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Okay, who knew when I started slopping pigment on plastic that the Imperial Fists would be such a pain in the ass.

Seriously, who knew that yellow was such a nightmare?

I have to ask, how to you get those shadows and details without washing out your details? I've tried seraphim sepia washes and lots of other alternatives (about to try a yellow wash), but somehow I lose all the benefits I have gained working up from brown to yellow?

All hints and tips appreciated.

-N

PS - Even when my small units are great, the big stuff looks horrible (my rhinos, razorbacks). Any hints for doing large models before I ruin a Stormtalon as well?

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/

Wargames Foundry sells their paints in a three up systems, laying from darker to lighter. So what I do is use three plus colors on the model. My Blood Angels start black, then I go from a dark red onto the black, then a lighter red on the upper portions of the first red not touching the black, and so on...
Practice a bit and you'll catch on quickly.


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Here is a list of their entire range. Top of the list are some yellows, left to right, dark to lighter.

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/paints/foundry-painting-system/big-paint-list/




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Not saying you need to go that route with WGF, but you see what I mean, if you look at their yellow set you can use it as a guide to grab GW paints or what have you. If you go WGF their paint pots keep the paint forever, if you are familiar with the original GW paints they were a rubberized plastic, the lids just sealed so well, I still have loads of them I can use to this day.

Sadly enough, I have found a total mongrel mixture of paints that is working for me.

The primer is Army Painter "Desert Yellow" which is a light brown, then I went with Reaper Paints for the next two levels: Marigold Yellow and Sun Yellow.

-RD

I used to do a similar thing, I used a flat red spray as my primary. They look very clean, yet no depth. I then used an architect's type pen to go through all the seams in their armor. I may have high lighted the edges sometimes.Never used any washed but maybe on the Aquilla's or metals.

Go for a basecoat of a mix of Golden Yellow and Blazing Orange, and then highlight up with Golden Yellow, highlighting with Golden Yellow + white.

I think Yellow is up there with white for sheer annoyance in getting a crisp, bright, clean finish. Lots of thin layers needed. I feel your pain!

1) Prime in White
2) Preshade with brown
3) Spray very lightly thinned yellow (as if it wasn't transparent enough to begin with)
4) Highlight
5) You can work back your shades with your yellow and brown if your yellow in step 3 killed too much of the preshading.
6) Satin varnish, your favorite brown oil wash
7) Matt varnish

Not very different from other colors. Use the transparency of the color to play in your advantage with precise preshading.

 Roger Dorn wrote:
I have to ask, how to you get those shadows and details without washing out your details? I've tried seraphim sepia washes and lots of other alternatives (about to try a yellow wash), but somehow I lose all the benefits I have gained working up from brown to yellow?

Well, I admit I am not a big "fan" of yellow armour, but I would work on layers and highlights after washibg and shading, something like this:
. White or grey priming
. Basecoat with averland sunset
. Wash with sepia (once or twice, concentrating on recesses)
. Restore basecoat With averland leaving recessed areas untouched
. Highlights: glaze/layer(s) with averland + lighter yellow mix
. Highlights: glaze/layer(s) with that yellow
. Extreme highlights: glaze/layer(s) with yellow+white mix
. Lamenter yellow glaze (pure or thinned)
. Eventual restore of extreme light(s)

I love yellow and yellow armor. On my personal chapter's color scheme it is part quartered yellow. I didn't like my results until I went with a white primer. It is actually way easier. I went for a blazingly bright version.

White primer: P3 - 2 light coats

Averland, Seraphim Sepia, Yriel, Badmoon, Dorn, with a final highlight of skull white.

I like to highlight it with white for 2 reasons: 1. It's obnoxiously bright. 2. It helps to unite my quartered scheme.

Yellow can be quite easy when you find a technique that works for you, I've been painting fists for years and after I bought an airbrush my marines have improved drastically! The method is the same no matter what it is, marine, dreadnought or tank (scouts are a little different, but the method applies to the yellow scout armour):

1. Prime black
2. basecoat averland sunset or equivalent
3. from above, wide angle Yriel yellow
4. directly above or along panel lines on tanks, flash gitz yellow
5. Spray gloss or satin varnish (gloss is better, but satin works too in my experience)
6. thin some burnt umber oil paint with turpentine and let flow in the recesses (use well ventilated area)
7. seal with another varnish
8. Continue with rest of the model. As the yellow has been sealed with varnish you can normally wipe away any mistakes with a wet brush if you're quick too, keeping the yellow crisp.

Here's a contemptor dreadnought done with the above technique, I'll have to upload some of my recent marines done with the same method too, unfortunately my gallery is full of pre-airbrush models.

Um... say, what would happen if you'd try to apply the washes only technique?

I'm thinking along the lines of

1. white primer
2. yellow wash.
3. even more yellow wash
4. brown or red wash for depth
5. metals, details


Would that get you at least a good gaming standard or fail completely?

There's a guy at the club I go to with an Iyanden army which was primed white then washed yellow and it actually looks very striking on the table. Test it out and see if you like the results.