Night Lords 15th Company - In Memoriam...Pg.68

[Nintura]

Conversions and the army look amazing!  I've only gotten a couple pages in so far, but I noticed you were looking for advice on the lighting from the eyes.  IMO they kinda looked like they were wearing a little bit of blush, just because the paint lines were too sharp.  If I can offer some advice, try this:

• Do your normal basecoat.
• Before you paint the eyes, pick a slightly darker color (like if you're going for say a bright red, pick a normal red) and lightly drybrush from the eye outwards over the helmet.  But don't go to far, just kinda lightly smudge it.
• Then, like the one person said, pick your eye color which should be decently bright since it's a light, and paint a thin line directly on the edge of the socket and eye lens itself.

That should make the lighting look pretty realistic with some practice.   Hope this helps, or at the least give you some ideas  

 

 

*edit

Here's a bit of an example of the lighting, if you're not past that part already.  I screwed up a bit on this a long time ago, I should have made the lenses themselves a bit brighter to stand out

http://www.warseer.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=149368&d=1346045805

Edited February 1, 2014 by Nintura

[oldschoolsavant]

 

 ...void warfare specialists...

 

Star field pattern in the same vein as the lightning ? Definitely head down the darker and rustier path though.

[Fracture]

Wow, what can I say that hasn't been said already. Your stuff is truly truly inspiring. if my Night Lords turn out half as nice as you I'll be a happy man.

[Augustus b'Raass]

 

 

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q532/mv8830/Night%20Lords%20II/1622799_10152574103428761_1578834148_n_zps821ddb5b.jpg

 

Currently I've got several ideas fluff-wise floating around my head. First-off, I've elected to give them the older Chaos Space Marine backpacks because they are larger and add more to the bulk of each model than the Dark Vengeance ones they come with. With this decision I also remembered a line in either Betrayal or Massacre talking about how that style of backpack originated with a need for greater directional controllability in void combat. 

 

Because of this I've decided that these gents are going to be the remnants of 7th Claw, who were in fact void warfare specialists. I haven't yet decided the exact particulars of their separation form the 15th, but rest assured I'll flesh it out. Additionally I'm not quite sure what colors to paint these guys so I'm open to suggestions.

 

Birhter Heinrich, perhaps you'll get some inspiration form my Plague Marines over at at + The Official Night Lords Galley +

[Brother Heinrich]

So I did a little testing of some of the ideas you guys gave me. I like where it's going but I'm still not entirely convinced. Also sorry for the crummy pic, I'm in the process of building a new light box at the moment.

 

So I tried creating the chipping effect on his shoulder pad, elbow, and legs by using a mixture of VGC Black, Beasty Brown, and Bloody Red for the rust chips/scratches. I then used VGC White and Magic Blue and underlined each chip to give it depth and a 3D illusion. Not sure if it comes off too well in the picture, but if you can see it, let me know what you veteran weathering/chipping guys think. 

 

I also tried out some of that Nihilakh Oxide from the GW line over a base of Runelord Brass, I then went back over it with a drybrush of Runelord to make sure the oxidation was reduced to the crevices and pitted areas. Again let me know if you guys think I pulled it off and what you would change if I didn't. A lot of what I want to do with these Plague Marines is uncharted territory for me so I'd love to hear any input from those of you with experience. Cheers.

 

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q532/mv8830/6a49528b-1097-4eaf-9d61-023f71045c0f_zpsfae73bbe.jpg

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I don't know how much of a realistic effect you're going for on the bronze or brass trim, but I think it would benefit from being a touch darker to give a more aged feel to it. Maybe a few light coats of Devlan Mud or something similar?

 

I can't really comment on the paint chipping because I can barely make it out in the pic, sorry. :(

[Brother Heinrich]

No worries, man. The more I look at it, the more I feel like just saying  it, and painting them using my usual recipe and having the tattered hoods and baroque armor paint the picture. The real issue with trying to do the chipping and rust streaks is that I went for a true-to-fluff "midnight blue." It's so freaking dark that chipping is hard to pick out and oil streaks (which look fantastic on bright armor) won't even show on mine.

 

I'm sure someone with Golden Demon level skills could pull this  off, but I think it's just beyond my current skill level at the moment. It's really frustrating because I know I could do these effects on any other color of armor, except maybe black, and have it turn out how I envision.

 

I don't know, maybe this is one of those cases where it sounds better in my head and in the background than it actually looks in execution.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

If they're given over to Nurgle, why not do something like my Sons where the entire paint scheme is different? Corroded, faded, paint flaking off, etc.

 

I can certainly understand the difficulty you're dealing with on the dark paint, and that's one of the reasons I did my paint job like I did, even if the color plate of the Crimson Sons marine isn't as faded and weathered, because I knew what a bitch it would be to weather the way I wanted to.

 

Go off the rails, man. Get outside of the comfort zone of the rest of your army and do something completely unique for this unit. There's even a justification for something like that outside of a Nurgle affiliation, because if they log a lot of time in void combat, there's no atmosphere to soak up a lot of those harmful emissions that a sun puts out, and it would probably be hell on a paint job in no time flat.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Dragonkin Arenis]

^ - - This.

 

The test you've painted just looks a lot like a regular ol' Night Lord to me, but that's probably because the armour's a little dark and the corrosion is a little too subtle.

 

I think this is a situation of "The Easy Road" being a bit of a cop-out. If you want these guys to be special, don't just leave it to the armour and the general model itself to tell the story. Experiment a little with their paint job. Paint the story that these guys have fallen to Nurgle's taint and are considered outcasts by their brothers which, combined with the effects of Nurgle's Bessings and their role as void fighters, have prevented them from caring properly for their armour. Bleached paintwork might benefit you best here, which will allow you to properly weather these guys to hell and back.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Dragonkin Arenis

[Flint13]

What if instead of staying dark with the paint, go in the opposite direct and make them a lighter shade than your normal rank and file? It would serve a two-fold purpose of making the weathering easier to see and give them that "bloated corpse laid out in the sun for weeks" sun bleached look.

 

As for the trim, I'll second BCK. It's *way* too bright right now. The oxide looks pretty good as corrosion in the little pits, but I think the brass is so bright, it washes it out a bit. If you darkened the trim down (say a base of tin bitz) and just barely highlighted with runelord at the top edges and near the corrosion "pits" themselves, I think the oxide would show up far better and would give you a good corroded/rusty look. If you don't mind me posting a little pic...

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/542/tyzo.jpg

 

If you look close to the corrosion, the "bare" pipe is actually pretty bright, while farther away, the copper has darkened down quite considerably. Bronze reacts pretty much the same, since it is just an alloy of copper and tin. I think that look would be near perfect for the plaguies ^_^

[El-Diablo]

Got to agree with whats been said already, that brass needs to be darker for any weathering on it to work. If your working with Runelord Brass i'd probably go with a wash of Agrax or Devlan Mud followed by another layer in the recesses and around details to get a really deep colour before highlighting with Runelord, that way any oxidisation using Nihilakh Oxide will stand out nicely. One thing to be aware of is that Nihilakh dries darker than it looks wet so don't worry about the brightness. Applying it directly to the recesses and rivets will halp too, saves having to go back with another layer of Runelord to smooth it out.

 

Thinking about the overall scheme though, i'd probably stick with your 'standard' scheme, but weather choice areas, such as the weapons, armour trim and any cloth, that way the main armour colour stays the same throughout. That plus the modelling should cover all the bases nicely.

[KrautScientist]

I agree with the other guys that just calling it good enough won't cut it on these guys -- sorry mate, but you raised the bar with your work, and now you've got to jump over it with the rest of us ;)

 

Seriously, though, a bit of constructive criticism, if I may: I'd go with your usual paint recipe, in order to tie them together with the rest of your force. A very simple way to make the decay show on their very dark armour would be to mix a reddish brown - I use Bestial Brown, but any red brown will do - with a lot of water until it's only slightly heavier than a wash, than use that in the crevices between armour plates, between plates and trim etc. Use lots of it! When the water dries, the remaining paint will look like rust that has formed in the recesses, like on this mini:

 

http://eternalhunt.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/crackle-plague-marine-19.jpg

 

If you're really feeling adventurous, you can also add Nurgle's Rot seeping from the joints in the armour, the eyeslits etc. It's a really evil green, though, so use it at your own risk ;)

 

Oh, I also really love the corrosion effect posted by Flint13! Something like that would look ace as well!

 

Hope this helps!

[Brother Heinrich]

So I gave it another crack, unfortunately after I saw your post KS, so I may give that another try on this hapless test mini. I'm honestly not wowed by this current incarnation either. I think the chipping shows a little better but it steel feels off compared to the rest of my guys. 

 

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q532/mv8830/9d343716-55da-47da-bd84-e82e2d29bf24_zps19e88137.jpg

 

My biggest worry is that these guys will come off a different painted Night Lords, not 15th Company Marines who've been thrown through the ringer, and that will just make it appear like my painting skill is inconsistent and all over the place.

 

I tried a few spots of controlled Nihilakh Oxide and I'm semi-happy with the results. I may just go for the rust over everything and in all the crevices, I don't know. Seriously this project is pissing me off like nothing else. If any of you guys has a seriously helpful tutorial I could really use it right now.

 

For those of you who believe in me and think I can pull it off, go paint a mini black, make a 15:1 mix of VMA French Blue and VGC Black, airbrush the mini with that from a 45° downward angle, then give it a wash with nuln oil, after that highlight all the edges with VGC Magic blue, then try and do freaking weathering, chipping, and streaking and tell me how it turns out for you.

 

That should help you guys understand how hard this vision is to freaking pull off.

WHY CANT YOU JUST LET ME PAINT THEM GREEN.

[Tyrannicide]

I reached consensus a while ago that weathering would never be easy to pull off on dark armor. Especially dark blue. I tried on a Ultramarine test model. It was disgusting how difficult it was. 

 

My advice is to simplify things. I know you were trying to keep 'em in Midnight Clad, but it's becoming more a task than a hobby. Why not do some bat wings and terror markings over green armor? Paint chipped, oil and grime streaking from the rivets and crevices, and rusted to hell? If anyone can maintain a harmonious look with multiple colored units, it's you.

 

Call me strange, but painting them in a streaky ashen white could be amazing. Think this guy but in armor. I'm getting shivers. 

[Brother Heinrich]

hmmmm, you may be on to something Darth. Also I'm glad you can understand my difficulties. I may however in a fit of exasperation found out the solution. Screw Patina. Screw Chipping. Screw streaks of grime and faded paint. Rust is where it's at. I threw together a quick wash of VGC Beasty Brown mixed with some VGC Gory Red and applied it to the crevices of my original test model, this is what I got.

 

(mind you this was a rush job in the last 10 minutes, so the bolter is a bit of an abortion)

 

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q532/mv8830/3565_10152588048233761_1398084755_n_zps5c35b708.jpg

[Tyrannicide]

I think you are onto something. That effect will look ace across midnight plate and help with any continuity worries you were having. 

[Surreal Cruelty]

I would try shading the weathering more towards the orange side of the rust colors, this will contrast better with the blue. That might not be what you want, and throw off the color scheme, but it would show better. Confining it more towards the edges where the armor plates rub against each (and the lower part of the greaves) other might limit how much it clashes with the over all scheme.

 

All of the above advice failing (not just mine)...if these are mostly void specialists, silver/metallic battle damage might work better. Not a lot of oxidation happening in the void.

 

*Edit*

Just finished typing that out, then I saw the updates.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Surreal Cruelty

[helterskelter]

I could only suggest hunting down some of the tamiya(sp?) Weathering powders potentially. That or a mark of nurgle and so much gak coming out of the lenses theyd look like they have conjunctivitis. They look friggin ace unmolested, I can feel your pain.

[Nintura]

Go to your hobby shop and look for liquid latex.  Comes in a small bottle.  Grab a small sponge or one of those cheap grey sponge brushes.  What you do is dab the brush/sponge into the latex and brush most of it off then carefully and lightly dab it on your model.  Let this dry and paint over top of them with your normal colors.  Then when you're ready, take your thumb or the eraser of a pencil and rub off the latex revealing the older paint below, which should be a lighter color.

 

 

**  Sorry, not liquid latex, but masking fluid.

 

Here you go:  Skip to about 15 minutes to see the effect.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Nintura

[Forté]

http://striking3agle.blogspot.fr/2011/01/step-by-step-painting-chaos-space.html?m=1

 

May be worth a look over.

[Natanael]

I'd say you got it with the rust. That, and the difference in apperance will make them stand out as PMs.

[El-Diablo]

Looks about right I think, thats pretty much what I mentioned in my last PM to you, though using brighter colours. That, alongside the modelled aspects might well be what does it.

[Kronus Stormbringer]

Im busy reading ADB's Soul Hunter at the moment so all the Night Lords love the boards have at the moment is great. Some lovely paint jobs you have here!

[KrautScientist]

Well, you're welcome, I guess

[NightHunters]

Love where you are going with these brother, I know I am late to the party but I like the rusty look.

 

Maybe bare metal at the top of the armour plates where the armour has lost it's paint due to corrosion with your standard colours below....? All heavily corroded, that would be epic.

 

Not easy, but epic.

 

FTE