If you’ve been watching my Warhamster streams on sundays, you’ll have seen I’m getting close to finishing the orange dragon. I’ve always intended it to have a base like cracked lava, so I thought I’d better practice.
I am using citadel paints, and they do have a good range of what they call “Technical” paints. These are usually used for effects: things like blood, snow, mud, and some have a special ‘crackle’ property as they dry.
I tried a couple of different ones and decided on Mordant earth as my black lava type top.
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/A855CA65-2F81-4597-BC2C-58DDBDB7FC5A.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
I have been told of a method for getting the best crackle, so I followed it and we will see how it comes together.
To begin, you need a good base colour. Obviously for lava that’s going to be red. Over that you need some yellow/ orange to make swirls and a visual texture. The tricky part comes next: PVA. Pva is a white glue, that goes transparent when it dries. It also shrinks quite a lot.
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/335A851B-4943-4B86-B85A-7E822E11EB20.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/D15AFDD1-D647-47D1-999E-BAA92CE42CF4.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/E9E74049-2003-4FE8-8312-2FD025ED2C5B.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
The yellow was just ‘Slapped on’ to see how it could come through. I know lava doesn’t look anything like that.
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/5C75BB06-0CE6-4211-8C3F-274756E553FA.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
The next trick I was told about is not to let the technical paint dry on its own. Using a hairdryer to quickly dry it gives more cracks, and makes them bigger.
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/E41742C9-6BF3-444E-A089-420F2B0E1BE4.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
The thick paint didn’t crack much, so I added a thinner layer (closer to the camera in the picture). I sort of wanted something between the 2 finishes, so I thought I’d have to get the thickness of the paint just right. Except…. when I came back to it the next day something wonderful had happened.
![](https://i0.wp.com/grossmodels.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/48C5AC71-C1BB-4E33-9E45-608A583062E4.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
It had continued to crack, getting almost exactly the effect I intended!
I’ll post another page about the actual base shortly. But suffice to say, it didn’t go quite as planned…….