How to Paint Giant Spider - Black Widow Scheme
How I Paint Giant Spiders - Black Widow Inspired Scheme
Giant Spiders are a staple of fantasy literature, whether they are chasing Bilbo through Mirkwood, lurking in the Forbidden Forest or confronting Conan in The Tower of the Elephant. Whatever the setting, Giant Spiders are often portrayed as dangerous and terrifying creatures, making them a popular addition to many fantasy miniature armies.
This painting guide shows how I painted a Wargames Atlantic Giant Spider using a venomous Black Widow colour scheme inspired by real spiders.
If you prefer a more natural appearance, you may also be interested in my guide to painting Giant Spiders using a Natural Brown scheme inspired by the UK's Garden Spider. (coming very soon)
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The miniature used for this guide is a Giant Spider from Wargames Atlantic.
Spider Anatomy and Painting Considerations
The anatomy of a spider naturally divides into three main sections; the head and thorax, the abdomen and the legs.
When painting the miniature, I found it looked best when the head and thorax remained the darkest part of the model.
Required Paints for the Spider
- Matt Black Spray
- Abaddon Black
- Corvus Black
- Skavenblight Dinge
- Khorne Red
- Beserker Bloodshade
- Mephistone Red
- Evil Suns Scarlet
- Wild Rider Red
- Black Templar
- Grey Seer
- Eshin Grey
Priming
The miniature was primed with Matt Black spray.
The spider was then completely painted with thin coat of Abaddon Black. This just makes it easier to correct any mistakes.
The Black Body
Using Corvus Black, the lower two thirds of each leg segment was painted, taking care to leave Abaddon Black visible in the joints. The head and thorax were highlighted with Corvus Black, whilst the abdomen was painted with Corvus Black leaving only the recesses showing Abaddon Black.
Using Skavenblight Dinge, the lower third of each leg segment was painted. The head and thorax were then given a very sparing highlight of Skavenblight Dinge, less is definitely more here. The abdomen was highlighted with Corvus Black.
Dawnstone was thinned slightly with water and used to paint a thin highlight along each leg segment. Small highlights of Dawnstone were also applied to the face.
Eyes and Fangs
The eyes and fangs were painted with Black Templar, which give them a nice dark and shiny appearance.
To each eye a single small dot of Grey Seer was applied. The fangs were painted witha single thin line of Eshin Grey .
The Red Markings
Khorne Red was used to block in the spider's warning markings on the abdomen. Once dry, these markings were shaded with Beserker Bloodshade.
The markings were then painted with Mephiston Red, leaving the Berserker Bloodshade visible in the recesses. Highlights were added using Evil Suns Scarlet before a final sparing highlight of Wild Rider Red.
Basing
The base was decorated with a few small stones and a couple of short sections of twig before the remaining surface was covered in fine sand.
Once dry, the stones were painted Abaddon Black, whilst the twigs were painted Skavenblight Dinge and then washed with Agrax Earthshade. The sand was painted Rhinox Hide .
The stones were drybrushed with Mechanicum Standard Grey, followed by Dawnstone and finally Administratum Grey.
The twigs were drybrushed with Baneblade Brown and then Rakarth Flesh before receiving a thinned wash of Seraphim Sepia.
The sand was lightly drybrushed with Karak Stone.
Patches of static grass were then applied. Once dry, both the static grass and surrounding ground received a light drybrush of Screaming Skull.
Finally, bushes were added using Woodland Scenic Olive Green Bushes. To create spider webs, I teased apart small pieces of dry baby wipe and attached the resulting strands to the bushes.
Final Thoughts
I was very pleased with how these spiders turned out. The dark body combined with the bright red markings gives them a genuinely menacing appearance.
More importantly, they fit perfectly alongside my Oathmark Orcs and Goblins. Ever since reading The Hobbit, I have associated Goblins with Giant Spiders and I suspect that combination will continue to appear in my fantasy armies for many years to come.
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Discussion
What do you think of this Giant Spider colour scheme? Have you painted any Giant Spiders recently?
Happy Hobbying!
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