Executioner Silver

[dustermaker]

Hi, I will hopefully be painting up an Executioner army in the near future. Have the models just need to build and paint them. I am torn between using:

 

White primer -> blue ink wash -> black wash in deep areas -> drybrush with a gunmetal -> highlight with silver.

Or

Black primer -> blue basecoat -> drybrush with gunmetal -> highlight with silver.

 

Does anyone have experience with painting this type of scheme? I was just hoping someone would be able to shed some light on what would give the best final look.

[Lorenzen]

these are comments lifted from khargans executioner thread..

 

"the base coat was black obviously, followed by a coat of boltgun followed by a couple glazes of boltgun, LOTS of asurman blue and a dab of black.. to build up that dark blue.. finally a glaze of asurman blue.. now don't be fooled you CANNOT just put asurman blue on and wait, you actually cant ever do this with the washes... well I don't think you should anyway..

 

I generally apply them generously but then manipulate it around the figure, let it settle for about 10 seconds then move it again, never want puddle stains anywhere but at the same time you want that pigment stain to take to the figure ever so slightly.. washes cure VERY fast so a lot of fine attention and micro management is needed.

 

after that some messy glazes of gryphonne and then devlan mud in various places just to mottle it ever so slightly.. and in cases it isnt even really noticeable but it does detract from that entirely same everywhere look.."

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v359/argosis101/DSCF8959.jpg

 

picture of his work so you know what the end result looks like.

[Subtle Discord]

Personally, I avoid dry brushing like the plague. It almost always give a 'dusty' look that I avoid.

 

All of my metals (and I do a lot of them) are 75% built up washes, and 25% selective highlighting that's blended a bit. You don't even need to do highlights if you start with a bright base and take care with the wash layers, leaving the edges the original bright base. But it all depends on how many layers you do, and how dark/dirty you want the metal to look.

 

The quoted method is correct enough, you want to play with the wash to get it where you want it. But, I don't agree that you can't put wash down and leave it without getting bad rings. I do it all the time to great effect. If that is happening your wash layer is too heavy. Use a clean brush to 'pull up' some wash and smooth it out again. Breaking a wash you're trying to do from 2 steps to 3 steps can be all that it needs to avoid 'ringing'. All without the 'babysitting' of the wash.

 

Oh, and an ace up my sleeve is Flow Aid. This is a paint additive that makes paint flow smoother, and makes all paint or washes very resistant to 'ringing'. you don't add it to the paint. Just mix it 20-to-1 with water (1 part Flow Aid, 20 parts Water) and add a few drops to paint and or use it to thin paint on the pallet. Flow Aid is amazing with washes.