How I Paint Claws of Karanak
How to Paint Khorne Warriors on Miniatures – Claws of Karanak Warband Guide
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In recent weeks I’ve been thinking about playing Age of Sigmar: Spearhead, and I wanted to finish painting the Fangs of the Blood God.
Back in 2020 I painted up the Flesh Hounds of Khorne, so this project focused on completing the Claws of Karanak warband. The aim was to tie these models into my existing Khorne force, combining the tones from the Flesh Hounds with the richer reds of my Blood Warriors.
My Claws of Karanak
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support the blog at no extra cost to you.
In recent weeks I’ve been thinking about playing Age of Sigmar: Spearhead, and I wanted to finish painting the Fangs of the Blood God.
Back in 2020 I painted up the Flesh Hounds of Khorne, so this project focused on completing the Claws of Karanak warband. The aim was to tie these models into my existing Khorne force, combining the tones from the Flesh Hounds with the richer reds of my Blood Warriors.
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| My Claws of Karanak |
Brushes and Paints used:
- Raphael Brush Series 8404 Size 1 (Amazon Associate link)
- Winsor & Newton Sable Series 7 Brush No 0 (Amazon Associate link)
- Citadel Medium Layer Brush - Synthetic
- Citadel Small Layer Brush - Synthetic
- Citadel Small Drybrush - Synthetic (Amazon Associate link)
The Citadel (synthetic) brushes are good relatively inexpensive brushes that I use for most of my basecoat and shading work. When I move onto highlights and detail and then switch to the more expensive Raphael and Windsor & Newton brushes.
Once I have finished painting, the brushes are always cleaned with brush soap, Masters Brush Cleaner 1 Oz (Amazon Associate link).
Paints required:
Primer
- Matt Black Spray (Amazon Affiliate link)
- Rakarth Flesh
- Khorne Red
- Rhinox Hide
- Leadbelcher
- Brass Scorpion
- Abaddon Black
- Steel Legion Drab
- Dryad Bark
- Mournfang Brown
- Zandri Dust
- Reikland Fleshshade
- Nuln Oil
- Agrax Earthshade
- Druchii Violet
- Athonian Camoshade
- Berserker Bloodshade
- Warpfiend Grey
- Administratum Grey
- Cadian Fleshtone
- Evil Sunz Scarlet
- Wild Rider Red
- Ironbreaker
- Stormhost Silver
- Runelord Brass
- Eshin Grey
- Karak Stone
- Ushabti Bone
- Screaming Skull
- Kislev Flesh
- Barak‑Var Burgundy
- Pink Horror
- Mechanicus Standard Grey
- Dawnstone
- Karak Stone
- Screaming Skull
- Blood for the Blood God
- Sand
- PVA glue
- Pieces of Slate
- Gamer Grass Alien Void tufts (Amazon Affiliate link)
Batch painting approach
These miniatures were painted using a batch method. I first applied all of the basecoats across the models, then worked through all of the washes and shades, and finally completed the highlighting and basing. This approach helps maintain consistency and makes the process more efficient when working on multiple models.
Painting Method
Priming
The miniatures were primed with Matt Black spray, providing a solid base for the darker tones used throughout the scheme.
Priming
The miniatures were primed with Matt Black spray, providing a solid base for the darker tones used throughout the scheme.
Painting the Flesh
The flesh was painted first, starting with a basecoat of Rakarth Flesh. Once this had fully dried, it was washed with Reikland Fleshshade to build depth and definition. At this stage the flesh was left as it was, with highlights added later once the rest of the miniature had been blocked in.
The flesh was painted first, starting with a basecoat of Rakarth Flesh. Once this had fully dried, it was washed with Reikland Fleshshade to build depth and definition. At this stage the flesh was left as it was, with highlights added later once the rest of the miniature had been blocked in.
Basecoats
At the basecoat stage, the aim was simply to establish the main colour placement across the models. The armour, leather cloaks, and Fleshhound frills were painted with Khorne Red, while the fur on the cloaks was picked out using Rhinox Hide. The metallic areas such as blades and chains were basecoated with Leadbelcher, and the brass trim and helmets were painted with Brass Scorpion.
The trousers were painted Abaddon Black, while the various bindings on the arms and weapons were painted using Steel Legion Drab and Mournfang Brown. The weapon hafts were given a basecoat of Dryad Bark, and finally bones, fangs, and skulls were painted with Zandri Dust.
At the basecoat stage, the aim was simply to establish the main colour placement across the models. The armour, leather cloaks, and Fleshhound frills were painted with Khorne Red, while the fur on the cloaks was picked out using Rhinox Hide. The metallic areas such as blades and chains were basecoated with Leadbelcher, and the brass trim and helmets were painted with Brass Scorpion.
The trousers were painted Abaddon Black, while the various bindings on the arms and weapons were painted using Steel Legion Drab and Mournfang Brown. The weapon hafts were given a basecoat of Dryad Bark, and finally bones, fangs, and skulls were painted with Zandri Dust.
Washes and Shades
All of the washes were applied in a single stage, working on one model at a time. Nuln Oil was applied across the armour, cloaks, blades, chains, trousers, and weapon hafts, helping to deepen the shadows and unify the surfaces.
Agrax Earthshade was then used on the brass trim, bindings, and bone details, adding warmth and depth to those areas. The fur was shaded separately with Druchii Violet, which adds a slightly unnatural tone that works well with Khorne models.
Once applied, the washes were left overnight to dry fully before moving on to the next stage.
All of the washes were applied in a single stage, working on one model at a time. Nuln Oil was applied across the armour, cloaks, blades, chains, trousers, and weapon hafts, helping to deepen the shadows and unify the surfaces.
Agrax Earthshade was then used on the brass trim, bindings, and bone details, adding warmth and depth to those areas. The fur was shaded separately with Druchii Violet, which adds a slightly unnatural tone that works well with Khorne models.
Once applied, the washes were left overnight to dry fully before moving on to the next stage.
Highlighting
At this point the models look solid, but slightly dark. The highlighting stage is where the scheme really comes together, adding contrast and variation.
The fur was carefully drybrushed first with Warpfiend Grey and then with a lighter mix of Warpfiend Grey and Administratum Grey. The second pass was applied more sparingly to avoid overpowering the base colour.
The red leather cloaks were treated differently to the armour. I glazed thinned Khorne Red over the raised areas to re-establish the colour, and then gradually introduced Cadian Fleshtone into the mix to build up the highlights. This creates a softer, more organic, which I wanted to represent the hide of a fleshhound.
For the red armour, I wanted a brighter, more defined finish. I began by re-establishing Khorne Red on the panels, leaving the recess shading intact. I then used Evil Sunz Scarlet as a glaze across roughly half of each panel to create a smooth transition. Finally, the edges were highlighted with Evil Sunz Scarlet and then Wild Rider Red.
The metal areas were highlighted with Ironbreaker, with the sharpest edges picked out using Stormhost Silver. The brass trim was highlighted using Runelord Brass to bring back some warmth and shine.
The bindings were given subtle highlights to avoid drawing too much attention, while the trousers were lightened slightly with a mix of Abaddon Black and Eshin Grey.
Bone details were built up in stages, starting with Karak Stone, then Ushabti Bone, and finally Screaming Skull for the brightest highlights.
The flesh was then revisited and highlighted with Kislev Flesh. On one of the models, I used Berserker Bloodshade in the recesses and over the veins to add additional depth and variation.
The Fleshhound frills were glazed with Druchii Violet and then highlighted with a mix of Barak-Var Burgundy and Pink Horror to give them a more vibrant finish.
At this point the models look solid, but slightly dark. The highlighting stage is where the scheme really comes together, adding contrast and variation.
The fur was carefully drybrushed first with Warpfiend Grey and then with a lighter mix of Warpfiend Grey and Administratum Grey. The second pass was applied more sparingly to avoid overpowering the base colour.
The red leather cloaks were treated differently to the armour. I glazed thinned Khorne Red over the raised areas to re-establish the colour, and then gradually introduced Cadian Fleshtone into the mix to build up the highlights. This creates a softer, more organic, which I wanted to represent the hide of a fleshhound.
For the red armour, I wanted a brighter, more defined finish. I began by re-establishing Khorne Red on the panels, leaving the recess shading intact. I then used Evil Sunz Scarlet as a glaze across roughly half of each panel to create a smooth transition. Finally, the edges were highlighted with Evil Sunz Scarlet and then Wild Rider Red.
The metal areas were highlighted with Ironbreaker, with the sharpest edges picked out using Stormhost Silver. The brass trim was highlighted using Runelord Brass to bring back some warmth and shine.
The bindings were given subtle highlights to avoid drawing too much attention, while the trousers were lightened slightly with a mix of Abaddon Black and Eshin Grey.
Bone details were built up in stages, starting with Karak Stone, then Ushabti Bone, and finally Screaming Skull for the brightest highlights.
The flesh was then revisited and highlighted with Kislev Flesh. On one of the models, I used Berserker Bloodshade in the recesses and over the veins to add additional depth and variation.
The Fleshhound frills were glazed with Druchii Violet and then highlighted with a mix of Barak-Var Burgundy and Pink Horror to give them a more vibrant finish.
Basing
The bases were built up by first gluing small pieces of slate into place, followed by sand to fill the remaining areas. Once dry, everything was painted black to create a consistent starting point.
The base was then drybrushed with Mechanicus Standard Grey and Dawnstone to establish the main texture. After this, a wash of Athonian Camoshade was applied to add depth.
Once the wash had dried, the rocks were further highlighted with Dawnstone and Administratum Grey, while the sand was highlighted using Karak Stone and Screaming Skull.
To add additional detail, patches of the base were painted with Zandri Dust and then coated with Blood for the Blood God. Finally, tufts of Gamer Grass Alien Void were added for addition texture and interest.
My Packlord
My Brutalisers
My Blood Whelps
Key Points
The bases were built up by first gluing small pieces of slate into place, followed by sand to fill the remaining areas. Once dry, everything was painted black to create a consistent starting point.
The base was then drybrushed with Mechanicus Standard Grey and Dawnstone to establish the main texture. After this, a wash of Athonian Camoshade was applied to add depth.
Once the wash had dried, the rocks were further highlighted with Dawnstone and Administratum Grey, while the sand was highlighted using Karak Stone and Screaming Skull.
To add additional detail, patches of the base were painted with Zandri Dust and then coated with Blood for the Blood God. Finally, tufts of Gamer Grass Alien Void were added for addition texture and interest.
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| My Packlord |
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| My Brutalisers |
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| My Blood Whelps |
Key Points
This scheme works because the different textures on the miniature are treated in slightly different ways, while still using a consistent palette of colours. The combination of washes and controlled highlights helps build depth without making the models overly complex. Using a batch painting approach also helps keep the process efficient and ensures the warband remains visually cohesive.
This scheme works because the different textures on the miniature are treated in slightly different ways, while still using a consistent palette of colours. The combination of washes and controlled highlights helps build depth without making the models overly complex. Using a batch painting approach also helps keep the process efficient and ensures the warband remains visually cohesive.
Related Guides
This guide is part of my Miniature Painting Guides collection.
This guide is part of my Miniature Painting Guides collection.
Discussion
How do you approach painting Khorne or Chaos forces?
Do you prefer a consistent colour scheme across a unit, or more variation between individual models?
Let me know in the comments, I’d be interested to hear what’s worked for you.
Happy hobbying!
If you’re enjoying the content, feel free to follow the blog, it really helps and keeps you updated with new tutorials.
Return to my home page.
How do you approach painting Khorne or Chaos forces?
Do you prefer a consistent colour scheme across a unit, or more variation between individual models?
Let me know in the comments, I’d be interested to hear what’s worked for you.
Happy hobbying!
If you’re enjoying the content, feel free to follow the blog, it really helps and keeps you updated with new tutorials.
Return to my home page.
Washes and shades
All the washes were applied at the same time. The aim was to work quickly, focusing on one model at a time.
The first shade applied was Nuln Oil. This was applied to the armour, red leather cloaks, Fleshhound frills trousers, blades and chains, weapon hafts, and bindings on the hafts.
The second shade was Agrax Earthshade. This was applied to the metal trim, helmets, decorations, bindings on the arms, and any bones, fangs, and skulls.
Finally, the fur was shaded with Druchii Violet.
These washes were then left overnight to dry.
Highlighting
At this point, the miniatures look quite good but a little dark. Highlights were applied to brighten the models and to shift the tones of the different colours to add more visual interest.
The first highlighting step was to very carefully drybrush the fur. This was first drybrushed with Warpfiend Grey, and then with a 1:1 mix of Warpfiend Grey and Administratum Grey. The second drybrush was applied more sparingly.
For the red leather cloaks, I wanted to represent the hides of the Fleshhounds. These were first highlighted with heavily thinned Khorne Red, used as a glaze on the raised portions of the cloth. Next, I added a small amount of Cadian Fleshtone to the Khorne Red and continued to build up the highlights.
Next, I worked on the red armour. I wanted this to be a different red from the leather cloaks—much brighter. I began by thinning Khorne Red and re‑establishing the colour on the armour panels, taking care to leave the shade in the recesses. I then used thinned Evil Sunz Scarlet to glaze half of each armour panel, creating a transition from dark to light. The panels were then edge highlighted first with Evil Sunz Scarlet and then with Wild Rider Red.
The chains and weapon blades were highlighted with Ironbreaker. Finally, the sharp edges of the weapons were edge highlighted with Stormhost Silver.
The brass metal trim and helmets were highlighted with Runelord Brass.
The bindings on the arms were given a minimal highlight of Steel Legion Drab.
The trousers were highlighted with a mix of Abaddon Black and Eshin Grey, being careful not to make them look grey overall.
The skulls and fangs were first highlighted with Karak Stone, then Ushabti Bone, and finally Screaming Skull.
The flesh was highlighted with Kislev Flesh. On one model, I painted a little Berserker Bloodshade over the veins on the arms and into the recesses on the feet, hands, and chest.
Finally, I painted Druchii Violet over the Fleshhound frills on the helmet. Once this was dry, I highlighted them with a mix of Barak‑Var Burgundy and Pink Horror.
Basing
To base the miniatures, I glued small pieces of slate to the bases before applying sand to the remaining areas. On my Khorne miniatures, I leave a few small patches of the base as bare plastic.
Once dry, the sand and rocks were painted with Abaddon Black and left to thoroughly dry.
The sand and rocks were then drybrushed (using an old drybrush, as this is very rough on the bristles) with Mechanicus Standard Grey and then Dawnstone. Once dry, the base was washed with Athonian Camoshade and again left to dry.
Next, the rocks (but not the sand) were drybrushed with Dawnstone and then Administratum Grey. The sand was lightly drybrushed with Karak Stone and then Screaming Skull.
The bare patches of the base were painted with Zandri Dust. Once dry, they were painted over with Blood for the Blood God.
Finally, I add tufts of Gamer Grass Alien Void to the base. These were given a light drybrush of Khorne Red across the top to add a slight variation in colour.
How did you find the method? Have you any questions? Let me know in the comments. Happy Hobbying.
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