Painting With Acrylics: Zenithal Priming Technique

In this painting guide, Sacovilla shows us how to paint the miniature of the Nazgûl on horseback using the zenithal light technique with acrylics.

The perfectly modeled miniature represents a dynamic Nazgûl in full pursuit of Arwen and Frodo to the fords of the Bruinen. To paint it we will need the following points:


LIST OF COLORS Difficulty level.

  • Vallejo Model Color, Andrea Color, and Citadel.
  • Primer: White primer + 15% Black matte.
  • Coat and hood: Andrea Color black (or black + matte varnish) lights with Light Blue or Andrea Blue
  • AC-20, shadows adding Black 950 to the base color.
  • Armor: Black + gloss varnish or gloss black. Metal 865 75% + Black gloss 25%, highlights adding more Metal 865, last highlights adding Mithril Silver 61-55.
  • Sword: Black glossy or Dark Grey. Lights with Vallejo White 951. Gloss varnish.
  • Horse: Black 35% + Red leather 65% 818, lights Red leather, last lights Ochre Vallejo 856.
  • Horse: Black 35% + 65% Tanshade Vallejo 941. Red leather lights Vallejo 818.
  • Hooves: Black or Dark Grey, lights White Vallejo 951.
  • Rings, rings, and bridle chains: Black gloss lights Metal 865, last lights Silver Mithril 61-55.
  • Base: Any greenish-blue and ceramic gloss acrylic varnish (also any would do).


Note: Some colors I do not specify the references because all the ranges have blacks, whites and primers in their catalog. Any acrylic paint can be used, the techniques are the same, except in the case of the Citadel that, due to its lower resistance to water, make them somewhat harder to work the technique of glazes (very diluted paint in soft and transparent layers of color). Even so, the desired effect can be achieved with the paint a little more dense, dragging the paint to degrade.


THE MINIATURE

At first glance, the dominant black color stands out most about the painting; in the article, I will try to show how to paint with dark colors, not black, directly.
Usually, the black colors are other shades close to black. So the Nazgûl can be of a blue-black, passing to black gray or blue gray-black. As you can see, the variety can be enormous but without leaving a shade very close to black.
We must consider that there is a matte black and a gloss black, being this gloss black darker than the matte black due to the number of shades that add depth. We will use this advantage to shade our figure.

As a technique, I will use the zenithal priming, imitating the gradient of the light in a real way on our figure of the Nazgûl. This technique consists of applying brushstrokes of very diluted paint towards the most illuminated point of a wrinkle or any detail for the lights. And the same technique of diluted paint downwards in the direction of the shadows, concretely between folds. The trick is to apply the paint diluted but without reaching the wash; in this way, we will achieve a subtle gradient. We will use the outlining technique to achieve a maximum detail effect and accentuate the details, folds, and shadows. The outlining consists of highlighting with black paint, or the base color of an area of such color plus black, the separations between the different parts that make up the miniature.

Gradient Gradient

Example of gradient and example of gradient on the clothing.


In the wrinkles of any miniature, the brush must "travel" in the direction of the light dragging the paint and leaving a trail of transparency behind it, more opaque in the more luminous part.

The areas of light are indicated by the same shadows and lights generated on the miniature's surface when it is placed on a lamp. In doing so, the lights and shadows are accentuated in the same way as when painting them, so many artists use lamps to force the lights and shadows and then paint the figure more realistically.


Directions

In the image above, the blue arrows show the direction of the light reaching the miniature.

The red arrows show the gradient towards the most prominent area marked by the light (blue) reaching the miniature.

The green arrows show the opposite direction of the lights (shadows) that run away from the illuminated areas towards the deepest and darkest details.

 

PAINTING PROCESS

1. Preparation

First, you have to glue the two parts of the miniature; for this, it is best to use superglue and then putty to seal the separations and fix it on the base. I recommend using Araldite bicomponent glue; it is slower in drying but more resistant once dry.


2. Primer

The correct application of loose paint without lumps decides much of the final result of the miniature.

Let's prime with the paint slightly diluted. Once dry, if it is still dry, the paint should be slightly diluted.

 

3. Painting the cape and hood

We paint all the Nazgûl in black, observe the reference with which I paint or add matte varnish to the black you use, to obtain a very aged black effect.



4. Cape and hood lights

To the black paint with which we paint the Nazgûl, we add a little bit of blue, and we make, with this very diluted, the painting of the most prominent wrinkles dragging the direction of the paint towards the top of the wrinkle.

We add more blue paint successively until we like the effect achieved in the light rises.

 

5. Shadows on the cape and hood

With the black paint without varnish, we highlight the shadows. The paint must be very diluted, practically it must be dirty water, and we apply it as a wash but controlled. Do not let the wash highlight non-existent shadows.

The black areas of shadow will be differentiated from the more matte black areas, creating a dramatic effect and more prominent in its volume.


6. Hands and legs of the armor

For the armor areas, paint first in gloss black, then paint the armor in metal + black, making two up doses adding more metal to this mix, and finally a few light touches of Citadel silver mithril on the brighter spots such as the edges of the knuckles. 



7. Painting the horse

For the horse, I used dark brown + black. The rises with leather browns and the shadows with the base color plus black. Note not to use too many colors.


8. Horse's hooves

The horse's hooves are painted with a mixture of grays, namely black, white, and some faint highlights of gray by adding more white to the base mixture.


9. The reins and bridles

They are brown leather + black, with two lights of brown leather added to the base color; I did not like shade due to the small size of this detail; later, we will make the outlining technique for it.

The rings and chains of the bridles are gloss black, then we will paint them carefully in metal, and the most prominent parts in silver, but very little.


10. Manes and tail

For details like the horse's mane tail, I used the dry brush technique due to its small size - but if you really want it to look good, I challenge you to do it by hand.


11. Sword with Morgul's Blade

For the Nazgûl's sword, I used the technique you know from NMM (Non-Metallic Metal), using a very soft gradient with shades of gray from pure black to gray. Finally, I applied gloss varnish.


12. Details

The armor feet of the Nazgûl I left them for the end because, during painting, they will rub and deteriorate up to 100 times. At least it happened to me. To paint it, follow the same method described in point 6.


13. The base

My base is not very noteworthy; I simply painted it in a greenish-blue and varnished it with a ceramic varnish, thicker and thicker when it dries, which is usually sold in craft stores.



Finished miniature

I hope to have clarified doubts in applying the simple zenithal priming technique and to help you improve your miniatures.