© North Star Military Figures Click here to order Click here to order Home Latest North Star Stargrave Frostgrave Oathmark Crusader Artizan Great War Shieldwolf The Stargrave Automatons, both straight builds and kit-bashed creations, have been speed-painted in double quick time and are now wreaking havoc across the galaxy! North Star Magazine home page SPEED PAINTING

WHY?

After photographing the exploded views for the  Automatons box, I had five models left over. Wanting  a completely different look from the ten I painted for  the Death Vector book, I decided to use Speedpaints  — ensuring they’d be distinct and, best of all, quick to  finish.

MORE

As always with these, I had plenty of leftover heads  and arms, so I kit-bashed them with some Stargrave  Troopers and speed-painted those as well!

OTHERS

If Automatons aren’t your thing, check out my other  Speedpaints articles — I’ve covered Broo, AWI  British, and Frostgrave Ghost Archipelago crews. I’ve  also written a full series on fast-painting armies for  Oathmark using The Army Painter’s Quickshade  washes and Quickshade Varnish. [CLICK HERE] to  explore them!

THOUGHT

Speedpaints definitely demand a bit more forethought  than traditional paints, particularly when it comes to  preparation and planning. The key is to anticipate how
they'll flow and interact with the surface, but once you  get the hang of it, the process becomes second  nature.

TIME

While Speedpaints streamline the painting process,  they don’t cut down on preparation or finishing time —  you’ll still need to invest just as much effort in cleaning up, assembling, varnishing, and basing. That said,  Speedpaints did prove useful during the basing stage, speeding that part of the process.

TOP

Since the models were already primed grey, I applied  a white zenithal undercoat from above. If you're  unfamiliar with the technique, a quick search for  "zenithal undercoat" on YouTube will provide plenty of  examples. I used my very elderly airbrush, but a white  primer spray can work just as well. If you're using The  Army Painter cans, keep in mind that they release a  lot of paint, so a light touch is essential. The goal isn’t to completely cover the darker primer  but to allow it to show through, creating natural  shadows and adding depth for free. You can also  apply the zenithal white over a black undercoat or opt  for dry-brushing white — often referred to as "slap  chop" if you’d like to look it up.
Above. The Stargrave Automatons, both straight builds and kit-bashed creations, have been speed-painted in double quick time and are now wreaking havoc across the galaxy!

PAINTS

Speedpaints are semi-transparent and behave more  like a wash or stain, reminiscent of old watercolour  blocks but with richer pigments and a unique flow that  avoids tidemarks. Their properties require careful  planning, as mistakes are harder to correct with  additional layers compared to conventional paints. I  usually start with lighter colours and gradually move  to darker shades to minimize errors, but on these I  had the metallic paint out for another job so I did that  first on these chaps. Additionally, Speedpaints tend to highlight any mould lines on models, so thorough  cleanup beforehand is essential.

FANATIC

Also this time I used the occasional Fanatic Wash  and or Fanatic Warpaints to enhance or give a  particular effect. You don’t have to just stick to  Speedpaints creating a hybrid style is much more fun.

BRUSHES

The fluid nature of Speedpaints means they tend to  run up the bristles into the metal ferrule, making them  notoriously difficult to clean out completely. Because  of this, it's best to avoid using your finest brushes. I  keep a stash of older brushes that are no longer fit for precision work but are perfect for Speedpaint duty  until they reach the end of their lifespan.
Above. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Standard all Automatons builds top row.

SHAKE

Make sure to shake the bottles thoroughly — this has  a noticeable impact on how Speedpaints apply. Each  bottle contains at least two ball bearings to help mix  the paint evenly, so give it a vigorous shake to ensure  consistent results. To simplify paint mixing, I picked up  a vibrating mixer designed for nail varnish on Nick’s  recommendation. While I initially got it for the  Warpaints Fanatic paints, I’ve found it equally as  effective for Speedpaints

APPLICATION 

The key to using Speedpaints effectively is control —  despite their name, rushing the application won’t yield  the best results. Avoid overloading your brush, as the  paint naturally flows and spreads. Apply it carefully,  keeping within the intended areas to prevent  unwanted spills. As you can see, I slipped a little but  anticipated that the darker shades would help conceal  it. For finer details, I used a very fine yet slightly worn  brush that previously served for painting faces.

SPEEDPAINTS

As I said earlier I didn’t start with flesh, even though  that’s what I usually do. This time I stared with guns  as I had the paint on the go using it on another job  more of which subsequently. Also it gave me an  opportunity to tweak the metal somewhat by lightly  dry-brushing with Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril,  just catching the edges. 

WEAPONS, Enchanted Steel.

GREY FLESH, a 50/50 mix of Goddess Glow

and Ashen Stone.

GREEN SHORTS & TROUSERS, Camo Cloak.

BROWN EQUIPMENT, BOOTS & BELTS,

Warrior Skin.

DISTRESSING

The next step was adding blood, dirt, and battle  damage. I started by distressing the armour with  Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, then painted the  eyes, lenses, LEDs, and laser beam weapon. These  were then over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood  Red and Plasmatic Bolt for the desired effect. To  unify the tones and slightly tone down the brightness,  I applied an overall wash of Warpaints Fanatic  Wash: Wash Medium. Finally, I added blood spatter  using Blood Red Speedpaint to bring out the gritty,  battle-worn look.

TIDY

I used Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White to repaint  and thus tidy some of the areas where I had  inadvertently gone over with the Speedpaint like the  belts. 

BASING

I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden  before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt  White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a  coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and  depth.

FINISHED

I finished them off with a coat of spray Anti Shine  Matt Varnish. It’s a great choice for Speedpaints,  as it doesn’t create a completely flat finish but instead  provides a subtle low sheen — particularly useful for  enhancing the depth of darker colours. I applied a tiny
Standard all Automatons builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Standard all Automatons builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Standard all Automatons builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Standard all Automatons builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is.

SPEED PAINTING STARGRAVE AUTOMATONS WITH SPEEDPAINTS

Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is.
Above. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Again standard all Automaton builds top row.
Standard all Automatons builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Standard all Automatons builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Standard all Automatons builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Standard all Automatons builds. As the models were already primed grey, I went for a white zenithal undercoat applied from above over the grey. If you search on YouTube for zenithal undercoat you will see what it is. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The weapons and some bits and pieces, all painted in Enchanted Steel Speedpaint.
Then dry-brushed with Warpaints Fanatic Metallic  Mithril.
Standard all Automaton builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint was nice and dark but didn’t look worn enough, so I have caught the edges of the weapons with a flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril. Standard all Automaton builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint was nice and dark but didn’t look worn enough, so I have caught the edges of the weapons with a flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril. Standard all Automaton builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint was nice and dark but didn’t look worn enough, so I have caught the edges of the weapons with a flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril. Standard all Automaton builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint was nice and dark but didn’t look worn enough, so I have caught the edges of the weapons with a flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint gave a deep, shadowed base, but the weapons needed a touch of wear. A flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril caught the edges, adding a subtle battle-forged gleam. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint gave a deep, shadowed base, but the weapons needed a touch of wear. A flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril caught the edges, adding a subtle battle-forged gleam. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint gave a deep, shadowed base, but the weapons needed a touch of wear. A flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril caught the edges, adding a subtle battle-forged gleam. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint gave a deep, shadowed base, but the weapons needed a touch of wear. A flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril caught the edges, adding a subtle battle-forged gleam.
Above. The Enchanted Steel Speedpaint gave a deep, shadowed base, but the weapons needed a touch of wear. A flick of Warpaints Fanatic Metallic Mithril caught the edges, adding a subtle battle-forged gleam.

BLACK BITS, Grim Black.

LIGHT BROWN ARMOUR, Boney Matter.

BRASS FITTINGS, Aztec Gold.

YELLOW CAP, Ancient Honey.

Standard all Automaton builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Standard all Automaton builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Standard all Automaton builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Standard all Automaton builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it!
Above & right. All the main colours have been painted in, maybe too neat! Time to rough things up a bit, add a few scuffs, and make them look like they’ve seen some action.
Standard all Automaton builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. All the main colours have been painted in Speedpaints, but they do look a little neat and clean, I can’t help it! Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life.
Above & right. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over- painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. I didn’t hold back on the damage, these warriors have seen heavy action in the Ravaged Galaxy, and now they wear every scrape and scorch mark as proof.
Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. Then came the eyes, lenses, LEDs, and that deadly laser beam, each carefully over-painted with Speedpaints like Blood Red and Plasmatic Bolt to bring them to life. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop.
drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make  them pop.
Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds. I applied a tiny drop of gloss varnish to lenses and LEDs just to make them pop. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. Standard all Automaton builds. Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds Kit-bashed Automatons/Trooper builds Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Standard all Automaton builds. The armour needed to tell a story, so I distressed it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White, roughing it up like battle-worn plating. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth. Standard all Automaton builds. I applied fine sand with PVA glue, letting it harden before painting it with Warpaints Fanatic: Matt White. Once the white had dried, I followed up with a coat of Gravelord Grey to bring out the texture and depth.