Blood Ravens

[Centurian]

Hey guys,

 

I've attached some pics of my blood ravens so far - I'm still relatively new to painting, but I want honest criticism on where to improve, and where I may be making errors. Anyway, here goes (also, disregard my squads lack of arms. What can I say, they're fighting orks):

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/100_0180.jpg?t=1270743035

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/100_0183.jpg?t=1270743117

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/100_0185.jpg?t=1270743224

[S. Bloodhowl]

Honest opinion: Awesome poses my friend, although the assault marines look like their falling over :) , the red is good as well

Brutal opinion: you need to work on the shading of the red (i suggest and ogryn flesh wash, followed by asurmen blue/thraka green*, then re highlight it... neatly) and your white is pretty bad (try starting with astronomican grey and the n work up to skull white through a series of mixes of the two)... Soz

 

* asurmen blue for a cool red, thraka green for a neutral is red (only into the recesses for wither of them)

[SangPriest]

For white I find it easiest to use a few thin coats of Dheneb stone and then a few light coats of skull white, nice and simple. Use washes like mad too. It helps me get the 'shading' down. I don't do a bunch of blending or anything like that but washes help to keep dark dark and light light.

 

For the red If you are having trouble with it covering black, its ok. Get a thing of mechrite red, and use 2 to 3 coats, thinned with water and you will get a nice even red.

 

I wouldn't worry about shading or highlights now, get a nice smooth base coat down then you can practice highlighting (which is really easy).

 

So, thin your paints, use multiple thinned coats and you should have some nice looking marines!

[Centurian]

Thanks, I've been trying to replicate the blood ravens parchment-like white, but I cant quite seem to get there. Any Ideas?

 

Edit: Uh, I posted this as the EXACT same time you posted your last comment.

[SangPriest]

Yes.

 

Its not white. Start with a basecoat of Khemri Brown, wash it with a ogryn flesh or brown wash of some kind, then patiently highlight it up with either Dheneb stone or bleached bone. Should give you what you are looking for.

 

Honestly any brown undercoat will work, darker for a darker parchment look and lighter for a lighter look.

 

Hope that helps.