FAQ: Painting White

[tahrikmili]

Currently I'm painting my SHP and I'm at a loss as to how to proceed with the white bits. Majority of the armor is red and is starting to look OK but the white bits are looking very.. I don't know, dull, plain. I tried two different things on the same model: I painted the shoulderpad trims and chest eagle black, then grey and will now paint/highlight with white, this is one thing I tried. The other parts, I painted white, then blacklined with black ink. I'm not sure I'm content with how either is turning out.

 

What's the best way to make white stand out in power armor? Can you post tips and pictures?

 

Here's an early stage of my painting, currently the red is highlighted and I began workin on the face, but I'm not sure how to proceed with the white parts.

 

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7415/sanguinarypriest02024hx.jpg

[INKS]

you could and proabably should black line it, will give it borders and therefore deffinition.

 

Also I build up from brown to bleached bone, then to skull white; this makes it appear not so stark white. But still white, if you get my meaning.

[Lord_Maggot]

http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/49/page/4

 

I've used the method shown there and I must say my white is now great :lol: Useful tips on other colours too.

[Obliterator]

I start with Shadow Grey, highlight up to Space Wolves Grey, and then highlight up to Skull White. This gives you a cold bluish white, which I like:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/Obliterator/WIP/DSC00916.jpg

[ardyer]

I start with Shadow Grey, highlight up to Space Wolves Grey, and then highlight up to Skull White. This gives you a cold bluish white, which I like:

 

That's the way I do it too, only I sneak a layer of ghost grey before the white. One thing to remember about white though, you have to think like crazy or it gets "globby" real quick.

[The Angelus Sanctus]

Obliterator beat me to it :) That would be how i would build up to white armor, alternatively, if you want a more of a stone grey look, go from codex grey to umm, Fortress grey? then to skull white. Not familar with the Citadel colors anymore as Im a 100% Vallejo fan :lol:

[feuer_faust]

Hehe, I, myself, have a far sneakier option.

 

I am not sure that GW has this paint, but Wolf Grey (Vallejo Game Colour) is easily the best substitute for white. It is a very pale off-white, and passed for white upon casual inspection. Two thin coats should do fine (use in on my Black Templars, I'll get a photo tomorrow for you.)

[swah]

I posted some of my WS's before the 'crash' and that thread has been lost...so I'll repost one of the pics and my formula/method for getting a clean & crisp white.

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c287/bronswah/_IGP0461.jpg

 

1. Prime white

2. Thickish wash of Fortress Grey

3. Then many thin coats of Skull White - thinned with a mixture of 20% Future Floor Wax and 80% Water

 

The thinning mixture I use breaks the surface tension of the paint and alows very smooth flow off of the brush and even dispersal on the painted surface, hence avoiding the 'globbing' effect so common when painting white.

 

This method, though time consuming, does give a very smooth finsih.

Hope this helps B)

 

-swah

[Obliterator]

Now those are nice scars! Great job on the white!

[Brother apocalyptic]

I do BT, so I work from a black undercoat. then I use browns and bleached bone to prep the areas for my white...

[the bearded snot]

First of all, I have to say that I use an airbrush...

My method is :

- base coat of Prince August Air 50 US moderne light ghost grey ( I guess that Prince August is the same as Vallejo)

- PA Air white airbrushed from face and above

- a thin wash of Payne gray oil color

- drybush with Humbrol matt white

 

I've forgotten the last two steps for my power fist bearer. B)

 

http://www.pbase.com/the_bearded_snot/image/58269746.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/the_bearded_snot/image/58269729.jpg

[tahrikmili]

I worked on the white parts a bit and here's what I finally ended up with, I'm somewhat pleased with my first attempts at painting white :D

 

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/9844/sanguinarypriest04021vg.jpg

 

What do you think?

[lejanius]

I did my death guard in a dirty white armor, more aged than new.

 

my methods were probably long and stupid but I was looking for a different effect

 

I primed black (because I am an idiot) dry brushed grey. then I dry brushed white. I then inked the model brown. I then went over and highlghted with waterdowned white paint to get a streaky dirty look, later I added some rust effects and "leaking"from open sores

 

as seen below

 

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e124/Lejanius/b5_12.jpg

[The Cookie Monster]

I need help doing the shoulders on my Black Templars. The white always ends up being rough with spots of black showing through. A tutorial would be great! Thanks in advance.

[Master Incarias]

You could take the easy way out and spray/basecoat the Shoulder pads white (separate from the rest) and paint on the black instead, as black covers better. Might be a bit bothersome if you've already assembled the Marines, though...

Otherwise, a secondary base of grey where the white will be could help.

[Wayfarer]

Painting white isn't hard, just usually time consuming. Start by putting down a nice even basecoat of a medium grey, codex will work. Keep your paints at least 1:1 paint to water. Once you have an even coat of grey, start with 2:1 skull white to fortress grey (or their equivilents). You can skip this step if you want, it'll just mean that the next step will take more layers. After two thin even coats you can move on to pure white. You'll probably use two to three coats to get it to cover well. I think the main reason people have trouble with lighter colors is because they often paint right out of the pot and thus can't use more than one layer because the paint is thick and chunky. Remember, thin paint and multiple layers.

[BigJon]

I used the new foundation paints to cover the black, i used the grey color, can't remember the name

then a couple of thin coats of white it looks real good.

 

BigJon

[champion_wasabi]

I've been experimenting with the foundation paints and although they cover just about any colour with any colour in one coat I'm still more accustomed to using layers and the such for it all so I'll give my 2 cents on it here. :blush: Which isn't that much at all but I still like to squack and holler like I actually know something...

 

Depending on what kind of white you're looking for it take anywhere from 5 to 10 really really thin layers for me to get a white that I like... and according to a few of my friends and what I've heard online about my white I think that the extra effort is worth it. :pinch:

 

Cold white. This is the one that I use quite a bit on my Black Templars.

Shadow Grey... Two layers is usually sufficient to cover the base coat.

Space Wolves Grey... Leaving whatever ammount of Shadow that's comfortable to you.

Ghostly Grey... I don't know if this was one of the colours that was discontinued. Haven't set foot into a

GW

in awhile now.

Skull White... As many layers as needed or you can tolerate :wink:

 

I like the bluish undertone that this achieves. Colourless white... I don't know if that's the right term??? :wacko: Would replace Shadow with Codex, and Space Wolves with Fortress. hmmmm Perhaps, I think, that this would actually be more along the lines of lifeless white. Either way there you go.

 

Cheers.

[The Cookie Monster]

I will try to get my hands on some foundation paints. So, what foundation grey then white?

[Rossco]

I personally find white to be a very unforgiving colour to paint, I find that for me painting to pure white is often a mistake as I feel it looks very artificial and doesn't really sit well with my style of painting. I like to decide what side of white I want to go and start from there (stick with me I am going some where with this I promise !) for a "clean" white,

 

Base coat : Shadow Grey

Second layer : 50/50 shadow grey/spacewolf grey

Third layer : spacewolf grey

Fourth layer : 50/50 spacewolf grey/skull white

Highlight : skull white

 

And for a more aged "dirty" white

Base coat : graveyard earth

second layer : 50/50 graveyard earth/bleached bone

Third layer : bleached bone

Fourth layer : 50/50 bleached bone/skull white

Highlight : skull white

 

Remember to keep your paint thin and your layers light and this should work out, I haven't mentioned using foundation paints because I'm still experimenting myself but I've been using these sets of layers for a while now and like I said I'm happier with these than I was with "actual" white. I hope I've been at least a little bit helpfull !

[the_cheat137]

This might seem like nitpicking at first, but I think it's important to clear up the concept.

 

When painting white, especially armor, it is important to note that there will be -no- highlight. You can't highlight white, it is its own highlight. I've found that if I try to layer up to "50/50 spacewolf grey/skull white" or another suitable combination and highlight white, then the mini looks like the armor is actually grey. When painting white, white itself will be your final layer, and there will be no highlight.

 

Of course, if you like the look of grey, blue/grey armor highlighted white, then go for it :P. Nobody says you HAVE to paint your minis pure white.

[Bloodwraith]

the best way i've seen to paint white if you aren't very skilled at painting is to darklight it. Put down your artificial white and then do an edge outline around the inside of the trimming on the pad in either a darkish grey or a lighter one depending on what effect you are looking for.

[asianavatar]

Just to add a point for painting white. To get a really clean white one advice is to use new water in the cup which you are using to wash your brush. For most other colours it doesn't matter much. But for white I find it makes a difference it comes out much "whiter" for lack of a better term.

[mad_rob]

Just wondering if any one could help me with painting white onto dark colours

As I am collecting Ultramarines using basecoat of Chaos Black, then Mordian Blue foundation paint, then topped off with dry brush of Ultramarines blue

I do a little varient where by the I paint the right leg/knee-pad (Depending on armour mk.) white where I then paint on squad number in roman numerals

And I was wondering what the best way to get a nice white white colour over my blue

Sometimes I manage it, and sometimes it looks blotchy

 

What I do is use a coat of Astronomicon Grey (If I remember, as I at college at moment) then use a watered down layer of Skull White

 

Any ideas on improving my method?

 

Or suggest a totally new one?

 

Mad Rob

[hagg]

just make sure your colors are thinned enough when you use them, you will need more than one layer to get the white right :)

 

-hagg