washing black paint

[Cpt_Reaper]

So I've been trying to expand my painting skills, and realized that I've painted myself into a corner, so to speak.

My Angels of Shadow are primarily black and silver. The issue is that when I tried edge highlights it always looked wrong due to the silver shoulder pads and shins. So I thought about a wash on the black parts, but what colour would work? I don't want to change the black too much but I need a wash or something so it doesn't look so flat.

 

Also I am aware that I may or may not be getting wash and shade mixed up.

 

[foamy248]

Wash and shade are pretty much the same thing in the Citadel line, so don't worry about that (I'm assuming you use GW paints - if not, there are usually alternatives). What black have you used? If it's a really dark black (as in Abaddon Black from GW) it'll be pretty hard to wash. If it is really dark, give Nuln Oil or Druchii Violet (the purple one) a try. A different way to do it would be to paint the models a charcoal colour (dark grey), and then heavily use a black wash). 

 

You could also make the blacks less 'flat' by highlighting them? Are you doing this currently? Dry brushing works too. 

 

Hope that helps! 

[Cpt_Reaper]

I've tried highlights and drybrushing, but the large areas of silver on the models make highlights look off. I can't find any colour to edge highlight that doesn't look back next to the silver.

[foamy248]

I've tried highlights and drybrushing, but the large areas of silver on the models make highlights look off. I can't find any colour to edge highlight that doesn't look back next to the silver.

Hmm... can you post a picture? That'd help. You could always tone back your silver?

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

You're going to have to consider blue highlights on the black, or doing NMM style blending of the black into grey or blue. Grey or white highlights aren't going to "look right" alongside silver, that's just the way nature is.

[foamy248]

....unless you keep a lot of contrast maybe? Like darkish highlights, and bright silver?

[Cpt_Reaper]

Sadly the model I was using to test highlights is being stripped. Would a un-highlighted model do to see what can be done?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Back when I was still into 40k, I started on an Angels of Vengeance army and wanted the black armor to be on the cool side of the spectrum, so I did the edge highlights with a mix of blue and grey.

 

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x5/Kageboshi/AoV_Paint_Test_Wip1a_zps86962086.jpg

[apologist]

The important thing here is tone – try to ignore the hue of the colour and think just in terms of lightness and darkness. You write 'The issue is that when I tried edge highlights it always looked wrong due to the silver shoulder pads and shins.' I suspect that your edge highlights may be too light, making them too close in tone to the silver. 

 

When highlighting black, you don't need to go to white for highlights – BCK's lovely example above shows how he's used a midtone blue-grey to highlight. It's different enough in tone to draw the eye, but not so different that it clashes with the white tactical markings (equivalent to your silver).

 

You can use neutral (i.e. a colour that doesn't lean to blue, red or yellow) hues to highlight black, but you end up with something dead-looking. As Tyberos the Red Wake suggests, blue-greys are a good approach, as with this example below, which uses a mix of Fenris Grey and Charadon Granite.

 

If this is the case (and do feel free to tell me if I'm making too many assumptions), then you might find using GW's Shade range of paints to give the black a wash will mute and soften your highlights, so you're right in your plan. Nuln Oil should work nicely; but you could use watered-down Abaddon Black as you're looking to mute things on the surface.

 

+++

 

To explain a little further: 

 

I wrote a blogpost about painting Iron Hands – being black and silver, the principles are related to your question here.

 

In terms of the painting terms, this blogpost might help explain. In case that's a bit long, a few short definitions:

• Wash (painting technique) – A wash should flow away from raised areas and into recesses – be careful not to let it pool too much, or you'll end up with backruns and odd textural effects. Washes should flow readily on your palette, and once dried, should create the impression of a gradient on your model; from the unaffected underlying hue in the raised areas to deeply shaded areas in the recesses. You typically apply just one or two washes to create the effect.
• Shade (term) – a tone that is darker than the local colour: e.g. the dark part of a fold in yellow cloth will be a darker shade than the yellow local colour. A tone that is lighter is called a 'tint' – we use shades to add shadow, tints to add highlights. 

These are different to GW's ranges of paints that were designed to make washes (the technique) easy. In both ranges, the carrier medium encourages the paint to gather in recesses. They're very similar; it's mainly a chance in names and (presumably) formulations, but both work in similar ways.

• Wash (product) – GW's old range. e.g. Badab Black, Devlan Mud
• Shade (product) – GW's current range. e.g. Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade

[Venerable Jazzman]

I use a very pale blue wash (Model Color 70906 Pale Blue) for highlights, then a watered down Tamiya Smoke as a glazey wash for the black.

 

http://thumbnails101.imagebam.com/54514/cefa2f545133145.jpg

[Otto von Bludd]

This may be considered the easy way out, but in order to give my black armors some texture I always heavily drybrush them with leadbelcher and then wash with nuln oil.  It gives them a weathered, natural look and highlights the edges in a way that I think looks more natural than actual edge highlighting.  It also saves me a ton of time. 

[Cpt_Reaper]

I'll spend the weekend testing out each technique you lot have listed and report back.

 

Finally a use for the dark vengeance tactical squad

[Xenith]

I'll spend the weekend testing out each technique you lot have listed and report back.

 

 

I'd be keen to see the results, please!

[garetheves]

Never done it myself but I did hear about a technique for edge highlighting black using a pencil, just make sure its sharp and run the side along the edge. Would need to seal it obviously to stop it rubbing away but that could be worth a try.

Personally, im useless at edge highlighting, so on my Ravenwing I use a dry brush of a grey (think I use Mechanicus standard grey) and if it looks a bit much can tone it down with Nuln oil.

[sockwithaticket]

Maybe I'm just not skim reading properly but it doesn't look like anyone's mentioned the paint dark grey and give it a heavy black wash option. Not familiar with GWs greys, but something like Vallejo Model Colour German Grey or Black Grey would work.

[foamy248]

Maybe I'm just not skim reading properly but it doesn't look like anyone's mentioned the paint dark grey and give it a heavy black wash option.

A different way to do it would be to paint the models a charcoal colour (dark grey), and then heavily use a black wash).

 

 

[OakRiver]

What if you used Eshin Grey as the main color for the black armor? That way you can still shade down and highlight up.

[sockwithaticket]

 

Maybe I'm just not skim reading properly but it doesn't look like anyone's mentioned the paint dark grey and give it a heavy black wash option.

A different way to do it would be to paint the models a charcoal colour (dark grey), and then heavily use a black wash).

 

 

Occam's Razor then; I can't skim read properly while trying to hide the fact I'm on B&C at work.

[Laughingman]

I've used vallejo german grey and then darkened it down with watered down vallejo black ink (4 to 1). It worked reasonably well. I just need to improve my edge highlighting game, I'm debating trying out watercolor pencils, they seem promising solution for the lazy.

[Magos Takatus]

I've found Corvus Black from Forge World is a nice colour to use. It's not as dark as Abbadon Black so it can be shaded and is a bit closer to Eshin/Mechanicus Standard grey for a highlight. It is intended as an airbrush paint but since it's black it covers pretty well with brush painting. It could be an alternative look and would be slightly warmer looking than blue-grey highlights.

[Lemainus]

When I do black,

 

I prime flat gray

 

drybrush gunmetal metallic

 

drybrush again on raised surfaces with mithril silver

 

and then wash the whole thing with india ink to drag it all back down.

 

Keeps the edges highlighted and shades everything else. India ink is super dark, and a little goes *a long way*. That being said, It is not perfect, and not as detailed as some of the other examples of how to do it in the thread. But you know what? It's friggin fast.