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Hey guys,

Looking at working on some new Raven Guard models in MKIV armor.

Now when it comes to black do you think this would be an effective way to achieve black armour?

Prime Black

Base Coat Black again in multiple, thin layers

Mix Black and Grey to create a dark grey color, add some medium and apply to raised areas

Mix more Grey to the Dark Grey and add medium and apply to raised areas to lift highlight

Hard line highlight in a color similar to codex grey only on highest points


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Do you think this would effective?

I don't want the model to come out "grey" which is what I'm scared of doing.

I heard someone doing multiple washes over a dark grey with badab black to create their shading- how effective is this?

Thanks!

I too would like to know more about this.

Look into the p3 paints, they have a nice color called Coal Black, it is a very, very dark blue. This makes a great initial highlight for black, and when mixed with progressively more amounts of p3 Frostbite, you get a very nice highlight for black.

The trick with highlighting black is to keep your highlights short and on the edge.

A.

Do you have an airbrush? Shading black is very easy with an airbrush. You get nice smooth highlight transitions with lighter greys over a black basecoat. Buypainted just did a video on this, but it's behind his subscriber paywall, not on his youtube channel.

Yes, P3 Coal Black is nice. Also Vallejo (VMC) has a bunch of black-greys that progressively get greyer.

Rhich wrote:I too would like to know more about this.

Jump on board, takes notes and ask questions if you want!

Redfinger wrote:Look into the p3 paints, they have a nice color called Coal Black, it is a very, very dark blue. This makes a great initial highlight for black, and when mixed with progressively more amounts of p3 Frostbite, you get a very nice highlight for black.

The trick with highlighting black is to keep your highlights short and on the edge.

A.

I'll have a look into this, but in the mean time do you think I would be able to work a codex grey into my black and build a smooth gradiant? Also, will it help if I add some medium to thin the paint's transparency without losing the property of the paint

Yonan wrote:Do you have an airbrush? Shading black is very easy with an airbrush. You get nice smooth highlight transitions with lighter greys over a black basecoat. Buypainted just did a video on this, but it's behind his subscriber paywall, not on his youtube channel.

I don't unforatunely man, I can't yet afford one but this is definitely on the books. I love the gradiant transition an airbrush gives you, also the ease and speed of the paintjob's base coats. Buypainted is the man!

reps0l wrote:Yes, P3 Coal Black is nice. Also Vallejo (VMC) has a bunch of black-greys that progressively get greyer.

I'll also look into this as well. At this stage I have quite a selection of Citidel paints.

This is a really good recipe i was given over on another forum

Over the black undercoat I made a glaze from abaddon black, then washed it with nuln oil for that blacker then black look. To highlight I mixed abaddon black, mechanicus standard grey, and a bit of kantor blue, making it more dark grey. This is quite broad. Then I do a thinner highlight of mechanics standard grey. I then wash it nuln black again. I then did la thin highlight of machanicus standard grey where the light hits, and a small highlight of fortress grey.

It's not the same as the one in shadow force dragomir, but I tried to follow it as close as I can.

I don't like using grey to highlight black, it makes the black look like dark grey.

I like using a dark color for the base of my blacks, like a dark red, a dark blue, or a dark green.

When it comes to painting with a brush, I really only use water, and 2 brush blending to create my highlights.

A.

Well I might use the blue method, but I think I'll go with some sort of mix of black, dark grey and blue to build it up. Yeah I was thinking of 2-3 layers to build the color up and then touch if very lightly with a hard highlight.

I was advised with black to only really touch the highest and brightest points of the armor and a good way to figure that out was to slather the model with water and hold it under a light and the highest points reflecting back at you are where you want to paint.

I find with black, less is more.

reps0l wrote:
I find with black, less is more.

Yea definitely man, it would be easy overdo it and get carried away.

Hopefully Forgeworld orders comes in the courier soon and I can blast some models. I'll post my progress using some techniques!

 Kill3RKiD wrote:

Yonan wrote:Do you have an airbrush? Shading black is very easy with an airbrush. You get nice smooth highlight transitions with lighter greys over a black basecoat. Buypainted just did a video on this, but it's behind his subscriber paywall, not on his youtube channel.

I don't unforatunely man, I can't yet afford one but this is definitely on the books. I love the gradiant transition an airbrush gives you, also the ease and speed of the paintjob's base coats. Buypainted is the man!

That he is! Here is the video of the finished model if you want to see how it turned out. You don't really need to see the tutorial as it's basically the same as all the airbrush highlighting he does, just with black and lighter greys this time.