Assemble Da Red Gobbo’s Tinboy in separate, brush-accessible subassemblies, prime it smoothly, and use a controlled ten-colour plan for a bright tabletop finish. Keep Da Red Gobbo away from the chimney or other obstructive scenery until you have painted the hidden details; the official guidance for the 2023 Da Red Gobbo’s Surprise specifically found that this made the tiny black boots easier to paint. The 2025 Tinboy tutorial from Games Workshop is explicitly beginner-friendly and demonstrates the build and paint process with only 10 paints.
Confirm which Da Red Gobbo miniature you have
Da Red Gobbo releases are seasonal miniatures, but they are not interchangeable painting projects. Before opening the sprue, identify the name on the box or instruction sheet.
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| Release | Relevant official guidance | What changes for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Da Red Gobbo’s Tinboy | Games Workshop’s Warhammer Community video, 24 October 2025, describes a beginner-friendly build-and-paint lesson using 10 paints. | Follow the Tinboy assembly diagram and use the ten-paint limit as a practical beginner constraint. |
| Da Red Gobbo’s Surprise | Games Workshop Painting Team guidance, 10 November 2023, uses a White Scar undercoat, says Contrast paints work well, and reports easier detail access with Da Red Gobbo removed from the chimney. | Use the separate Gobbo-and-chimney approach where the parts permit it, especially around the boots and snowy top. |
The sculpts and colour placement differ, so do not force the Surprise article’s part arrangement onto Tinboy if the kit diagram shows a different connection. The general method—clean parts, dry-fit, paint reachable subassemblies, then assemble—works for either release.
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The miniature is supplied unpainted and requires assembly. Lay out everything before you remove a part so a missing component is not confused with a piece still attached to the frame.
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| Item | Purpose | Essential? |
|---|---|---|
| Da Red Gobbo’s Tinboy multipart plastic kit | The model and its scenic components. | Yes |
| Plastic cutters | Separating parts from the sprue cleanly. | Yes |
| Hobby knife, scraper, or mould-line tool | Removing mould lines and small attachment marks. | Yes |
| Plastic cement | Joining polystyrene kit parts; Citadel Plastic Glue is the retailer-recommended option for Tinboy. | Yes for plastic assembly |
| Primer | Providing an even surface for paint. | Yes |
| Fine detail brush | Goggles, lenses, ornaments, boots, explosives, and other small areas. | Strongly recommended |
| Larger basecoat brush | Covering the broad body, clothing, and base efficiently. | Strongly recommended |
| Citadel Colour paints | The colour system used in the official tutorials. | Yes, or an equivalent paint range |
| Tweezers | Handling small parts without touching wet paint. | Optional but useful |
| Wet palette | Keeping thin paint workable during basecoating and layering. | Optional |
| Texture paint, snow product, and varnish | Finishing the scenic base and protecting the cured model. | Optional |
Keep water, a palette, paper towel, and a stable work surface nearby. The official Surprise guidance mentions using “the tiniest paintbrush” for small details; a fine brush matters more than owning a large collection of specialty tools.
Assemble the model without blocking your brush
The downloadable instruction booklet for the kit takes the builder from the plastic sprue to a fully assembled model ready to paint. You can follow that sequence while deliberately pausing before joins that would hide important surfaces.
- Inventory the sprue. Compare every numbered piece with the kit diagram. Group the parts into the Gobbo figure, Tinboy or mechanical body, scenic base, chimney or other scenery, and accessories. Do not clip anything until the count and orientation make sense.
- Clip parts from the frame. Use cutters close to—but not against—the finished surface, leaving a small nub if that gives you more control. Remove the remaining nub with the knife or scraper rather than gouging the part.
- Clean mould lines. Run the edge of a hobby knife or mould-line tool along seams, clothing edges, metal panels, and the base. Work slowly around fingers, weapons, goggles, and other fragile details.
- Dry-fit every join. Push parts together without glue and check that tabs, pegs, and contact surfaces align. Dry-fitting exposes a reversed part or a seam that needs additional cleaning before cement makes the mistake permanent.
- Choose subassemblies. Keep the Gobbo separate from the chimney or any scenery that blocks the boots, underside, or nearby snow. Keep other hard-to-reach elements apart when the kit’s contact points allow it. The goal is not to maximize the number of pieces; it is to leave a clear path for your brush.
- Apply plastic cement sparingly. Touch cement to the mating surfaces, bring them together, and hold them steady. Excess cement can soften detail or leave a shiny scar. The kit is polystyrene, so use plastic cement rather than relying on a general-purpose craft adhesive.
- Let the cement cure fully. Put each subassembly somewhere dust-free and leave it undisturbed. Once cured, inspect seams under a strong light and scrape or fill visible gaps before priming.
- Test the final fit again. Place the Gobbo, chimney, body, and scenic pieces together without glue. Confirm that your planned painting order still leaves access to every visible surface.
When to glue the Gobbo to the chimney
Glue the figure in place only after you have painted the areas that the chimney or snowy top would conceal. If your Tinboy parts have a permanent connection that cannot be separated safely, paint the reachable surfaces first and protect the joint area from stray colour. If the parts are designed as separate pieces, retain that separation through detail painting and attach them after the boots, underside, and adjacent scenery are finished.
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Prime for clean festive colours
Use a smooth, even primer over every surface. A lumpy or powdery coat will show through thin paint and can soften the tiny mechanical and costume details. Spray or brush on several light passes rather than one heavy layer, and let the primer dry before handling the parts.
For the bright look documented by Games Workshop on Da Red Gobbo’s Surprise, the painting team used a White Scar undercoat. That bright starting point helps festive reds, whites, and lighter metallic areas stay luminous. A different primer can work, but it changes how much coverage your first coats need, so test your paint on an inconspicuous area before committing to the whole model.
Plan a ten-paint beginner scheme
Both official approaches are built around roughly ten colours: the 2025 Tinboy video uses 10 paints, while the 2023 Surprise article describes the model as paintable in “just 10 colours.” Treat that number as a workflow boundary, not a rule that prevents later improvements.
Before painting, assign your available colours to broad jobs. A practical ten-colour plan needs coverage for:
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- Red cloth and festive accents.
- A light colour for snow, trim, or other bright areas.
- Gobbo skin.
- Dark boots, straps, and deep recesses.
- Metallic mechanical panels.
- A second metallic or contrasting metal for tools and fittings.
- Goggle frames and lenses.
- Ornaments, explosives, and other small coloured details.
- A shade or Contrast colour for recess definition.
- Base materials and finishing colour.
The exact colour names are less important than assigning each paint a job before the brush touches the model. Keep a small note of which colour goes on each area so a later repair does not depend on memory.
Paint in an order that protects your work
1. Establish the largest basecoats
Start with the broadest surfaces: the mechanical body, major clothing panels, chimney or scenery, and the base. Thin the paint enough to flow, but not so far that it pools in recesses. Two or more thin coats normally give a cleaner result than one thick coat; let each coat dry before adding the next.
Work one colour across all of its intended areas before changing paints. Keep the brush pointed toward the centre of the panel and away from already finished edges. Do not chase tiny mistakes while the large areas are still wet; clean, dry surfaces are easier to correct.
2. Paint metallic machinery
Apply metallic paint to the Tinboy’s mechanical panels, fittings, tools, and other metal parts after the main colour blocks are stable. Metallic pigment can spread into nearby cloth and skin, so use a controlled brush and wipe excess paint from the bristles before touching a detail.
Define the panels with a shade or Contrast paint, allowing the darker colour to settle in joints and rivets. If the recess becomes too dark, restore the raised surface with the original metallic colour rather than repainting the entire panel.
3. Block in the red clothing
Paint Da Red Gobbo’s red clothing and other festive fabric in thin, even coats. Red often benefits from a bright primer because dark undercoats can make it look dull. Keep the colour out of fur trim, boots, goggles, and metal edges; those boundaries are much easier to sharpen now than after several highlight layers.
Once the red is dry, add a lighter red or a carefully mixed highlight to raised folds and edges. Use a small amount of paint on the side of the brush and avoid flooding the recesses you have already shaded.
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4. Paint skin and small clothing areas
Move to the Gobbo’s skin, hands, face, and any exposed areas. Paint the face before adding goggles or headgear so you can correct an accidental overlap. Shade the deepest creases, then place a lighter skin colour on the nose, cheeks, knuckles, and other raised surfaces that catch light.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePaint boots, straps, and other dark items next. On the Surprise model, the official painter specifically kept Da Red Gobbo away from the chimney to avoid getting dark boot paint onto the snowy top. The same principle applies to Tinboy: separate parts wherever a dark colour borders a bright scenic surface.
5. Pick out goggles, lenses, ornaments, and explosives
Use the fine brush for goggles, lenses, rivets, ornaments, gifts, explosives, and other small focal points. Work from the surrounding dark frame toward the lens so the outline remains crisp. Place a tiny lighter spot only after the main lens colour is fully dry.
Paint decorative details one at a time and rotate the model rather than bending your wrist into an awkward angle. Rest your painting hand against the other hand or the table to reduce accidental slips.
6. Use Contrast paints where speed matters
Games Workshop’s Surprise guidance says Contrast paints “work wonders” on the model. They can provide colour and recess shading in one controlled pass, particularly on textured clothing, skin, and organic details. They are not a substitute for preparation: a smooth primer, careful loading, and a dry surface still matter.
Apply Contrast paint to one section at a time and pull excess liquid away from flat areas before it dries. If a pool leaves a tide mark, let it cure, smooth the area with the underlying base colour, and try again with less paint.
7. Add highlights and tidy boundaries
After every colour has dried, inspect the model under bright light. Repaint any overspill with the colour beneath it, then add selective highlights to red cloth, metal edges, goggles, and raised mechanical features. Edge highlights do not need to cover every edge; place them where the light would catch the sharpest ridge.
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Keep highlights thinner and lighter than the basecoat. A few deliberate marks on the face, hat, prominent panels, and tools create more visual impact than outlining every surface equally.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Finish the scenic base
Paint the base after the figure and major scenery are stable. This keeps base colour from splashing onto finished boots or clothing. Cover the rim neatly, then add texture paint or other ground material if you want more depth. Snow products can reinforce the festive setting, but apply them after all nearby colours are dry and keep the material away from movable joins.
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For a clean snow effect, use small controlled amounts rather than burying the texture in one thick application. Leave the model untouched until the base material has cured; moving it while the surface is soft can pull snow onto the boots or chimney.
Choose between a fast tabletop finish and extra refinement
| Approach | Process | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-colour/Contrast workflow | Bright primer, broad basecoats, Contrast shading, a few targeted highlights, and a simple base. | A first miniature or a quick festive result. | Less control over subtle gradients and very flat surfaces. |
| Classic layered workflow | Separate basecoat, shade, restored base colour, multiple highlights, and optional weathering. | Display-focused work or painters who enjoy gradual refinement. | More drying time, paint handling, and opportunities to obscure details with thick layers. |
| Maximum subassembly access | Gobbo, chimney, body, and scenic elements remain separate until detail painting is complete. | Small boots, underside details, and tight chimney areas. | Requires careful final alignment and protection of finished surfaces during assembly. |
| Fully assembled painting | Glue the scenic model first, then paint it as one piece. | Kits whose joins are designed to be permanent or painters who prefer structural simplicity. | Brush access is poorer, especially around the Gobbo and chimney. |
Protect the finished miniature
Allow all paint and base texture to cure before varnishing. A suitable varnish protects the surface from handling, but it cannot rescue paint that was applied over damp primer or wet texture. Apply light, even coats and let each coat dry before deciding whether another is needed.
Handle the model by the base whenever possible. If a small detail chips, clean the damaged area, repaint the underlying colour, restore the highlight, and varnish that repaired section after it has dried.
Troubleshooting common problems
Paint is covering the mechanical detail
The coat is too thick or the brush is overloaded. Let it dry completely, then restore the panel with thin coats. Use a larger brush for broad surfaces and reserve the fine brush for edges and recesses.
The red looks patchy
Bright colours often need several thin coats. Allow each layer to dry, keep the primer visible only where intended, and avoid repeatedly scrubbing the same area with a wet brush.
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Metallic paint has spread onto fabric
Wait until the metallic is dry, then repaint the cloth with its base colour. Add the cloth highlight again only after the correction is fully dry.
Contrast paint has pooled
While the paint is still workable, wick excess away with a clean, damp brush. If a mark has dried, cover it with the original base colour and apply a thinner second pass.
The Gobbo cannot be reached after assembly
Do not force a brush into the gap or risk snapping the model. Paint the accessible surfaces, separate the part only if the kit’s join permits safe removal, and retain subassemblies on future builds. The official Surprise guidance confirms that removing the Gobbo from the chimney improves access to small details.
The scenic snow is stained
Paint the boots, chimney, and nearby scenery before adding snow. If colour has already reached the snow, let it dry, repaint the affected patch, and reapply a small amount of texture rather than coating the entire base again.
Is Da Red Gobbo’s Tinboy beginner-friendly?
Yes, provided you treat access and paint thickness as the main challenges. Games Workshop’s 24 October 2025 Tinboy video is explicitly aimed at beginners and limits the recipe to 10 paints. The kit still rewards normal miniature discipline: inventory the parts, remove mould lines, dry-fit every join, use thin coats, and let plastic cement cure before priming.
The model becomes more forgiving when you keep the Gobbo and chimney separate during detail work, use a bright undercoat such as the White Scar example documented for Da Red Gobbo’s Surprise, and postpone snow or other base effects until the surrounding paint is finished. You can stop at a clean ten-colour tabletop result or continue with sharper highlights, weathering, and a protective varnish.
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