Star Wars: Legion Painting Guide Ep.6: Darth Vader

Hello! This is a guide to painting Darth Vader from Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars Legion. (amzn.to/2IQ72SX)
Full Star Wars Legion Playlist: goo.gl/K45PpN
Twitter: / sorastros
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Webpage: sorastro.com
Instagram: sorastro?h...
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0:56 - Steps Overview
1:27 - Prep 'n 'Spray
2:18 - The Outfit - Cloth & Leather
8:03 - The Outfit - Armour
15:54 - The Lightsaber
18:15 - Finishing Touches
Like the scenery? I show how to build it in this guide: • Scenery with Sorastro:...
Paints used:
Dark Sea Blue (VMC)
Black (VMC)
Blue Grey Pale (VMC)
White (VMC)
Mephiston Red
Kantor Blue
Sybarite Green
Orange Fluo (VMC)
Bloodletter
Stormvermin Fur
Drakenhof Nightshade (For the base)
Agrax Earthshade (For the base)
Biel-Tan Green (For the base)
Athonian Camoshade (For the base)
Also:
Brown Earth basing paste (Vallejo)
Testors Dullcote matte varnish
Javis fine turf (dark, mid and light)
Army Painter Black and Brown Battleground
Brush used for this video: Rosemary & Co Series 33 Size 2
Any palette will do but this is the main palette that I use: amzn.to/2wre2TS
Muddy Field gaming mat: www.deepcutstudio.com/product...
All music composed by and © copyright owned by Sorastro

[@kentryu3484]

I have to keep telling my brain that the saber isn't really glowing. Awesome.

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - thanks Kentryu :)

[@ShiftyMcGoggles]

Thumb this up people~ Make sure to use SUPER GLUE and not Plastic Glue/Poly cement. The miniatures aren't made of the same GW's Polystyrene plastic, so they don't glue that solidly when using plastic glue. Beyond that, 200% approval of this painting guide.

[@kelvingriffiths6017]

Yep. Just found that out the hard and annoying way.

[@julienstx8574]

In my opinion, you provide the best painting video tutorials on KZbin. Well done !

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Julien! That's very kind :)

[@beastmendelegate1946]

Ok but I missed the part when you said where you get the batteries for such a tiny, little lightsaber. Uncanny glowing effect!

[@Sorastro]

Lol - thanks Matt :D

[@DFloyd84]

Impressive... most impressive...

[@Sorastro]

Ha - thanks Derek :)

[@Toxik178]

Great inspiration, didn't think painting Vador could be this intricate but the result is stunning!

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Toxik! :)

[@hipsukun]

Superb! I remember when painting IA Vader, I dreamed of that kind of helmet reflection effects, but couldn't quite pull it off. Great to see it actually done. Turns out I just wasn't bold enough. In general I've learned from your guides to be more bold with light, shadows and reflections. It will look great in the end.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much Miikka! That means a lot to me. I also realise how timid I was with my first Vader and have too been learning to lose the fear and paint more bravely :)

[@darryltotaro4389]

Amazed at your talent and I have learned a lot of new ideas and skills amplifying the model, friends now want me to paint their models. I also admire your instructing technique and voice tone.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Darryl! I appreciate the kind feedback :)

[@docbun]

Great video, very nicely painted, and I love to be fascinated watching how your brush strokes build up the effects!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much Yan Hey! :)

[@Nortic111]

Astonishing work! There's something so relaxing about watching your tutorials.

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Nortic! I really appreciate that :)

[@mesa069]

Incredible. I've really enjoyed the series so far, but this was the first episode that really intimidated me. Great job!

[@Sorastro]

Ha - thank you! Vader has that effect on people (myself included!) :)

[@michaeljdauben]

Another great tutorial! I always struggle with painting black figures but I'm going to try some of your techniques on my next.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Michael! I really appreciate all your kind comments :)

[@mattygee37]

I watch again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master painter.....thanks to your vids 👍

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - thank you friend! 😀

[@MrMetalcraig]

Hey Sorastro! Me again! :D Just going to say thanks once again for this amazing tutorial. I knuckled down and painted Vader this evening following this guide and he’s turned out great! Thanks! :)

[@Sorastro]

Hi Sanga! Thanks a lot, and well done on your Vader! I'm happy to hear he turned out well :)

[@Pixel-ff1kn]

This is extremely well done, love those grey tones.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Pixel! I really appreciate that :)

[@Butte40k]

Awsome as always, I used your Imperial assault tutorial for Vader from imperial assault and I was quite happy with the result

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear your Vader turned out well :)

[@Sperius7]

Love it! Especially the lighting effect from the lightsaber.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Paul! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@jasonr5248]

Amazing job as always Sorastro! I never would have thought to use white on a Darth Vader figure! Really nice results.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks mate! :D

[@MrForsaken5]

The Master at Work! THANK YOU. Its so hard to paint black and you make it look easy. Can't wait to get my Legion Box today

[@Sorastro]

Thanks mate! It's not too hard really.. just don't be shy with those highlights on the armour :)

[@steveherck4776]

Thanks for the video! On a day I didn't feel like painting you motivated me to paint my Darth Vader and I even enjoyed it a lot. I truly like the balance in between having a nice propainted figure on the table versus the time spent on it.

[@Sorastro]

Awesome - thanks Steve! :)

[@mikeljokinecheveste1287]

I see that has been already commented, but I have to say it, such a quality leap in between the tutorial of the imperial assault miniature and this one! Great job, the OSL and the extreme highlighting look awesome.

[@Sorastro]

Many thanks Mikel! I'm glad you can see the improvement (it has been three years since the last Vader video!) :)

[@MikeysMiscasts]

Amazing work mate! You have done Vader proud :D Love the lightsaber effect, looks perfect!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks again Mikey! I'm glad you liked my Vader :)

[@victorsallant6127]

Another good painting job, congratulations, especially I find the treatment of the lights of the lightsaber

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Victor! :)

[@andershektor7223]

This is magnificent. Thank you so much for all the inspiration!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Anders! Much appreciated :)

[@PappaTrond]

Stunning highlighting - especially the OSL effect. Really like the worn metal look of the helmet. :)

[@Sorastro]

Thanks buddy! :)

[@napper8960]

That glow affect is something else, I'm really blown away how good it is

[@Sorastro]

Thank you so much! :)

[@EvilAnglo]

Great stuff as usual Sorastro! Like the many followers of yours here, I'm always excited when I see you have a new vid and I'm already looking forward to the next!

[@Sorastro]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that (I hope you enjoy the AT-ST coming up soon...) :)

[@EvilAnglo]

Sorastro's Painting AT-ST?!?! Mate I can't wait!

[@sun2shadow]

Brilliant, just brilliant. Amazing job as usual. Well done.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much Pete! :)

[@TheMiniJunkie]

I've never tried using a brush on matte varnish to fill a gap - great tip. The final result of this guide looks super impressive, including the OSL!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you found that tip useful :)

[@spinningmonkeysanimates]

I just finished the core set following your guides. I'll rate my versions as a 5/10 but you certainly helped me get that 5. Nice guides. Thank you.

[@Sorastro]

Oh great! I really appreciate that - thank you! :)

[@idahojake2296]

There are always so many things I Iearn from watching these. Thank you!

[@Sorastro]

That's very kind - thank you! :)

[@jschmons]

Remarkable, the entire video. And the OSL looks just like a real light is on, seriously!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot John! I'm glad you liked the video and the OSL :)

[@HeroesBosses]

I've never seen anyone use that particular method of highlighting black that you used on the helmet. It was almost like a NMM highlight. Looks great :)

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! Perhaps we could coin the term Non-Metallic-Plastic perhaps? :)

[@bageldrone]

much better than the usual OSL highlighting method using an airbrush. much more subtle and realistic :)

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Michael! I'm glad you liked the OSL :)

[@julienstx8574]

People take the airbrush for a "magic" tool. Here the work is better rewarded. Old brushes will win !

[@imperialadvisoraremheshvau3788]

Your work looks great Maestro, I would never have guessed he was a father of two!

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - thanks buddy :)

[@joshgibbs3337]

Absolutely outstanding video! I want to get the game and try painting the minis with your guide!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Josh! You have many hours of fun ahead of you :)

[@davegeraghty8848]

I've used your technique on the new shatterpoint Vader and it looks fantastic. Had never tried any OSL before and your style was so easy to follow.

[@Sorastro]

Awesome! I'm happy to hear that 😀

[@jonathanpopp7927]

Thanks for making this great tutorial, helped me a lot with my own!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Jonathan! I'm happy to hear it helped you with yours :)

[@AGuysBlues]

Man, your painting has come a long way since the IA Vader mini; the saber glow looks stunning. Great work Mr S.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks mate! I'm always striving to improve and learn new things so I really appreciate that :)

[@maximumentropyofficial9]

he's right, you have improved so much ! wonderful light effect and thank you for all your videos

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! I am lucky to have enjoyed several years of kind and positive feedback from viewers such as yourself which really helps motivate me to strive to push myself with every video :)

[@crazysithslave]

Dude your skills are awesome. Simple and effective. Well done!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much! I do try to keep things simple so I really appreciate that :)

[@kosachilles2504]

This looks amazing!!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@eomat]

Just so many tips in just general painting in this video.

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! I'm glad you found it useful :)

[@bergi1288]

One Word....amazing! ❤️

[@Sorastro]

Thank you very much! :)

[@Scubasgamecorner]

Amazing as always

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Stephen! :)

[@darrenmccullagh828]

Wow!! awesome tuition vid Sorastro

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Darren 😄

[@MrBMBuilder]

Awesome paint job!! I'm waiting on the AT-ST to build should be here soon

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot! I'm hoping to be able to release the AT-ST video pretty soon; it's a truly epic kit for sure! :)

[@xXxKendall202xXx]

Awesome cant wait to see the at-st painted.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Kendall! I can't wait to share my AT-ST with you :)

[@Siarkmic]

Great job as always.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks buddy! :)

[@alwoodsmodellingmayhem]

Nicely done. 👏👏👏👏This is a really useful video for me, thank you.👍👍

[@Sorastro]

Awesome - thanks so much! I'm glad you found the video useful :)

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

Awesome. Sadly I'm not planning on getting this game, but still a wonderful teaching tool.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Casey! Much appreciated :)

[@Goranparra]

*In Emperor voice* Do it!

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

Axel Linander Backed Gotham City Chronicles instead of getting Legion. Could only get one super splurge, and I've got enough Star Wars with rebellion. Needed some Batman in my Life.

[@sillan7685]

I just ordered over $200 of products for this game just for the figures. I paint, but I don't play. I just enjoy painting as a hobby.

[@Loem28]

Really brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Michael! I really appreciate that :)

[@mrvlogretrogamingforce8437]

I LOVE FINNISHING TOUCHES!

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - thanks mate 😀

[@mepp3814]

and here I was coming here to review the Imperial Assault Vader to figure out how to paint the Legion Vader .... no need. Got the awesome Legion Vader video right here. Thanks Sorastro

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Mep! :D

[@mepp3814]

I kept waiting for the Nuln Oil, it never came up! Boy, those Nuln Oil Anonymous meetings are really working! No washes and it still looks great. Rather amazing.

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha :) No.. I really wanted to avoid the Nuln Oil partly because I wanted full control over the contrast but also to avoid the brown-ish look that the Nuln Oil creates :)

[@maxbrandt6]

I doubt I'll ever paint any of these Star Wars Legion figures but I'm taking notes on how you paint black, looks to be an effective method.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Max! I'm glad you found it useful :)

[@stormquiver]

insane detail man, I wish mine could be remotely like that.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Jordan! Don't forget the detail doesn't have to be so fine for the mini to still look great from a couple of feet away; I kind of have to be as refined as possible for the videos (especially when shooting in 4K!) but as long as you achieve a similar balance of contrasts your Vader should still turn out great :)

[@crayzeewhorse]

Me n a mate are getting Legion soon, so this'll help with the painting side... which I'll be doing 😅 glad there was a tutorial or it may have ended up just being dunked in black paint 😂😂 He looks Immense btw nice 1 🔥

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha, thanks buddy! 😁

[@crayzeewhorse]

​@Sorastro I've done all the rebels so far, tried your Camo scheme... did not work out well for me so went for a trusty Dark Angels scheme 😅 doing troopers next then Vehicles then Luke and Vader, hopefully by the time I get to them they might look a little bit like yours 😂😂

[@Quick-Silver206]

This is definitely one of those "trust the process" paint jobs. So cool though!

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha, yeh - thanks! 😀

[@Wildboy789789]

It's a good day, your back

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - it's interesting that people think I disappear in-between episodes :)

[@dsanchez23fight]

NMM black. Once again Sorastro, my jaw is on the floor at your abilities. I can't wait to try this out, screw it up, say screw it, and go back to normal edge highlighting.

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha thanks buddy! But I say to you: "Do or do not; there is no try..."

[@nickwilson5390]

Waoh. Way better than i was expecting

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - Thanks..? :)

[@nickwilson5390]

Sorastro's Painting oh no. Didnt mean it like that. Sorry bro. As in it looks better than i could have imagined

[@willkilla]

That vader looks amazing

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! :D

[@familyofgamers777]

Awesome, once again!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks so much! :)

[@nerderthings]

Best tutorial ever thanks

[@Sorastro]

That's very kind - thank you! 😀

[@shaundaly1134]

Superb.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Shaun! :)

[@ConraDargoRecenserar]

Yet another stunning video and amazing paintjob! Bravo and thank you for this Legion-series :)

[@Sorastro]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the series :)

[@giovannizotti8549]

awesome!

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Giovanni! :)

[@emilianofisanotti9639]

Too PRO!!!!:) Loved the video man!!!!:)

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Emiliano! Much appreciated :)

[@ratelmike8825]

Absolutely fantastic tutorial. Your video tutorials will be open all weekend as i pick up all my Legion goodness tonight from my local shop. Im finding using the citadel system great and just substituting citafel scheme for any VMC colours. Are you going to a video on the AT- ST at all.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Ratel! Yes, the AT-ST video will be released next week :)

[@TrevorJust]

Amazing

[@Sorastro]

Cheers Trevor! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@sim2570]

Well done!!! ...The force is strong with yoooou!!!!! ;)

[@Sorastro]

Ha - thanks Monte! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@subdug]

Hello! Great tuto as usual ! i just told myself if you wouldn't have the feeling to do things twice? (imperial assault and now) , your technics are progressing well nevertheless. Thanks !

[@Sorastro]

Thanks David! It is interesting covering some of the same characters again to see how I do things differently :)

[@celeborn1990]

Hell yeah Vader!!

[@Sorastro]

Yehaa! :)

[@celeborn1990]

Sorastro's Painting Hello from Spain dude!

[@erho2967]

Dayum!

[@willemneill5418]

Your object source lighting technique is awesome! I've really started using it for a lot of my other models for glowing etc. thanks for the lessons! Do you have any plans to paint some more Descent models once you have finished Star Wars: Legion? I'd love to see you paint a Shadow Dragon or even Valyndra :) just a suggestion

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Willem! Yes - the Descent dragons are actually in my painting queue :)

[@stormyandcold]

Your verbal visualisation of your intentions really differentiates you as an artist rather than just a miniatures painter.

[@Sorastro]

What a lovely comment! Thank you 🙂

[@nickneeley2177]

fantastic job on darth vader. really helped me figure out how i wanted to paint the black armor as a beginner painter. curious though, are you planning on doing anymore legion videos anytime soon?

[@Pap9]

hey man great videos, subscribed since some time. any chances of u doing the RISING SUN miniatures, there is a ton of different ones huge ones and small ones and they are all great in details

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Pap9! It's possible I may cover some Rising Sun at some point but I'm not making any promises :)

[@Pap9]

im subbed either way so please consider it;)

[@CoolDude-lh9rd]

Your so good at this, your like Bob Ross of mini hobbes.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks again! :)

[@sparetomato]

The Circle is now Complete...

[@randomfleming]

Yes, but Sorastro is still the master.

[@sparetomato]

randomfleming indeed!

[@robwheelock5502]

Amazing work, truly inspiring! How long do you typically wait between base prime coat and highlight prime coat? and between layers of main color and highlights?

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Rob! I don't usually wait long between base coat and highlights. As soon as it looks dry I'm good to go! Regarding the priming.. if I use Vallejo's Surface Primer with the airbrush then I believe it ought to be left overnight to fully cure. If I'm using a spray can, then I'll start painting as soon as it looks and feels dry. :)

[@Rynot]

Looks amazing! I have mine at home all ready to prime. Would you suggest priming the cape separate from the body in i'm priming with a spray can?

[@Sorastro]

Hi Rynot! You could do I guess, if you're concerned about not getting into the underside of the cloak :)

[@Rynot]

That is my main concern. I don't want to drench the front of him just so I can get the underside. Learned that lesson from the stormtroopers lol

[@DR-pb8hx]

Love your work! Will you continue your Kindom Death pinting series?

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Dripta! Yes - the White Lion is in my painting queue :)

[@PaulMB24]

This looks so awesome! Do your practice each mini first or is this really your first try on this miniature?

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Paul! In this case I did actually have a spare Vader to do a practice on :)

[@derwolvi]

Thank you for the guide. I tried the most of it and it looks so great. Do you think, it is a good idea to paint the lightsaber with blood for the blood god?

[@Sorastro]

Hi again! It's really up to you; it would turn out looking somewhat dark and glossy is all :)

[@viggstable305]

yess

[@Sorastro]

:)

[@Vinzwien]

Holy shit this is amazing!

[@Sorastro]

Thank you so much Erwin! :D

[@motherfungler420]

Hi mate, great tutorial! I'm going to tackle Vader soon! I went to get Bloodletter but it's been discontinued - can you recommend an alternative?

[@Sorastro]

Hey there! You can technically make a glaze out of pretty much any paint if you thin it properly, but I think a red ink thinned with medium (Lahmian Medium for example) will most closely match the old Citadel glazes :)

[@jayandjayP]

Very great job as always. How much time did you spend on this miniature? Thanks for the video

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! I shot this in a single day actually; it was something like a 12-hour shoot but that includes all the camera re-positioning etc. :)

[@BmanX45]

Hey I was just wondering what you would recommend for a green lightsaber paint job in Citadel paints? I was thinking the waywatcher green would be a good glaze but I’m not sure what would be a good main body color for the green lightsaber? I’m working on my general grievous colors

[@s.korgaard]

I think it is a very wise decision not to use the phrase "Beginners Guide" anymore. :D

[@Sorastro]

Ha ha - you noticed that huh? :)

[@javva11]

Amazing as usual. It's crazy how those highlights finally all come together. Out of curiosity, what is the building shown in the background of the intro? Is it scratch built or MDF? Thanks again for your great tutorials.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks a lot Matthew! Ah.. I made that building with my daughter using the clam shell packaging that the Legion expansions come with. We just trimmed off the outer section and inverted them to form the buildings, then stuck a bunch of junk on - like the two halves of the ADSL filter you can see forming the doorway. I then painted it and gave it some weathering and foliage etc :)

[@javva11]

Thanks for the detailed reply Sorastro. I might have to give that a try, they look neat. Keep up the good work.

[@Sorastro]

No problem Matthew! :)

[@stevenagelutton4322]

the bob ross of miniatures painting.

[@jaredlucev4481]

I know I'm super late to the party, but any chance you will be doing a box of the Death Troopers? I'd love to see you work on those!

[@Sorastro]

Hi Jared! I've got a PDF guide for them which you can grab here: sorastro.com/2019/05/01/death-troopers-pdf-guide/ :)

[@jaredlucev4481]

@@Sorastro and today is the day I learned you have a website apparently filled with awesome stuff!

[@GryphonArmorer]

I thought the upper chest armor with the alternating panels were gloss black and matte black? I honestly thought you were going way,way too light with the highlights, but after it was all said and done, it looks really good. I've only in the last two years started using this method to paint figures and really haven't done all that many (well 6 to be honest) and find myself having trouble just following and trusting the process. I guess I've done ok because I won a first place in a painting competition and the ones I've sold the customers were very pleased and said that they are so much better looking in person, and the pictures of them are pretty good if I say so myself. 🤓😉😎 Great job and thanks for sharing your tips and techniques.

[@Sorastro]

Thank you! And grats on winning the painting competition! :)

[@GryphonArmorer]

Sorastro's Painting sure, and thank you too.

[@graceggale]

Always watch your videos even if it's in miniatures I'm not interested in just to pick up tips--for example, that matte varnish trick! I've been using green stuff for things like that but it's so small, unsandable, and unmoldable.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Chad! I'm glad you found it useful :)

[@daveshellabarger6352]

When you “prime” are you using black paint or black primer? Thank you so much my figures are looking better and better with each one I do.

[@Sorastro]

Thanks Dave! When I prime I'm using an actual primer :)

[@shogunz828]

love the video and the details, but at this point I'd like to see how you thin your paints a tutorial, because I've never managed to get the happy medium between "3 strokes and i'm back into the pot" and "I'm painting with water

[@Sorastro]

Hi Jeremy! I think it really is a case of learning through experience how much water to add depending on what you're doing with the paint at that moment. I do try to show my consistencies in the videos when I brush the edge of the palette or paper; you'll get there with practice :)

[@simbobcrafts4843]

I cant get hold of bloodletter. Could I use mephiston red instead? Would the lighting still work? The light sabre and lighting look awesome. I have some army painter washes on the way. Perhaps the red wash would work? 😊 Thanks

[@helloyou5549]

awesome vidya

[@Sorastro]

Thanks man!

[@Kelvinernst1987]

very good! any idea when the at st and the airspeeder will go live?

[@Sorastro]

Thank you Kelvin! The AT-ST will be live by the end of the week, and the airspeeder will be some time in April :)