not to create a showcase piece but simply to bring the colours back to life after being darkened by the wash.
- Mournfang Brown → Mournfang Brown, then Skrag Brown
- Rhinox Hide → Doombull Brown
- Skin → Stormvermin Fur
- Pouches → Steel Legion Drab, then Karak Stone
- Fur → Dawnstone, then Administratum Grey
- Teeth → Karak Stone
- Weapon hafts → Light drybrush of Karak Stone
- Red cloth → Khorne Red, then a 1:1 mix of Khorne Red and Evil Suns Scarlet
The armour was also given a light drybrush of Leadbelcher to restore some of the metallic shine that had been dulled by the Strong Tone wash.
Finally, the lip was painted using a mix of Xereus Purple and Skavenblight Dinge to help distinguish it from the surrounding flesh.
Finishing the Miniature
The shield was painted with Abaddon Black, requiring two thin coats to achieve a solid finish. Once all of the highlights were complete, the miniature was based as desired.
Throughout this process I applied the highlights fairly quickly. These Goblins are rank-and-file troops and their purpose is to look good as part of a unit rather than stand up to close inspection individually. Neatness is important, but speed is equally important when painting large fantasy armies.
This method has proven ideal for batch painting and allows units to be completed relatively quickly. I intend to use the same approach for my Wolf Riders, although I will vary the identifying colours between units. Future regiments are likely to use greens or blues instead of red to help distinguish them on the battlefield.
Final Thoughts
I have been very pleased with how these Goblins turned out. The combination of strong base colours, a heavy wash and simple highlights produces miniatures that look effective on the tabletop without requiring huge amounts of time.
Most importantly, the method scales well. Whether painting five Goblins or an entire regiment, the process remains quick, straightforward and easy to repeat across a large army.
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Discussions
If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to leave them below. I always enjoy hearing how other hobbyists approach their Orcs and Goblins.
Happy hobbying!
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