Painting THE LESHEN from The Witcher: Old World

Steps

1. 1 Base-coat all the bark-like skin of the Leshen with Warm Grey.
2. 2 Base-coat the clothing with Leather Brown.
3. 3 Base-coat the skulls and bones with Bone White.
4. 4 Dry-brush the skin with Ivory to pick out texture.
5. 5 Wash the entire skin area with Seraphim Sepia to tint the color and bring back a wood-like feel.
6. 6 Apply Agrax Earthshade over the entire miniature painted so far, including the horns.
7. 7 Apply Nuln Oil over all the leather areas for a worn, dirty look.
8. 8 Paint some of the fallen leaves on the base with Jokaero Orange and others with Deathworld Forest, stippling some of the Deathworld Forest randomly for color.
9. 9 Dry-brush the skin and bark areas again with a mix of Cold Grey and Deathworld Forest to bring the texture back.
10. 10 Base-coat the wolf with Silver Grey, to be detailed later.
11. 11 Base-coat the pieces of wood lying on the base with Brown Sand, to keep them distinct from the Leshen's own bark.
12. 12 Paint more of the leaves with Olive Green, stippling some around the base for variation.
13. 13 Base-coat the wooden totems on his back with Gorthor Brown.
14. 14 Paint the tie around his waist and the stitching on the clothing with Bone White.
15. 15 Highlight the clothing with Leather Brown on the raised surfaces, the tops of the folds, and the worn edges.
16. 16 Dry-brush the antlers and face with Bone White, then lighten it with Ivory for a smaller highlight over just the upper portions, and touch up the face by hand with a regular brush.
17. 17 Touch up the skull and bone on the totem, then highlight the rest of it by lightening Gorthor Brown with Ivory on the edges and raised surfaces, adding more Ivory to sketch in indications of wood grain.
18. 18 Slather the entire base in Athonian Camoshade.
19. 19 Cover the totem and the white fabric details — the tie and stitching — with Agrax Earthshade.
20. 20 Selectively fill the skull's eye sockets and nose hole, and hit the rest of the skull, with Nuln Oil.
21. 21 Base-coat the wolf's underside with Ashen Stone speed paint and its top with Gravelord Grey speed paint for a standard grey-wolf look.
22. 22 Dry-brush Bone White over the base while the speed paints dry.
23. 23 Fill in the wolf's eyes with Ice Yellow and paint its teeth with Ivory.
24. 24 Paint the wolf's nose and outline its mouth with Abaddon Black.
25. 25 Touch up around the wolf's face with more Ashen Stone, brushing it into the transition area, then wet-blend a fresh coat of Gravelord Grey into it while it's still wet.
26. 26 Wash the base, and some portions of the Leshen, with Biel-Tan Green for extra color variety.
27. 27 Paint the rim of the base with Abaddon Black.
28. 28 Enhance the shadows on the wolf with Nuln Oil, around the mouth and along the legs and tail.

Paints used

• Abaddon Black (Citadel)

  Wolf's nose and mouth outline, and the base rim

• Agrax Earthshade (Citadel)

  Wash over the entire miniature including the horns, and later over the totem and the white fabric details

• Ashen Stone (Army Painter)

  Base coat for the wolf's underside; touch-ups around the face; wet-blended with Gravelord Grey on the transition

• Athonian Camoshade (Citadel)

  Slathered over the entire base

• Biel-Tan Green (Citadel)

  Wash over the base and some portions of the Leshen for color variety

• Bone White (Vallejo, Game Color)

  Base coat for the skulls and bones; the tie and stitching on the clothing; dry-brushed on the antlers and face; dry-brushed on the base

• Brown Sand (Vallejo, Model Color)

  Base coat for the pieces of wood on the base

• Cold Grey (Vallejo, Game Color)

  Mixed with Deathworld Forest for a second dry-brush pass on the skin

• Deathworld Forest (Citadel)

  Some of the leaves on the base, stippled randomly; mixed with Cold Grey for a second skin dry brush

• Gorthor Brown (Citadel)

  Base coat for the wooden totems on his back; lightened with Ivory for the totem highlights and wood-grain detail

• Gravelord Grey (Army Painter)

  Base coat for the wolf's top half; a fresh coat wet-blended into the Ashen Stone transition

• Ice Yellow (Vallejo, Model Color)

  Fills the wolf's eyes

• Ivory (Vallejo, Model Color)

  First dry-brush highlight on the skin; lightens Bone White for the antler/face highlight; lightens Gorthor Brown for the totem highlight and wood grain; paints the wolf's teeth

• Jokaero Orange (Citadel)

  Some of the fallen leaves on the base

• Leather Brown (Vallejo, Game Color)

  Base coat for the clothing; highlighted on the raised surfaces, fold tops, and worn edges

• Nuln Oil (Citadel)

  Wash over the leather areas; fills the skull's eye sockets and nose hole; final shadow enhancement on the wolf's mouth, legs, and tail

• Olive Green (Vallejo, Model Color)

  More of the leaves on the base, stippled for variation

• Seraphim Sepia (Citadel)

  Wash over the entire skin area to tint it and bring back a wood-like feel

• Silver Grey (Vallejo, Model Color)

  Base coat for the wolf, to be detailed later

• Warm Grey (AK Interactive, 3rd Generation)

  Base coat for all the bark-like skin