Lots of good ideas here...go to the comments and ad your input.
After the better than expected response to my last post, I have decided to pursue even more ancient knowledge by asking about flesh tones.
Here's your chance to contribute to an eternal database of painting formulas and techniques that will benefit generations to come.
After the better than expected response to my last post, I have decided to pursue even more ancient knowledge by asking about flesh tones.
Here's your chance to contribute to an eternal database of painting formulas and techniques that will benefit generations to come.
What are your color choices? Does one manufacturer have better flesh tones than another? How many layers? Washes? Shading? Highlights? Eyes? No eyes? Do you know of any good resources on the web for painting skin?
The deeper question...do you use a technique or formula you consider to be unique?
Let's have it...
8 comments:
I don't really have anything unique, but it works for a dark skintone like mine. Basecoat of any red, tanned flesh, dwarf flesh, wash of ogryn flesh, then an overbrush of dwarf flesh. Maybe some highlights of elf flesh if you want. Comes out pretty good.
My favorite base coat is a VMC light flesh, I have a VMC medium flesh color I sometimes use straight, but most often mix with the light flesh.
I follow with a wash of Devlan Mud, Gryphonne Sepia, or Ogryn Flesh.
Someone at my FLGS noted there was only one race in my armies. This was more from laziness than prejudice. So, I pulled out my Citadel Dark Flesh and tried it out on one of my latest vets. I was happy with how that turned out, but now can't remember what I washed it with...
Dwarf Flesh, Ogryn Flesh, Dwarf Flesh, Dwarf Flesh/Skull White - that's what I used for the Guard. Wolves are much more complex and the method is taken off the WD that presented a Wolves paint guide. It includes crazy things like Scorched Brown basecoat.
Never painted with anything else than GW paints, so can't really comment there.
I always paint eyes, can't imagine not doing that. Even if not painted perfectly they add a lot to the look of the mini.
Karitas posted a good video tutorial about painting faces.
http://excommunicatetratoris.blogspot.com/2010/07/painting-guardsman-faces-and-camouflage.html
I usually go with an undercoat of Vermin Brown, followed by Bronzed Flesh (which it appears they've discontinued) or Vomit Brown to cover all but the deepest recesses. At this point I'll go in and paint the eyes, usually a dab of white and a thin vertical line of black (though I've been experimenting with black and two white dots on either side instead. I'll do a final highlight stage with Elf Flesh picking out the highlights (nose, cheekbones, forehead) and cleaning up any sloppiness from the eyes. Occasionally I'll add the very tiniest bit of bleached bone if I want a paler final result.
The good Colonel beat me to pimping my own recent post (thanks Col.) but at least I now get to look modest and not self-promoting :)
The truth is though I dont have a single, fixed recepie. Each project makes me look anew at what I'm doing. for the guardsmen I'm on now, that quick formula in the vid, -
base dwarf, highlight elf, wash, highlight elf/bone is working really well. for marines I tend tos tick to a greyer palette (I figure they dont get out of the helmets much) and for mordheim guys I start wit a base of dark flesh.
I think it's much more about technique than any particular colour, and once you get used to basing, mid-toning leaving some base visible, then using transluscent highlights and washes for final nuancing then you're in the right place, wether you are paining raven guard or a pallid servitor.
A good undead/evil/alien look is simple too:
Space wolves grey, leviathan purple wash, space wolf grey high light, skull white.
I use it on all my night lords and my undead. (Hurray for complimentary bitz boxes!)
A mix of
(a) Tallarn Flesh + Devlan Mud;
(b) Graveyard Earth + Devlan Mud; and
(c) Scorched Brown.
In each case, eyes are painted white, then a single colour (usually Scorched Brown) pupil is added, ensuring there's no white above or below it (half my army looks surprised because someone gave me that tip quite late!)
If lips are coloured, then only the bottom one, lest it looks like lipstick.
Eyebrows done to complement hair when visible.
Sometimes give gap-teeth.
Worth remembering to paint the 'off' eye shut (with maybe a little extra shading) if the dominant eye is looking through a scope or sights...
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