need help with painting pre Heresy AL :(

[Breakthrough]

Hello guys,

 

I want to start a pre Heresy Alpha Legion but I have no airbrush and i am not the guy, who is good in painting @all

 

Till now i just painted the basics, and then i just used the fanatic army painter dark shade.

 

Then i have found this "Advertising" video from Duncan about the Citadel Artificer Tint Set.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QksrFJyT5A4

 

As you can see now i have the basic blue for them :)

 

But what do ya think, can i do there my normal receipe with just shading, or is there much more work to do?

 

If yes could you please help me what i have to do, cause i dont understand Duncan really well -.-

 

Or if you have another suggestion, maybe for an easier way getting the base colour so tell me please :)

 

Greetings

[Major_Gilbear]

Hi, and welcome! :)

 

I would probably not try and tint a silver like in Duncan's video, if only because you have to buy a full set of tints just to get the one you want which is very expensive.

 

Instead, I would consider something ready-made like Scale 75's Emerald Alchemy for your initial base coat colour. After that, I would add some bright silver to it for a first highlight (maybe a 1:1 ratio mix), and apply this broadly on the upper areas of the model. Next, highlight the highest points/edges with pure bright silver. Finally, wash with a blue wash all over (you can use a Games Workshop wash, or something like Army Painter Blue Tone wash).

 

Don't forget that metallic paints are like regular paints. That means that if you want a more intense green-blue, you can mix a bright gold and a metallic blue to get the metallic blue-green colour you want. This can then be highlighted by adding silver to it as before.

 

Also, you can shade using inks rather than washes. These will need a little bit of thinning with water as they are quite strong, but a couple of coats of ink will darken/intensify a colour nicely. Inks are more transparent than washes, so they preserve the metallic shine better; however, they dry glossy instead of matte. I would suggest the Vallejo Game Colour inks are a good start, and don't forget that these can also be mixed to get different colours.

 

If you are after a much simpler and quicker method, how about this:

• Go to your local automotive store, and look through their metallic car spray paints for a green/blue that you like.
• Spray your models with the metallic car paint, and allow to dry overnight.
• Using a black wash like Nuln Oil and a small brush, carefully put a line of wash in all the recesses of the model.
• Using a bright silver, paint a thin line along the uppermost edges of the armour panels.

This method gives you different-coloured version of these models by kizzdougs, which is pretty much what you're after I think?

 

 

If you have a specific look or finish that you'd like, please post a picture and I'll see if I can help you with more specific colours. :)

[Breakthrough]

Hello Major,

 

thank you for you help and advice...

 

When you allow me to ask, i would be glad, to achieve this in an easy way:

 

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140410000142/warhammer40k/images/7/7e/AL_Vet_Tact._Legionary.jpg

 

But I odnt know how to, i am a little afraid of cans from the car, because i dont know if i have to strip them when i make bull:cuss with them when i prime them.

 

But I like the tutorial by kizzdoug it looks like i can do this maybe.

Because till now i did not highlighting or drybrushing anything else, for example...

 

Greetings

[Major_Gilbear]

The main advantages of using a spray are that 90% of the main colour is done before you pick up the brush, and that those paints are usually tougher and more reflective than most brush-on paints.

 

Your picture is a just a metallic blue scheme, which is easy enough.

 

The nice thing about metallic paints is that they look pretty good with little effort: a main colour, a line shade, and a line highlight. More subtle shading or highlights (like on the curves of the legs or shoulder pads) is provided naturally by the reflective paint, and you don't have to paint it (unless you want to).

 

If you want to paint that metallic blue as simply as possible and all with a brush, I would suggest:

• Using a metallic blue paint, basecoat all your models, and allow to dry. You may need two or three thin coats!
• Using a black wash like Nuln Oil and a small brush, carefully put a line of wash in all the recesses of the model.
• Using a bright silver, paint a thin line along the uppermost edges of the armour panels.

For a suitable Metallic blue that you can apply with a normal brush, you could look at:

 

• Vallejo Model Colour Air "Artic Blue"
• Scale 75 "Cobalt Alchemy"
• Coat D'Arms "Enchanted Blue"
• Reaper Master Series "Sparkling Blue"
• Reaper Master Series "Gunmetal Blue"

 

The first three in that list are probably the closes to the colour in the picture you posted, but the Reaper ones can be used together as a shade and highlight pair if you want.

 

Whilst using line shades and highlights takes a bit longer than drybrushing, you will get a much better effect. Plus, with a little practice, you will get faster. :)

[hushrong]

Well, I just did some AL with Tamiya TS-54 for a light blue metallic color. I copied from kizzdougs's work on ALpha Legion and it is simple and comes out nice. I have a link to his plog in my AL plog that's in my sig.

 

I used black primer and that was no fuss. When that dried out I did the tamiya paint which is also in a spray can. It gave off a nice blue that I may have some pics of on my phone still.

From there maybe you just need to do some washes and you would be set for the base color like the pictured Alpha Legionnaire.

[Major_Gilbear]

@ Hushrong:

 

That's just what I had in mind - very well done! :D

[Breakthrough]

Ok thank you guys,

 

I have to look for me what i will do, i am a little afraid of the Tamiya paint, also if i have to correct some misspainted details ;)

 

Gilbear, what exactly do ya mean because of the reaper paints?

What should i use then for base color?

 

Actually i am looking a little bit for the scale75... Cause of the black metallic for the damn cool tartaros termis in the AL Artwork...

[Major_Gilbear]

I have to look for me what i will do, i am a little afraid of the Tamiya paint, also if i have to correct some misspainted details

 

You can still use automotive sprays instead of the Tamiya sprays if you want - cheaper, and you have more colours to choose from.

 

 

Gilbear, what exactly do ya mean because of the reaper paints?

What should i use then for base color?

 

There are two metallic blue paints made by Reaper. One is darker, and one is lighter. You could use the darker one as a base colour, and the lighter one as a highlight.

 

 

Actually i am looking a little bit for the scale75... Cause of the black metallic for the damn cool tartaros termis in the AL Artwork...

 

Vallejo Model Colour Air also do a metallic black, and this can be applied with a normal brush.

 

I mention it, as Vallejo do an 8-paint set of metallic Model Colour Air paints, which comes with both the blue and the black, as well as various other more common metallic colours. :)

[hushrong]

Tamiya is legit. They are small cans and I got mine off eBay for $6 each. So there is that to consider too.

 

With one can of their purple metallic I did 2 rhinos, 2 predators, and 18 marines before I went empty. So not too, too bad. I am actually buying two more cans as we speak.

 

Best of luck with whatever route you choose!

[Kinstryfe]

Just to add about the Artificer Tints: I bought them with the intent of using them for metallic red Blood Angels. Trying it, tinting GW metallics is absolutely ridiculous due to the amounts you need. Trying to tint stormhost silver, the best I ever got was metallic pink. So, I'd be wary of the tints with metallics and stick to other options.

 

Onto other actually relevant advice, the guys above are spot on. Only thing I may add from my own experience that may help if you want to get really fancy is that I find ink washes tend to work awesomely over metallics, when they cooperate.

 

Good luck. We always need more Alpha Legion around. (Assuming that all armies aren't just Alphas in disguise).

[Xenith]

Leadbelcher -> runefang -> 2 coats drakenhoff -> 1 coat biel tan -> biel tan on upper surfaces =

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/Mechxen/Alpha%20Legion/Veteran%20Tactical%20I/2015-12-12%2018.39.15_zpsgzonkjg0.jpg

[Breakthrough]

xenith thanks man looks awesome, did you ever wrote an real tutorial?

 

@Major, do ya mean this vallejo set? http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/metallic-colors/family/17/55

 

@the rest thank you guys, i am thinking about the car paint, but actually is the vallejo thing my favourite :)

[Major_Gilbear]

That's the one, yes. :)

[Xenith]

xenith thanks man looks awesome, did you ever wrote an real tutorial?

 

 

Yup, it's in the Alpha Legion paint log in my sig.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Xenith