Painting BLOOD

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**KingCracker**

No its not a tutorial or a how to.

I personally CRINGE when I see blood painted on minis. Its like stepping on glass for me. I very rarely see a blood paint job and like it. What about you DAKKA? How do you all feel about it? And please for the love to pete, be honest, no ones feelings will be hurt here

**filbert**

I don't do it really - always ends up looking really cheesy.

**ShivanAngel**

Ive seen one model with gore on it that i liked. And it was a conversion of a guy chainswording someone who is on their knees head off.

**insaniak**

As with battle damage to armour, or dirt and mud effects, if it's well done, it can add a lot of character to a paintjob.
But yeah, the vast majority of the time, (from my experience) people just splash on some blood red and wind up with something that doesn't look at all like blood.

**countchocula86**

Its one of those things that you think will jazz up a model, but when youre an amateur really just doesnt come out. I mean, i remember when I was painted my 2e Orcs, I gave their axes a lovely red fringe. I called it blood, but it was far too even and uniform to be any sort of blood spatter!

**BlueGiant**

It isn't just the pattern of blood, but the color. I mean Blood Red doesn't really work except, maybe, for the freshest, oxygenated blood out there.

Something more like rust works better if you're going for the "used" and weathered look.

Still, done well, it's great, blood for the blood god and all that.

**Lord of battles**

If its tasteful im ok with it but when its not done well i hate it (which happens to be most of the time)

**Sarrazon**

I have a friend who bloods everything (and I do mean everything) up. It makes sense, because he goes for a very grimdark painting and modeling style - Doghouses's Gothic marines, darkened to hell and back with washes, most converted, with dead guardsmen everywhere and lots of blood. He uses the Tamiya Clear Red mixed with some black ink to get a very fresh glossy blood look, and it looks pretty damn good. And that works for him.

I, on the other hand, am not a grimdark kinda guy. I've never bloodied up my guys, and I don't really plan to. I'm the kinda of guy who would do a harlequin or old-school noise marine army (both things I would LOVE to do. The Harlequins are getting a big place in my current Eldar army, and the Emperor's Children are in a planning stage). Bright, flashy colors, and flashier models. And that works for me.

It's all a matter of preference, how it's done, and how it blends into the rest of the person's style. If they can pull it off, it adds to the model exceptionally. If not....

**Leromides**

I use the tamiya method mentioned above on chaos spawn and khorne berserkers but wouldn't use it on "good" guys. Silly really, an Ultramarine wielding a chainsword is going to get messy very quickly but somehow it just doesn,t seem right. Definately never on eldar either, I imagine they keep a supply of wet wipes to hand at all times for that very purpose.

**Thor665**

I do blood semi-regular, I'm still not ever sure if I like my method (red gore, highlighted with blood red, and dappled with red ink for shine and more depth).

I certainly don't cringe when I see other people do it and have seen some very well done pieces. Still, I know people who cringe at Ork topknots (I cringe at the blow back 80's hair for the Wolves and DE myself) and have even met a painter who loathed seeing metallic paints used for metal. Different (paint) strokes for different folks I imagine.

**Brother SRM**

I see the occasional army with decent blood effects. One guy I know actually had some resin gore dripping off a chainsword that looked awesome. There's also this one pre-heresy World Eaters army that I see from time to time, and they're splattered with blood and look good. However, 99% of blood effects are just kids thinking "man, blood would be SO HARDCORE" and just dabbing it around willy-nilly.

Spoiler:

**devinb1690**

Yes yes yes, Tamiya Clear Red gives the most realistic blood effects, and if it is done well (and sparingly) it can look very good.

**SagesStone**

Unless it's Heresy/Pre-Heresy era World Eaters, generally there won't be enough built up on it

Generally if there is any there should be very little, otherwise it's drawing focus away from the model as a whole.

**Infneon**

My mate's Drazzar is covered in blood but that fits, he's a psycho who likes hacking things up

**The Dreadnote**

If I were ever to do it, I'd probably go for dried blood - so browns rather than big obvious splashes of red everywhere.

**karimabuseer**

They have a good guide for chaos gore on the website. Funk it up a bit and it looks real nice

**SlaveToDorkness**

I have used the Tamiya ink for both my WHFB Khorne army and my Legion of Brass Khorne army.

My LoB DP:

**WARBOSS TZOO**

That model looks funky fresh, but that much blood tells me that there should be some spatter on the armour proper. Really, really nice though.

**JSK-Fox**

I just slap blood all over the knees, boltguns, and anything else they would hit something with.
That includes their heads.

I use red gore, with a small bit of blood red right near 'the point of impact'. I have a ton on my Attack Bike, and I'm going to add some blood to my rhino, since it ran right over a warboss.

**Natorum**

Personally I've not done it but I have seen it done really well on probably the same pre heresy World Eaters others have discussed. I guess as with everything it's the execution that counts.

**KingCracker**

JSK-Fox wrote:I just slap blood all over the knees, boltguns, and anything else they would hit something with.
That includes their heads.

I use red gore, with a small bit of blood red right near 'the point of impact'. I have a ton on my Attack Bike, and I'm going to add some blood to my rhino, since it ran right over a warboss.

So your saying that your army is red then?

**c34r34lk1ll3r**

I don't normally paint much if any blood on my models. It really depends if I cut myself with the x-acto knife.

**Thor665**

I thought that counted as dipping.

**Platuan4th**

I've only done it on a few of my Witch Hunters for Mordheim. I like how it came out myself, but wouldn't do it for 40K models or more than the occasional Fantasy Hero.

**GMMStudios**

I just painted this army and have not used so much red ink in a long time

It's my "John Blanchified" version of The Cleaved in the CSM book. So...lots of blood...John Blanche...Im sure opinions would be polarized

**ordomalleus**

My biggest problem with the blood is the 8 year olds who think it looks rad to have a mini covered in viscera. In my opinion it only ever detracts from the model especially when someone goes "ok, i'll put a bit on the chainsword... and now thats on there, there'd probably be some on his boots from walking over his fallen enemies, and actually... there should probably be some spatter on his armour from the chainsword" before you know it the whole front of the model is red...

'sometimes' it can be fitting, but in those rare instances, a little bit goes a LONG way.

**c34r34lk1ll3r**

Ok, so in all seriousness, with my WHFB guys front line RnF may have a very quick go over on the very edge of the blade, front two lines if spears. I don't like perfectly shining weapons and it doesn't look overdone on rusted weapons. So in other words, I do but sparingly.

**Fateweaver**

I use Auto Air Transparent Flame Red. Over metal it gives the piece a slight pinkish red, like a blood stain.

Soon as I get some time I'll take some pics of Epidemius with blood stained sword.

**InventionThirteen**

I use a watered down brown ink first, then over the top, a light dry brushing of blood red mixed with a little of the ink. (the ink should still be tacky to the touch).
This looks fairly sweet. My art tutor showed me how to do it.

**Inquisitor_Syphonious**

I find it incredibly irritating, more so when it is on power weapons, it just seems... wrong. My friend who recently quit 40k (

) ALWAYS, and I mean always, painted blood on everything, ugh.

@SlaveToDorkness

Model looks nice.

The axe and horn blood is amazing.

The chainsword blood... a little bit off-putting.