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I'm getting back into painting/actually trying to paint for the first time. I've decided to paint up some Loyalist Marines from the Metamarines Chapter. This might escalate into a collecting project later, but I'll touch on that as it comes.

This is the first time I've painted a model in about a decade, so be nice. This is also really the first time I've dealt with shading and highlighting, since money and technique access wasn't very good when I was younger.

I've tested shading on 3 test models (pictured below). They are test models which had been painted (poorly) in the past, so some of the details are flooded out and hard to wash. Note that they don't really have base flocking, nor are they complete models. They are test models for painting, not for playing. And before anyone says so, yes, Example A's arm is the wrong color. I blame Rashomon. I'll also note that Example A was painted a bit differently than B and C, as I was waiting for my washes to be delivered, so the colors may be a bit off but he is more complete. In particular, I was thinning paints to make ghetto-washes, while Examples B and C are using actual washes.



Being that this really my first attempt at painting, I'm looking for some help an advice. Specifically, I'm still out to lunch on shading and how to paint the white legs. I was hoping to get some help and direction.

Primarily, how should I paint them with regards to shading? Example A was shaded using (largely) a black wash (with different washes and edge highlighting on other parts). I kind of like how the blue looks with a black wash. but the legs look a little silly. Example B was washed in blue (with edge highlighting). It's more subtle than the black, but the legs still look odd. The white on Example C was originally washed with Vallejo's Pale Grey, but I thought it looked terrible. I did a quick cover and tried again with a lighter blue. It's still really roughed out right now, but I can see the potential. But with B and C, I ultimately feel like it might be too blue. With the torso and backpack being blue, I'm not sure if I want more blue on the legs (and arms). Something I'm thinking of testing a grey or brown wash. Thoughts?

The second question is what to do with the color of the white legs themselves. I really don't understand how to highlight with layers, with my earlier attempts with Example A just resulted in me painting over all of the shading and having to redo it. I'm wondering if I should switch the base to either a light grey or more bone color, so that I can edge highlight and make them pop a little more.

Problem 3 is that the shoulder pads look awful when I tried to shade them. Am I missing something here? Should I just skip the wash and leave them blue and white (the Chapter's scheme)? Should I try a different color wash here (maybe the Pale Grey)?

I'm also looking for any other advise, but I want to focus on the color and shading problem so as not to flood the thread with how good of a paint I'm not. Pretty good for the first time in a while, and I'm assuming things will get better and more steady as time goes by, so I don't want to focus too much on that.

Thanks.

I like choice A. I might be a bit biased though, as I use the black-lining on my BA

Lucarikx

I like A as well

the others make em look tron'e

I would never do a white army. Just way to hard to do right.

I picked choice A. I've always found painting white to be an arduous task. Doing it right requires starting off with a light grey and then layering up to white, or applying many thinned down coats of white paint. Then if you're doing the black lining and make a mistake you'll have to apply a bunch of thin layers of white again just to cover it up. But, if you're patient and steady, I'm sure the results will be very rewarding to you.

Edit: Another possibility to black lining could be to use grays for shading and layering up to white. I think it would look more "organic". I only black line around joints of body parts, such as the wrists, ankles, knees, waist, neck, etc. for some contrast. Doing each individual armor plate may be a bit of a daunting task.

I dunno i find white to be pretty simple.

Spray prime white > gloss coat > oil wash recesses (easy as heck to wipe off) > then paint the rest.
Just dont mess up the coat after

True... for whatever reason I always think everyone's miniatures are primed black, since its how I always prime my troops. Sorry

What do you guys think I should do regarding the edge highlighting for the white armor? Should I switch to a more grey base? Should I just leave it be? Unfortunately, layering and I don't seem to get along, so that technique is off the table for now.

What about the shoulder pads? How should I shade them without them sticking out so much?

I would suggest something different, start on a Fenrisian Grey/ white mix (80/20) base over your white sections with black wash in the recesses. Shade backwards (getting lighter) towards the areas you want highlighted by cutting in straight white. Cutting it in by 10% ratios should keep it smooth and you have a nice shaded and highlighted white by the time you get to 10/90 grey to white. Use solid white for the edge highlights.

It'd be easy on a palette, a small dab of white to the mix for each layer should work well.

Its how I do my whites to mix with blue armor.

If you're going to paint white, I recommend VMC sky grey for a basecoat.

Option A, for both colors. Honestly, neither stark blue or black will look particularly natural on a crisp white. Universal blacklining will be far more coherent, though, than trying to split the shading between a more realistic (dark blue on blue) and cartoonish (either color on white) approach. Blacklining will also be faster and easier, if you aren't particularly comfortable with layering/blending techniques, than aiming for realism. It's quite visually striking, too.

Also, I hate blue-lined white. Hate hate hate. HATE. It never subtly ties a white/blue scheme together, to my eye, as people seem to believe; it just looks out of place. I invariably see more "half-assed attempts at glowing joints" in the effect than "cool shadow on white." No particular dig at your example, mind you - I consider even skilled applications detrimental to most models.

Now, if you want to really push yourself and try to shade the models naturally, disregard everything I've said. In that case, black is definitely not the answer. You'll instead want to work your white up from grey (a cool grey would aid in color coherency, but not blue). Blue is easier to work with, as you can relatively simply wash it down and highlight back up. Even drybrushing and a glaze to even things out can give passable results, if you're careful (yes, even on smooth, rounded power armor - you just have to gradually build up the effect with very fine deposits of paint).