Painting more realistic headlights.

[Chaptermaster Graymantle]

I'm kinda tired of just painting the "headlights" on my Vehicles and Apothecaries yellow followed up by a coating of Ardcoat to give it a little shine.

It just doesn't give me the, well, lets say realistic feel I would like for the Vehicles, so I was wondering if people could share other ways to paint lights in a more "realistic" way, whether the headlights are supposed to be on or off.

 

Thanks!

[RADU LYKAN]

try removing the plastic and adding a few l.e.d.'s, maybe not practical but would look cool

[Beornling 3.1415]

Go WWII and GS covers over them. you know like the classic warmovies did with all the jeeps.

[Chaptermaster Graymantle]

try removing the plastic and adding a few l.e.d.'s, maybe not practical but would look cool

I've actually been thinking about doing this and I have a tutorial on it from the B&C lying about somewhere, but for now I will have to stick to painting.

Good idea though, which I intend to eventually follow through on.

 

 

Go WWII and GS covers over them. you know like the classic warmovies did with all the jeeps.

Ahhh, now there's a good idea for Extra Armour to. :D

 

I'm still interested in painting techniques though, so if people have something to share. - Images or recipes or other ideas I would love to hear about them.

 

Thanks!

[rat of vengence]

I tend to paint the headlight lense area white with silver highlights, then glosscoat. It does come out more realistic.

 

RoV

[BLZBOB]

I have tried yellow with white highlights which comes out OK and also plain silver and strangley silver with yellow ink over it. Even tried some as off with a dark grey/black colour.

[Legacy40k]

Painting the light onto the hull helps, makes it look like they actually emit light. There is an article in a WD from a while back on it.

 

 

-Legacy40k

[Chaptermaster Graymantle]

I tend to paint the headlight lense area white with silver highlights, then glosscoat. It does come out more realistic.

 

RoV

Hm... I think I might try this one.

I have a Vindicator standing about without headlights, think I will test this on it.

 

 

I have tried yellow with white highlights which comes out OK and also plain silver and strangley silver with yellow ink over it. Even tried some as off with a dark grey/black colour.

I've also tried Yellow with white highlights, but I usually find that it dosnt quite give the result I would like.

Silver with yellow ink over it? - Wouldnt that turn out kinda goldish?

 

 

Painting the light onto the hull helps, makes it look like they actually emit light. There is an article in a WD from a while back on it.

 

-Legacy40k

Indeed. Source lighting usually looks great on models where it's done properly, but I dont think I want to do that to my models though.

 

Thanks for all the advice so far! :blink:

[Angelos]

Heres what I do, I use green for my head lights:

 

1. Basecoat with DA green

2. filling 3/4 of headlight rounded with DA green with tiny bit o' Scorpian Green added, thna add little bits more till u get to the end of the circle on the gradient

3. Add 2 reflection spots on the darkest parts of the gradient, make them look sot of like curved squares going with the circles curve,

 

Voila!

[stjohn70]

You can try something I've used for lights for a long time...

 

Paint it a bright silver color (mithril silver or so).

Paint over with Tamiya Clear Yellow.

Add relective white dots.

 

Done.

[mortiferum]

I've only ever painted 'headlights' in consectutively lighter shades of blue upto an 'almost' white - then again I've only painted two vehicles in total (land riader and rhino)...

 

Its my opinion that you could do the same thing using green or red or any colour for that matter - depending on the colour of the rest of the model?

 

heres a piccy if your interested in the end result / effect

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d112/r555ung/Daemonhunters/DSC00690.jpg

 

 

Morty