Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Ive been trying to find a good way to paint orc skin and so far I use this set up

1. Black Primer
2. Dark Angles Base
3. Snot Green
4. Goblin Green

But I found that this still leaves the skin looking very Dark, and Id like it a little lighter any Ideas? How do you do your Orcy skin?

I used to do:
black primer
Dark Angels base
dark angels/goblin green mix
green (or brown) ink diluted with future
goblin green final highlight.

Lately, though, I've been freed from the green skin mafia and have gone with Reaper's orc/monster skin triad. Before that, for my Warlord Reven, I did Vallejo charred brown, terracotta, GW flesh wash, and dark skintone.

Here is my current favorite recipe.

1. Black Primer
2. German Camo (Vallejo)
3. German Camo (Vallejo), Light Green (Vallejo) 50:50
4. Light Green (Vallejo)

Here's an example.


http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/210640.page

But of course I paited about 8 layers here, slowly adding LG to GC untill I was up to pure LG. This was for the painting challenge. When I paint for the table top I'm using less layers

HFN

P.S. Welcome to Dakka

HuzzFivvNivv, that looks great!, Im new to painting do you water down those colors? And you Apply 8 Coats? I did like one for each color, which I think lead to the not smooth blending of the colors like yours. I will try to post a Picture of what mine looked like, but be nice it was literally my first model. ^.^

I personally like to
1. prime black
2. gnarlock green basecoat
3. 25% green ink, 25% pva glue, 50% water mix
4. overbrush snot green
5. drybrush goblin green

for gretchin (lighter colors) I start with a basecoat of goblin green then do the ink which comes out brighter then highlight up with goblin green and scorpion green

NaZ

Whats that look like do you have a picture? See in Mine its much to dark for me, I want somthing a little lighter. And smoother transitions between colors.

Yes, water down your paint. Add just a little water, test, repeat until it's just right.

the more coats the smoother the transition.

you have a good start, you made all the right parts green

One of the best parts of a Ork army or any hoard army is the sheer number of models and all the practice you get painting them.

The more you paint the more you learn, just paint fearlessly and by the time you get to your 100th model you will be loving what you are doing.

HFN

Basically you need to mix the paints, and don't just jump from one to the other. At the moment it looks like distinct layers of paint, rather than a graduation.
I used to do:

DA green
DA 3:2 Goblin Green drybursh
DA 2:3 Goblin Green drybursh
Goblin Green light drybursh
Goblin Grn 4:1 bleached bone very light drybrush

Keep it up, painting green is fun!

this is the one time I feel I'm let down by vallejo, I bought their Dark green from their games range (so its very similar to DA green) but it so watery I struggle to use it at all, I may have to go back to citadel for my blorcs.

I use:

Knarloc Green Base
Wash w/ 5:1 Green:purple ink wash
Camo Green
Highlights w/ Rotting Flesh

I much prefer the camo-green over goblin/snot green approach, it makes the orks brighter, without making them look irradiated.

That's what my icon guy was done with.

Thanks for all the advise so far guys, I havent gotten a chance to try it out, but I will soon, but that gives me another question. I know pretty much how drybrushing works, but I am a little confused on how to do it to ork skin, am I just using the same technique?

Pretty much.

Get some paint on the tip of your brush.

Wipe most off on a paper towel.

Brush the surface you want painted.

I cant wait to get some time to paint and try out these set-ups will post the out comes.

Have a go on your spare limbs and heads. Make sure the brush is dry, its better to go light, a heavy drybrush undoes your work somewhat. Also, be gentle - don't press the brush onto the model too hard, or you will jam the paint into the very areas you don't want to paint. Looking forward to seeing the new paint jobs!

- DMG -

I've stopped using Vallejo green. It's apparently a problem across the board. I use Reaper Master Series greens now (especially the triads).

Yeah green is the main weakness of vallejo, I've not liked the results on any of them. I can also vouch for the Reaper master series, although the greens I've used are the unusual ones (moss colors, turqoise). They matchup well with vallejo and have the same handy dropper bottle.

Well here is my is my latest endevor, to me it looks pretty much the same mabye slightly better but I used the Layering, any pointers on how to make it better, and I also watered down my Paint

Good improvement The extra higlights make for a good change.
I still feel like you can blend from the darkest layer a little more effectively, there are a couple of very dark recesses on his arm that you could improve. perhaps a green ink wash will help a little. Can you say what you did exactly?
Nice though, I like it.

Sure thing, I did as followed.

Prime Black
Dark Angels Base
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 3:1 Ratio
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 2:2 Ratio
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 1:3 Ratio
Goblin Green

I tried to lighten the color up each time, I have Snot Green but havent done much along the lines of trying it out. I dont know how to wash a model but I think it would help alot, as always tell me whatcha think, I am just looking to get better.

The second picture is a definite improvement on the first so you're certainly heading in the right direction. What you can try with the highlight layers is to thin the paint out a lot. When I first tried this, my thin paint would just pool in the low areas of the model which didn't work at all. What you have to do is dry the brush out enough so a watery layer will go on the model without slopping everywhere. These layers should go on so thin that, as the person who taught me the technique said, "by the time you finish your brush stroke, the start of the stroke is already dry." What you'll notice is that you should see the base coat come through from under the thin highlight, which allows to to build colour up with multiple thin coats.

If you're patient and talented (I'm neither) you can get super-smooth gradual blends with this technique. I cheap out and wash/glaze over just 3 or 4 highlight shades as I mentioned in my reply in the Manhunter thread.

For what it's worth, I don't see the value of drybrushing to acheive highlights over non-textured surfaces. You clearly have the ability and willingness to build your highlights up in layers and I think you're going to love your results when you hit on a technique that works for you.

Sorry for rambling on, but good luck with the greenskins!

DFo wrote:The second picture is a definite improvement on the first so you're certainly heading in the right direction. What you can try with the highlight layers is to thin the paint out a lot. When I first tried this, my thin paint would just pool in the low areas of the model which didn't work at all. What you have to do is dry the brush out enough so a watery layer will go on the model without slopping everywhere. These layers should go on so thin that, as the person who taught me the technique said, "by the time you finish your brush stroke, the start of the stroke is already dry." What you'll notice is that you should see the base coat come through from under the thin highlight, which allows to to build colour up with multiple thin coats.

If you're patient and talented (I'm neither) you can get super-smooth gradual blends with this technique. I cheap out and wash/glaze over just 3 or 4 highlight shades as I mentioned in my reply in the Manhunter thread.

For what it's worth, I don't see the value of drybrushing to acheive highlights over non-textured surfaces. You clearly have the ability and willingness to build your highlights up in layers and I think you're going to love your results when you hit on a technique that works for you.

Sorry for rambling on, but good luck with the greenskins!

/looks at army aqualung is painting

Orcs & Goblins, man. I think he's getting a technique down so that
he can get painted faster.

Lol, agree malfred. And orcs are a little short on non-textured surfaces.

@aqualung:
Can i take some credit for your blending mix

inking...
Buy some green ink, and then use it slightly watered down, I put some on a palette and then have a drop on my brush and mix (this needs redoing, or your palette spot will start drying up). Then apply that to the model and let it run into the recesses. If you don't like where the ink is going (i.e. too much, or in the wrong place) then just wash&dry of your brush immediately and then it should soak up the rest. Give it a go and post the results!

Get keen

- DMG -

@malfred, others

Aqualung's already doing 4-stage highlighting. Thinning his paint more and doing a quick glaze afterward is going to take him longer how...?

Fair enough DFo, its whatever works.

Aqualung wrote:Sure thing, I did as followed.

Prime Black
Dark Angels Base
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 3:1 Ratio
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 2:2 Ratio
Dark Angels; Goblin Green at a 1:3 Ratio
Goblin Green

I tried to lighten the color up each time, I have Snot Green but havent done much along the lines of trying it out. I dont know how to wash a model but I think it would help alot, as always tell me whatcha think, I am just looking to get better.

are you looking for more striking contrast? if so, don't use Dark angels green..

prime Black
Snot green base
1 part black ink/7 parts green ink
snot green/goblin green 5:2 ratio
snot green/goblin green 2:5 ratio
goblin green
goblin green/bleached bone 5:2 ratio
goblin green/bleached bone 2:5 ration.

that should give you some nice hightlights

Thanks for all the tips guys! While I dont have Inks currently in my palette I will definatly pick some up this weekend and hit the mini's again and see what the results yeild. Till then I guess Ima be priming the rest of my army. How do you prime stuff liek Boar Boyz? Should I put the figure together then prime it, or Prime it paint and then put it together? Any Ideas?

I personally assemble most of my models first. of course it all depends on how much detail will be covered up with riders and other things.

I do know people that prime on the sprue and a paint on the sprue and assemble afterwards. I just don't know how they do it. I always seem to get glue overlap or some other sort of model killer.

Here is my latest Endevor I tired for a lighter shade of green unlike my previous two attemps, this makes 6 out of the 20 Orcs I have done. So Its certanly comming along, Like always Tips, Coments, Whatever

I cant seem to get a good picture no matter what I do...

My OLD way: Black Primer, DA green, dry bruch gobling green, somtimes another dry brush of 1:1 dead flesh to goblin green.

New way: Black primer, Ork hide foundation, Dry brush goblin green