painting black?

[chaplain belisarius]

im not much of a painter so im thinking of either painting a metallic army (doom eagles? silver skulls? My own diy?), ultramarines, or a black army (black consuls? black legion?)

 

im just wondering how easy it is to paint black and make it look "gaming standard".

 

thanks!

[winterdyne]

Actually black is really easy to do to a quite high standard - paint it dark grey (Vallejo Black-Grey is great) then use thin coats of black to bring it back down, leaving the highlights in place (ie you shade it down, don't highlight up). Then you can do final very tight edge highlights with codex grey.

[thade]

Gaming standard is super easy. Spray paint black for your base coat and win.

 

If you you want them to look presentable, add trim and detail in different colors.

 

If you want the black to look good, wash the entire model with Badab Black to get it good and dark, then hit every edge on your model with codex grey, highlighting with fortress grey here and there. I'd also decorate them up with score marks and some metallic dry brushing for weathering and battle damage.

 

An army can look good if it's black, but you have to pay attention to detail. :)

[Iskariot]

Black?

CAN be easy.

 

I use:

1) GW Chaos Black Primer spray

2) Chaos Black paint watered down after the primer. The spray and the paint are slightly different in color. Therefore the additional layer of chaos black.

3) Different shades of grey for highlights.

 

 

Is fast, looks good and nearly foolproof.

At least, I do it so to my Black Templars.

For more advice: In the BT sub-forum are some posts about painting.

 

 

But generally, black can look a bit plain. As if the models were just primed and then put on the table. A second main color is advisable.

[chaplain belisarius]

obviously ill do another colour (it tends to look unfinished if they are just black)

 

maybe black with some coloured trim, chest eagles and weaponry? :)

 

thank you so much for the advice...im really not much of a painter but have a perverse need to paint my own models rather than pay someone to paint them better than i could...;)

[Commander S. Caesare]

What I did with my pre-heresy Dark Angels (they are black and white during the time.):

 

1)Spray white primer. (This will provide a lighter shade than the Chaos Black primer. If you don't want the armor highlights and be lazy, this is a great method.)

2)Apply watered-down Chaos Black. Do this repeatedly, until the edges are greyish and middle of the armor plates are black. 6-7 layers will do. I tend to use the Tank Brush to do the job.

3)Add any additional paints to decorate.

4)Finally, apply gloss varnish. This really shines the armor up, makes it look great, while still having that black look.

 

This whole time I used just the Tank Brush, completing a Battleforce Kit in 1 hour.

 

Have it your way, but if you want a great looking army while being lazy at the same time, that's my method.

 

Click on my link (New Chapters WIP) later on, when I post these pre-heresy Angels to show you.

[chaplain belisarius]

thanks for that...sounds easy! :)

[Lorenzen]

the best way ive found for painting black is (i use vallejo paints btw)

 

black undercoat

 

50/50 black & dark grey mix for highlights,

pure dark grey highlight

wash the whole model with a black wash to tone down the highlights and blend them into the armour more..

then a thin dark grey highlight on the top and right hand edges of armour plates etc.

 

should end up looking like this

 

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/typhion/DSC00419.jpg

 

im very much of the idea that you should take your time to paint up your chosen chapter well rather than quickly, getting a silver/metallic army to look good takes a lot more work than a basic coloured army despite what many people think.

[SCC]

!Shameless Self Promotion Alert!

I have a tutorial on how I painted my Raven Guard here at the B&C that details the steps I take to paint one of my models to tabletop standard.

The tutorial mini so you can see if it's the kind of black you'd like (it's a grey black rather than a blue black):

[Marshal Wilhelm]

I use the C:BT suggestions for black.

 

1] Undercoat black spray.

2] Thin chaos black over armour areas.

Then I wash with Coat d'arms super shader, it makes the black much darker and also shiney.

3] Edge highlight, using three shades of grey.

Basically dark grey, mid grey and light grey.

dark: Adeptus battlegrey

mid: Codex grey

light: Fortress grey

 

I use sequentially smaller brushes for the edge highlighting, which makes it easier to get both a shorter and narrower amount of paint on the previous highlight.

 

My photo skills for minis is a bit ho-hum but you can see some of miniatures in my signature. Post #52 is the best photo, imo.

 

I also use Coat d'arms black ink. It is very black and covers mistakes in white, metallic and from basing, very well.

[Commander S. Caesare]

Here's what my lazy pre-heresy DAngel looks like:

 

Read the previous post to see the method.

 

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k640/Cristian_Ly/IMG_0944.jpg

 

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k640/Cristian_Ly/IMG_0946.jpg

[Firedrake Cordova]

As the others have said, you want to paint it a near-black, rather than black, otherwise it will look "wrong" (no shadows). Something like an equal mix of Charadon Granite and Chaos Black should do it. You could then wash is with Badab Black to pick up the recesses, and highlight it by adding Codex and/or Fortress Grey to the basecoat mix.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

As the others have said, you want to paint it a near-black, rather than black, otherwise it will look "wrong" (no shadows). Something like an equal mix of Charadon Granite and Chaos Black should do it. You could then wash is with Badab Black to pick up the recesses, and highlight it by adding Codex and/or Fortress Grey to the basecoat mix.

 

No offense to you or the more than very helpful Winterdyne *waves* but I have never seen a near-black look anything but a washed out black, like a t-shirt that has been washed and/or been in the sun for too long, or some kind of a dark grey.

 

I understand that ideally all colours 'should' be painted the same way as you would a blue or red or whatever, but sometimes, paint just says no.

 

Now if someone could provide me picture of near-black looking like black and not washed out grey, I will pipe-down and copy such a technique, if I am able. Or I will just gooh and gah if I cannot ;)

 

Hopefully I have not come across as ranty :P

[Marshal Wilhelm]

!Shameless Self Promotion Alert!

 

I have a tutorial on how I painted my Raven Guard here at the B&C that details the steps I take to paint one of my models to tabletop standard.

 

Your tutorial is not coming through in anything but small size, too small to even read.

[T14]

Your tutorial is not coming through in anything but small size, too small to even read.

 

Psst. click the link again, brother. Scroll down abit and click the "download" button. :P

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Your tutorial is not coming through in anything but small size, too small to even read.

 

Psst. click the link again, brother. Scroll down abit and click the "download" button. ;)

 

That really is odd. I think I did the same thing, but now it works....

Maybe I didn't? Or maybe the machine-spirit is teaching me to observe the proper rights?

 

Maybe I should have studied to become a Techmarine and not a Marshal :P

 

Well, we made it in the end, so thank you :)

[Hemal]

As the others have said, you want to paint it a near-black, rather than black, otherwise it will look "wrong" (no shadows). Something like an equal mix of Charadon Granite and Chaos Black should do it. You could then wash is with Badab Black to pick up the recesses, and highlight it by adding Codex and/or Fortress Grey to the basecoat mix.

 

No offense to you or the more than very helpful Winterdyne *waves* but I have never seen a near-black look anything but a washed out black, like a t-shirt that has been washed and/or been in the sun for too long, or some kind of a dark grey.

 

I understand that ideally all colours 'should' be painted the same way as you would a blue or red or whatever, but sometimes, paint just says no.

 

Now if someone could provide me picture of near-black looking like black and not washed out grey, I will pipe-down and copy such a technique, if I am able. Or I will just gooh and gah if I cannot :angry:

 

Hopefully I have not come across as ranty ;)

 

 

Use inks and washes to add depth to the colour. Look at black - it often isn't true pitch black. High gloss black has extreme highlights. Matte black looks grey. Magpie and crow feathers are irridescent...

 

I almost always tint "black" (which in practice is really dark blue-black rather than pure black) with green, blue or purple ink both before and after highlights to add depth. Its a REALLY think glaze, just enough to tint the colour but not a flood to leave the base coat shiny...

[Certs]

for my black deathwing (i'm a karma chameleon when it comes to fluff, i come and go),

 

i primed a black undercoat, drybrushed greatcoat grey, then just added a greatcoat grey highlight on the trim with a codex grey fine highlight along the more up-raised portions of the trim. the only problems that arrise are when having to work from chaos black, which appears more glossy than the matte primer, which then involves the dark grey coat and working down with black wash.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Use inks and washes to add depth to the colour. Look at black - it often isn't true pitch black. High gloss black has extreme highlights. Matte black looks grey. Magpie and crow feathers are irridescent...

 

I almost always tint "black" (which in practice is really dark blue-black rather than pure black) with green, blue or purple ink both before and after highlights to add depth. Its a REALLY think glaze, just enough to tint the colour but not a flood to leave the base coat shiny...

 

I do understand the theory. I just have never seen it pulled off. Photos please :)

[chaplain belisarius]

thanks guys! :)

[Firedrake Cordova]

I have never seen a near-black look anything but a washed out black, like a t-shirt that has been washed and/or been in the sun for too long, or some kind of a dark grey.

There's a very real danger of that happening - you need to get the basecoat quite close to black for it to work well.

 

Now if someone could provide me picture of near-black looking like black and not washed out grey, I will pipe-down and copy such a technique, if I am able. Or I will just gooh and gah if I cannot :P

The studio's Legion of the Damned models, painted by Anja Wettergren, were painted using near-black. Can't for the life of me remember the mix she used (it was 50:50 Chaos Black and something, possibly Shadow- or Codex Grey), but it was in a WD article when they were released. I'll see if I can find it over the weekend ...

 

Hopefully I have not come across as ranty :)

Not at all :)

[SCC]

LotD 'Eavy Metal black recipes (WD 361 - AU)

 

Cool Tone (Armour)

• Basecoat 1:1 Regal Blue/Chaos Black
  
• Small amount of Fortress Grey added to previous mix for edge highlights
  
• Pure Fortress Grey used for finer highlights
  
• 1:1 Fortress Grey + Skull White applied to edges
  

 

Warm Tone (Plasma Pistol)

• 1:1 Codex Grey/Chaos Black
  
• Codex Grey highlight
  
• 1:1 Codex Grey/Bleached Bone finer highlight
  
• Bleached Bone final highlight
  

[Hemal]

AYe the regal blue looks excellent and almost velvety...

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Cowabunga!

 

I have the WD with the LotD Marines in it.

Anja has not shaded the armour at all.

 

She has used the same technique as shown in C:BT, but instead of using Black, she has mixed Black with Blue or Grey.

 

Is that really any different then? It gives the illusion of being black, but is really just 'dark'

Which was not what Winterdyne and Cordova were suggesting.

 

Yeah it looks nice, but does it really look any different from the Studio's Templars....?

 

+++

 

So I assume all that would be needed is to Badab black the miniature and it would be shaded rather than flat black. And I guess avoid slapping the Badab all over the thin but focus more on the recesses.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Anja has not shaded the armour at all.

Yup, my recipe originates from when I was painting Night Goblins back around 2003-2004 and didn't like the result of painting flat black. My current recipe differs from Anja's due to incompetence on my part. :rolleyes:

 

Is that really any different then? It gives the illusion of being black, but is really just 'dark'

Which was not what Winterdyne and Cordova were suggesting.

The reason for the black wash in my recipe, when Anja W doesn't use it, is cos I'm using the Vallejo equivalents of Chaos Black and Charadon Granite on my Salamander's bolter casings, and I generally goof the mix slightly, so it's too bright. It also means that the shell ejection port, etc, is a bit darker than the rest of the casing. It will also help "tone down" and "tie together" (blend) any highlights you add.

 

It really is a very subtle difference, and completely personal preference ...