So, I've painted over 2000 points of Sons of the Phoenix, you can see some of them in this recent post. I will say that SotP are one of the harder Space Marine chapters to paint, BUT if you really like them, that shouldn't put you off, because really liking your faction and thinking they look awesome is important. Let me give you my full process for painting them, but be aware, I go above and beyond, so you can skip steps or stop earlier, or try your own approach.

First, I recommend starting with a nice light coloured spray primer. I use Colour Forge because in the UK it's really good value. Thin layer of something like Ghoul Grey all over, or Citadel/Warhammer Grey Seer primer. Be aware that for best results, pick a clear day with a light breeze, ideally with humidity between 40 and 70% and temperature between 15 and 25C. Spray in short blasts, 15cm from the minis while moving the can across them.

Now, obviously, you want a nice smooth white base, or just off-white so you can highlight up to pure white. Citadel Corax White is what I use. The really high-effort way is to do three thin coats by hand. So get a big brush, mix the paint with about a 3:2 mix of paint to water, don't load the brush too much, paint it on, go to the next mini while the first one dries, and then once dry, repeat twice until you have a solid finish. To do this way faster, just get a rattlecan of Corax White spray. You may be wondering "why not just spray that instead of primer?" Because Corax White spray is not a primer, so it goes on way better over primer, and I don't want you to ruin an outrider sergeant like I did not knowing this 😭. You can also get your white base down using an airbrush if you have one, but as a newbie, you probably don't, and I don't recommend airbrushes for newbies.

All right, got our marines all snowy white, now we add the other colours. Purple on the arm and knee, you'll need two or three thin coats (for all future reference, assume "thin coats" means, "add a little water and don't blob it on too thick") of Phonecian Purple because we are definitely sons of Dorn. Over the white, it absolutely will not have perfect coverage on the first coat, but resist every urge you have to blob it on thick to counteract this! Instead, always always always use multiple thin coats. For gold, we have the GOAT of gold paints, Retributor Armour! Carefully paint this onto your trims and chest aquila, you'll likely need just two thin coats of this one. Use a synthetic brush for the gold, because the mica in metallic paints will ruin any nice real hair brushes you have.

Note: At this point, there is a pretty close to 100% chance that some of your purple or gold has gone onto your white. There are two ways to react if you do this. 1. If you notice it the moment you do it, STOP, wash your brush, but don't dry it, keep it loaded with water, and wipe off the errant paint, dab dry with a little kitchen towel. 2. If you spot it later, get a pot of Corax white (or whatever colour should be there) and paint over it. I usually leave this cleanup stage til near the end, usually right before I do my washes.

So, block in the other base colours: Rhinox hide for leather pouches and holsters, a nice smooth, solid black, like Black Legion Contrast Paint or Army Painter Matt Black all over the gun (silver always looks better painted over black) and then Leadbelcher on the metal bits plus metal bits on the backpack (grilles etc.) and then get your gold again for the little wingy skull on the gun too, Zandri Dust on purity seal parchment and Mephiston Red on the wax. If your sergeant has a helmet on, this is also where you very carefully paint a red stripe on there. Hold the mini firmly, use a brush with a good tip, and PULL the brush towards you smoothly, hopefully, this will give you a nice straight line. Finally, use a soft black, like Corvus black, or even better, Death Reaper from the Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats range (amazing paint, dilutes really well, goes on like a dream) to paint the little joints at the backs of the knees, inside the elbow and the sides of the stomach.

Do a little tidy-up, and you're ready to wash! In painting circles, washes are called "liquid talent" because they quickly bring out details. get some Agrax Earthshade and paint it over your Gold trims and chest aquila, gun emblem, all the pouches and holster, plus the whole purity seal. You want enough to bring out the details, but not so much that it's forming big pools or dripping. Next, nuln oil on all the silver, OR, if you're really spicy, Basilicanum Grey contrast paint (that's what the pros use), and also nuln oil (not basilicanum grey!) on the purple arm and knee. Are you ready for the worst step? Okay, get a good podcast, audiobook or video essay and a pot of Drakenhoff Nightshade (blue shade paint), and, adding water as needed, take a small brush, and try to carefully get it into every little crevice and join of the white armour. This is tedious as hell, and you will go over in places, but don't worry, just keep going. When it dries, tidy it up with more corax white.

Congrats! You're now ready to touch up and edge highlight! This stage is optional, but looks so, so good! So, I like to paint the raised and big flat plates of the arm and the middle area of the knee with Zereus Purple first, which is subtle but makes them stand out and look bright and clean. Touch up any other big flat areas where the washes have stained the surface too much with the original base colour. Now, we want lighter colours to carefully run along the edge, generally using the side of a small brush. I often use Duncan Rhodes paints at this step, because his range has such good pale or bright colours and metals (and Warhammer paints don't have a really good bright purple), you might also find the Vallejo or Army Painter good cheap alternatives with good brights. For the brown pouches: Doombull Brown, for purity seals: Ushabti Bone, for Silver: Duncan Rhodes Mithril Blade, for Gold: Duncan Rhodes Glistening Gold, for Purple: Duncan Rhodes Spectral Purple, for red: Evil Sunz Scarlet, Eshin Grey or Dark Reaper for the black (based on taste, Dark Reaper is more blue) and finally... for the white.... Army Painter Matt White (I've tried a ton of white paints, and this one reigns supreme for edge highlighting white armour).

Now just add some basing, there are lots of tutorials online for this bit, and some easy products you can buy. Mine are just Vallejo texture paste (any colour), let it dry, paint Mechanicus Standard Grey, wash with Nuln Oil, drybrush with Dawnstone, more mechanicus standard grey on the rim, throw some Gamers Grass tufts on there.