Space Aussie Ogres x3: Painting Guide for Big Models
By Victoria Miniatures by Victoria Lamb | Published: 2026-11-01
Category: Tips & Care
A practical order for painting the Space Aussie Ogres x3 squad, from resin prep to finished 40mm bases, with checkpoints to avoid the usual big-model mistakes.
Quick answer
Paint the Space Aussie Ogres x3 as three separate sub-assemblies, then work from the deepest skin and cloth layers outward to guns, hats, and bases. Treat each 40mm ogre as a small display piece rather than a line trooper, and check your work at arm's length before adding detail.
Why big models reward a slower order
Ogres give you more surface area than a standard infantry model, so every shortcut shows. The practical trade-off is time: a squad of three large figures can absorb more hours than a ten-model squad, but the result reads clearly on the tabletop because the shapes are bigger.
The Space Aussie Ogres kit includes separate bodies, right arms with guns, left arms, heads, slough hats, and 40mm round plastic slotta bases. Because the arms and heads are separate, you can keep them off the body until the skin and clothing are finished, which avoids painting around awkward overlaps.
Where painters usually go wrong on sci-fi ogres
The most common mistake is treating the ogre like a human-sized miniature and flooding it with wash. On large, smooth areas a heavy wash can pool and dry unevenly, leaving tide marks that are hard to fix. Use thinner glazes and build up shading in layers instead.
A second trap is ignoring the base until the end. The 40mm round slotta bases are part of the model's footprint, and deciding on a theme early lets you match the ogres' footing to the rest of your collection.
Step-by-step painting order for the Space Aussie Ogres
- Wash and dry the resin: Gently wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with a drop of mild dish soap, rinse, and let them dry completely. Check for mold release residue before priming. Skipping this step is the usual cause of patchy primer and flaking paint.
- Test-fit and plan sub-assemblies: Dry-fit each body, head, and arm pair. Decide which parts to leave off for painting, usually the heads and gun arms, and note any gaps you may need to fill after priming. If a joint feels tight, do not force it; a small amount of cleanup now prevents a cracked paint layer later.
- Prime in thin coats: Prime the bodies, heads, arms, and hats separately with a thin, even coat. Use a primer suited to resin and let it cure fully before handling. A heavy primer coat will soften the sculpted detail, so stop before the surface looks wet.
- Block in skin tones: Base-coat the skin on each body and head with a mid-tone, then shade with thin glazes rather than a single heavy wash. Work the glaze into creases and let each layer dry. Check the skin at arm's length; if the shading looks blotchy up close but reads well at a distance, you are on track.
- Paint clothing and gear: Paint the cloth, straps, and any pouches on the bodies before attaching the arms. Keep the palette simple so the guns and hats remain the focal points. Leave the gun arms off until the torso is finished; this is the main advantage of the kit's separate arms.
- Detail the heads and slough hats: Paint the faces and the slough hats separately. Use a smaller brush for eyes and teeth, and keep the hat colors distinct from the skin so the silhouette reads clearly. Paint all three heads in one session so you can keep the skin recipe consistent across the squad.
- Assemble and touch up: Attach the heads and arms with a suitable adhesive, then touch up any exposed joints or glue marks with the surrounding colors. Dry-fit again before gluing; paint on the joint surfaces can weaken the bond if not scraped away.
Kit facts that shape the paint plan
- Space Aussie Ogres x3: The kit contains 3 Ogre Bodies, 3 right arms with guns, 3 left arms, 3 heads, 3 slough hats, and 3 40mm round plastic slotta bases. The separate parts let you paint skin and clothing before attaching arms and heads, reducing hard-to-reach areas.
Space Aussie Ogres x3 - Space Aussie Ogres x3: The models are hand cast in high quality resin and sculpted by Bobby Jackson. Resin rewards a proper wash and a primed surface, and the sculpting detail is worth preserving with thin paint rather than heavy layers.
