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So I believe I have decided on the Biel Tan paint scheme and I love how GW has painted them in the Codex. Here is where the problem starts : I don't have the time needed to be that detailed with layers and such. I thought about using quickshade dips , but they take away from the crispness of the white when used in the past.

Since I know there are some fantastic painters here, I thought I would ask for advice/suggestions on how I could efficiently paint them to a decent standard and still maintain a crisp white .

Well, if you don't want to put in the time for basecoating with a deep gray and highlighting with a light gray and then a white, you could prime with gray, then paint white on the armor. Paint green for the helmet, and then white for the inner visor. Lay over a gloss varnish, and after it dries, do an oil wash with Payne's Gray. This will create that crispness for the white by filling in the recesses. Because of the working time with oil paints, use mineral spirits on a cue tip to clean up the wash so the white stays white and the gray is only on the shading portions of the model. You could then use an oil wash with a green color on the helmet, clean up with mineral spirits on a cue tip. Then seal the entire model with a matte varnish.

Then, you're basically done.

I will throw my two cents in here. Base coat with an average grey over black primer. dry-brush successively lighter grays. shade with black shade, or paynes oil wash (as mentioned above). then, final near white dry-brush.

I have never used an oil wash before. Are they pretty controllable or do they require some finesse?

Vallejo do a pale grey wash. Prime white, wash, highlight white. Done.

sockwithaticket wrote:
Vallejo do a pale grey wash. Prime white, wash, highlight white. Done.

I was thinking something to that effect. The other idea I was contemplating was to paint the model, close vanish , then try washing it. My thinking was if it was gloss, the wash would only pool in recesses and not "stick" on the surface white. Not sure if anyone tried washes over gloss and had good results.

Assemble leaving off the heads.

Prime Vallejo light grey surface primer.
Bodies:
Add a dash of black to the light grey primer, apply nadir shade.
Wash out the ab, put light grey primer in it, tidy up if the nadir was messy, add a dash of white primer, apply a zenithal pass.

Let the primer dry.

Heads:
Prime Vallejo Russian green surface primer.
Airbrush with an appropriate mid green then slightly yellow-green for zenithal passes.

By using the primer coats to do the zenithal/nadir you can really cut the time for a very nice finish.

I've never done eldar, but I bet you could get a good effect going with a couple layers of the Biel-Tan Waywatcher Glaze over a White Primer. Then drybrush with white or really light grey over the areas you want white, to leave the recesses green. Then add the detail, and put a layer of darker green in the middle of the big old green plates. That way the edges are a lighter green from the glaze. I have to go home and try this on a test model now.

Oh and here's a picture I found in the Gallery the one on the right is done with a Glaze and is WIP as far as I can tell.

 Havok210 wrote:
I have never used an oil wash before. Are they pretty controllable or do they require some finesse?

Actually yes! They are. They take a bit of prep, but the benefits are amazing and it's more controlled than ink washes. There's a youtube video where I learned how to do them. Check it out:

1. Spray with white primer.

2. Water down game colour wolf grey and wash the model with it.

3. Dust with white primer.

I thinking for green parts you could put gloss vaenish over a flat basecoat.