How to Paint Hive Fleet Tiamet - TheChirurgeon's Method

This article is part of a larger series on How to Paint Tyranids. To return to that series, click here.

Tiamet is one of the more interesting hive fleets visually, sporting a cool double-blue scheme that can provide a lot of opportunity to use Contrast paints. In the lore they're noteworthy for building some kind of psychic resonator on the worlds they've conquered, and haven't stripped them completely of biomass.

Step 1. Priming

I primed this model with a zenithal prime of Mechanicus Standard Grey and Grey Seer. White would also work fine.

Step 2. Basecoats

Next up comes laying down the basecoats. I went pretty easy on this one, using Aethermantic Blue for the skin and Incubi Darkness for the armor plates. I painted the claws and scything talons with Abaddon Black and then hit that with a highlight of Corvus Black. I shaded the armor plates with Drakenof Nightshade.

Step 3. Chitinous Plates

This was itself a three-step process roughly following our standard tutorial for armor plates on Tyranids in the main faction how to paint article. I started with an edge highlight and lines of Sotek Green, and painted inside those with Baharroth Blue. Finally I added some small dots/corner highlights with Reaper Ghost White. This added a bit more depth and made the plates stand out.

Step 4. Final Details

I came back and hit some of the edge highlights on the skin with Reaper Ghost White and shaded some areas with a bit more Aethermantic blue. I hit the eyes with Reaper Pure White and did the tongue with Averland Sunset highlighted up to Yriel Yellow. Finally I edge highlighted the talons and claws with Mechanicus Standard Grey.

And that's it. You could definitely put more work into the flesh for better results, and if you were doing the little vents and exposed bits between skin plates I'd recommend either pink or yellow for those as a color pop.