Highlighting, the bane of my exsistance

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**infinite_six**

Hey everybody. Ive been getting better at painting as i do it more, but theirs one thing that i just cant figure out how to do...

HIGHLIGHTING

I just cant figure out how to highlight! it escapes me, ive tried sidebrushing,going slow, everything! any technique out there ive tried but i just cant get clean lines that look good on the model. My models end up with thick lines that stand out and look, well, ugly. so could any painters out there who know how to do highlighting really well, give me tips and how tos so i can make better looking models?
-six

**Smitty**

If it will help, you could try applying a wash to the highlights. It helps blend the highlights with the base color.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I used that technique for this model:

**infinite_six**

ok, i have a raven guard army so its black armor with grey edge highlights

**Smitty**

Could you post a picture so I can see how bad it is? I am a visual person, and I need to see the problem so I can see how to fix it.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
See the problem meaning see how bad it is.

**infinite_six**

Sure, here in this picture (sorry bout the bit of blurryness) you can see how noticable my highlights are...

**Smitty**

Looks fine to me. If you're really worried about it, slap some Badab black on there to blend it a little.

**infinite_six**

ok, are they really not that bad? compared to some other ones ive seen they just feel so noticable

**Smitty**

A painter will always feel critical about his work, whereas others don't necessarily find it bad. Believe me, it's much better than some of the highlighting I've done.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I've had a highlighted line about 3 mm thick.

**infinite_six**

alright, i think im going to try that badab black trick though. thanks for the feedback

**Smitty**

Alright. Good luck, and I wish to see the results.

**infinite_six**

alright, in a bit check back here ill post a pic of the same model, same angle but with the badab black

Automatically Appended Next Post:
here, after i washed the highlights with badab black.

**Smitty**

Seems a little better blended, from what I can see. From your HD real life perspective, does it seem less obvious than it did before?

**infinite_six**

a little bit, i think im going to be using this just because while its a small diffirence, its still a difference to better blend it.

**heavybolter**

If I make a few suggestions. First off try thinning your paint , it helps the highlights flow better and you won't get a thick highlight. You can also using Vallejo model air colors for your highlighting, it's pre thinned to a perfect consistency and it will glide off your brush. The line also has a variety of shades of grey that are perfect for highlighting black. Which brings me To my next suggestion... Don't highlight with just one color, use at least 2 shades of your highlight color or even 3 shades. So if your going from black, I would do the first level highlight with a mix of 2:1 black:grey, then the next level 1:1 black:grey, the final level a thin line of straight grey. This layering will give you a nice highlight and it sounds like alot of work but with practice you will be able to do it quickly. Hope this helps.

**infinite_six**

Thanks heavy, ill try that soon and check back in this thread every now and then, and when i get that tried ill post a pic

**SmogHousePaintingCo.**

If you are worried that the actual amount of grey is too much (If you can't lay a line thin enough) just put a grey line, then refine its size and any curvature you need with the base reapplied on top. Black and white are very fickle to blend highlights. Any imperfection is rather glaring because there is no colour to stimulate your brain.

**ninja13**

It looks fine, just as someone said before do 3 different highlights. Instead of the one.

**SagesStone**

Try a darker grey, it looks like you were using codex grey. Black happens to be one of the hardest colours to highlight however you can also use a dark blue for it as well.

**Horst**

It would help if you did a 2 stage highlight.

Use a color like Vallejo Dark Grey, in a thick line around the edges of the armor plates. Then go back and do an extreme highlight of the edges with GW Codex Grey.

**winterdyne**

My line highlights are a lot wider than that when I do tabletop stuff. Then I go back with mixes of the highlight and the base and blend the line in. Quicker to smooth back than to try and be super-neat with each successive highlight.

Final 'edge' highlights on top surfaces can then be done to sharpen it up.

**Sonophos**

I adapted some techniques from SCC's tutorial:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?automodule=downloads&req=download&code=confirm_download&id=520

and got some great improvements on my highlights for my Raven Guard.

Washing over the highlights is a lot more forgiving than doing it straight on.

Here's one of mine as an example but SCC's are far better.

Spoiler:

**infinite_six**

sonophos- may i ask how you got such a clean white? mine seems somewhat chalky

**Joe Mama**

I don't have specific help for you, since your main color is black (where this wouldn't work), but for other folks like me who don't want to bother with highlights, do this:

1) Paint the armor a lighter color than you would like it to be.

2) Apply heavy wash.

Done. Your armor has shading. Dark in the recesses, less dark on the flat parts, and still light on the raised areas.

**Jonesyboy12**

This is how I highlight so that the lines arent to thick. I take a drybrush. The blue tipped GW citadel brush. I get it wet with paint. Then wipe off most of the paint on a paper towel. Then with I wipe over the edges or whatever area I am trying to do. Sometimes is comes out really weak and you have to go over it again and again but itll look nice.

**Sonophos**

infinite_six wrote:sonophos- may i ask how you got such a clean white? mine seems somewhat chalky

I really should make a tutorial.

My four top tips would be:

1. Develop skull white OCD.

2. make sure your undercoat for the white areas is nice and smooth as layering will just exaggerate any graininess.
3. Always paint white over a mid tone. I use codex grey mainly but I have used fortress.
4. You are better off thinning too much (you get tide marks) and doing more coats than getting it too thick (you get chalk).