How to Paint Mass Effect's Brute Miniature

Quick answer

Paint the Mass Effect Brute miniature by priming it, basecoating the armor and flesh, washing the recesses, drybrushing the edges, and finishing with a matte varnish. The multipart resin kit needs assembly and comes unpainted, so plan for a few painting sessions.

Step-by-step painting guide

1. Clean and assemble the miniature: Remove mold lines with a hobby knife and sand any rough spots. Dry-fit the multipart pieces, then glue the Brute to its plastic base using plastic cement or super glue. Let the glue cure for at least 30 minutes. Skipping mold-line removal leaves visible ridges that catch paint unevenly.
2. Apply primer: Spray or brush on a thin, even coat of primer. Use a gray or black primer for a darker finish, or white if you want brighter armor colors. Let the primer dry completely (check the primer's label for drying time). A thick primer coat fills in detail; two thin coats are better than one heavy layer.
3. Basecoat the armor and flesh areas: Paint the armor plates with your chosen main color (e.g., dark blue-gray) and the exposed flesh with a separate color (e.g., reddish-brown). Use a medium-sized brush and thin the paint to a milk-like consistency. Apply two thin coats, letting each dry before the next. Painting the flesh first and letting it dry before the armor prevents accidental smudging.
4. Apply a wash to recesses: Mix a dark brown or black paint with water (about 1:4 paint-to-water ratio) and brush it over the armor and flesh. Wipe away the excess with a clean brush or paper towel, leaving the dark color only in the recesses. This creates depth without shading each panel. Too much water makes the wash run into areas you want to keep light; test on a spare piece first.
5. Drybrush the edges: Load a dry brush with a lighter version of your armor color, then wipe most of the paint off on a paper towel. Lightly drag the brush over the raised edges of the armor plates and the Brute's knuckles. This highlights the sculpted detail. If the drybrush leaves streaks, your brush is too wet; wipe more paint off.
6. Paint the eyes and small details: Use a fine detail brush to paint the Brute's eyes (pale yellow or red) and any metallic parts like belt buckles or weapon straps. Keep the paint consistency thin and use the tip of the brush. If you make a mistake, clean the area with a damp brush immediately. Rest your hand on the table to steady the brush; freehanding small details often leads to blobs.
7. Seal with varnish: Once all paint is dry, apply a thin coat of matte or satin varnish using a brush or spray can. This protects the paint from handling during gameplay. Let it cure for 24 hours before using the miniature on the board. Gloss varnish can make the miniature look shiny and distract from the board game's table presence; matte is usually safer.

Product facts

• Mass Effect Miniatures - Brute: This collector's resin miniatures set contains two multipart, high quality resin miniatures with plastic bases. Requires some assembly. Supplied unpainted. You need to assemble and prime the Brute before painting. The resin material holds acrylic paint well but requires a good primer to avoid chipping during gameplay.