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I need help!

1) skin
2) horns

I have reeally been searching but not found any help. My CSM army will have dark armour with some purple and turqouise. My inspiration for color scheme to my army is from a danish girl who is just awesome at painting! Check out her slaanesh champions:





1) For faces and other "skin" such as mutated arms etc, Im thinking some pale looking skin with a hint of purple to it. Anyone done this? Being so new to painting I could really use a step by step guide. Pretty please? And dont be afraid to write a long list of steps. It wont be that much skin to paint so I want the bits showing to look good.

2) And if the armour looks like the champion and the skin is pale, what color would be good for horns and the like? I havent got a clue... Maybe just a darker version of the skin? A bit towards dark grey...

Or maybe you have an even better idea for skin to an army looking something like the pics above. Any and all help is MUCH APPRECIATED!

I would use a very pale skintone to balance the darker armor colors. Probably Elf Flesh highlighted with Pallid flesh working in Skull White on tips (nose tips, cheek bones, etc.) with a little thinned Dwarf Flesh or even Tanned flesh to give some depth in recessed areas. If you wanted to give it a purple hue, you could mix in a bit of warlock purple, but that might be going overboard.

As for horns, you could go with bone horns (start with an earthy brown undercoat, basecoat khaki, lighten with bleached bone and tip skull white), purple horns (start with a deep purple, base coat warlock, and lighten by mixing with pale flesh), turquoise horns, gold horns, etc. Mix it up and try different ones on different models. Noise/Slaanesh marines are known for customizing.

http://www.warmongerclub.com/articles/2003bgt/index.htm

If you scroll to the bottom, the Black legion army uses purple skin for his models, but unfortunately, doesn't provide any details of how it was achieved. Still, I hope it works for a little inspiration.

I painted up a Slaanesh model's flesh starting from tentacle pink, and a Lelith Hespeaux in shadow grey. It's labor intensive but it works.

You'll need your basecolor, and elf flesh or bleached bone, lots of water, and a palette. It's best if you do it assembley line style due to the need for drying times.


1. Thin out your paint until it's got the consistancy of milk.

2. Basecoat the model in your undertone color. It will be too thin. Don't worry, you'll be going over that part again later.

3. Add some Elf Flesh to the paint on the pallette. Make sure it's still thin.

4. Paint over what you just painted, but not all the way.

5. Repeat 3-4 until satisfied.

Thanks for all the answers so far! Still feel Im not sure how to go about the painting. To quote a famous line "Talk to me like Im a 3 year old!"

@ jmurph: slaanes is known for customizing and Im doing so much of it Im afraid Ill never get done! But for horns and skin I want it to feel real. I mean guns, clothes and armour is something you easily change the looks of. But changing your own skin or horns aint as easy... So I think I want one (or a few) ways for skin and horn to look. Bone horns or purple horns sounds like a plan...

@ GCMandrake: Thanks for the link! Found this photo which I think is just the skin I want



And for horns perhaps like the termie on the left?



Anyone got help on painting like that? Escpecially which colors you think was used.

@ Valhallan42nd: THANKS! Helps a lot but I need an even clearer guide

Let me ask a few questions (and show my ignorance... *sigh*) and maybe we can clear up the mud in me head.

I prime the fig. I always use black, is that ok?

Then I paint with the milk thin base color. Probably lich purple. Then I add a bit of elf flesh to brighten up the paint still keeping it milk thin, and paint over. And repeat this.

Did I get it? And is black prime and then lich ok? Thanks for all the help! This newbs is a more happy and less frustrated newb

To paint pale purple skin start with a basecoat of royal purple. Add white to lighten it but also add a bit of regal blue. If you don't add the blue it will be more reddish than purple.

If you're using black primer, you'll want to start from a basecoat of the base color, instead of just the thin first coat.

As for a visualization, look at the picture below. You're creating a gradient from a series of thin, thin, thin, coats of paint. Be careful of letting the paint go everywhere, and practice on a few spare models at first. It's going to look like a muddy mess at first until you get it right.

This might also help:

http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/miniature_advanced_painting_blending.html

I have since added a more comprehensive guide to blending at http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/miniature_painting_blending.html. In addition, it describes how to improve your blending with a wet palette that uses nothing more than a pyrex container, white felt cloth, printer paper... and water.

I found that switching to a wet palette gives me time to blend before my colors dry up, like they did with a normal plastic dry palette. After switching, I'd never go back.

Not tried painting purple skin yet, but have painted some of my hagard space-pups with a redish tinge on their skin/faces - the use of the wash has given some pleasing results..

For pale skin with a purple tinge, what about a base coat of bleached bone (fairly neutral, but not white), then varied washes of Leviathan purple? then follow with very light dry-brushing of bleached bone / any purple/pink colour mix that suits?

The Danish girls pictures are pretty cool btw

To get slightley purple skin i would go dheneb stone then bleached bone with a thin wash on leviathan purple. If the results are purpley enough wash another thin coat and continue to right colour.