Glacier Giant's Iron Tomb
A frozen ice wall rises from a flat plinth around a pair of heavy riveted iron doors, with braziers and fallen debris at the foot. The guide paints the ice in pale blues with white highlights, the iron in steel and gunmetal with black washes, and finishes with a matt seal and frost 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 wall | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
| Frozen plinth and steps | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
| Iron gates | Steel | Steel (base)Black wash (shading)Bright silver (edges)Bright silver (highlight) |
| Iron bands and rivets | Steel | Steel (base)Black wash (shading)Bright silver (edges)Bright silver (highlight) |
| Iron braziers and debris | Dark ironFor rust, sponge on dark brown, then rust orange, then a few specks of bright orange. | Gunmetal (base)Black wash (shading)Bright silver (edges)Steel (highlight) |
| Frost and snow | IceGloss varnish on the ice only. | Pale blue (base)Blue wash (shading)White (edges) |
What you need
- Soft synthetic brushes (size 1 and size 3)
- Large flat brush for drybrushing
- Spray primer (black, grey, white)
- Matt varnish
- Gloss varnish for ice
- PVA glue and static grass or scatter for frost
- Wet palette
Safety
Spray outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. Wear gloves when handling an uncured resin print, and sand resin wet.
Step 1 of 10 · Texture and prime black
Add a frost texture to the base and prime the whole piece black.
Avoid: Spraying too heavily, which fills the fine rivet and sigil detail on the doors.
10 min hands-on· then dry 1 hGood place to stop
I printed this onFilament print: Trim the strings and support nubs, paying attention to the underside of the ice ribs and the iron door rivets. Sand only the smooth ice faces and the flat plinth; leave the textured frost, stone and rivets alone. Apply filler primer only to the large smooth areas of the ice wall and plinth.
Brush PVA onto the plinth and the ground by the steps, then press texture into it and let it set. Once dry, spray the whole model with black primer, turning it as you go so the underside, the ice ribs and the iron doors are all covered. Keep the spray even and light to avoid pooling in the deep flutes of the ice.
Brush: Size 3 synthetic for glue
Paints- White gluewhole piece: Spread a thin layer of glue over the plinth and the snow-covered ground around the steps, then sprinkle texture over it while wet.
- Black spray primerwhole piece: Spray the entire model from underneath and the sides first, then from above, so every crevice gets a black base.
- Shake the can well and spray in short passes.
- Check the inside of the door gaps for missed spots.
How to do it: Getting a filament print ready. Snip off the supports and the brim, trim strings and blobs with a hobby knife, and file the support scars flush. Sand the marks on smooth surfaces only. Leave textured stone, bark and ground alone: the texture hides the layer lines, and sanding destroys it. On large smooth areas a filler primer, sanded once dry (220 grit, then 400), removes layer lines.
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 light from above onto the ice and iron with grey and white primer.
Avoid: Using too much white, which flattens the form and hides the ribbed ice texture.
10 min hands-on· then dry 1 hGood place to stop
Angle the can about 45 degrees above the model and spray grey over the upper half of the piece, leaving the lower recesses dark. Then spray white straight down onto the highest points only, such as the ice ridge tips and the door top rivets. Stop as soon as the highlight reads clearly; the black should still dominate the shadows.
Paints- Grey spray primerwhole piece: Spray from about 45 degrees above so the upper faces of the ice ribs, the door tops and the plinth edges catch the grey.
- White spray primerwhole piece: Spray from straight above, lightly, so only the uppermost ridges and the tops of the steps pick up white.
- Keep the white very light; a single short burst is enough.
- Rotate the model between passes to keep the light even.
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 · Ice and iron base colours
Tint the ice wall, plinth and iron doors with their base colours.
Avoid: Painting the ice too opaque, which loses the translucent look and hides the ribbed texture.
15 min hands-on· then dry 20 min
Mix pale blue with water into a thin glaze and apply it in long strokes following the ribs of the ice. Build two or three coats, letting each dry, and leave the darker cracks showing. Paint the iron doors with steel in opaque coverage, going over the panel blocks and the bolt heads; the rivets will be picked out later.
Brush: Size 3 synthetic for ice; size 1 for the door edges
Paints- Pale blueIce wall: Glaze over the ice wall in thin layers, keeping the recesses darker and letting the grey show through the ridges.Frozen plinth and steps: Glaze over the flat frozen plinth and steps in thin coats, avoiding the dark cracks.
- SteelIron gates: Paint the door panels and bands solid, leaving the rivets for later.
- Vary the glaze strength across the wall so the ice does not look uniform.
- Keep steel thick enough to cover the primer.
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 · Braziers and small iron parts
Paint the braziers and debris in dark iron.
Avoid: Letting the gunmetal flow into the lattice openings, which fills in the carved detail.
10 min hands-on· then dry 15 min
Paint the brazier bowls and stands in gunmetal, covering the inner and outer surfaces but keeping the carved patterns clear. Use steel for the bands and rivet strips on the door frame. Work small areas at a time so the paint does not spread beyond the detail.
Brush: Size 1 synthetic
Paints- GunmetalIron braziers and debris: Paint the brazier bowls, stands and the scattered rubble pieces in gunmetal.
- SteelIron bands and rivets: Paint the bands and rivet rows around the door frame in steel.
- Use the tip of the brush to get into the lattice pattern on the braziers.
- Paint the rubble pieces individually to keep them distinct.
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.
How to do it: One-coat shading paints. Shake the bottle hard. Over a white, grey or light-from-above undercoat, flow one generous coat over the area and let it settle into the recesses by itself. Do not brush it out thin or go back into it as it dries; wick away any pools with a clean, damp brush. Work one area at a time, keep it off the neighbouring areas, use a hard palette rather than a wet one, and avoid it on big smooth panels, where it streaks. Let it dry for 30 minutes before you highlight over it.
Step 5 of 10 · Iron metallics and wash
Bring out the iron with silver highlights and a black wash.
Avoid: Using too much black wash, which makes the iron look dirty and hides the silver highlights.
15 min hands-on· then dry 45 min
Apply silver to the raised edges of the doors and the rivet heads with a dry brush, moving across the detail rather than along it. Then flood the iron with black wash so it settles into the recesses and sigil lines. Wipe away any pooling on the flat panels so the surface stays clean.
Brush: Size 1 synthetic for the wash; a flat brush for the drybrush
Paints- Bright silverIron gates: Drybrush bright silver across the raised edges of the door panels, rivet heads and bolt tops.Iron bands and rivets: Edge highlight the bands and rivets with silver on the top surfaces.
- Black washIron gates: Wash the door panels and recesses with black wash so it pools in the sigils and joints.Iron braziers and debris: Wash the brazier bowls and rubble to deepen the recesses.
- Drybrush silver lightly; one or two passes is enough.
- Let the wash sit for a few minutes before wicking the excess.
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 ice highlights
Brighten the top edges of the ice wall and plinth.
Avoid: Drybrushing too heavily, which covers the blue glaze and makes the ice look chalky.
15 min hands-on· then dry 20 min
Load the flat brush with pale blue, wipe most of it off, and drag it across the top edges of the ice ridges so only the raised ribs catch the colour. Then pick out the very tips of the highest ridges with white using a fine brush. Repeat on the plinth edges and steps to lift them from the base.
Brush: Large flat brush for drybrush; size 1 for the edges
Paints- Pale blueIce wall: Drybrush lighter pale blue across the upper ridges and sharp edges of the ice flows.Frozen plinth and steps: Drybrush the raised edges of the plinth and steps with pale blue.
- WhiteIce wall: Edge highlight the tops of the ice ridges with white, keeping it to the outermost points.
- Work across the ribs rather than along them to avoid smearing.
- Keep white to the outer tips only.
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 · Sigils and gate detail
Pick out the infernal sigils and bolt heads on the doors.
Avoid: Going over the sigil edges and blurring the carved lines into the iron.
10 min hands-on· then dry 15 min
Use a fine brush to lift silver onto the raised lines of the central sigils and the top of each bolt head. Keep the strokes short and follow the shape of the carving. Then add small mid blue touches into the deepest ice cracks to deepen them.
Brush: Size 1 synthetic; a fine brush for the sigils
Paints- Bright silverIron gates: Paint the raised sigils on the central panels and the bolt heads with a fine silver highlight.
- Mid blueIce wall: Add a few mid blue touches into the deepest ice cracks to suggest depth.
- Pick out the sigils one section at a time to keep control.
- Dab the mid blue rather than painting long lines.
How to do it: Gems and lenses. Paint the gem in a dark version of its colour, put a lighter tone in the lower half (the side away from the light), and add one tiny white dot in the upper corner nearest the light. A dot of gloss varnish at the very end makes it read as glass or stone.
Step 8 of 10 · Frost and grime weathering
Add variation and light weathering to the ice and iron.
Avoid: Making the frost too thick, which hides the ice detail beneath.
15 min hands-on· then dry 30 min
Glaze around one in five of the ice stones with a slightly deeper blue, leaving the others pale. Stipple white along the frost patches on the plinth and steps, keeping the edges soft. Sponge a little dark brown onto the lower sections of the braziers to suggest soot.
Brush: Size 3 synthetic for glazing; a sponge for stippling
Paints- Mid blueIce wall: Glaze some of the ice stones in a slightly deeper blue to vary the tone across the wall.
- WhiteFrost and snow: Stipple white onto the frost patches around the steps and plinth edges.
- Dark brownIron braziers and debris: Sponge dark brown onto the lower brazier stands to suggest grime.
- Keep the variation subtle so the ice still reads as one glacier.
- Sponge lightly and build up in layers.
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 · Paint the ground
Finish the frozen ground around the steps and rubble.
Avoid: Drybrushing too heavily, which turns the frost into a flat white sheet.
10 min hands-on· then dry 20 min
Apply a thin wash of pale blue over the plinth and steps, letting it settle into the texture. Once dry, drybrush white across the raised frost texture on the ground, moving the brush across the surface so only the high points catch the colour.
Brush: Size 3 synthetic for the wash; large flat brush for drybrush
Paints- Pale blueFrozen plinth and steps: Wash pale blue across the frozen ground and steps so the snow tones blend together.
- WhiteFrost and snow: Drybrush white over the textured snow and frost on the ground.
- Keep the wash thin so the texture still shows.
- Drybrush lightly so the blue underneath remains visible.
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 frost tufts
Seal the piece with varnish, then add frost tufts and scatter.
Avoid: Applying gloss varnish over the iron, which makes the metal look plastic.
10 min hands-on· then leave it 8 h before handlingGood place to stop
Spray the piece with matt varnish and let it dry overnight. Then brush a thin gloss varnish only onto the ice faces so the wall looks wet and cold, avoiding the iron. Finally, dab PVA onto the frost patches and press in static grass or scatter to finish the ground.
Brush: Size 3 synthetic for gloss on ice
Paints- Matt varnishwhole piece: Spray the whole model with matt varnish, keeping the coat even.
- Gloss varnishIce wall: Apply gloss varnish sparingly to the ice wall once the matt coat is dry, to suggest a glassy surface.
- Static grassFrost and snow: Dab PVA onto the frost patches and press in static grass or scatter for a frozen tuft effect.
- Apply gloss to the ice in light coats to avoid pooling.
- Let the PVA dry fully before handling the piece.
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.