The Painting Guide:
The Saruman miniature presents a certain painting challenge whether it is Saruman The White or Saruman the Many coloured!

As usual with a figure dressed mainly in cool colours it is best to start with a neutral base coat of a blue/grey colour. A further wash usually used to bring out the detail at this point is not necessary as the detail will need to be picked up at the lighter end of the scale through highlighting. Whilst it is normally not a good idea to use pure white in miniature painting, it is unavoidable here, but care should be taken to reserve pure white for the figure's shoulders, the top of the clothed arms and Saruman's beard.

Instead of grey for the shadows, using a selection of different colours mixed with white for different areas of clothing will add interest and hint at Saruman's Many Coloured aspect, as yet unrevealed. A bluish white gives a clean look to shadowed areas of white cloth, which is desirable in a miniature.

Flesh tones enhanced by a cream or bone coloured highlight sparingly used will finish off the major areas and put all of that white cloth into perspective.

The raised detail on the clothing may be painted black initially which may seem harsh until a light drybrush of gold is picked out over the top. Using gold here alluded to Tolkien's symbolic reference of silver being 'pure' and therefore gold being somehow corrupt and thus perfect for Saruman.

Buy LR1 - 10 (includes this figure)

Other Saruman figures:
MV360 Saruman and Gandalf, 32mm
MC17 Saruman
LO11 Saruman the wizard of Orthanc

Want to see some of your examples of the members of Wizards?

Go to our Fan Paintings section.