Nerd Dads Assemble: Painting Space Dwarfs

June 2, 2025

Written by: Jonas Ståleker

I recently started playing a new(ish) game with a few fellow nerd dads Kill Team, and I figured it was time to show off my progress painting one of my 14 special little guys—space dwarf salvagers, to be precise.

This post is light on words and heavy on pictures, but I’ll walk you through a bit of the process.

First Steps (Not Pictured):
Before painting, I spent some time cutting out all the parts, gluing everything together, and giving the whole model a solid basecoat using an off-white shade called Wraithbone. This helps the colors pop later.

Painting Magic:
I’m using Contrast paints—they’re like inks that naturally settle into the recesses while thinning out over raised surfaces, giving automatic shading and depth. I love how intuitive they are. I’m using Citadel paints, but plenty of other brands offer similar options if you’re curious to try them out.

A Quick Thanks:
Huge shout-out to WarHipster on YouTube for the awesome paint scheme guide that inspired this look.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to…
Thayne Varrik “Stoneheart” Drunn of the Heartkyn Salvagers.