How to paint Games Workshop miniatures? In this tutorial, we will show you a number of painting techniques for decorating your Citadel miniatures. In this new guide we will see which steps to follow to paint your Goblin of Moria models!
Welcome back to Painting workshop by techigames! After the previous tutorial on Isildur, which you can view on this page, we are back with a new guide in which we will see how to paint your own models of Goblin of Moria, with very simple techniques using colors Citadel and therefore be able to expand your collection of miniatures Games Workshop to undertake the Strategic Battle Game in Middle-earth.
We remind you that the miniatures, the colors and all the tools for modeling are available on the website www.games-workshop.com.
Tutorial 17: Goblin of Moria - How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
I Goblin they are small and mean orcs, who have long lived in the numerous underground passages of the Misty Mountains of Middle-earth. They are slightly shorter than the common Orcs, have light green skin and wear old, rusty armor. These Orcs haunt the darkest depths of Moria, where the mighty Dwarves of Durin's lineage once reigned, whose long dominion was interrupted by the Balrog of Morgoth, a demon of the ancient world. Faced with such a powerful foe, the Dwarves had no choice but to abandon the Khazad-dûm mines, which became famous with a darker name: Moria, the Black Abyss. Thus it was that the great halls were invaded by the Goblins. These orcs move with incredible dexterity in the labyrinthine tunnels, attacking as a group all those who dare to venture into their dark underworld realm. They are introduced in the first film "The Fellowship of the Ring" of Peter Jackson's film trilogy, when Frodo and his companions set out on the road to the Moria mines, after Saruman the White forced them to leave the Caradhras Pass.
If you are interested in more information on Goblins we refer you to the Wikipedia page.
To know the different basic painting techniques, useful for all Games Workshop miniatures, we recommend that you visit this page.
Goblin of Moria available on the Games Workshop website
Phase 1: Cleaning and Assembling the Goblins | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
Compared to the previous tutorials, this time the first thing to do before starting to paint your plastic miniatures of the Goblins of Moria is to gently remove them from the frame with a common cutter, being careful not to cut their weapons. Also remove the shields from the mold, but do not glue them immediately into the holes on the front of the swordsmen, as it will be more convenient to paint them separately and join them later. Some bent guns may need to be straightened, although this is generally not the case with plastic models. Once this is done, carefully remove any excess burrs that remain after the casting process with a utility knife, and don't worry if you accidentally scratch the models, as these small incisions will then be covered with acrylic paints. Once this is complete, mount your Goblin miniatures onto their bases using some plastic glue, available on the Games Workshop website or in any DIY store.
Games Workshop mold with 12 Goblins of Moria in plastic
Goblin miniatures on their bases
Phase 2: Goblin Base Color | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
Once you have assembled the models of your Goblins of Moria, you will need to give a color base to have a base color to work on and to adhere well the shades that you will apply in the next steps. Always remember that the important thing is to completely cover the material your miniatures are made of. To get a uniform layer of color use Citadel Chaos Black spray, as Goblins are characterized by rather dark shades. Be very careful when using the spray and be sure to use this technique in well-ventilated areas.
Spray Citadel Chaos Black
Practical tip: to ensure that the color reaches even the most hidden areas, fix all the models close to each other on a sheet of cardboard with repositionable glue or double-sided tape, to be able to remove them easily after having painted them; while using the black spray, rotate the cardboard, so as to apply a uniform color base on all the miniatures.
Alternative: if you don't have Chaos Black spray available, use Citadel Abaddon Black in a bottle; shake the jar well to mix the color correctly, then use the brush to put a drop on the palette and add a little water to dilute it slightly, as too thick a color would be difficult to apply and ruin your miniatures, covering the details . If the color is too liquid, add a little more to thicken it.
Your Goblin models after the black primer
At this point you can start painting your Goblins and to do this we recommend a new technique: the painting in series: Compared to the decorated miniatures in the previous guides, here you have a group of similar models, so you can perform each step on all Citadel models, and then move on to the next one. This way you will work all the Goblins in parallel and complete them all together.
Step 3: Paint the Goblin Armor | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
The Goblins of Moria wear old, rusty armor. Painting these metal parts is very simple: you can apply the dry brush technique, spreading several layers of color and using Citadel shades lighter and lighter and gradually decreasing the quantity. Start using the Bronze Warplock on all the parts where the armor is visible, then use the Leadbelcher, avoiding the most hidden corners; once this is done, apply a light layer of Ironbreaker only on the raised parts, always with a dry brush. To make the chain mail rings stand out better, apply a light wash of Nuln Oil and, when this is dry, go over the Leadbelcher to highlight. Eventually, the effect will be that of worn and aged looking armor.
The Goblin models at the end of phase 3
Practical tip: You have used metallic colors at this stage, so it is convenient to change the water after rinsing the brushes, otherwise the small metallic parts could alter the colors you will use later.
Step 4: Paint the Goblins' Skin and Hair | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
The skin of the Goblins of Moria is a light color, but you can indulge yourself with the different shades of green as they are Orcs, which do not all have the exact same color. To decorate it you can apply two types of Citadel base: on some models use Straken Green, while on others Elysian Green. Once this is done, apply a homogeneous wash with Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade, being dark inks that adapt perfectly to the orc skin. Let it dry, then highlight all the outermost parts using Ogryn Camo with the ruling technique: in this way the reliefs will be clearer. For the eyes, apply Nurgling Green and then a bit of Abaddon Black with the XS Artificer Layer brush, while the Ushabti Bone is just fine for the teeth. For the hair you can use Abaddon Black as a base, if it is necessary to restore the base color, then dry brush Mechanicus Standard Gray lightly to define and highlight the raised details.
Inchiostri Citadel Nuln Oil e Agrax Earthshade
Citadel paints recommended for decorating Goblin skin and hair
Step 5: Paint the Goblin's Worn Out Clothes | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
As for the skin, even for the aged clothes of the Goblins you can give space to your imagination and paint them differently, remembering however that it is advisable to stay on a reddish tone. For this purpose, initially apply Gorthor Brown as a base and immediately afterwards wash it uniformly with Nuln Oil, then highlight with the ruling technique using Khorne Red on some models, Tuskgor Fur on others and if you want to introduce a third type of nuance also goes well with Skrag Brown.
Citadel shades of red and brown suitable for painting Goblin clothing
Step 6: Paint the Goblin Weapons | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
Your Goblin models can be divided into three groups according to their weapons: swordsmen with shields, spearmen and archers. To paint the different types of weapons, you can first start decorating the metal areas (swords, shields, arrowheads and spears) with Warplock Bronze as a background of color and, when this is dry, apply a light coat of Leadbelcher dry brush, to give a silver touch but at the same time give a rusty look. For all wood and leather parts, start with Rhinox Hide evenly, then shade everywhere using Nuln Oil and finally lighten with XV-88 with the ruling technique on quiver and leather parts, while to highlight the wooden parts (such as arrows) apply Baneblade Brown with a dry brush. For the fletching of the arrows you can use the Khorne Red always with the same technique to recall the red of the worn clothes.
Finally decorate the forearms with Gorthor Brown, then do a black wash and finally bring out the details using the dry brush Baneblade Brown.
The Goblins of Moria at the end of phase 6
Step 7: Decorating the Goblin Bases | How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures
You can decorate the bases of your Goblins as you always did with previous models, but you can also recreate the characteristic terrain of the mines of Moria; to do this, apply the Citadel Texture Astrogranite Debris on the top of each base and let it dry slowly to create a rocky effect, then dry-brush the reliefs of the stones with the Administratum Gray, lightening them. To complete, paint the edge of the base with Mechanicus Standard Gray.
Base made with Astrogranite Debris
Alternatively you can apply the Texture Stirland Mud and, proceeding in the same way, lighten the upper part with the Citadel Dry Terminatus Stone, and then finish the edges with the XV-88 or with the Mournfang Brown. The effect will be that of a brown rocky terrain and you can also add Mordheim and Middenland sods.
Citadel Texture Stirland Mud
Middenland (left) and Mordheim (right) clods
If you want to create a turf instead, you can paint the bases entirely with Mournfang Brown and then apply a small amount of static grass or modeling flock with the vinyl glue. You can also add some crushed stone to give it a classy effect.
Static Grass Games Workshop
Practical tip: to apply the static grass or flock, first spread the glue on the upper part of the base, then immerse it in a jar containing the grass, so that it adheres perfectly.
With that done, your Goblin models are ready to haunt the dark mines of Moria!
Your completed Moria Goblin miniatures!
How to paint Games Workshop (Citadel) miniatures - Tutorial 17: Goblin of Moria
This tutorial from the Techigames Painting Workshop dedicated to decorating Games Workshop miniatures (eg Warhammer or Lord of the Rings) also ends here. For any questions or requests we are available via the comments box below!
Appointment to next Saturday with a new tutorial!
