Glacier Crevice Ice Wall - Center Pass
A tall glacier wall split by a wide crevice, with pale blue ice faces, grey rock ledges, banded ice seams, fallen ice blocks and a snow-covered base. Painted with zenithal priming, washes and drybrush, then sealed and finished with snow tufts.
Prime black, then grey and white from above; thin colour lets the light show through.
Primer: Black, then grey from 45°, then white from straight above.
Guide by @tbrianjones · Oct 23, 2026 · Version 1Colour scheme
| Area | Colour | Paints |
|---|---|---|
| Ice faces | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
| Ice seams | Blue | Mid blue (base)Blue wash (shading)Off-white (edges) |
| Rock ledges and edges | Grey | Mid grey (base)Black wash (shading)Off-white (edges) |
| Fallen ice blocks | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
| Snow base | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
| Ground rock | Grey | Mid grey (base)Black wash (shading)Off-white (edges) |
What you need
- Filler primer or black spray primer
- Large soft brush for texture and washes
- Medium detail brush
- Fine detail brush
- Drybrush (large, stiff)
- Pale blue, mid blue, mid grey, off-white and white paints
- Blue wash and black wash
- Silver metallic paint
- Matt and gloss varnish
- Snow tufts or snow flock
- PVA glue
Safety
Spray primer and varnish outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, and keep the can away from heat.
Step 1 of 10 · Texture the base and prime black
Build the snow and ground texture, then cover the whole piece in black primer.
Avoid: Priming before the texture paste has fully set, which lifts it off the base.
25 min hands-on· waits 3 h inside· then dry 30 min
I printed this onPrinted on filament (PLA):- Snip off the supports and the brim, and trim the elephant's foot (the flared first layers) with a hobby knife; deburr the bottom edge so the base sits flat.
- Clean support scars, strings and seam blobs with a knife or file. Sand only smooth faces, 220 grit then 400; leave textured stone, bark and ground alone.
- Wash it in warm soapy water to remove finger oil and release agent, rinse, and let it dry fully.
- Glue any separate parts together now, so the primer seals the joins.
- On big smooth faces, a filler primer hides layer lines: spray it, let it dry for a few hours, sand at 400 grit and repeat if the lines still show.
- Never use a hair dryer or heat gun on PLA: it softens at about 55–60 °C. A fan dries it safely.
- Mount it on a cork or an old pot with poster tack so you never hold the print, and spray only on a dry, mild day.
Safety: Wear a dust mask when sanding filler primer.
On this piece: Expect support scars along the lower rock ledges and the underside of the fallen ice blocks; trim and sand them before texturing. The smooth ice faces show layer lines, so sand those lightly with fine grit only. The thin ice seam bands and the crevice edges are fragile, so handle the piece gently and glue any loose fallen blocks before priming.
Stipple texture paste across the snow base so it looks like wind-packed snow and sits around the fallen blocks. Let it set fully before priming. Prime the whole model black, turning it to reach the underside and the deep crevice recesses.
Brush: Old stiff brush for the texture paste
Paints- White glueSnow base: Brush a thin layer over the base and let it dry before priming.
- Texture pasteSnow base: Dab uneven texture paste over the snow base and around the fallen ice blocks.
- Black spray primerwhole piece: Prime the entire model black from all sides, including underneath the base and inside the crevice.
- Keep the paste thin on the ice faces; it is only meant for the base.
- Check the crevice for dust before priming.
- Spray the grey and white within about an hour of the black, or wait until the next day: some hardware-store primers wrinkle if recoated in between.
How to do it: Texturing the base (before priming). If the base is flat, brush on white glue or texture paste and sprinkle sand and a few small stones, then let it dry for a few hours, ideally overnight, before you prime, so the primer locks it all down. Keep the texture off the feet and the edge of the base.
How to do it: Spray priming. Work outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, warm the can in warm (not hot) water, and shake it for two minutes after the ball starts to rattle. Spray from 20–30 cm away in short passes that start and end off the model, turning it so every side, including underneath, gets a light, even coat; two light coats beat one heavy one. Avoid cold, damp days, which leave a dusty or frosted finish. Let the primer dry for about an hour before you brush paint on; when grey and white spray coats follow, spray them after 20–30 minutes instead.
Step 2 of 10 · Zenithal highlight
Bring the light onto the top faces with grey and white from above.
Avoid: Spraying the grey too heavily, which fills the recesses and removes the depth.
30 min hands-on· then dry 30 min
Light the model from above by spraying mid grey from about 45 degrees, then white from straight above so only the upward surfaces catch the colour. Keep the coats thin so the black shows through in the recesses.
Paints- Mid greyRock ledges and edges: Spray or brush mid grey from 45 degrees above onto the rock ledges and ground rock.
- WhiteIce faces: Spray white from straight above onto the top edges of the ice faces and snow base.
- Let the light fall on the top of each ledge, not the sides.
- Thin coats keep the crevice dark.
How to do it: Zenithal (light from above). Over the black primer, spray mid grey from about 45° above, moving all the way round the model, so the tops and the upper sides turn grey while the undersides stay black. Then give short bursts of white from almost straight above so only the faces that point up turn white. Keep every burst short: if the grey or white reaches the undersides, the effect is lost. Spray the grey and white within about an hour of the black, or wait until the next day: some hardware-store primers wrinkle if recoated in between. On a filament print, light from straight above catches every layer line on domes and slopes, so filler-prime and sand those first, or spray the white from a little lower.
Step 3 of 10 · Tint the ice and rock
Block in the pale blue ice faces and the mid grey rock.
Avoid: Painting thick opaque coats that hide the recesses and flatten the form.
40 min hands-on· then dry 20 min
Thin the pale blue and glaze over the ice faces, fallen blocks and snow base in two or three light coats, stroking vertically on the ice to follow the grain. Glaze the rock ledges and ground rock with mid grey, keeping the paint thin so the primer shows in the deep cracks.
Brush: Medium synthetic brush
Paints- Pale blueIce faces: Glaze pale blue over the ice faces in thin coats, leaving the recesses dark.Fallen ice blocks: Glaze pale blue over the fallen ice blocks.Snow base: Glaze pale blue over the snow base to tint the snow.
- Mid greyRock ledges and edges: Glaze mid grey over the rock ledges.Ground rock: Glaze mid grey over the ground rock at the base edges.
- Vary the glaze on about one stone in five to avoid flat coverage.
- Stroke ice faces vertically to match the grain.
How to do it: Picking a brush. Use the biggest brush that fits the area. That means a cheap flat or round (size 4 or more) for scenery basecoats and washes, a size 1–2 round with a good point for most figure work, a size 0 only for eyes, dots and the finest edges, and an old or splayed brush kept just for drybrushing. A brush that holds a sharp point when wet matters more than a tiny one.
How to do it: Tinting with washes and glazes. Over a light-from-above undercoat, brush a coloured wash or well-thinned paint over the whole area so the black, grey and white beneath show through as shadow and light. Use thin coats, let each one dry, and add a second coat only where you want a stronger colour. On big flat surfaces wipe off the excess, because puddles dry as rings.
How to do it: Glazing (tints and variation). A glaze is paint thinned until it is nearly see-through, brushed over an area to tint it without hiding what is underneath. Use it to shift the colour of 10–20% of the stones or planks, to warm a cheek, or to smooth a rough highlight, and let each coat dry before the next.
Step 4 of 10 · Ice seams and blue bands
Paint the thin ice seam bands in mid blue.
Avoid: Letting the mid blue spread onto the pale ice faces and merge the seams away.
20 min hands-on· then dry 15 min
Trace the seam bands with mid blue, following the lines of each band down the walls. Keep the paint off the pale ice between the bands so the seams stand out.
Brush: Fine detail brush
Paints- Mid blueIce seams: Paint mid blue along the thin banded ice seams running down the walls and inside the crevice.
- Paint the seams in short strokes following their curve.
- Work the crevice seams carefully so they match the outer walls.
How to do it: Basecoating small parts. Use a pointed brush with only a little paint on the tip, brace your hands against each other or the table, and pull the paint along the part rather than dabbing. Do the deepest parts first and the parts that stick out last, and fix slips with the neighbouring colour once they are dry.
Step 5 of 10 · Metal details and wash
Add the small metal accents, then wash the rock ledges around them.
Avoid: Washing over the silver so the metal turns dull.
15 min hands-on· then dry 30 min
Paint any metal accents in opaque silver first. Then wash the rock ledges with thinned black wash so it pools in the cracks, keeping the wash away from the silver. Do not wash over a bright metal highlight.
Brush: Fine detail brush
Paints- Bright silverRock ledges and edges: Paint silver onto the small metal accents, such as any embedded fittings or edges, if the model has them.
- Black washRock ledges and edges: Wash black into the rock ledge recesses, keeping the wash off the silver accents.
- Keep the silver to small areas only.
- The black wash should darken the ledge recesses, not the top edges.
How to do it: Metallic paints. Stir metallic paint well and apply two thin coats with its own brush and water pot, because the metal flakes get into everything. Shade it with a dark wash, then pick out the edges with a brighter metal. Matt varnish dulls metal, so you can brush a little gloss or satin varnish back onto the metal at the very end.
How to do it: All-over wash. Brush a wash over a whole area and let it run into every recess, then wick off puddles on flat areas with a clean, barely damp brush. Do one section at a time and do not touch it while it dries (30–60 minutes), or it leaves rings. A wash over a very dark basecoat barely shows, so wash mid tones, not near-blacks.
Step 6 of 10 · Bring back the light
Drybrush the top edges of the rock and ice to bring the light back.
Avoid: Overloading the brush, which paints over the recesses and makes the stone look smooth.
30 min hands-on· then dry 15 min
Load the drybrush lightly with off-white and sweep across the rock ledges, catching the raised texture. Repeat with white on the ice faces and fallen blocks, working only the top edges. Stop when the raised texture is lit without covering the recesses.
Brush: Large stiff drybrush
Paints- Off-whiteRock ledges and edges: Drybrush off-white across the top edges of the rock ledges and ground rock.
- WhiteIce faces: Drybrush white along the top edges of the ice faces and fallen blocks.
- Wipe most of the paint off the brush before each pass.
- Drybrush across the texture, not along the ice grain.
How to do it: Drybrushing. Load an old flat or round brush, wipe almost all the paint off on a paper towel until it barely marks the towel, then brush quickly and lightly across the raised detail, not along it, so only the edges catch colour. Build up with several light passes, and finish with a paler pass on just the top edges. Drybrush rough texture (stone, bark, fur, hair, chainmail, ground), never faces or smooth cloth.
Step 7 of 10 · Crevice shading
Deepen the crevice and the ice seams with a final wash.
Avoid: Washing the whole ice face and losing the pale highlights.
20 min hands-on· then dry 30 min
Run blue wash into the crevice walls and the deepest recesses of the ice faces so the depth reads clearly. Add dark blue inside the seam recesses in the crevice to finish the banding.
Brush: Medium detail brush
Paints- Blue washIce faces: Wash blue wash into the crevice and the deepest ice recesses.
- Dark blueIce seams: Paint dark blue into the darkest seam recesses inside the crevice.
- Let the wash pool in the crevice but not on the top edges.
- Keep the dark blue inside the seams only.
Step 8 of 10 · Weathering and variation
Add light weathering and tone variation to the snow and rock.
Avoid: Overdoing the sponge work so the snow looks grey and dirty.
25 min hands-on· then dry 15 min
Dab off-white lightly onto the snow base in patches, keeping it uneven. Glaze light grey onto a few of the rock ledges only to vary their colour. Stop before the weathering hides the main scheme.
Brush: Small sponge and medium brush
Paints- Off-whiteSnow base: Sponge off-white onto the snow base in patches to vary the tone.
- Light greyRock ledges and edges: Glaze light grey onto about one ledge in five to break up the flat tone.
- Use a dry sponge for the snow patches.
- Keep weathering light so the piece stays clean.
How to do it: Glazing (tints and variation). A glaze is paint thinned until it is nearly see-through, brushed over an area to tint it without hiding what is underneath. Use it to shift the colour of 10–20% of the stones or planks, to warm a cheek, or to smooth a rough highlight, and let each coat dry before the next.
How to do it: Sponge weathering. Tear a small piece of coarse sponge, dab it in paint, dab most of it off on a paper towel, and press it lightly where wear would happen: edges, corners, lower parts. Go from dark to bright (dark brown, then rust orange, then a few bright specks), and stop before it covers more than it shows. On figures and tiny parts, stipple with the tip of an old brush instead.
Step 9 of 10 · Ground rock
Finish the ground rock and the base edges.
Avoid: Washing the snow base black, which dulls the white snow.
20 min hands-on· waits 10 min inside· then dry 2 hGood place to stop
Wash black into the ground rock at the base edges and the cracks beneath the fallen blocks. Let the wash dry for 10 minutes, then drybrush off-white lightly across the top of the ground rock so the rough texture lights up.
Brush: Medium brush and stiff drybrush
Paints- Black washGround rock: Wash black into the ground rock at the base edges.
- Off-whiteGround rock: Drybrush off-white across the top of the ground rock to catch the texture.
- Keep the black wash off the snow base.
- Drybrush the ground rock lightly.
How to do it: Tinting with washes and glazes. Over a light-from-above undercoat, brush a coloured wash or well-thinned paint over the whole area so the black, grey and white beneath show through as shadow and light. Use thin coats, let each one dry, and add a second coat only where you want a stronger colour. On big flat surfaces wipe off the excess, because puddles dry as rings.
How to do it: Drybrushing. Load an old flat or round brush, wipe almost all the paint off on a paper towel until it barely marks the towel, then brush quickly and lightly across the raised detail, not along it, so only the edges catch colour. Build up with several light passes, and finish with a paler pass on just the top edges. Drybrush rough texture (stone, bark, fur, hair, chainmail, ground), never faces or smooth cloth.
Step 10 of 10 · Seal and snow
Varnish the piece, then add snow tufts and flock.
Avoid: Adding snow flock before the matt varnish has cured, so it lifts off.
25 min hands-on· waits 30 min inside· then leave it 24 h before handlingGood place to stop
Spray matt varnish over the whole piece and let it cure overnight. Dab gloss varnish onto the ice faces and fallen blocks only. Once cured, glue snow tufts and snow flock onto the snow base and around the fallen blocks.
Brush: Small brush for gloss varnish
Paints- Matt varnishwhole piece: Spray matt varnish over the whole piece and let it cure fully.
- Gloss varnishIce faces: Dab gloss varnish on the ice faces and fallen blocks only, to suggest wet ice.
- Snow tuftsSnow base: Add snow tufts and snow flock to the snow base after the matt coat has cured.
- Use snow tufts or flock, not green grass, on this snowy base.
- Let the gloss spots cure before adding the snow.
How to do it: Varnishing. Once the paint has dried for a few hours, ideally overnight, seal the piece with matt varnish in light coats: spray from 20–30 cm outdoors on a dry, mild day (not cold, not humid), or brush it on thinly. Brush the gloss spots on half an hour after the matt, only where something should shine wet: eyes, gems, water, ice, blood. Glue tufts or snow on last, over the cured matt. Don't touch it for a few hours, and give it a full day before it is handled, boxed or played.
How to do it: Ground, tufts and grass. Glue tufts, static grass or scatter on after varnishing, over the cured matt coat (spray varnish frosts them), pressing them into small blobs of white glue or superglue. Put more at the edges and against rocks than in the open. A few clumps look natural; a full carpet hides the work. Static grass and grass tufts are green: on snow, frost or ice use white snow tufts or snow flock instead. Leave white glue overnight before you tip the piece or brush off loose grass, and don't breathe in static-grass fibres.