Switch Theme:

Help painting ALMOST black  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


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.




Made in ca
Stormin' Stompa






Ottawa, ON

Hello everyone, I have a quandary to share. I'm painting some Fallen Dark Angels and to challenge myself, I'm trying avoid a simple, clean black like you see on most models. I was wondering if anyone here could point to any tutorials for making a nice, faded black. Something that looks scuffed and dusty with age.

My current technique is simply to drybrush the whole thing with a gray and wash it back down with a black, but I feel there's something more skillful is needed.

Ask yourself: have you rated a gallery image today? 
   
Made in de
Shrieking Guardian Jetbiker






Hmm, if the armour is dusty with age, I'd rather think that the dust has gathered in recesses and so on? Makes it more complicated, but you could basically paint them dark gray for a dusty base effect, then go deep black with additional highlights (or drybrushing for a weathered effect) on the more exposed parts, where the dust has rubbed off again? Might be tricky to pull off, tho.

~~~ I Love The Power Glove. It's So Bad. ~~~ 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Use Corvus Black, work from there.

It's a faded-grey black, when properly thinned down and used.
   
Made in gb
Esteemed Veteran Space Marine






Northumberland

My advice would be to paint it clean first, but use an off-black mixture (such as 80:20 Vallejo Flat Black and Vallejo Dark Grey). This was the mix I used for the below Chaplain if you want to visualise it:

Spoiler:


Black isn't actually a colour anyway, it's simply the darkest hue of any given colour so you should do this anyway to mimic a 'true' black anyway. For fading, just amp up your grey ratio. Then, once you've established this 'off-black', the way to enhance the effect would be through some weathering.:

Weathering isn't as daunting as it seems (and I say this having been a complete novice up until about 6 months ago). At the minimum, even just some judiciously placed weathering powder will help build up the effect of fading. For that, just some black and white powder, mixed at a ratio of your choosing, will give a nice grey effect. Dab it on and then blow off the excess.

Another idea is to use oil paints. These aren't too difficult either. Gloss your model first, then use a very small amount of a dark grey or a light grey, and smear it on to the larger armour plates. I stress - a SMALL amount. You essentially want to rub it in so it tints the area a touch lighter, or darker, then wipe off 99% of the residue. I use cotton buds/Q-tips for this. It'll leave a tint to the paint which, repeated at random spots, will give the effect of wear and fading across the paintwork. The gloss will protect your paintjob, and if you use Sansodor thinner, you can totally remove the oil if you mess it up. The below Messerschmitt used this effect to emphasise mottled paint in the Africa sun:

Spoiler:


See the orangy parts in the wing roots? Just a Burnt Sienna colour rubbed in, then the residue removed.

Scratches or chips can be done by lightly loading a piece of sponge with a dark grey, light grey of metallic, and lightly dabbing them onto exposed areas. Again, I stress 'LIGHT' - you want to load the foam, then dab away the excess until you're just depositing small dots on the paintwork.

Hope that gives you some food for thought on ways you can liven up your black (Because it is a difficult colour to make interesting and convincing )

Now with 100% more blog: 'Beyond the Wall'

Numine Et Arcu
 
   
Made in ca
Stormin' Stompa






Ottawa, ON

Thanks for the advice. Those both look like good ideas, but I don't now if I'm ready to dip my toes into oil paints just yet. It seems like the next thing I need try is mixing paints and maybe start exploring other paints ranges outside citadel. They just don't seem to have that many greys.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/04 18:03:20


Ask yourself: have you rated a gallery image today? 
   
Made in us
Stealthy Space Wolves Scout





Folkvang

Honestly, watch this video and it'll help a lot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyXzfVO2Kdw&t=711s



TLDR: Black is created by using saturated versions of the three primaries and can be manipulated as such. Pure black isn't really good for painting as it's flat and has no visual interest. If you want that extra bit of a hue to it, try using a warm black in the shadows and a cold black in the highlights. AKA a reddish black and a blueish black respectively.

Find me on Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/user/Tacocatra
Find me on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ariartcorner
Check out my Etsy!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ariartcorner 
   
Made in gb
Esteemed Veteran Space Marine






Northumberland

Mr Nobody wrote:Thanks for the advice. Those both look like good ideas, but I don't now if I'm ready to dip my toes into oil paints just yet. It seems like the next thing I need try is mixing paints and maybe start exploring other paints ranges outside citadel. They just don't seem to have that many greys.


My answer was more of a two-parter. The paint mixing will get you the off-black you're looking for. And, IMO, it's always more realistic than a pure black. The other stuff (weathering and oils) are just a starter point if you fancy pushing the faded effect even further. And, honestly, it is more daunting than it is hard. The beauty of weathering is that it's hard to make mistakes if you cautiously build it up. The anxiety of messing up a model helps restrain yourself so you don't go OTT.

And yes, I thoroughly recommend diversifying your paint brands. Citadel has some great paints (Mephiston red is my go-to red base colour), but the other brands (particularly Vallejo) all have something to offer. Brand loyalty will only hold you back in this hobby

Now with 100% more blog: 'Beyond the Wall'

Numine Et Arcu
 
   
Made in se
Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!






Citadel Corvus black or AK Rubber Black would be my gotos for an anthracite feel (near black)
   
Made in ca
Ancient Venerable Black Templar Dreadnought





Canada

The AK or Vallejo "Rubber Black" is a good goto since it is black with a bit of very dark brown to it. A dark brown immediately gives an impression of "old" with little effort. Cold greys tend to give a more clean look which would work against you.

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
Napoleon Bonaparte 
   
Made in se
Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!






 Talizvar wrote:
The AK or Vallejo "Rubber Black" is a good goto since it is black with a bit of very dark brown to it. A dark brown immediately gives an impression of "old" with little effort. Cold greys tend to give a more clean look which would work against you.


I adore AK Rubber Black. Sometimes I use it for all the black parts of a mini, limiting contrast is a powerful tool for getting a more muted feel. Works especially well for terrain!
   
Made in no
Liche Priest Hierophant





Bergen

Paint your model and spray it with gw varnish spray afterwards. It fades things real fast. Particularly metal colours.

   
 
Forum Index » Painting & Modeling
Go to: