F O L K L O R E M I N I AT U R E

PA I N T I N G G U I D E A W . I . P .
Last Modified: January 10, 2018 11:10 AM

Contents
Credits 1

FOLKLORE MINIATURE PAINTING GUIDE A W.I.P. 1

STEP BY STEP PAINTING GUIDES: 2

Characters: Archaeologist & Arcanist 2
Characters: Telepath & Madman 6
Characters: Exorcist & Witch Hunter 8
Completed Core Characters 10
Affliction: Colossal Dark Oak 11
Creatures: Restless Spirit, Gargoyle, Rabid Wolve, & Dark Oak 14

CREDITS
• Will Donovan & Nick Blain (Twin Fire Productions): Creators, ©2018 Greenbrier Games Inc.
Game Designers. PO Box #330
• Stephen Gibson: Illustration, Graphic Design. 20 Florence St.
• Jason Engle: Illustration (Characters, Creatures, Cover, Tiles). Marlborough, MA 01752
• Henning Ludvig: Illustration (Tiles). www.greenbriergames.com/folklore
• Eric Belisle: Illustration (Terrifying creatures).
• Erica Willey: Illustration (Tarot cards).
• Kieran Russell: Miniature Artist.
• Zachary Parkes (BGG - zeeparkes): Graphic Design, Production.
• Jeff Gracia: Production.
• Greg Cymbalist (BGG - Glic2003): miniature painter
(distantlightminiatures.com).

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 STEP B Y ST E P PA I N T I N G G UI DE S:
I
thought it would be fun to try painting the miniatures in a style that matches the original artwork
as closely as possible. The character art uses a lot of unusual, de-saturated colours, making it quite
challenging.
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1884622/step-step-painting-guides-first-archaeologist-and
CHARACTERS: ARCHAEOLOGIST & ARCANIST
First, I cleaned up the models a bit, filing or cutting off any visible mold lines. Usually PVC minis like this don’t file very cleanly, so I only filed where it was absolutely
necessary. I also filled in a little round spot inside the witch hunter’s cape with some Liquid Green Stuff.
I like the bases to have some texture before the painting begins. I put a few drops of super glue on the bases and then added a few bits of crushed plaster (leftover
from other projects) to the bases. You can also use tiny stones or whatever you like. After that, I applied some watered down tacky glue with an old brush. Then I
dipped the models in sand and shook off the excess. After the glue dries, remove any unwanted grains of sand with a needle. A bit of sand on the feet usually looks
okay, but not on the clothing.

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1. Then I sprayed the minis with a flat white spray paint. ombré effect near the bottom, so I mixed some Kantor Blue in with
the Black Red and applied that to the bottom of the dress. The
arcanist’s cape was done with two coats of Cavalry Brown; a very
reddish brown.

2. After the white paint dries, I cover each miniature with a tiny
plastic bag. This will mask off the entire model except for the base.

6. The bases were given a fairly heavy coat of Rhinox Hide. I

watered it down just enough to allow it to fill in all the base texture.
It’s important to ensure no white spots are showing through.

3. Then I spray the models again with a flat black spray paint.
This will leave the entire model white except for the base and feet,
which will speed things up later on. Next it’s on to the painting.

7. After all this dried, I prepared a pale skin tone by mixing

Beasty Brown and Ivory. This is a simple way to make a nice, not-
too-pink skin tone. You can adjust the mix to make it as light or dark
as you like.
4. I started out by giving the main areas a basecoat. For the
archaeologist’s coat I used a very watered-down basecoat of Steel
Legion Drab initially so the details would still show through. This
tends to look quite “splotchy,” so after it dried, I gave it another
thin coat. For the “shadowy” areas, like the area between the legs,
I used this colour mixed with Abaddon Black. I also used this black/
brown mix for the pants as I wanted them to be somewhat distinct
from the coat. I used Purple mixed with Mahogany Brown for the
archaeologist’s vest, and a bit of Hormagaunt Purple (this is an older 8. Next, I gave all of the clothing a wash with a mix of Agrax
paint; not sure what the new one is called) for the bit of his shirt Earthshade and Nuln Oil. I thought the Earthshade on its own might
that’s visible. not be quite “shadowy” enough. It’s still partially wet in these
photos. Note how it really brings out some detail in the back of the
archaeologist’s coat.

5. I gave the arcanist’s dress a coat of watered-down Black Red

initially. I found some full-length pictures of the characters on the
Folklore Kickstarter and discovered the arcanist’s dress had a slight

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9. Next I painted in the hair, using Codex Grey for the and give them better definition.
archaeologist and Chocolate Brown for the arcanist. I also mixed
a tiny bit of Ivory in the base colour and then painted in a few
highlights. A few streaks of this mix help to really define the
archaeologist’s silvery hair. I also splashed in a little Nuln Oil to help
define the arcanist’s hair where it meets the hood.

13. At this point, you can probably stop and skip ahead to the
final basing section below, but if you’re a slightly more experienced
painter and want to add more definition to the figures you can go
ahead with the next steps.

10. Here I’ve drybrushed the bases with Sand Yellow, using a small,
flat brush to bring out the texture of the base. I should have done
this sooner, as you really don’t want to get yellow on the clothes at
this point! I also gave the hands and faces a wash of Ogryn Flesh.
Especially around the eye sockets, this really helps to define the
facial features. The hands are poorly defined on these miniatures,
so the wash doesn’t work so great on them. We’ll try to refine them 14. In this step, I’m adding a few highlights to lighten up the face
a bit later. and hands on both figures, simply using a mix of Ivory and Beasty
Brown again, but with much more Ivory than before. I also added
a tiny bit of Mephiston Red into that same mix to pick out the lips
on the arcanist. Subtletly is important here! Start with a very small
brush and stop when you think it looks good. I usually like to paint
in the eyes, but I thought it would look too goofy on these figures. I
painted just a tiny bit of black into the top of the eye sockets.

11. Now it’s time to paint in the weapons, using Ironbreaker for
her dagger and a mix of black and Chocolate Brown for the whip. By
watering down the paint a bit more than usual, the texture of the
whip will show through. I also picked out the cap and ring on the
whip with the metallic colour and the medallion and buttons on the 15. Finally, I’m doing a phase of touch ups and final highlights.
arcanist’s dress. Using a mix of the original base colour(s) and Ivory, I added a few
little highlights to some of the more prominent areas, such as the
folds in the cape, hood, pants and coat. It’s not terribly important,
but it gives them a little more pop. I also did some very thin
blacklining with watered-down black paint and an extremely thin
brush. I use this to help define and separate the sections of the
figure; for example, between the vest and the coat, or between the
hand and the cuff on the coat. Again, don’t over do it. Blacklining
needs to be thin and subtle or it will look awkward and cartoonish.

12. Here we’re picking out a few more details, specifically the
belt and pouch for the archaeologist and the belt and feathers on
the arcanist, using a mix of Mechanicus Standard Grey/Chocolate
Brown/Ivory for him, and Flat Earth for her. I also picked out buttons
on the archaeologist’s coat and vest with Ironbreaker. Giving the
metallic bits a wash of Nuln Oil will make them look much smoother

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16. For the final basing, I re-painted the black edge of the base
to neaten it up after all the paint was completely dry. Even though
Kremel is a dark and forboding place, the map tiles depict plenty
of lush green foliage. I used a mix of green foam, lichen and static
grass, glued onto the base with watered-down tacky glue (applied
with an old brush). These materials are available at craft stores,
hobby stores, dollar stores.

17. Finally, they’re ready for their close-ups!

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 CHARACTERS: TELEPATH & MADMAN
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1887351/step-step-painting-guides-next-telepath-and-madman

1. I’m starting out by basecoating all the clothing, using Incubi 2. Next we’re drybrushing the bases with Sand Yellow and using
Darkness for the telepath’s dress. Her dress is an unusual blue-green the same skin tone mix as before (Beasty Brown and Ivory) to paint
colour, but this particular paint is an almost perfect match. I used the hands, faces, and the telepath’s chest.
two watery coats of this paint, and also mixed in a tiny bit of yellow
and used a little of this mix in some areas to give the dress a slight
variation in colour. The madman’s cape was done with Mahogany
Brown, while his sleeves and pants were Chocolate Brown. The tunic
is a mix of Ushabti Bone and Chocolate Brown. The leggings are a
muddy colour I created by mixing the same brown with Mechanicus
Standard Grey.
3. Next I used Agrax Earthshade mixed with a little Nuln Oil to
shade all the clothing. I also picked out the mandman’s belt with
some Flat Earth, and paint the hair black with a little brown mixed
in. Then I added a little Ivory to this same mix and added a few
streaks in the hair.

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4. Here I’m using Ogryn Flesh (aka Reikland Flesh shade) to shade 7. Here I used Flat Earth to paint the madman’s pouch, and then
the skin areas. And also using black to repaint both figure’s shoes. shaded it with Nuln Oil. I also picked out a few other bits, like the
belt buckle, the amulet on the telepath’s bodice, the tassels on her
dress, and the headband. These metallic areas, and the madman’s
pouch, are also shaded with Nuln Oil.

5. Next up are the weapons. I used a mix of Ivory and Flash

Gitz yellow to paint the interior of the telepath’s lantern. Then I
combined this mix with a little Incubi Darkness, and drybrushed it 8. Finally, I did a few touch-ups and refinements and highlights.
carefully onto the dress, around the area near the lantern, giving For example, mixing a little Incubi Darkness with Ivory to pick
the impression of a light source illuminating it. Then the exterior of out some of the folds on the telepath’s dress, and adding a few
the lantern was painted with Warplock Bronze, mixed with a little highlights to the madman’s pants, tunic and sleeves by mixing the
black. The madman’s hook is much simpler; it’s just painted with original base colour with Ivory. Then I use some thin black paint
Ironbreaker. to do a little blacklining to sharpen up any areas that need more
definition. I also repainted the black edge of the bases.

6. Next I’m touching up the skin areas with some Beasty Brown
9. Finally (finally!) I added some basing elements, just like
mixed with Ivory again. I tried to better define the fingers, and the
telepath’s face, which was poorly detailed. I also mixed a tiny bit of before. Specifically, some static grass, lichen and “moss”, glued on
Khorne Red in with the flesh tone to pick out the telepath’s lips. I with watered-down Tacky Glue.
didn’t try to paint in the eyes, instead just mixing a little black with
brown and painting that into the top of the eye sockets. I also used
some Nuln Oil to shade the hook.

10. And the finished models:

7
 CHARACTERS: EXORCIST & WITCH HUNTER
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1896209/step-step-painting-guides-exorcist-and-witch-hunte
It’s been pointed out how the witch hunter’s sword hilt is missing, so I thought I’d attempt to rebuild it. I used a tiny drill bit in a hand-held drill and drilled a tiny

hole in the bottom of his hand, then super glued in a piece of paper clip, which I then coated with liquid green stuff. Using this method, I was able to make a crude
approximation of the missing hilt.
1. Just like last time, the bases were painted with Rhinox Hide, 2. Next the clothing is shaded with a mix of Agrax Earthshade
then drybrushed with Sand Yellow. Both of these characters have and Nuln Oil.
a similar colour scheme in the artwork, but I wanted them to look
a bit more distinctive; giving the exorcist a slightly more reddish
brown and the witch hunter a darker brown. The exorcist’s clothing
is painted with a mix of Mahogany Brown and Rhinox Hide with a
little Ivory. The witch hunter’s clothing uses Battlefield Brown and
Leather Brown. I used more Leather Brown for the exterior of his
cape. It’s a good idea to use two thin coats of paint on the clothing.
3. It really brings out the folds in the back of their clothes.

4. Next I painted in the hands, faces and the exorcist’s feet with
the usual mix of Ivory and Beasty Brown. Then the witch hunter’s

8 armoured bits with Leadbelcher for his chainmail cowl and

 Ironbreaker for his other armour plates. I also painted the boots
with black.

9. The final step involves cleanup and final highlights. I used the
previous base colours for the clothing, mixed with a little Ivory, to
pick out some details of the clothing. I used a mix of black and Ivory
5. Next we’re shading the skin areas with Ogryn Flesh and the to give highlights to the witch hunter’s boots.
armour bits with Nuln Oil. I also painted in the exorcist’s hair and
beard with Mechanicus Standard Grey. Then I added some Ivory to
the grey and painted in some more details to his hair and beard.

10. I also picked out his sword scabbard with black and gave it a
few details with Warplock Bronze. Areas that need more definition
(such as the folds in the clothing, holes in the capes, etc) can be
6. Here I’ve painted in the weapons, using Ironbreaker for the
delineated with a thin brush and some black paint
sword blade and the aspergillum. I painted in the exorcist’s other
weapon with a mix of Ironbreaker and Retributor Armour. The sword
hilt was painted with a mix of black and Leadbelcher. The crossbow
requires more detail, using Steel Legion Drab for the stock and grip
and Leadbelcher for the bow and stirrup. I also used Tallarn Sand for
the shaft of the bolt and grey for the flights on the bolt.. 11. When this is all finished, you can paint the edge of the base
with black, and then use tacky glue to apply some “moss,” lichen and
static grass

7. When the weapons were dry, I shaded them with Nuln Oil for a
little more definition. I also painted in the witch hunter’s belts with
black and used Leather Brown for the sash on both models. Then
I added a bit more detail to the sashes with Leather Brown mixed
12. Here’s the finished photos:
with Averland Sunset..

8. Next there’s a few more little details to pick out. I used

Naggaroth Night for the beads around the exorcist’s neck, Black Red
for his belt, Steel Legion Drab for the item on his belt and Warplock
Bronze for the medallion on his belt. I also added highlights to the
skin with a mix of Beasty Brown and Ivory and painted in the straps
and sole of the sandals with black.

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COMPLETED CORE CHARACTERS

10
 AFFLICTION: COLOSSAL DARK OAK
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1914864/step-step-painting-guides-colossal-dark-oak
have an effect on the end result however. I’ve attached the head,
but not the arms as they would get in the way while the body is
being painted.

3. First the base is painted with Rhinox Hide to match the others.

1. I’m just finishing up a guide for the first few “easy” monsters,
but I was excited to post this guide to painting the first big “boss”
miniature.

4. Then I used a mix of black and Dryad Bark to paint the trunk/
body/head. I varied the mix a bit so that the recesses would be
darker than the more prominent parts, like the head.

2. The Colossal Dark Oak is painted in a similar manner as the

other Dark Oaks. I started by adding the usual sand/rock texture to
the base, then priming the model with the usual flat black spray
paint. This model is made of a different plastic than the others, so
the paint came out more shiny and tacky than before. This won’t

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5. I followed this up with some Steel Legion Drab. You can use plain green.
this on its own or add it to the previous mix and see how that looks.
Just keep going brighter until it looks about right.

9. Next I’m drybrushing those same areas with Caliban Green,

then drybrushing again with a mix of Waaagh Flesh and Sand
6. Then I added some Ushabti Bone to the Steel Legion Drab Yellow, adding more Sand Yellow to bring out the leaf texture.
and drybrushed it again, then added some Screaming Skull and
drybrushed another layer on. Note that I’m using the lighter mix to
mainly add emphasis to the head, knees, etc.

10. More of the same on the leaves at the back of the model.

7. The original artwork for this character had some interesting

shifts in hue, so to try and capture that, I’m treating the miniature
with some washes with Agrax Earthshade, Nuln Oil and even a bit of
purple. The effect of the purple is pretty subtle, but I think it adds a
little interest to the model and makes it look more like the original
artwork.

11. At this point the body is essentially done, so I’ve snapped

on the arms (not glued on - I might want to move them later) and
painted them exactly the same as the body...

8. After the washes dried, I used some Incubi Darkness to paint

all the “leafy” areas. This is a deep teal colour, which adds a lot of
depth and interest to the colour scheme than if we had just used

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12. ...including the washes, and the leafy bits. 14. I also repainted the black edge of the base (not shown) after
gluing on the basing materials. Since this is a large, forest-themed
model, I tried to cram in some extra lichen and moss on the base to
really emphasize that aspect.

13. Then highlighting the leaves as before. Since this is a very

craggy model that responds well to drybrushing, I didn’t really feel
the need to go back and add in any detailing with black paint like I
did on the others.

15. And finally, we have the finished model.

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CREATURES: RESTLESS SPIRIT, GARGOYLE, RABID WOLVE,
& DARK OAK
• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1916844/step-step-painting-guides-first-four-monsters

1. Let’s start with some of the easier monsters. First I’m going to 3. I primed the models a bit differently than the heroes. I used
fix up any defects in the models. Specifically, filing off the mold lines flat black spray paint on the oak, wolf and gargoyle, but flat white
(particularly on the wings/tail/claws on the gargoyle) and filling spray paint on the restless spirit, to help give it the kind of look
in any gaps, such as on the dark oaks. This is best done by mixing we’re going for.
up some green stuff putty and then working it into the gap with a
metal hook or sculpting tool. Dip the tool in water first and it won’t
get stuck to the putty.

4. For the restless spirit, I mixed up a wash made from Blue Green
paint from Vallejo, Citadel Lahmian Medium and water and applied
it with a large brush. The Lahmian Medium helps the paint to flow
2. Then I added some basing materials to the bases, just like better and makes it less splotchy. Add water to the mix until it’s
transparent enough to allow the underlying white paint to show
before: chunks of plaster or rock glued on with super glue, then sand glued
on with tacky glue. through a bit. While this is still wet, I also added some Kantor Blue
to the lower part of the model, working it in to create a transition in
colour.

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5. After the wash was dry, I drybrushed the figure with a mix of
Blue Green and white paint. Adding increasing amounts of white
paint to the mix, I drybrushed it repeatedly until the head and
hands were almost completely white. The idea here is to make the
extremities brighter than the recesses, which should be darker.

10. Next I used a simple wet-on-wet technique to paint the entire

wolf’s body. Using a large brush, give the wolf a coat of black paint,
then wipe off the brush. While the black is still wet, add a little
white paint to the model along the upper back/head/tail. Wipe the
6. Next I used some watered-down black paint and a very thin paint off the brush again. Then use the brush to work the white
brush to detail the eyes, nostrils, teeth and interior of the cloak. paint into the black. Repeat the process with more white paint until
Careful attention to the facial features will really give the model a it looks about right. The trick with this technique is to work quickly
lot more character. You can also add a bit of pure white paint to the so the paint can be mixed together before it dries.
lips, nose and eyebrows to emphasize them even more. Initially I
wasn’t going to do anything with the base, but decided to add some
Rhinox Hide to the flat part of the base to make it match the others.

11. After this dries, you can give the wolf a very light drybrush
with a little more white paint if you want to further emphasize
the fur texture. Then I painted in the facial features with some
7. Next I applied some Drakenhof Nightshade to the lower black paint and a very thin brush, specifically the mouth, nose, eye
parts of the model and interior of the cloak to make it a little more sockets and inner ears. After that was dry, I painted in the interior of
shadowy and add definition. You can keep adding more of this wash the mouth with Khorne Red.
until it looks right, or remove some (using a very dry brush) if you’ve
added too much. I also painted the rim of the base with black to
match the others.

12. Next I carefully picked out the teeth with a tiny brush and
some Ushabti Bone paint. A few dots are really all you need to
give the impression of teeth. Less is more. I also painted in the eye
8. Finally, when all of that was dry, I drybrushed the brown part sockets with white.
of the base with Sand Yellow, then glued on some moss, lichen and
static grass just like before.

13. After the eye sockets were dry, I painted them again with some
watered-down Flash Gitz Yellow. I painted the yellow in a slightly
9. The rabid wolf is another straightforward miniature to paint. larger area than the actual eye socket, because if the yellow bleeds
I started with the usual coat of Rhinox Hide on the base, then out of the area a bit, it looks more like the eyes are “glowing.”
drybrushed it with Sand Yellow.

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14. Finally, you can touch up the edge of the base with black paint,
and add a little more definition around the head/legs/tail if you 19. Next I picked out all the leaves with Caliban Green.
like. Then I glued on some basing material just like before.

15. The dark oaks are only slightly more complicated than the
wolves. This time, I used Rhinox Hide on the entire model except the
leaves. 20. Then I drybrushed the leaves with Cayman Green. Then I mixed
some Sand Yellow into the green and drybrushed again, more
lightly.

16. Here’s an extra photo of the back.

21. The leaves on the back of the model have a sharper texture so
they respond well to drybrushing.

17. Next I drybrushed the trunk and branches with Steel Legion
Drab, applied with a large, flat brush.
22. As with the other models, I used some black paint applied with
a thin brush to add extra detail around the eyes/mouth. This can
make the model look a lot more craggy and sinister. I also repainted
in some lines in the trunk with Steel Legion Drab, adding the
texture back in where there was too much bone colour.

18. Then I mixed some Ushabti Bone into the Steel Legion Drab
and drybrushed it again, exphasizing the “face”, “hands” and smaller
branches. Then I add more Bone into the mix and drybrush again
until I get the right amount of contrast.

16
23. Much of the base is covered by the tree’s roots, but I picked out 28. Next I picked out the teeth with white paint, carefully. Just a
the visible parts of the base rim with black paint. Then I glued in few dots of white are all that’s necessary to give the impression of
some moss and lichen into the nooks in and around the roots. teeth. I also added white dots for the eyes, which were then painted
over with Khorne Red; unfortunately they’re too small to show up
in the photos. I also dabbed a small amount of Khorne Red onto the
fingertips of the grasping hand, to match the original artwork. I also
repainted the edge of the base with black.

24. The gargoyle is another fairly simple model. Predictably, it’s

quite grey, but I wanted to add a little more interest to its colouring,
so I prepared a mix of black and Naggaroth Night (dark purple).
After drybrushing the model with this, I added some white to the
mix and drybrushed again. I repeated this a couple more times, and
you can see the progression with this series of gargoyles. 29. The final basing is just like the other models.

25. Just keep adding more white until you get the effect you
want, remembering to emphasize the hands, face, wingtips and
other extremities. Here’s a photo from the back. Note how careful 30. The gang’s all here! Future guides will focus on some of the
drybrushing really brings out those cracks in the wings. more complicated monsters.

26. The base received the same treatment as before; Rhinox Hide
drybrushed with Sand Yellow.

27. I added some detailing with black paint, inside the mouth, eye
sockets and inner ears.

17