The Feculant Gnarlmaw is a grotesque daemonic tree for the forces of Nurgle. It provides buffs to nearby Maggotkin but cost no points in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. As such they can be overlook, even though they are an essential part of the army. The Gnarlmaw has a range of different components, each requiring a different paint scheme and set of techniques.
This is my take on painting this miniature.
Paints Required:
- Abaddon Black
- Administratum Grey
- Agrax Earthshade
- Athonian Camoshade
- Baharroth Blue
- Balthasar Gold
- Blood for the Blood God (or Blood Angels Red)
- Cadian Fleshtone
- Cassandora Yellow
- Chaos Black (spray)
- Contrast Medium
- Dawnstone
- Druchii Violet
- Hashut Copper
- Ionrach Skin
- Ironbreaker
- Kabalite Green
- Karak Stone
- Kislev Flesh
- Lahmian Medium
- Leadbelcher
- Leadbelcher spray (optional)
- Mechanicum Standard Grey
- Mournfang Brown
- Nuln Oil
- Pallid Wych Flesh
- Poxwalker (used as a glaze, could be any similar tone)
- Rakarth Flesh
- Reikland Fleshshade
- Rhinox Hide
- Screamer Pink
- Screaming Skull
- Seraphim Sepia
- Steel Legion Drab
- Stormcast Silver
- Stormvermin Fur
- Sybarite Green
- Sycorax Bronze
- Temple Guard Blue
- Troll Slayer Orange
- Ushabti Bone
- White (e.g. Army Painter Matt White or Citadel White Scar)
- Wyrdwood
- Yriel Yellow
- Zandri Dust
- Zandri Dust spray (optional)
Construction and preparation
The Gnarlmaw was sub assembled. The trunk, the base, the three hives and the six bells. These were all undercoated with Chaos Black spray. The hives were then given a light spray of Zandri Dust, as were the maggots and tentacles on the base. The bells were given a light spray with Leadbelcher. The light sprays help with the base coats by making it easier to achieve a nice solid finish.
The bark
The bark of the tree was given a base coat of Rhinox Hide. Once this was dry, the bark was dry brushed with Stormvermin Fur and then with Administratum Grey.
Next, Athonian Camoshade was applied to patches of the bark. These patches were mainly focused on and around the pustules and also any cracks in the bark. Once the shade paint was full dry, the pustules were picked out with Ionrach Skin.
The pustules were then given two washes of Seraphim Sepia. Additionally, Seraphim Sepia was applied to a few small patches of the bark to break up the uniformity. Once dry the pustules were dry, they were dry brushed with Ionrach Skin. The metal hoops and bands were then picked out with Leadbelcher mixed with a tiny quantity of Rhinox Hide.
The metal hoops and rings were then given a wash with Nuln Oil. When this was dry they were weathered with patches of watered-down Skrag Brown, followed by small quantities of watered-down Troll Slayer Orange.
The Nurgle symbol of the back of the tree was painted with Rakarth Flesh. The Nurgling, climbing out of the bark, was painted with Zandri Dust. The straps, on the branches holding the rings, were painted Mournfang Brown.
The symbol was then washed with Athonian Camoshade and then with thinned Biel-Tan Green. The Nurgling was washed first with Cassandora Yellow and then with Reikland Felshshade. The straps (and the horn on the Nurgling) were washed Agrax Earthshade.
The straps on the branches were simply highlighted with Skrag Brown.
Flies on the Tree Bark
The wings of the flies were picked out with a 1:1 mix of Screaming Skull and White (equally, you could use Pallid Wych Flesh), which was thinned with water ustil it was slightly translucent when painted onto the miniature.
The body of each fly was painted Abaddon Black.
Then a small quantity of Agrax Earthshade was painted onto the flies between the wings and the body.
Nurgling hiding in the bark
The Nurgling was first painted with Zandri Dust. This was then washed with Cassandora Yellow, and after the yellow had dried fully then with Reikland Fleshshade. Avoiding the horn, this will be dealt with later.
The details of the Nurgling were then picked out with thinned Ushabti Bone.
The Nurgling was then glazed using a mixture of Poxwalker (you could use whichever shade colour you like) and Lahmian Medium.
The horn, already painted with Zandri Dust, was washed with Agrax Earthshade. Once dry, this was highlighted with Karak Stone, then with Screaming Skull and then with a mix of Screaming Skull and White (see the Nurgle Hives below)
To finish the Nurgling, the teeth and eye were picked out in Screaming Skull, before the eye was then painted Yriel Yellow.
Nurgle Hives
The pustules on the hives were given a base coat of Zandri Dust. This was then followed with a wash of Athonian Camoshade. This was allowed to dry thoroughly before the hives were dry brushed with Ushabti Bone.
The hives were then given a wash with Seraphim Sepia. When this was dry the hives were dry brushed with Ionrach Skin. The rims around the hives were then painted with Leadbelcher mixed with a tiny quantity of Rhinox Hide.
The metal ridges of the hives were washed with Nuln Oil. When this was dry this was given a second wash with Agrax Earthshade.
The metal was then weathered with patches of watered-down Skrag Brown, followed by small quantities of watered-down Troll Slayer Orange.
Minimal broken edge highlights of Ironbreaker with carefully applied to the rims of hives and the metal point, to reestablish the idea that these components were made of metal.
The horns were then given a basecoat of Zandri Dusts, which was follow, once it was dry, with a wash of Agrax Earthshade, do not allow to pool.
The Horns were then highlighted first with Karak Stone. Karak Stone, thinned with water, was painted on in vertical lines, which extended almost to the bottom of the horn. This was then followed by Screaming Skull, again thinned with water, this was painted to around two-thirds of the horn. Then the top half of the horn was highlighted with a mix of Screaming Skull and white (I use Army Painter Matt White), again thinned with water. Once this was all dry, the horn was glazed with a mix of Athonian Camoshade and Agrax Earthshade heavily thinned with Lahmian Medium.
To complete the hives, the open pustules were filled with a small dot of Blood for the Blood God (although you could use Blood Angels Red).
The Hives are now complete.
The Base
The maggots in the pit of the base were given a base coat of Rakarth Flesh. When this was fully dry, they were given a wash with Athonian Camoshade. When the shade was full dry, the maggots were dry brushed with Ionrach Skin, followed by a light dry brush of Pallid Wych Flesh. To finish, the maggot, but not the skull, were glazed with Athonian Camoshade, thinned with Lahmian Medium.
The base was then painted with Rhinox Hide. Care was taken to avoid painting the tentacles.
I then began by drybrushing the rocks first with Mechanicum Standard Grey and then with Dawnstone. Once the paint had dried, these were then washed with Athonian Camoshade.
Once dry the rocks were drybrushed first with Dawnstone and then with Administratum Grey. The earth around them, and the surrounding base, was then tidied up with Wyrdwood (equally, you could use Rhinox Hide, followed by a wash with Agrax Earthshade).
The earth was drybrushed with Steel Legion Drab, care was taken to avoid the rocks. Once this was complete the skulls and bones on the base were painted with Zandri Dust.
The skulls were then washed with Athonian Camoshade.
Once dry, the earth and the skulls were drybrushed with Karak Stone.
Then the skulls alone, were drybrushed with Screaming Skull. A small quantity of heavily thinned Screaming Skull was applied to the large flat areas of the craniums of the skulls. Once dry the skulls were drybrushed with Screaming Skull mixed with White. To finish, the skulls were given a thin glaze of Athonian Camoshade mixed with lots of Lahmian Medium.
I then needed to paint the tree roots. I painted them Rhinox Hide before following the Bark recipe from above.
With this complete the base, baring the tentacles and the titular Gnarlmaw were now painted.
It was now time to deal with the tentacles.
Tentacles
I completed the other stages before I began painting the tentacles.
The tentacles were given a basecoat with Zandri Dust. Once this had dried is it was first washed with Cassandora Yellow. Those was allowed to fully dry before being washed with Reikland Fleshshade.
The tentacles were then painted used an old-splayed brush.
I heavily thinned some Ushabti bone and using the splayed brush painted horizontal lines across the tentacle. Do not worry about being neat, just build up the lines, and therefore, texture of the tentacles.
Once dry, wash the tentacles with Druchii Violet thinned with a little Lahmian Medium.
Next, I used my old-splayed brush to paint the horizontal lines onto the tentacles, first with heavily thinned Cadian Fleshtone, and then with heavily thinned Kislev Flesh. By now the tentacles, will have the look of bruised earthworms.
I now stuck the tree to the base.
After allowing the glue to dry, I drybrushed around the joins of the roots to the trunk with Stormvermin Grey and then Administratum Grey to tie them together.
Painting the Gnarlmaw
I began by painting the gum, with thinned Screamer Pink. It was thinned enough that the brown of the trunk still showed though. Once dry, it was highlighted with a mix of Screamer Pink and Cadian Fleshtone. The teeth were then painted in with Zandri Dust.
The teeth and the gums were then washed with Agrax Earthshade.
The teeth were then highlighted, like the horns from the Nurgle Hives above, first with Karak Stone, then with Screaming Skull and finally with Screaming Skull mixed with white.
The hives can now be attached to the tree.
The Bells, the Bells
The bells were primed with a light spray of Chaos Black; this was then followed by a light basecoat spray of Leadbelcher.
The bells were painted with Balthasar Gold.
The bell and the chain were then shaded with a wash of Agrax Earthshade.
I used a make-up sponge to apply the highlights to the bell.
First, I sponged Hashut Copper onto the bell. This was then followed by Sycorax Bronze and finally with Sycorax Bronze mixed with a small quantity of Stormcast Silver.
I then painted Agrax Earthshade into the recesses where I wanted to darken the shade.
The shiny metal needed to be tarnished. The chain was roughly painted with heavily watered down Skrag Brown, this was followed with a patchy application of heavily watered-down Troll Slayer Orange.
To tarnish the bell, I first mixed a little Kabalite Green with a little Temple Guard Blue and thinned this heavily with Contrast Medium. This was applied across the whole bell and was left to dry. I then mixed a little Sybarite Green with a little Temple Guard Blue and thinned heavily with Contrast Medium. This was applied as large patches on the bell, focusing around the recesses, and was left to dry. Finally, I then mixed a little Sybarite Green with a little Baharroth Blue and thinned heavily with Contrast Medium. This was applied in small patches to the bell, focusing on the recesses, and left to dry.
Once the tarnishing was dry, the bell was again lightly sponged with Sycorax Bronze to pick out the raised details. Then Agrax Earthshade was painted into a few of the recesses to reestablish the shade.
Constructing the miniature and adding finishing touches
Before, constructing the miniature, I used PVA glue to attach patches of static grass to the bases. Once these were dry, I gave them a light drybrush with Screaming Skull.
Then the rest of the components were glued together.
How did you find the method? Have you any questions? Let me know in the comments. Happy Hobbying.
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