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Hey all,

I'm trying to get some ideas for how to paint ork skin. I've currently got a basecoat of knarloc green over the skin areas, but other than washing with devlan mud I'm not sure how to really go from there. Any pics of various techniques with colours used or even just tips on how to make the skin really stand out would be awesome.

Cheers.

easiest is (if using the old paints) is basecoating with orkhide shade, overbrushing with goblin green, drybrush with bleached bone and then wash everything with thrakka green.

but there are thousands of ways to paint orks

Depending on how uniform you want them to look the above is great. I like my orks with some variety. The basic formula is base, drybrush and wash. I've experimented with greens, browns and yellows and have gotten amazing results.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of the dry brushing to act as a highlight, when you wash it. That's awesome, Thanks!

I currently use the AoBR method of Orkhide Shade -> Goblin Green with Scorpion Green highlights, but I've also found that full coats of Skull White -> Scorpion Green and then Dark Green Ink in the recesses and Thraka Green to smooth out the shading works very well in high-texture models such as the AoBR Warboss.

I use for my nobs a knarloc green with a badab black wash and from my boys i use knarloc with a goblin drybruch and a devlin badab or thraka wash to mix things up a bit

I have a REALLY easy way of painting orky skin. Dunno if its the effect you want, but its so simple to do.

I simply sprayed them skull white then applied two coats of Thrakka green wash ove that. You can leave it at that, or add highlights as you desire.

I saw something like that not long ago, thinking I might start painting my orks like that too.

@Tedward: Hm, I might give that a go on my new Rokkit Launcha boy. Looks nice and simple - I detest having to pick out the musculature with the AoBR method.

...Except that Thraka Green is now out of production, and I'm halfway through my current (and only) pot. Damn.
Is there a suitable substitute for Thraka Green out there? Does Biel-Tan Green come close?

Thats really different. Hmm may do my next batch like that.

I also did my grots in that method - primed white, 2x Thraka Green wash. Pretty happy with the final effect.

I do mine slightly like the OP, getting a more "realistic" feel to the Ork's skin, as just several shades of green just make it look too unnatural IMO. Knarloc Green base, Goblin Green highlight then a wash with Vallejo game colour sepia.

Like so:

It depends on what characters as well since older orks are supposed to have darker skin tones. I normally do mine with Orkhide shade, 1st highlight Knarloc green, 2nd highlights Goblin green followed by a black oil wash.
Here is one example, you can see more on my blog :

when your using my way you can also use the new green glaze...
when your looking for that prime white and then add 2 layers of wash that doenst really work with the new glazes.

i personally like Bacms' method


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*edit*
with my method, adding a sepia wash or a brown wash will also help to make them look more realistic and less cartoonish

DijnsK wrote:when your using my way you can also use the new green glaze...
when your looking for that prime white and then add 2 layers of wash that doenst really work with the new glazes.

i personally like Bacms' method


Automatically Appended Next Post:
*edit*
with my method, adding a sepia wash or a brown wash will also help to make them look more realistic and less cartoonish

Thanks for the kind words. I actually need better pictures of the individual ones so you can take a look at the skin.
Your suggestion about the glaze also reminded me of the tutorial from wargames consortium using freak flex transparent paint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6yA4IWZNxc

As promised here are another two version of the ork skinz I have in my army. This time I actually have some close ups:

for the fast i would basecoat white and wash first thraka green and second wash devlan mud
for the fine version i would layer on a black basecoat 1st DA green 2nd 50/50 DA green/Snot green 3rd snotgreen 4th goblin green 5th scorpion green then wash thraka

Here's an Ork Warboss i painted as an experiment in skin tones a while back, with a lighter green base I think it was Kommando khaki blended up with small amounts of bleached bone/yellow? washed with devlan mud and baal red, the red gives it a nice difference in natural shading and you can add as much or as little as you see fit, wasn't as complicated as it sounds either once you get going with it.

Good luck