Painting Warhammer 40k Tyranids

Phase 1: Three colours to make you go

• Bronzed Flesh on most body, claws &c.
• Enchanted Blue on carapace plates (mostly back and tail but for example Trygons and Zoanthropes have pieces of it on the chest)
• Blood Red on "open flesh" pieces like joints, mouth, brain (see the Malanthrope) &c.

Just paint the base to your usual design (for example Goblin Green) and you are ready to go.

Phase 2: Washes

• Start with Ogryn Flesh wash on areas painted earlier with Bronzed Flesh and Blood Red
• Wash carapace pieces with Badab Black
• Apply carefully thinned Badab Black to other areas to bring out some crevices

Phase 3: Highlights

• Highlight body elements with Elf Flesh
• Layer highlights on claws and weapons with mixtures of Elf Flesh and Skull White
• Do the same on carapace elements with mixtures of Enchanted Blue and Skull White as well