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AS a Salamander painter, I've never really needed to paint white skin before, due to Salamanders being black as night. However, I'm starting work on a Spartan Army and I've found myself at a loss as to how to paint flesh. Having painted white skin on the faces of some Napoleonic British Infantry, I'm alright doing faces, but whenever I attempt the same scheme on the likes of arms or legs (Which are largely bare on Hoplites) I find the highlights just look clumpy and unsubtle.

My current method:

Base: Cadian Fleshtone
Wash: Agrax Earthshade or Riekland Fleshwash
Layer: Cadian Fleshtone
Highlgiht: Ratskin Flesh
Highlight Kislev Flesh

Can anybody advise me on a better scheme (Preferably with pics as examples)?

I'm a terrible painter so grain of salt yada yada. Isn't the ratskin a lot more orange? Why don't you try mixing Cadian and Kislev then progress to Kislev lightened with ushabti. Check out sorastros zombicide abomination for his skin highlights -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2HaGqaiL98

I use two methods, personally, for general white skin. Given that you're going greek you'd want it fairly tanned I guess.

I'd start with Cadian Flesh then wash with Reikland Flesh. Wet blend Cadian flesh over the raised areas et voila, simple skin shading.

If you wanted to then go more detailed, progressive highlights of Cadian Flesh and Kislev Flesh mix.

PossumCraft wrote:
I use two methods, personally, for general white skin. Given that you're going greek you'd want it fairly tanned I guess.

I'd start with Cadian Flesh then wash with Reikland Flesh. Wet blend Cadian flesh over the raised areas et voila, simple skin shading.

If you wanted to then go more detailed, progressive highlights of Cadian Flesh and Kislev Flesh mix.

This

Don't use Ratskin flesh, it's a base, and it's quite orange, compared to the others. If you wanted a darker look, you could use bugman's glow as a base, it's quite a lot more pinky. Then use your Cadian and Kislev, after washing. I think you'd find it works a lot better.

Vallejo game color Tan as a base, VGC bonewhite as your extreme highlight - mix the two together and work your way up. It's easy as buggery and works quite well

I'll start with a flesh colour, drybrush bone. Wash the eye, temples and between the lips with purple, thinly glaze cheek/nose with red. Wash entire face with something darker.

Super easy but creates a face with lots of character.

For extra detail you can add wrinkle lines or clean up the dry brush highlights with a highlight colour, paint the eyes, brows, stubble etc.

Thanks for the replies people - much appreciated!

@Cryocat, PossumCraft, Guildenstern and kb_lock - It seems great minds think alike, shortly after posting this, before checking for replies, I had the same idea - lo and behold, it worked a treat (Considering it is me who's doing the painting... ). Anyway, thanks for the useful pointers to tell me I'm going in the right direction. Perhaps, when my first batch are done, I'll pop some pics up - everybody likes Spartans! (Unless you're an Athenian... )

@nareik - Many thanks for the detailed info. Unfortunately, there's almost no face on my model owing to them being fully helmed. However, I'll be sure to give your method a go on my British Infantry. Cheers.

Many thanks all.

<-- See my profile pic

1. Vallejo Hull Red 985 base coat
2. GW Vermin Brown (or whatever they call it now)
3. Ratskin Flesh
5. Highlight with Ratskin Flesh + White

I have a little bit of a different way of going about skin...

Burnt Sienna, then dry brush Tan over until the desired lightness is achieved. Usually I find that washes are not necessary. (this is of course not taking eyes or other details into account, just the skin.)

Just my own way of doing things.

Hey, just want to thank people for myself. Good ideas and thanks for the thread. Warpig, I'm not the greatest painter either, so I'd like to see what you get here. I am doing an IG army based on hoplite/amazons (I have some images of the cavalry and command here:
http://edwardmystcreations.weebly.com/
Look under sister's of steel for some reason it won't link directly to their page (my error i'm sure)
Please share a few images if you don't mind. (As a note I tend to base then wash with the seraphim wash...or whatever it is now? Used to be gryphon?)

Paint flesh/ flesh wash or earthshade wash/ dry brush with flesh.
Use a standard brush with a point and black wash a line across the eyes and mouth