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So the other day, I was highlighting my ultras as following on Mordian Blue armor - > Ultramarine blue to Ultramarine Space Wolves grey mix 50/50 and will follow with pure SWG.
I did two of those with each two layers, so its four times I ran highlights.

But I can't help to think this was kinda useless cause I highlighted the backpack only with Ultra/SWG mix 50/50 and can't see the difference. Makes me feel these two could've been used for blending certain parts of armor, and pure SWG for line highlighting?

What do you think dakkas?

Entirely based on your own opinion, really. Your standards are the only ones that you can judge by.

But - If you're seeing no effect of the lower levels of highlighting on certain areas, there's two possible solutions to get better results. Reduce the amount of highlighting done on the top layers, just using the lightest of coats; or skip intermittent layers for the more finely detailed parts, using the stages to make a smoother blend on the large, more flat areas.

I have nothing constructive to contribute, since I'm not a good enough painter by far to use either layering or multi-step highlights. However, I would love to see pictures of your examples so far.

I did however cover the ultramarine whole with ultramarine/SWG mix, maybe I've should have left few lines of Ultramarine in depth areas?

I'll try blending with ultra, and highlighting with Ultra/SWG and then just edge/final highlighting with pure SWG

Will post pics soon, just have to do pure SWG highlighting.
Cheers (its not that hard to do, just annoying when you loose control of brush pressure)

When you layer stuff (for example, dark angels green to snot green to goblin green), you don't cover the whole bottom layer with the top layer: you leave some in the recesses and, if you're up for it, blend the top layer to make it look more natural. Take for example this cloak:



That's Scorched Brown > Bestial Brown > Snakebite Leather > Dwarf Flesh > Elf Flesh > Bleached Bone > Skull White. That seems like a lot because, well, it is a lot. But it wouldn't get into that gradual shading if I didn't "highlight" it more than once. I'm guessing the term you're looking for is layering.

Anyway, there: leave the dark colors in the deepest recesses/shadowed parts, blend the next layer on it, then blend the next... and the next... and the next.. or if not blend leave some of it. It kinda destroys the purpose of using multiple colors to produce a gradation if you'll just cover it all with the topmost layer.

Damn, I was hoping for something simple and quick that looks good, and possibly with one/two paints? o.O I don't have exactly a wide range of paints

3-4 paints is more than enough if you mix them. Say, for one blue marine army I did, it was something like this:

Basecoat Regal Blue
Layer 50/50 Ultramarine Blue-Regal Blue
Layer 50/50 Ultramarine Blue-Enchanted Blue
Edge Highlight 50/50 SW Grey-Enchanted Blue
Extreme Edge highlight SW Grey

That's four colors.

I went ahead and did something similar, only replaced regal with my base mordian, and did like mordian ultra mix, ultra, ultra with skull white mix, still need to do SWG. Looks great so far, will post pictures tomorrow.

Multiple White Dwarf and internet tutorials over the years have taught me that I could indeed paint to that standard if I spent the time and effort and practice to do so. However, 20+ years of gaming have taught me that if I ever want to see a project finished and to play with painted armies, then I ought to lower my standards somewhat and compromise quality with speed.

It's very rare that Jervis' standard bearer column actually has a pertinent point but this month's is a rare exception; sometimes there are occasions when you need to make an honourable compromise. Yes, I could spend hours layering, feathering and highlighting every single miniature I paint to the nth degree but I know that if I did I would never finish anything. My concentration span plus the perils of growing older with a family and less hobby time dictate that. So I compromise and feel happy knowing that although my models aren't painted to the highest standard, they are painted and that makes all the difference.

My opinion, anyway. Take it as you will!

I use base, wash, highlight, highlight for my tabletop stuff. for the "display" stuff I go nuts.