In the first part of this series we cast the molds from plaster and in the second part we assembled and constructed the tiles into a modular dungeon set.

Now we’re ready to apply paint.

1. Gather your painting supplies

Apple Barrel brand acrylic paints are inexpensive and probably available at your local big box retailer or craft store. (More expensive brands of paints – acrylic or otherwise – are available, too.) Our set will need to replicate stone floor tiles and water in a pool, so I’ve chosen this range of color. Likewise, brushes are available at the same kinds of stores. I prefer bushy fat heads for broad stroke work, which most terrain painting is. If I need to do any details, I’ll use a 00 or 0.5 brush from my miniatures painting set. Be sure to have water on hand to thin out the paint. With dark colors, you will be refreshing your water supply a lot so dark colors from the water bowl don’t mix with the lighter paint colors.

Gather your painting supplies before you begin. Acrylic paints, brushes, a water dish and a pallet for mixing the paint. You’ll be using a lot of paper towels, too.

I work in acrylic for three reasons: 1) they are inexpensive, compared to oils or inks; 2) being water based, they are easy on the cleanup; 3) they are forgiving in that it will dry fast. If you make a mistake, you can paint over it with most any other color or white with little fuss, then correct with the color of your choice.

2. What has Brown done for you lately?

Set aside the pool tile, we’ll get to that one later. First, we need to lay a coat (or two, or three) of brown paint on all the other pieces. Brown is a nice dark color and provides a nice base for the stone work. Be sure not to leave any white showing. You may have to go over some areas more than once (especially if there’s any glue on the surface pieces).

Painting can be fun for gamers of all ages.

Some use a primer as a base coat, and that’s OK. But I find that for the most part plaster takes acrylic paints well enough without a primer coat.

3. Jump in the pool

Painting water for the pool is a good way to get your feet wet in the way paint of different colors and hues can add texture.

Unlike the stonework, where we are working dark to light, we’ll in the opposite direction to give the impression the pool’s depth is greater in the center. So we start with a coat of light blue.

Feeling blue?

Then we mix a darker blue color with the existing light blue to get a darker shade. This we lay over the previous layer, but leave the edge alone.

Our pool is taking shape. Dip your toe in and see.

Lastly, I use a purer shade of blue for the center of the pool. You get the idea.

Care to swim in the deep end?

Once the water section has dried, you can paint the stonework section with more brown (which I’m pretty sure you’re tired of looking at). Now you have a chocolate bar dungeon!

You have a chocolate bar dungeon. Looks good, but there’s still some more work to be done.

Next time we’ll employ some wet and dry brush techniques to make your dungeon tiles really pop.