Getting to Bone White

[ElectricPaladin]

I'm having trouble with my new bone-colored army. I was planning to start with Zandri Dust basecoat, an Angrax Earthshade wash for the crevasses, drybrush again with Zandri Dust to get rid of the dirty brown look leftover by the earthshade wash, then do a zenithal drybrush of Ushabti Bone to get some contrast, then do white edge highlights. The trouble is that 1) the white edge highlighting is still too abrupt a transition and 2) the models still look "dirty." I've managed to get my four test models looking okay enough that I don't feel a need to strip them and start again, but I want the rest of the army to look better.

 

Any advice on building up to a bone off-white? I feel like I'm getting close and maybe there's just a missing step between the second drybrush and the highlighting...

 

Thanks.

[Firepower]

Well, it's drastically different from your formula, and more time consuming than anything like drybrushing, but I still use the traditional build up from a black base coat over lightening shades of brown.  Black to Bubonic Brown (discontinued, but VMC Mahogany is a close match), Steel Legion Drab, Karak Stone and finally VGC Bonewhite (identical to my precious old Bleached Bone).  You can look at just about any shoulders on my Templars to see the result.

 

The lighter shades of brown have rather notoriously poor coverage, so I don't know how well they'd do in drybrushing in general.  That 'dirty' look may be splotchy dry brush coverage due to that problem, but I don't know off hand what you mean by 'dirty.'

 

White to bone is indeed an abrupt change, but hitting pure white is abrupt for just about everything other than a light shade of neutral gray.  You may want to consider a very slightly off white, like 1:1 bone:pure white.  It will effectively look the same to the naked eye, but without the jarring transition from a warm to neutral color.

[ElectricPaladin]

Well, it's drastically different from your formula, and more time consuming than anything like drybrushing, but I still use the traditional build up from a black base coat over lightening shades of brown.  Black to Bubonic Brown (discontinued, but VMC Mahogany is a close match), Steel Legion Drab, Karak Stone and finally VGC Bonewhite (identical to my precious old Bleached Bone).  You can look at just about any shoulders on my Templars to see the result.

 

The lighter shades of brown have rather notoriously poor coverage, so I don't know how well they'd do in drybrushing in general.  That 'dirty' look may be splotchy dry brush coverage due to that problem, but I don't know off hand what you mean by 'dirty.'

 

White to bone is indeed an abrupt change, but hitting pure white is abrupt for just about everything other than a light shade of neutral gray.  You may want to consider a very slightly off white, like 1:1 bone:pure white.  It will effectively look the same to the naked eye, but without the jarring transition from a warm to neutral color.

 

I'll try anything once, and this is definitely a new color for me. So I'll try that. To recap:

• Prime black
• Basecoat brown (looks like Bubonic Brown is now Zamesi Desert)
• Steel Legion Drab
• Karak Stone
• Bleached Bone (now Ushabti Bone).
• Either leave it at that (I can see how Bleached Bone might be a good edge highlight, actually) or edge highlight with a mix of Ushabti Bone and white.

My one question is this: it looks to me like Steel Legion Drab is actually darker than Zamesi Desert... can you explain how that makes sense? It's probably my own ignorance showing, but I'd like to understand.

[Firepower]

I haven't the slightest clue what Zamesi Desert is :lol:

 

I've only associated my self with the latest GW paint range on a need-to-know basis.  I still have enough of the old stuff to get by with my traditional formulas, barring the few replacements like Drab and Karak.  Bubonic brown is a deep brownish-orange color, noticeably darker than Drab.  However its only purpose for the sake of painting bone is to serve as a step up from black into the lighter colors.  Drab's coverage is crap enough without slapping it straight on to a black base :P

 

Ushtabi and Bleached Bone are not identical.  There's a very noticeable difference, actually.  Ushtabi is just the closest thing they have now, or at least its intended replacement.

 

Anyway, that is the correct order of paints.  Make sure to deal in thin coats rather than going for an opaque color in a single coat, or you'll end up with an ugly, chunky mess.  This is where it becomes so time consuming, especially once you hit the bone stage.

 

I'm not sure what type of surface you're painting, but when I am going for a bone color on something that isn't armor, say an aquila or skull, I actually use Drab as the last solid base coat, then paint on Karak leaving the recesses dark, and highlight with Bone.  But if you're going for bone armor like I do with my Templar shoulders, bone will be the final basecoat (leaving Karak or Drab or Brown in the recesses, depending on preference).

[Bryan Blaire]

Screaming Skull is the color that is pretty much already 1:1 Ushtabi Bone:White Scar. You can mix your own or just buy a pot.

 

Not that you actually asked, but here's how I do the bone on most of my stuff (one of the better displays of it is on my Extinction Angel a few posts up the thread from this quote):

[T]here's actually two different bone styles I use:

For larger areas or where I want to have deep "fake shadows":

1) Base coat with Mournfang Brown

2) Shade recesses plus about 10-15% extra area with Agrax Earthshade

3) Using my "thorn" concept, I go back into almost the entire area except the recesses with Mournfang Brown (I'm sure there's some name for my "thorn" striping idea, I just don't know what to call it, if someone knows a name, please tell me)

4) "Thorn" blend in with Zandri Dust, leaving some of the Mournfang a Brown exposed

5) Repeat step 4 with Ushtabi Bone, leaving some of the Zandri Dust exposed

6) Repeat step 4 with Screaming Skull , leaving some of the Ushtabi Bone uncovered

7) Line/edge highlight sparingly where appropriate with a 1:1 Screaming Skull:White Scar

 

For smaller areas or where I don't need quite as much depth/I'm being lazy:

1) Base coat with Zandri Dust

2) Shade recesses with Agrax Earthshade, let dry

3) Shade entire area with Agrax Earthshade (this should make the recesses very dark and give you a darker tone across the entire area)

4) "Thorn" blend Zandri Dust into everything but the recesses

Steps 5-7 as above

 

Using the old GW paints, I would use Bestial Brown instead of Mournfang Brown, Zandri Dust "equivalent" can be made with 1:1 Bestial Brown:Bleached Bone or 1:2 Bestial:Bleached Bone (I would actually use both layers), Bleached Bone instead of Ushtabi Bone, and 2:1 Bleached Bone:Skull White for Screaming Skull, and 1:1 or 1:2 Bleached Bone:Skull White for the final line highlighting.

You could definitely work to pure white/White Scar from the 1:1 Screaming Skull:White Scar layer and that shouldn't look abrupt, but it is quite a few steps to get there.

 

If you come up with one you like, please share! I'm always interested in getting new bone recipes, I use it on so much stuff, it is nice having different ways of painting it on different units, etc.

[Warsmith Uveron]

How I Paint Bone. 

 

Spray Grey, 

 

Paint Brown (Steel Legion Drab) , Then Ushtabi Bone, then Drybrush with some White.. then wash with Earthshade. 

 

Simple 3 stage approach. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Personally, I do Rakarth Flesh, shaded with a thinned-down Agrax Earthshade, then layered first with Pallid Wych Flesh and then just a tiny bit of White Scar on the very lightest edges. Comes out like this:

The chips and scratches are Rhinox hide, but it looked alright before those as well.

[ElectricPaladin]

Okay, so… who thinks that their bone recipe would look the best with red shoulder pads?

[Firepower]

As in the marine is all bone except for his red shoulders?

 

Depends on the shade of red.  At any rate I think you'd be better off figuring which is best on your own sense of taste.  Personally I think BB gets the best results out of all the recipes, but it's also harder and more time consuming.  I quite like Jeff's results and the recipe sounds rather simple and quick-ish.

 

I'd try them all out on some test models.  See which one you find the easiest to paint and which one gets you the best result.  And tinker a bit yourself, too.  You've got some good templates to work off of here.

[ElectricPaladin]

Let me answer your question with some pictures:

 

Here's the color scheme for ordinary dudes:

 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/e28dde6bda058e5febd8e294d5f28213/tumblr_inline_nzy6zb6b4s1rwlbxw_400.jpg

 

And for veterans:

 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/9a10a987905bd0d5789899e3ad3ec1a0/tumblr_nzycxi7BRk1rgb5qno1_400.jpg

 

And a sponson I'm working on (obviously I'll have to redo the basecoat on the bone section):

 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/82b98c5424f1ddda0c9904a7813d8b91/tumblr_o035illQdX1rgb5qno1_1280.jpg

[Firepower]

Well just looking at the sponson, the most obvious problem is the lack of shading.  Highlights are important, but a bit of darker brown around the rivets and the recesses will a long way, once you give it another go of course.  Just something to keep in mind.

[ElectricPaladin]

Well just looking at the sponson, the most obvious problem is the lack of shading. Highlights are important, but a bit of darker brown around the rivets and the recesses will a long way, once you give it another go of course. Just something to keep in mind.

Yeah - the sponson's not done yet. I'm glad I didn't get any further before coming to you guys!

[Guiltysparc]

Okay, so… who thinks that their bone recipe would look the best with red shoulder pads?

In my KDK army i use bone colors a lot...i found it to be one of the hardest things to get the way i wanted, but after i had finished most of my army (lol) i think i've settled on a paint stack that i like.

 

Black primer -> Zandri Dust -> Seraphim Sepia -> Zandri Dust -> Ushabi Bone -> Screaming Skull 

 

The coverage area of Ushabi and Screaming Skull i use determines if i want it more white or more brown.  The below picture has both applications.  The skull on the back pack has a large Ushabi/SS coverage while the big face on the bike and his shoulder icon has it only as a line highlight, more or less.

 

 

 

 

[ElectricPaladin]

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

[Firepower]

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

 

Paint using a rose.  Very classy.

[Bryan Blaire]

 

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

 

Paint using a rose. Very classy.

LOL

 

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

I'm not terribly sure how to describe it. It's basically just standard layering, but using a 00 brush where you just barely touch the tip where you want to start blending from, and pull out lightly, so that you leave a sharp tip at the "top" of the blend area and pulling out farther and fatter at the bottom. It makes a "thorn". I do that numerous times so that the tips are very close together and the bases overlap so I get really good coverage. It's the reverse of a very simple line shading you would do on paper, but instead of building shadows, you're building highlights.

 

I'm sure there is a real name for this, but I haven't found it. It's not cross-hatch, because you aren't crossing anything.

Edit: the closest name I can come up with is just "hatching" shading, where all your pencil strokes go in the same direction and you build more of them up to make darker shadows. In this instance, you are simply adding brighter colors, rather than developing shadows, so it's almost like a "hatch highlighting" with color...

 

You should be able to still see some of the "thorn" tips in the images where I used the technique to give you a better idea. Really wish I had a better explanation for you.

[Teetengee]

Sounds like you may have solved your problem, but I wanted to point out that to me JeffTibbetts's recipe looks more like marble than bone, but also that I think marble (mausoleum) would work well for the project you are working on.

Additionally, when I do bone I often start with (rhinox hide or dryad bark, optional), rakarth flesh, ushtabi bone, agrax earthshade, and then a drybrush of ushtabi or lighter if I feel like highlighting that day. 

[ElectricPaladin]

 

 

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

Paint using a rose. Very classy.

LOL

 

By wife likes BB's bone color the best, so that's what I'm going to try first… BB, can you say more about "thorn" blending?

I'm not terribly sure how to describe it. It's basically just standard layering, but using a 00 brush where you just barely touch the tip where you want to start blending from, and pull out lightly, so that you leave a sharp tip at the "top" of the blend area and pulling out farther and fatter at the bottom. It makes a "thorn". I do that numerous times so that the tips are very close together and the bases overlap so I get really good coverage. It's the reverse of a very simple line shading you would do on paper, but instead of building shadows, you're building highlights.

 

I'm sure there is a real name for this, but I haven't found it. It's not cross-hatch, because you aren't crossing anything.

Edit: the closest name I can come up with is just "hatching" shading, where all your pencil strokes go in the same direction and you build more of them up to make darker shadows. In this instance, you are simply adding brighter colors, rather than developing shadows, so it's almost like a "hatch highlighting" with color...

 

You should be able to still see some of the "thorn" tips in the images where I used the technique to give you a better idea. Really wish I had a better explanation for you.

 

It almost sounds like extremely precise drybrushing... anyway, I'll mess around and see what I can do.

[JeffTibbetts]

Sounds like you may have solved your problem, but I wanted to point out that to me JeffTibbetts's recipe looks more like marble than bone, but also that I think marble (mausoleum) would work well for the project you are working on.

 

Additionally, when I do bone I often start with (rhinox hide or dryad bark, optional), rakarth flesh, ushtabi bone, agrax earthshade, and then a drybrush of ushtabi or lighter if I feel like highlighting that day. 

 

Yeah, I didn't intend for it to be so bone-colored in the first place. It's supposed to look more like very pale flesh. I used the exact same recipe for the skin tone you see in that pic, just varied how much of the Pallid Wych Flesh I used and was a lot more careful about blending, plus some very subtle red and blue glazes. They're Raven Guard successors, and the arms are supposed to be painted in the same pale skin tone as the veteran's actual skin, hence the marble-like colors. I wonder if they'd look cool with marble veins... Hmmmm...

[ElectricPaladin]

 

Sounds like you may have solved your problem, but I wanted to point out that to me JeffTibbetts's recipe looks more like marble than bone, but also that I think marble (mausoleum) would work well for the project you are working on.

 

Additionally, when I do bone I often start with (rhinox hide or dryad bark, optional), rakarth flesh, ushtabi bone, agrax earthshade, and then a drybrush of ushtabi or lighter if I feel like highlighting that day. 

 

Yeah, I didn't intend for it to be so bone-colored in the first place. It's supposed to look more like very pale flesh. I used the exact same recipe for the skin tone you see in that pic, just varied how much of the Pallid Wych Flesh I used and was a lot more careful about blending, plus some very subtle red and blue glazes. They're Raven Guard successors, and the arms are supposed to be painted in the same pale skin tone as the veteran's actual skin, hence the marble-like colors. I wonder if they'd look cool with marble veins... Hmmmm...

 

They would look totally awesome with marble veins. Especially if you could manage to make them just a little bit shaded towards a color that compliments the green of the body... like a dark blue.

[JeffTibbetts]

Maybe I'll save that for vehicles. That would look awesome on a Ven Dread.

[Bryan Blaire]

It almost sounds like extremely precise drybrushing... anyway, I'll mess around and see what I can do.

Well, I don't consider it like dry brushing because my brush is usually pretty loaded with paint so that I can rapidly brush to get the color blended into itself. I use pretty rapid short strokes when using that technique.

[ElectricPaladin]

Check it out:

 

http://41.media.tumblr.com/a6f13d0c31d46127ddc4086ac4cedc94/tumblr_o0ebgfl9y51rgb5qno1_1280.jpg

 

I used BB's recipe, more or less, though I didn't follow his techniques exactly. In particular, I used the Zandri Dust as more of a layer, covering everything but the deepest shadows, and I couldn't figure out how to "thorn blend," so I just used the Ushabti Bone and the Screaming Skull as drybrush layers, using pressure and brush load to make sure that I got a different degree of coverage with each one. And, finally, I I just used Pallid Wych Flesh as an edge highlight, because it looked to me like if I mixed Screaming Skull with any white, what I'd get would be pretty much Pallid Wych Flesh anyway.

 

I'm pretty pleased with the result, though I think that the color blocking and technique will improve as I make more models.

 

Of course, this is a terrible picture. It looks a lot better in person.

[Bryan Blaire]

Looks pretty nice, wish I could explain what I do better, it is basically just thin layers painted a specific way. I'll have to see if I can get pictures of how I do it one of these days. I'd really like to see some other pictures if you can get them. Are you using more than one light to help eliminate shadows?

 

One thing I still see are some mold lines, the dreaded anathema of all modelers.

 

Looking forward to seeing this Chapter progress! Do they have a name?

[Firepower]

Aside from the mold lines and un-drilled barrel (test model, forgivable sins) I'd try thinning your paints a bit more.  Maybe try a wet palette or a flo-aid water mix?  Gotta take your time with lighter colors.