idea for shading white helmets or armor

[XKhalilX]

would using a black or blue micropen be a good and easy way to shade a white helmet? I use necron abyss to have that dark blue lining on the white armor. I was thinking a micropen could serve the same purpose. So before I go out and buy a blue micro pen. Thoughts?

[MagicMan]

Using a wash can be a good way of shading white. It depends what sort of look you're after.

 

 

 

This guy has shading from a wash, and definition (on the helmet cresty thing) by using a black line. Which look are you after?

http://i55.tinypic.com/29pesza.jpg

[XKhalilX]

maybe i should turn the necron abyss into more of wash perhaps? I just think a micropen might be more accurate. but you think watering down the necron abyss should do the trick?

[MagicMan]

I think so.

 

I use watered down hawk turquoise/black ink on mine, then re-paint the highest areas with thinned white.

 

 

 

 

A micro-pen might be easier, though. They'll both have different looks.

[UltraRich]

Personally I wouldnt use a micro pen on white helmet.

A black line would look too much like an armour joint when what you are looking for is a shadow.

Greys look good and realistic but blue looks cool (stylish)

 

Id go with what Magicman said and hit it with a blue wash and then use white to clean it up.

 

edit: Just dug out one of my old wip termi pics with a white helmet

 

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/rbrewster101/Untitled-1copy-1.jpg

[XKhalilX]

ultrarich that is the look im going for. whats your white helmet recipe?

[Dwarfkernow]

Hi matey

 

I undercoat the part i want in Shadow grey - next paint a fortress grey/whte mix. Wash with heavily diluted Shadow grey and when dry paint on pure skull white. Its best to paint a few thin coats of white to buld up definition.

 

Hope that helps

[Boltergeist]

I agree, a too-dark line won't look very good. That being said I have seen example where it works, so it really depends on your painting style. My White Scars look like this:

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w248/Cabal615/bfs2010_painting_21.jpg

 

I use extender (also called drying retarder) in an eyeballed 50/50 mix of shadow and SW greys-- 50/50 in this case meaning blend between the two colors, not paint ratio. I go over the shadowed lines with SW grey, then go in with a fine brush and line with the darker mixture. The extender gives it the properties of a wash (a nice fade) but also looks crisp.

[UltraRich]

ultrarich that is the look im going for. whats your white helmet recipe?

 

Its pretty simple

Paint it white using thin layers to keep it smooth (I had undercoated black first so I gave it a layer of gray before I started white)

Once its covered use a brush to paint azurman blue wash into the joints. I did this a couple of times to build it up.

I then gave it a couple of washes of 50/50 water and Azurman blue wash so it had some graduation of colour into the joints.

Then go over it in white to keep the flat areas looking nice and clean.

 

The eyes were washed black and the black line you can see up the front is battle damage on the model.