Space Bear Makwa Infantry Painting Guide

Welcome to Rogue’s Den Hobbies’ ultimate painting guide for the Space Bear Makwa Infantry! In this step-by-step tutorial, We will show you how to transform your miniature from build and prep to a fully battle-ready figure - complete with bold red armour, realistic fur, striking metallics, and sharp lenses. Whether you’re new to painting miniatures or a seasoned hobbyist, this guide is your blueprint to mastering the Space Bears aesthetic.

Introduction

The Space Bear Makwa Infantry is one of the most popular models in the Space Bears range. In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Build and prepare the model
• Prime and basecoat using high-quality products like AK Interactive and Colour Forge's matt black primer
• Paint red armour using Citadel’s Mephiston Red, Flesh Tearers Red Contrast, and Wild Rider Red
• Achieve realistic fur effects with Citadel’s Dryad Bark, Mournfang Brown, Deathclaw Brown, and Morghast Bone
• Create striking metallics using a series of Citadel paints (Iron Warriors, Nuln Oil, Leadbelcher, and Runfang Steel)
• Detail the tricky helmet lenses with Citadel blues and a touch of white for reflection

Let’s dive into the details of each step.

 

Tools and Materials

Before you begin, ensure you have the following brushes and tools:

• Basecoating Brushes:
  • Citadel Large and Medium Basecoating Brushes
  • Size 0 Rosemary & Co. Series 33 for detailed basecoating
• Drybrush:
  • Citadel Small Drybrush
• Detailing Brushes:
  • Size 1 and size 0 Rosemary & Co. Series 363 for highlights
• Additional Tools:
  • Magnifying glasses to aid with fine highlights (cheap ones are available on Amazon)
  • A painting handle

• Adhesives & Primers:
  • Superglue for assembly
  • Colour Forge’s matt black primer
  • AK Interactive Black (for correction and a rich base coat)

Step 1: Assembly and Priming

1. Assemble the Model:
   • Using superglue start by gluing the arms and head to the body.
   • Attach the assembled figure securely to its base.
2. Prime the Model:
   • Prime the model using Colour Forge’s matt black.
   • Once the primer has dried, apply a coat of AK Interactive’s black paint. This step is essential as it helps to hide any future mistakes without standing out against 2 different shades of black paint.

Step 2: Painting the Red Armour

Armour Panels

• Basecoat:
  Use Citadel’s Mephiston Red to coat the red armour panels evenly.
• Contrast Layer:
  Apply Citadel’s Flesh Tearers Red Contrast paint for a natural depth effect.
• Re-Highlighting:
  Reapply Mephiston Red over the contrast layer to bring the color back up.
• Final Highlight:
  Finish with Citadel’s Wild Rider Red for the final edge highlights, ensuring your armour has that crisp, battle-worn look.

This combination creates a rich, vibrant red with subtle depth thanks to the contrast layer.

 

Step 3: Painting the Fur Details

Fur on the Model (Waist & Shoulders)

• Basecoat:
  Coat the fur areas with Citadel’s Dryad Bark.
• Drybrush:
  Lightly drybrush with Citadel’s Mournfang Brown to start defining the fur texture.
• First Highlight:
  Apply Citadel’s Deathclaw Brown to each tuft for a natural highlight effect.
• Second Highlight:
  Finish the fur by just touching the tips with Citadel’s Morghast Bone to bring the fur alive.

Aim for a natural, warm fur texture—don’t stress too much about perfect lines; the slight imperfections add to the realism.

 

Step 4: Detailing the Armour Trim

Armour Trim and Loin Cloth

• Armour Trim:
  • Basecoat: Use Citadel’s Warplock Bronze.
  • First Highlight: Mix a 50/50 blend of Citadel’s Warplock Bronze and Gehenna’s Gold, then apply to the edges of the trim.
  • Final Highlight: Paint Gehenna’s Gold on raised areas and the edges to create a worn, aged gold appearance.

• Loin Cloth:
  • Basecoat: Use Citadel’s Khorne Red.
  • Shade: Apply Carroburg Crimson to add depth.
  • Re-Highlight: Reapply Khorne Red over the raised folds and the edges of the cloth.
  • Final Highlight: Use Citadel’s Mephiston Red to go over the same highlights, but smaller, to polish off the look.

 

Step 5: Metallic Details

Painting the Steel Parts

• Basecoat:
  Coat the metallic elements with Citadel’s Iron Warriors.
• Shade:
  Use Citadel’s Nuln Oil to deepen the recesses, creating a realistic metal shadow.
• Highlights:
  • First, highlight edges with Citadel’s Leadbelcher.
  • Lastly, use Citadel’s Runfang Steel for the brightest edges.

 

Step 6: Painting the Helmet Lenses

Lenses on the Helmets

• Basecoat:
  Start by painting the lenses with Citadel’s Temple Guard Blue.
• Edge Highlighting:
  • With your thinnest brush, apply Citadel’s Baharroth Blue along the bottom, extending and widening thee stroke to the front of the lens.
  • Next, use Citadel’s Lothern Blue to refine the highlight, concentrating on the front.
• Final Touch:
  Add a small dot of white at the back of the lens to simulate a light reflection.

 

Step 7: Finishing the Black Armour Elements

• Initial Highlight:
  Apply Citadel’s Eshin Grey to the black armour edges for a subtle highlight.
• Final Touch:
  Use Citadel’s Dawnstone as the final highlight to define the edges without overpowering the black.

Final Tips for Precision

• Tidy up the black areas during each step to keep the details crisp and give yourself a better view on how the miniature is looking.
• For more controlled highlights, thin your paint slightly more than you usually would and the wipe excess water from your brush using a damp paper towel. Stop when the paint stops “spidering” and the paint in the bush is ready, allowing you more control to get a sharp, precise finish.

 

And there you have it—the Space Bear Makwa Infantry, finished and battle-ready with clean lines and dynamic details. The model now boasts striking red armour, realistic fur textures, defined metallics, and detailed helmet lenses that bring it to life on the tabletop. Ready to add this epic unit to your collection? Grab your own Space Bear Makwa Infantry here!

 

You can watch the video version of this guide here: