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I'm currently working on a Crimson Fists army and could use some tips. I'm still fairly new at painting and playing warhammer(started this summer), I have Necrons but those are really easy. I began this Fists Army as an alternate and could use some tips on Highlighting. I've read the "how to paint crimson fists article" on GW and I'm still trying to figure it out. Is it like a dry brushing? Or do I use a small brush? (ie 15/0) Or can I use something small like a toothpick or a sewing needle for stability and less slop? Also since I'm trying to keep this close to fluff and I haven't found many specifics on how the Fists' Sternguard would look. Do they JUST have two red fists or do they have two red fists and white helmet and white outlined shoulder armor. Granted this is up to me but as I said I'd like to keep it close to fluff. On a side note my Sternguard are all "converted" TAC marines with extra purity seals. I'd post pics but I don't have a digital camera lol Any help would be much appreciated.

Have you tried this video?




I don't know their lore so I can't speak to the other questions you have.

Ouze beat me to it. Just watch that and make a valiant attempt to emulate Les' work.

In fact, to overall improve your painting ability, I recommend watching all of his videos. He covers brushes and supplies, as well as painting. Good resource to take advantage of.

I have seen this video before. Since starting I've viewed multiple painting videos via youtube. Though informative they haven't really helped much because hes using a different method than I'd like to use. His stuff still looks awesome, don't get me wrong. The highlighting with the ice blue around the edges is still troubling to me though. I'm currently painting everything by hand with Citadel Paints, though I may switch to Tamiya colors.

I think there are 3 important things to getting a good edge highlight:

1.) the right brush. Size is important, but I've come to like a good sable brush for this sort of work. The other ones either curl or are too stuff.

2.) Posture: make sure your wrist with the brush in it is flat on the table, your elbows both should be as well; and you should me making small, slow movements. Your nerves and muscles will betray you if you let them, so don't let them - try and have a bone bridge leading all the way up to the mini.

3.) Practice: I've gotten much better just by virtue of painting a lot.

You could also do the Viva Metallica look for them, which IMO is very cool and quite simple too!

That looks awesome.

:O! Those are amazing!

If you want something a bit more advanced, check out Hits_the_spot's stuff.

"Hits_the_Spot"? Where can I find that?

wizard12 wrote:You could also do the Viva Metallica look for them, which IMO is very cool and quite simple too!

I think that's the tackiest possible look for such a cool, unassuming chapter.

After priming with Krylon dark gray, I use a large brush (#2, I believe, soft bristle crafting brush) to slather the entire model with a watered down Necron Abyss for a nice consistent base coat. I then use a more precision brush (2/0 Kolinski Sable) to paint any areas to be metal with Chaos Black and then Boltgun Metal and any area to be red with Mechrite Red. The whole model gets a nice slathering with Badab Black wash using the large brush from above.

Then I highlight using Necron Abyss, then hard-edge highlight (little strips on the edges) starting with Ultramarine Blue, UM Blue/SW Gray 2:1, then 1:1, then 1:2, and finally a dot of SW gray by itself. The highlights get progressively smaller and are applied using the "Ring of Light" method. Look that up. The metal areas get a highlight of Boltgun Metal and then Chainmail, and the red areas are highlighted with Blood Red, then Blood Red and Blazing Orange 1:1. The final highlights are toned down (optional) with a 1:1 mix of Asurmen Blue or Baal Red and acrylic medium.




I paint both hands red for Veterans, like Stern/Vanguard, Terminators, Officers (HQ) and Sergeants, but leave the helmets alone. Codex SM's CF Sternies have blue helmets, despite being a codex chapter. Just one of those things... Personally, I give my Sternguard crimson pauldron trim and insignia (skulls, bones and the like) and HQ and Honorguard get a "gold" trim.

I've got more pics and descriptions here.

even easier, I have a way to pain up a crimson fist army in no time that looks really good. I used this technique to do some test figs to showcase the GW washes when my store got a preview set a few years back, and I used it on my tau army to get em ready for a tourney nice and quick.

Pick up Army Painter Navy Blue spray primer and prime your army blue (roughly GW regal blue). Get a large brush and do a very very VERY light light LIGHT drybrush of space wolves grey over everything, just enough to leave a bit of grey on the edges but leave the main color blue. Paint the hands with macharite red, bolter/joint tubing/chest eagle/skulls/metal areas in chainmail.

Take a large brush and brush a very liberal amount of badaab black wash over the entire model, the more black the beter (you can always wipe off your brush and soak up extra wash if it's pooling too much in places) and let it dry

You can easily paint a squad of 10 guys in an hour this way, and it looks beter than 90% of the armies I see out there on tabletops.

Thanks for all the help! Once I get some of these guys done I'll be sure to post pics.

Brother SRM wrote:

wizard12 wrote:You could also do the Viva Metallica look for them, which IMO is very cool and quite simple too!

I think that's the tackiest possible look for such a cool, unassuming chapter.

Or it could just be a different way from the standard 'eavy metal style that is unique and innovative while still retaining it's identity. Open your mind dude this entire forum section is about creativity and ideas.

Brother SRM wrote:

wizard12 wrote:You could also do the Viva Metallica look for them, which IMO is very cool and quite simple too!

I think that's the tackiest possible look for such a cool, unassuming chapter.

I agree.

Not a bad look as such (though it is not for me), but it is awful for Crimson Fists.