Tips painting black

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**Lord Bingo**

my space marines base colour is black and it looks abit flat and dull, anyone have any tips to make it look better?

**fabbes**

Are using black as the Chapter Color?
If that is the case, i usually highlight the edges of the armor with a mix of Codex Gray and Chaos Black to begin with and then finally apply a thin highlight of Codex Gray.

It really makes the armor stand out instead of just a plain black model.

Hope this helps, GL with your painting.

**Lord Bingo**

thanks mate

**MagickalMemories**

I like to highlight black with blue. I think it gives it a nicer look.

Also, if you're using a secondary color (a shade of green, for example), you can highlight the black in that. it still looks black, but draws in with the green (other color) nicely. This trick only works with dark colors (highlighting black with pink, for example... not so awesome).

Eric

**Destrado**

If you're using just black, then after you undercoat them paint a mix of Chaos black with black ink. This is because black undercoat is duller than CB, and if you need to correct you won't have dull black and slightly glossy black.

The second thing is what you want to highlight it with. You can go from a dark true grey, a dark blueish grey, or look for the Dark Eldar models from the Studio to see how they used a different way to highlight their black.

Anyway, remember some golden rules; thin lines as highlights is sacred. A thick line is easier but spoils the miniature as bad as mould lines.
Use more different shades of grey. Don't go Black - grey - white. And if you do use white use it only in the "sharpest" parts.

Do post pics later!

**delkins42**

Another trick I use for black is just painting and highlighting everything in gray tones up to white (ie black>codex>fortress>white), then giving the model a coat of black ink thinned with water. Your white will end up a dark gray and everything else will look expertly shaded up to it. Quick, easy, and looks great without any extreme highlights.

**yourdaddy**

Are you trying to do black templars? or the crimson fists?

**Destrado**

Neither, he's obviously trying to paint Imperial Fists.

**Lord Bingo**

its a chapter i've made up, didn't fancy doing any of the over space marines chapters

**yourdaddy**

work in three's, for example, if i had a black scheme i would do it this way: basecoat black, 1st highlight codex grey, 2nd extreme highlight fotress grey, hoped it help!

**oni**

Destrado wrote:If you're using just black, then after you undercoat them paint a mix of Chaos black with black ink. This is because black undercoat is duller than CB, and if you need to correct you won't have dull black and slightly glossy black.

Wouldn't mixing it with Black Ink give it a slightly more glossy look? Mixing Chaos Black with the Badab Black Wash would be a better bet.

**Destrado**

It should read, "you won't have a dull black" (referring to the undercoat) "just a slightly glossy black" (referring to CB + Black Ink). My bad, I must've typed it at something in the morning thus missed it, thanks for pointing it out.

And yes, Badab Black with Chaos Black would result in a not so glossy look (more like the miniature was painted CB and then matt varnish was used). I prefer the effect of this latter combination, and then starting on the darkest grey from the Foundation Paints (Charadon Granite).

**odinsgrandson**

I often use a watered down black ink to take the shine off of a mini. Does no one else do this?

On a relevant notes, there is a wonderful tutorial on painting all different kinds of black. Brush Thralls Tutorial

The brushthralls mostly talk about how to highlight black here, so the techniques are really helpful, and the concepts are spot on.

**GCMandrake**

My personal quick and dirty method is to paint the area dark grey, and wash black. If the area has any sharp edges (like power armour does) then highlight those in medium grey.