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Anyone have any tips for doing those offset grey high lights on black power armor? Every time I try them I think it ends up looking terrible, but I like the general effect on peoples models. I've seen. Tips would be appreciated. What color grey do you use and how do you go about applying it?

Hatachi wrote:
Anyone have any tips for doing those offset grey high lights on black power armor? Every time I try them I think it ends up looking terrible, but I like the general effect on peoples models. I've seen. Tips would be appreciated. What color grey do you use and how do you go about applying it?

This goes for any edge highlight, really, but use the following procedure:

1.) Hold brush at a right angle (90 degress) to the line you want to paint.
2.) Only touch the side of the brush to the edge of the panel you are highlighting, not the very tip.
3.) Drag side of brush lightly along edge

If you're using a small amount of smooth consistency paint, you should get a nice smooth, thin line.

If you can't do this because of placement, use the tip with thin paint and be prepared to clean up any wobbles or overpainting. At least black is easy to clean up!

 John Prins wrote:

Hatachi wrote:
Anyone have any tips for doing those offset grey high lights on black power armor? Every time I try them I think it ends up looking terrible, but I like the general effect on peoples models. I've seen. Tips would be appreciated. What color grey do you use and how do you go about applying it?

This goes for any edge highlight, really, but use the following procedure:

1.) Hold brush at a right angle (90 degress) to the line you want to paint.
2.) Only touch the side of the brush to the edge of the panel you are highlighting, not the very tip.
3.) Drag side of brush lightly along edge

If you're using a small amount of smooth consistency paint, you should get a nice smooth, thin line.

If you can't do this because of placement, use the tip with thin paint and be prepared to clean up any wobbles or overpainting. At least black is easy to clean up!

I appreciate the advice there John, but I'm referring more to the slightly inset grey you see to dilenate black rather than edge highlights. I'll post a pic to clarify.

if your having trouble with the brush looking nice, you can use water color pencils
a lot easier to get a clean line.

The trick you're looking for is back-blending (technichally glazing back).

Start with a fairly wide highlight of a medium-dark grey.

Edge highlight this with light grey.

Tidy up the edge with the first highlight mix, thinned just a touch. This will soften the gradient between the two highlights.

Now thin some black. Layer that over the border between the dark highlight.

Remember when working with thin paint you keep your brush load low - too much on the brush and it'll flood - release some onto the back of your hand, or a paper towel.

winterdyne wrote:
The trick you're looking for is back-blending (technichally glazing back).

Start with a fairly wide highlight of a medium-dark grey.

Edge highlight this with light grey.

Tidy up the edge with the first highlight mix, thinned just a touch. This will soften the gradient between the two highlights.

Now thin some black. Layer that over the border between the dark highlight.

Remember when working with thin paint you keep your brush load low - too much on the brush and it'll flood - release some onto the back of your hand, or a paper towel.

Okay, that makes sense. I've done similar things with blue on power swords so I think I can manage that. Thanks for the advice.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Nastavious wrote:
if your having trouble with the brush looking nice, you can use water color pencils
a lot easier to get a clean line.

Out of curiosity, do you know how much pencils like that usually run, and would I need to worry about them scratching or deforming the black paint when I run it across? That's been my worry about anything hard with a point like that sounds like it would have.

Hatachi wrote:

winterdyne wrote:
The trick you're looking for is back-blending (technichally glazing back).

Start with a fairly wide highlight of a medium-dark grey.

Edge highlight this with light grey.

Tidy up the edge with the first highlight mix, thinned just a touch. This will soften the gradient between the two highlights.

Now thin some black. Layer that over the border between the dark highlight.

Remember when working with thin paint you keep your brush load low - too much on the brush and it'll flood - release some onto the back of your hand, or a paper towel.

Okay, that makes sense. I've done similar things with blue on power swords so I think I can manage that. Thanks for the advice.

An issue I see all the time with highlighting blacks: There are cold blacks, and warm blacks. When highlighting them, highlight with the same cold or warm highlight. Otherwise you get a weird discontinuity in the color palate.

If it's a warm black, then use a warm grey. If it's a cold black, then use a cold grey.

Oh, and never paint straight black.

Hatachi wrote:

I appreciate the advice there John, but I'm referring more to the slightly inset grey you see to dilenate black rather than edge highlights. I'll post a pic to clarify.

Ah, okay, Winterdyne has that covered.