How to Paint Your Austroraptor Miniature — A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Difficulty: Beginner | Estimated time: 2–3 hours

1. Intro Section

The Austroraptor is a fantastic miniature for painters of all skill levels. Its mix of smooth skin, subtle feathering, and expressive features makes it both approachable and rewarding to paint. With just a handful of Vallejo colours and some simple dry brushing and highlighting techniques, you can achieve a striking, naturalistic finish that looks great on the tabletop.

This beautifully sculpted Austroraptor is available now in my Disain Studio store, ready to paint, and bring to life in your collection.

Before You Begin: Preparing Your 3D Printed Resin Model

My 3D printed resin models are fully cleaned and have the supports removed so require little prep before priming. I try to restrict supports to the less obvious areas but unfortunately they are unavoidable, lightly sand any support bumps with fine-grit sandpaper (400–800 grit), removing any small bumps will enhance the final painted miniature.

2. Required Equipment List

• Primer (black, grey, or white)

• Brushes:

  • Medium basecoat brush

  • Small detail brush

  • Dry brush

• Wet palette or standard palette

• Vallejo Model Color & Game Color paints (listed below)

• Water pot

• Paper towel (for dry brushing)

• Matte varnish (Vallejo Matte Varnish 70.520)

• Optional: Gloss varnish for eyes and mouth

3. Full Paint List (Vallejo Primary Recipe)

Basecoats

• Burnt Orange (70.981) – upper body

• Ivory (70.918) – underside and belly

• German Grey (70.995) – claws

• Off White (70.820) – teeth

• Sun Yellow (70.953) – eyes

Dry Brushing

• Orange Brown (70.981) – back and tail

• Light Brown (70.929) – feathered areas

• Neutral Grey (70.992) – claws

Highlights

• Light Orange (70.911) – snout and brow ridges

• Beige (70.917) – leg muscles and arms

• Pale Sand (70.837) – tail tip and spine

Washes

• Sepia Wash (73.200)

• Black Wash (73.201)

Final Touches

• Gory Red (72.011) – mouth interior

• Gloss varnish (eyes & mouth)

• Matte Varnish (70.520) – final seal

4. Step‑by‑Step Painting Guide

Priming

Prime the entire miniature using black, grey, or white primer. Grey is a great middle ground for beginners, helping colours stay vibrant without being too stark.

Basecoating

1. Apply Burnt Orange (70.981) to the upper body, back, and tail.

2. Paint the underside and belly with Ivory (70.918).

3. Pick out claws with German Grey (70.995) and teeth with Off White (70.820).

4. Add Sun Yellow (70.953) to the eyes, leaving space for a thin black slit pupil.

Dry Brushing

Dry brushing brings out the sculpted texture with minimal effort.

1. Lightly dry brush Orange Brown (70.981) mixed with Off White (70.820) across the back and tail.

2. Use Light Brown (70.929) to gently catch the edges of feathered areas.

3. Add a subtle dry brush of Neutral Grey (70.992) to the claws for natural wear.

Highlighting

Use thin, controlled strokes to brighten raised areas:

• Snout & brow ridges → Light Orange (70.911)

• Leg muscles & arms → Beige (70.917)

• Tail tip & spine → Pale Sand (70.837)

Layering & Shading

1. Apply a diluted Sepia Wash (73.200) into recesses, joints, and folds.

2. Use Black Wash (73.201) sparingly around claws, mouth creases, and deep shadows.

3. Reinforce highlights after the wash if needed.

Final Touches

• Paint the mouth interior with Gory Red (72.011) and finish with gloss varnish for a wet look.

• Add a tiny dot of gloss varnish to each eye for lifelike shine.

• Seal the entire miniature with Matte Varnish (70.520) to protect your work.

5. Comparison Table

Share Your Work

Finished your Allosaurus Juvenile? We'd love to see it! Tag @DisainStudio in your photos or upload your painted model to our Facebook page — every version is unique and we celebrate them all.

Looking for your next project? Browse our full range of Beast Realms and Fantasy Realms miniatures and keep the brushes moving.