Step-by-step Painting Process for Silk from Marvel Crisis Protocol

1. Prep and priming

Priming choices set the tone for the whole miniature. Randy Gregory II warned, "These pieces are very small, so exercise caution with them!" and explained his choice: "For both of these models (and a few more), I opted to prime with White Scar. The reason for this is simple…I want bright colors at the end of the painting process, and for Silk, I thought this would be a bit of a hack, although that went completely wrong, more on that later." By contrast, a Tabletop Gaming painter noted, "It’s important to note that I started with a black undercoat spray before painting." Present both options as valid: White Scar to boost speedpaints and bright layers; black for deeper midtones and quicker shadowing. Handle tiny parts carefully and plan whether you’ll assemble fully or paint some pieces separately.

2. Black suit and webbing

Follow brushwizard’s explicit mix-and-layer method for Silk’s black suit. "The black suit and webbing sections were painted using a mix of Black and Incubi Darkness. These areas were then painted with another layer using this mix with extra Incubi Darkness added into it. Using the same mix, add in Ice Yellow and highlight the arms and legs. A final highlight was added using some more Ice Yellow in the mix. Finally, to tie it all together, I gave these areas a wash of Nuln Oil." Work in thin layers, re-mixing to darken as you build depth, then introduce small amounts of Ice Yellow into the mix for warm edge highlights before finishing with a Nuln Oil wash to unify tones and deepen recesses.

3. Red suit sections

Use the Citadel ladder detailed by brushwizard for Silk’s red panels. The explicit steps are: Basecoat – Citadel Evil Sunz Scarlet; Shadows – Citadel Evil Sunz Scarlet: Citadel Warpstone Glow; Clean-Up Layer – Citadel Evil Sunz Scarlet; Highlight – Citadel Wild Rider Red. The extract ends with an ellipsis, so treat this as the confirmed core recipe rather than a full playlist; the main idea is a solid base, darker recessed work, clean-up to restore saturation, then a bright red highlight to make costume panels pop on the tabletop.

4. Brickwork basing

There’s a repeatable, Citadel-focused brick basing recipe from brushwizard that’s ideal for urban bases. "The brickwork is given a solid coat of Doombull Brown. I then pick out individual bricks with Rhinox Hide and Tuskgor Fur. It is then given a wash of Agrax Earthshade to add some surface staining and color to the recesses." Use Doombull Brown as your main block tone, pick out varied bricks to sell texture, and finish with Agrax Earthshade to add grime and unify the brickwork.

5. Dirt basing

Keep dirt simple and readable at game distance. The explicit process: Basecoat with Citadel Gorthor Brown, then apply a heavy wash of Agrax Earthshade. Brushwizard’s straightforward approach gives immediate depth on the base; it’s fast and pairs well with more complex details elsewhere on the base.

6. Treadplate basing (rust and stains)

For metal panels and treadplate sections, use contrast between cool grey and warm rust accents. "The treadplate sections of the base were given a basecoat of Mechanicus Standard Grey. I then use thinned Mournfang Brown and apply splotches to the surface to simulate some brown rust staining. Once that is dry, I do a quick drybrush of Fire Dragon Bright to add some orange rust markings and finish it off with a wash of Agrax Earthshade." The thinned brown gives believable streaks, the Fire Dragon Bright drybrush brings orange highlights for visual interest, and Agrax ties the weathering together.

7. Concrete / cracked concrete basing (alternative)

GamingTrend supplies a different cracked concrete route for bases: "For the bases, I stuck with a mixture working up from The Darkness into Thunderous Blue into Great Hall Grey, with the Grey being focused on the edges of all of the cracks across the concrete." Use a dark base (The Darkness), build midtones with Thunderous Blue, and place Great Hall Grey to edge-highlight cracks so they read at a glance, an excellent option if you want a cooler, more graphic urban slab.

8. Weathering, panel lining and pigments

Layer in enamel work and pigments for dust and grime. As GamingTrend describes: "AK Interactive enamels helped out with Panel Liner, first providing darkness in the cracks, then liquid enamel pigment to leave a dusty finish." For Silk specifically: "On Silk, specifically, I also pulled out Light Soil Pigment because I wanted some contrast. These all clean up with white spirits or thinner." Panel-liner for tight recesses, liquid enamel pigments for settling dusty tones, and Light Soil Pigment for contrasting soil effects will bring a playable realism to the base. Clean excess enamel and pigment with white spirits or thinner, practice on spare sprues first.

9. Finals and sealing

Finish the base rim and lock everything down with a matte coat. GamingTrend’s finish step is direct: "After all of that, a quick pass with an AK Interactive Black marker for the rim, and some Ultra Matte Varnish, and both of these models are ready for the table! Total paint and assembly time took a few days; don’t sweat it or rush it." Use a rim marker to tidy the base edge and a reliable ultra-matte varnish to reduce sheen from pigments and paints; expect the full process to take multiple sessions across a few days.

10. Reflections, common regrets and practical tips

Learn from others’ missteps to speed your next Silk. GamingTrend admitted: "Looking back, I probably should have chosen the shorter hair on Silk and taken a hobby knight to the costume to ensure all of the costume lines were easy to pick out, because it definitely wasn’t the easiest time I’ve had with a model." Practical takeaways: consider variant sculpts for easier painting, use a hobby knife to slightly chamfer deep costume seams for cleaner linework, and don’t rush, "Don’t sweat it or rush it." For small parts, remember Randy Gregory II’s caution: "These pieces are very small, so exercise caution with them!"

12. Final practical wisdom

Silk rewards patience: mix carefully, build thin layers, and decide early whether you want bright speedpaint shortcuts or a darker undercoat for instant depth. Combine brushwizard’s costume mixes with GamingTrend’s weathering tools, panel liners, pigments and a tidy rim, then seal with Ultra Matte Varnish. As brushwizard closed with a flourish, "With the base all finished, Silk is now set free and ready to join the rest of the Web Warriors in their fight against the Inheritors or whoever else needs a little bit of web in the face." Take that energy to your next session, small figures, big impact.