Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Afternoon dakka,

How do I paint depth into white? The idea is to have ghosts, fade to purple/black and have blood for the blood god. They are to be semi translucent.

Airburshing is where im running into a snag. How to i highlight white and give it a hollow depth and transparent look?

I use drybrushing for ghostly effects. Base black, then start drybrushing in lighter and lighter colors as you work your way up the model. By the time you reach the head and shoulders you should be at pure white.

Then a thinned glaze of whatever color you like (I used green) blends it all together.

 Vulcan wrote:
I use drybrushing for ghostly effects. Base black, then start drybrushing in lighter and lighter colors as you work your way up the model. By the time you reach the head and shoulders you should be at pure white.

Then a thinned glaze of whatever color you like (I used green) blends it all together.

This would take ages to blend up the recesses of 30x spirit hosts... Airbrush is a must use.

This tutorial from Duncan explains how he did the fade between the spirits and Nagash. It might give you a few ideas for what you're wanting to do.

 Ghaz wrote:
This tutorial from Duncan explains how he did the fade between the spirits and Nagash. It might give you a few ideas for what you're wanting to do.

I wish it was, but this is a green colour. Im looking for a white blue clear look. I am almost half tempted to make a cast of the spirits in clear gel.

Are you going for a similar effect to the green, but in blue/purple?

You said you have an airbrush, so you could try airbrushing white, loading up some mid tone blue, airbrushing it as your shade, you might have to come back and touch up the white with the airbrush then hit it with a gloss varnish and shade the crevices with a darker blue.

You want to start with the white because white sprayed over blue is going to look more dull than blue sprayed over white.

You could try using actual clears, but they're very glossy and I'm not sure they're going to give you a "ghostly" look so much as a "shiny gem" look.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Are you going for a similar effect to the green, but in blue/purple?

You said you have an airbrush, so you could try airbrushing white, loading up some mid tone blue, airbrushing it as your shade, you might have to come back and touch up the white with the airbrush then hit it with a gloss varnish and shade the crevices with a darker blue.

You want to start with the white because white sprayed over blue is going to look more dull than blue sprayed over white.

You could try using actual clears, but they're very glossy and I'm not sure they're going to give you a "ghostly" look so much as a "shiny gem" look.

This looks like a decent way to go if you have the resources. Do you think using clear paints and then a matt coat would give the desired effects?

If this is any help; i put a thin, watery green coat on a model with a thick, white paint job

Drybrushing can work here. It seems a lot of people have abandoned the technique lately, but it's ideal for this sort of effect.

Basecoat light blue
Drybrush with a light blue/white mix
Drybrush with white
Wash with a thinned blue wash (this cleans up some of the dusty effect drybrushing can leave)
Highlight in white

What creates an interesting translucent effect (although the ones I used had a blue hue to them) is to use watered down glow in the dark fabric paint over a white undercoat.

There are other colours available, so it should be doable with other colours.

John Prins wrote:
Drybrushing can work here. It seems a lot of people have abandoned the technique lately, but it's ideal for this sort of effect.

Basecoat light blue
Drybrush with a light blue/white mix
Drybrush with white
Wash with a thinned blue wash (this cleans up some of the dusty effect drybrushing can leave)
Highlight in white

Holy unholy smokes. This might be it. This is what I was looking for in this post. I will wash with blue and then recessed areas with purple and edge the purple with black. The white highlight to blue will give that glassy look.

I will be posting in this thread with pics in a bits and PM'ing you for your address for a gift to send.

Glad I could help!