Antique / Relic Image Freehand Tutorial

[Candleshoes]

What is "Antiquing"?

 

To get that almost medieval aged image effect, it may look complicated, but it is very simple and very eye catching. Many of you are familiar with reliefs like this:

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/tumblr_llqyr72z5m1qjafdho1_500.jpg

 

 

step 1: Paint your background grey or dheneb stone, pick something nice and light / off white.

 

step 2: Use a darker gray, I used Adeptus battle gray, water it down, and draw out your outline of your image, just the important parts. On the above image, it is things like the outline of the sword, the inside of his hood, everything you want to look almost black. For people who don't want to freehand or aren't confident, use your printer, find a image you like, shrink it down, cut it out, and trace the lines in pencil. Do your best to then "fill in the blanks" with pencil, this is why using a simple image like a clipart works very well, the simpler the better, and never worry about it looking messy or making mistakes.

 

step 3: Fill in you image with your details. Be rough, be messy, and try and use lots of "shades" or mix your dark grey a few times with your base lighter colour. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just experiment and use your guide picture as a reference. This way, it gives the illusion that there is a very finely detailed image under the antique. You must make sure you paint some details in an almost white look, to contrast and stand out, example the bone hands and the sword. It may look weird in real life, but the antique will wash it out, so don't worry.

 

step 4: The fun and terrifying part. You then need to do a HEAVY... HEAVY devlan mud wash, straight from the pot. Don't paint it on like normal, just dab it on with a larger brush, this will allow the wash to clump up, rather than streaking with the brush. Do this quickly and messy, because then you need to dry your brush, and then "paint" nothing over image, and your image only, to soak up the majority of the wash on your freehand work. You want it to stain the image, but not to obscure the details. This is very important, the edges and outline can handle the wash in full, the image needs to be left slightly wiped off and visible. All this needs to be done when it is wet of course as this is the best time you can add or remove the wash if you feel you have made mistakes.

 

step 5: put your model at a 45 degree angle, to allow the run off wash to settle and run down.

 

Step 6: Leave it alone until it dries fully, and NEVER touch it!

 

Step 7: The same as step 4, but using Nuln oil, or a black wash. This may make you panic, as you will obscure your image completely. Don't worry, just make sure you dry your brush, and carefully paint over the freehand and soak up the majority of the excess wash so you can still see most of the details. Again, make sure when originally applying the heavy wash, not to "paint" it on with strokes, but to dab it on, as though you are touching a marker to a peice of paper again and again, it will look like dots.

 

step 8: put your model at a 45 degree angle, to allow the run off wash to settle and run down.

 

Step 9: Leave it alone until it dries fully, and NEVER touch it!

 

Step 10: The same as step 4, but using Gryphonne Sepia, or the equivalent wash. This will be what makes it almost gold like or bronzed. Make sure you dab lots of wash around the perimeter, even on the bottom of your image, and with this one, you can leave a bit on the image itself - like it has been tarnished.

 

step 11: put your model at a 45 degree angle, to allow the run off wash to settle and run down.

 

Step 12: Leave it alone until it dries fully, and NEVER touch it!

 

You then have a fantastic and vaunted relic relief for the side of your land raider, rhino, or drop pod, which it works the best for.

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/5598761-abstract-vector-illustration-of-grim-reaper.jpg

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/IMG_4119.jpg

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/IMG_4125.jpg

[elmo]

Thanks Candleshoes.

 

I might give this a go later when I feel brave enough :D

[Urauloth]

When you say Devlan mud, do you mean that specifically? I ask becase Agrax earthshade is almost twice the thickness, and using that straight from the pot would give you a much heavier coat.

[Candleshoes]

Of couse you could use the newer citadel variant. This is a very loose process, where thickness and consistency differences actually add to the effect. Having it dry tilted also helps, and if you really feel that it is going on far too heavy, clean and dry your brush off when you are still working with it wet, and dab it to soak up some excess.