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I am currently working on a space marine captain, who happens to have a cloak. I intended to paint this with a Fenris/Shadow grey layering technique, but I can't get good results. I have Fenris Grey, Shadow Grey, Space Wolves Grey, and Babab black that I have been trying get good results with. I just can't get the results right. How should I really be doing this?

You've got three shades of grey/blue and black wash. What isn't happening for you? A picture of what you've done or what you want to do would help.

I sometimes find the washes too thick and in need of watering down for the job in hand. Could be an issue?

susejo239 wrote:I am currently working on a space marine captain, who happens to have a cloak. I intended to paint this with a Fenris/Shadow grey layering technique, but I can't get good results. I have Fenris Grey, Shadow Grey, Space Wolves Grey, and Babab black that I have been trying get good results with. I just can't get the results right. How should I really be doing this?

Prime Chaos Black
Adeptus Battlegrey foundation
Wash with Badab Black
Drybrush darkest to lightest color with 1:1 and 1:2 mixes layering Badab Black every other coat
Highlight VERY lightly with some of your final color and a bit of skull white

I got this result using that technique with Mechrite Red foundation, Red Gore, Blood Red, Devlan Mud wash, and Sunburst Yellow in place of Skull White.

My problem is getting the paints to the right thickness, and blending different shades into a smooth coat. An the Space Wolves Grey is a bit too light. The final result on the raised parts is a grainy looking color.

Are you drybrushing? That can cause the "grainy look".

I always use a few colors, not too many. Base, Wash, then two highlights.

Zip Napalm wrote:Are you drybrushing? That can cause the "grainy look".

Incorrect, I used nothing but drybrushing to do my cloak. The issue is that you have too much paint on the brush, or on the model, or that its too thick. I routinely water my paints down a TAD, or sometimes mix some wash in with the paint. Proper drybrushing and layering of wash blends the "grainy" look into shadows and highlights.

Remember...its easier to add a little paint than it is to remove ANY paint. Also, layer your washes!

Thanks for explaining how you can get a "grainy look" when drybrushing.

No I'm kind of against drybrushing for anything other than a highly textured area. I believe that the grainy look is coming from thin paint.

I really don't get it. My painting has just been crap lately.

Zip Napalm wrote:Thanks for explaining how you can get a "grainy look" when drybrushing.

./facepalm

Again, here is an example of something done with NOTHING other than drybrushing and washing.

I was just about to post this Thx for the convenience and i love the examples that somebody showed

susejo239 wrote:No I'm kind of against drybrushing for anything other than a highly textured area. I believe that the grainy look is coming from thin paint.

I really don't get it. My painting has just been crap lately.

Hmm. Have you tried glazing to unify the highlights?

I have not bought any glazes yet.......

I do like that model with just drybrushing and washing, though.

A glaze is just a very thin layer of paint. Similar to making a wash, you water down your paint and add a little flow improver (or a tiny amount of washing-up liquid). However, where you want a wash (generally) to flow into a recess, a glaze you want to stay where you put it, so have a lot less on your brush.

Generally I find that cloaks are easiest to do from a mid tone, applying thin wash/glazes into the recesses to build up shade there, and highlighting with multiple layers of lighter glazes on the raised surfaces. You need to let each layer dry before putting on the next - a hairdryer is a useful tool when doing this.

What companies make good glazes?

No one makes a glaze really. It's a technique a Winterdyne explained. I use ink.

Actually, Vallejo make a glaze medium, which you basically add to your paint instead of water (or as well as) to make a glaze that handles like a thicker paint but has the thinner consistency and greater translucency of a glaze/wash. It's good stuff.

The stuff winterdyne mentioned is also generically known as acrylic matte medium or paint thickener. It's basically acrylic paint without the pigment. Adding that lets you drop the opacity of paint without causing the pigment to separate. Add water and/or flow improver as normal to get your desired consistency and you're off and running. Also useful stuff to have if you want to try OSL, mud effects using pigments, and a slough of other techniques.