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.

My new IG colour scheme envolves black, looks ok in my mind. But I am not so experienced with painting and am struggling to paint black onto my models, my highlighting skills are pants so I need a simple alternative. Any thoughts?

Pictures would help us a lot, your message is making no sense to me.

I tried this with some of my IG vets and black is very heard to work with to get details..



I drybrushed lightly codex grey, and highlighted Fortress grey

I'd do the trim and the wrinkles in the pants with a grey, then on the pants do a light black drybrush to blend it in. Highlighting isnt too tough, I used to never highlight because I "wasn't good" but you won't get good unless you practice. Just go from thick lines to thin lines in 2 to 3 descending colors (getting lighter as you go). And rather than using the tip of your brush, use the edge

You will find you need to exaggerate the highlights more because of the black. Only do this in the lightest areas (most raised) according to your light source. Maybe try a wash of blue/black or purple?
Very easy to overdo but don't panic (you can always re-black them and) it's looking good so far .

Also if you can paint those helmet lenses akin to a marines ones. On black models people will look for more detail on the coloured areas so they need to be as pretty as you can make them.

Thanks for all the tips guys, unfortunatly i cannot show you examples as my army has not acctually arrived yet =( But I will make a seperate thread on how I did when I got it so watch this space =P cheers

or you also just paint the parts you want black in a very dark grey. The just add a thin black wash over it.

Simple but effective.

Easy way, similar to Skragga, just undercoat the model black primer, assemble, then from above the mini about 20cm high just a couple of quick squirts of white primer which gives you 'natural' highlights and shade, then wash with badab black ink until you get the desired depth of black, works for me on my raven Guard in my gallery if you want to see the result?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry Scrazza! not Skragga, whoops :-)

^
haha that's not the 1st time someone mis spelled my nickname. It isn't that difficult, rightt?

Nerdfest - OMG. That raven guard stuff looks the best! I wish I could do that. However, being a hormonal impatient 14yr old who cares not for quality but quantity, I can see your method going horrible wrong in my hands (a black model looking like its been snowed on). But I love your raven guard. I will try it of course and if it works then hey, I have reached maturity.

Scrazza - Sweet idea, do you have any examples? I have some of your pics, is the black on them using this method? If it is then holy I could be a pro in a day

Cheers for that guys.

^
well I don't do that on entire models. (I do make exceptions.) Iuse to do this on small parts like a gun or something. But yeah, It does look very nice that way.

If I were you I'd paint the cloth in a dark grey with a black wash. This would get you close to what you have without just looking like spray primer. I know it was just suggested but it bears repeating. The armor you can just leave black and do a grey highlight on.

"How to paint black" is getting popular on Dakka.

Black and white are very high contrast colours. So, they can be hard to work with. Black should only be used as a shadow in my opinion. If I had a black army, it would be a dark grey, black as shadows and the usual light grey as highlights (would prob use a blue instead).

Do some searching on Dakka.

Sorry scrazza, the AFL team I barrack for has a mascot called Skragga so i got confused! especially as we just got put out of the final :-( my apologies

haha, don't worry about it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
haha, don't worry about it.

I Real life black is not "black" it is a mixture of darker colors. True black is the absense of color, but if you were to look at a "black" shirt you would see that the raised areas are a darker grey, the shadows are "black". That is the way that I would suggest painting it, darker greys, with black being the darkest of shadows. Highlights are usualy a blue color, but could be others depending on the mood you want the colors to create.