Painting Deathwatch Ideas.

[Prot]

So I thought I should ask this here, because I'm not sure how I'm going to approach my Vow for the challenge and thought I would see what the general thoughts are on two different approaches I like to painting....

Normally I do a lot of my base colours in an army with an Airbrush. While I'm comfortable airbrushing Black paint, what I'm not so sure about is airbrushing shading onto a Black Army, and just perhaps going straight to a few levels of edge highlighting.

A billion years ago I painted black like this on my Black Templars:

Then I started airbrushing more and used transitions more than highlights:

So something like above VS. something like this:

So do you think airbrushing Black 'tones' or greys onto black works? Or should I stick with just line highlights like this kind of old stuff I did?

[Aspecti]

I've been thinking about airbrushing the models with three shades of grey, not fifty, and then washing the entire model with nuln oil

[Prot]

I don't know... I haven't seen any great examples of this yet but I might do a mix of both. I am trying to find examples though.

[Thunder_god]

I can't get a good picture of my librarian, but I've hit on a base coat of black, an airbrushed highlight of Tamiya German gray, then a glaze of 50/50 Nuln Oil & Lahmian Medium. I'm going to do a line highlight of Fenrisian grey to finish.

 

This will work for me.

[CrimsonReign]

Currently going black, mixing in some dark grey on the panels

 

Edges are dark grey mixing in some blue-grey to highlight

[Father Mehman]

I'm doing their armour like my Iron Hands but with a twist. I usually use Mechanicus Standard Grey and then wash the armour in Nuln Oil until satisfied with its inky blackness but another frater (I forget who) mentioned basecoating with Stormvermin Fur and then washing the armour twice - but maybe three time - with Nuln Oil to achieve the same results. It will give the model natural highlights from the grey paint, too.

 

Sorry I have no pictures to show but it does work well.

[Thunder_god]

I'm doing their armour like my Iron Hands but with a twist. I usually use Mechanicus Standard Grey and then wash the armour in Nuln Oil until satisfied with its inky blackness but another frater (I forget who) mentioned basecoating with Stormvermin Fur and then washing the armour twice - but maybe three time - with Nuln Oil to achieve the same results. It will give the model natural highlights from the grey paint, too.

 

Sorry I have no pictures to show but it does work well.

That's an idea. I found that washing Nuln oil over the airbrushed gray highlights on my librarian worked quite well to bring everything together.

[MithrilForge]

I'm doing my deathwatch exactly like Duncan Rhodes does em, very simple yet very effective... eshin grey highlight followed by a small fenrisian grey spot highlight.

i like your old school stuff Prot and your new stuff... but blues,reds,yellows and greens tend to work well with the airbrush transitions..i always think black is sharper and more readily defined with line highlights...the grey's could perhaps cause more work than needed...

my 2cents... but seriously either way,with your level of skill will undoubtedly work

cheers Mithril

[leth]

I am thinking of switching Over to the deathwatch painting guide version, however I hate the thought of all that edge highlighting and will most likely contue to use the zenithal highlights technique( great tutorial on dakka) fr doing my black power armor base coats before null wash and then picking out all the details.

 

http://s129.photobucket.com/user/eletharion/library/Warhammer%2040k/Deathwatch/

 

You can see an example of it here. These are very old and I have gotten much better. Just can't seem to find the more recent pictures

[Prot]

I'm doing my deathwatch exactly like Duncan Rhodes does em, very simple yet very effective... eshin grey highlight followed by a small fenrisian grey spot highlight.

i like your old school stuff Prot and your new stuff... but blues,reds,yellows and greens tend to work well with the airbrush transitions..i always think black is sharper and more readily defined with line highlights...the grey's could perhaps cause more work than needed...

my 2cents... but seriously either way,with your level of skill will undoubtedly work

cheers Mithril

There's nothing wrong with that. In fact on a table top I think it'll look fantastic. I might just end up doing the same.

I am thinking of switching Over to the deathwatch painting guide version, however I hate the thought of all that edge highlighting and will most likely contue to use the zenithal highlights technique( great tutorial on dakka) fr doing my black power armor base coats before null wash and then picking out all the details.

http://s129.photobucket.com/user/eletharion/library/Warhammer%2040k/Deathwatch/

You can see an example of it here. These are very old and I have gotten much better. Just can't seem to find the more recent pictures

I can kind of see what you're talking about but to be honest it looks more like a different tone of grey, than a highlight, but the pictures are hard to tell. It really is too bad you don't have more recent work.

I may just end up going with my original scheme of my old Black Templars I posted. I just am not seeing anything out in the internet on an airbrushed / black army that just screams to me. I even saw a 'pro painted' black marine army that featured mostly airbrushed grey highlihghts, with some hard edged highlights, and it juts looked a little unrealistic, and almost 'blurry' to me rather than black armour. I don't know maybe I'm being too picky. ;)

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

I agree that a heavily airbrushed black armor looks over the top (at least in my opinion). I understand lighting and how it plays and reflects off of surfaces, but the tried and true classic edge highlighting that allows the natural light to highlight the model is still my favorite look.

 

Like mithrilforge, I am relying on the WHTV video and the painting guide I just bought to tackle my army.

 

End of Line

[Prot]

Okay, this is my mostly airbrushed Ultramarine army (I am not in the video. I sold the army to this studio for their batreps).

 

You don't have to watch it, but if you click through the video there are lots of close ups. Now to me this type if airbrushing does work okay for giving a look to the army without killing the base colour

 

Now I can't see using that 'style' of painting on the Deathwatch. Do you agree? Or have you seen it pulled off? I'd prefer to use the airbrush, but aside from 'lighting' effects I am starting to lean the other way.  I don't think I over did the airbrushing with the Ultra's but the colour seemed more suitable for it???

[MithrilForge]

Entertaining battle and a very nicely painted army the blue def works with airbrush transitions but as stated earlier...black deserves highlights

Whenever i watch a batrep it makes me want to go play or paint...i loved the crashed scout speeder terrain piece....that makes me want to go finish off some terrain

(NO! ...go do your deathwatch!)....

Can't wait to see your DeathWatch army Prot !!!

Mithril

[Vel'Cona]

Can't wait to see your DeathWatch army Prot !!!

Agreed! You know no matter what he picks it's gonna be sweet.

[leth]

http://m.imgur.com/a/6uj9E

 

Found my most recent squad for the airbrushed highlights. Shoulder pads are on the other arm because the non flipped pads look weird. So I am going to have actual deathwatch with the silver left arm and my SM army with the right arm.

[Prot]

Can't wait to see your DeathWatch army Prot !!!

Agreed! You know no matter what he picks it's gonna be sweet.

That's very generous of you guys. But we'll see. I plan to start in on the first batch today after prepping for the Deathwatch Vow.

http://m.imgur.com/a/6uj9E

Found my most recent squad for the airbrushed highlights. Shoulder pads are on the other arm because the non flipped pads look weird. So I am going to have actual deathwatch with the silver left arm and my SM army with the right arm.

Very, very nice. It does show me that the airbrush has to be very fine, and selective or it can look like grey models if we're not careful. I'm still probably going to dabble in those style of highlights but I really want to maintain a -slick-black- look.

Often when I paint I honestly don't know my process til it's nearly done.

BTW I love your use of the bitz, you've inspired me to do some digging for my next batch. ;)

[leth]

Thanks for the compliment! I have been working on my deathwatch for about 5 or 6 years now, collecting parts, shoulder pads etc. It's been much easier recently with all the kits coming out, really happy I can finally make the army I always wanted to make. Gonna have a dedicated deathwatch detachment and then my regular marine army is gonna be themed the same way as well

[hivey]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

[leth]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

Only bad it would be is bad-ass

[sockwithaticket]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

Depends on whether or not you find heresy acceptable really ; p

[Vash]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

If I see you, I'll make sure to purge you ;)

[Prot]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

 

Hehe, I love that idea. Is it heresy? That's probably a larger topic, but I would suggest the Xenophase Blade is of... suspicious origin as well!

 

I'm still working on a bit of airbrush process and some edge highlighting as well. I finally got into it this weekend but it's going far slower than I hoped. :)

[sockwithaticket]

Would it be bad to give a vet sarge a necron shield in place of a storm shield, to go along with the xenophase sword?

Hehe, I love that idea. Is it heresy? That's probably a larger topic, but I would suggest the Xenophase Blade is of... suspicious origin as well!

I'm still working on a bit of airbrush process and some edge highlighting as well. I finally got into it this weekend but it's going far slower than I hoped.

My lot would purge you for using either. If you can't kill it with regular Astartes wepaons (+ the Frag Cannon), then you're simply not trying hard enough, marine!

Be interested to see what you come upt with, Prot. I've seen stunning examples of airbrushed black/grey and rubbish ones. Ditto edge highlights. With mine (as some may have seen I the Hall of Honour or the Show us your Blackshields thread) I went for very dark grey edge highlights. I like my marines to have a hyper clean look and I feel edge highlights portray this better than transitions.