Alternate ways of painting/highlighting black?

[Defenestratus]

So I've had 5 eye surgeries in the past 3 years. This has led to some issues with night vision, and color differentiation. Usually when I'm painting its not a big deal - but when I paint black, it really begins to become a problem. The problem is that I cannot control my eyes well enough to pick out edges with a brush. If I try to focus on an edge on black - my eyes immediately lose focus kind of like if I were looking at one of those crazy "3d" pictures and I lose depth perception. As you might imagine, this doesn't help with brush control :)

Understandably, I've stayed away from black in my schemes. This becomes a problem now because I've decided to make a large Death Company contingent for my blood angels, including two stormravens, 2 dreads and 20 DC models.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I'd love to try some outside of the box ideas.

Thanks!

[SotonShades]

Simple solution is to not start from black, but work your way back to it!

Start with your highlight colour as a base coat, or maybe something a little darker and then highlight the edges, then paint darker tones over that, leaving the highlights exposed. Work backwards, painting the shaded/recessed areas last, leaving a little more of the highlighted area from the previous layer exposed. Possibly also try using dark shades of colours that are in your scheme as an off black, with only true black in the deepest recesses. This would also help give a slightly more natural look to the blacks on your models, as you very rarely see true black in the real world.

Edit; I also have a similar problem with my astigmatism, so you very much have my sympathies. Try to make sure you have plenty of light (more so then people with normal sight would need) and remember to rest your eyes from time to time. I like to get up and have a short walk so I'm not focussing for too long on tiny details.

[Kawauso]

Along the lines of what Soton said, I've had a similar idea for painting black before that I've never actually got around to trying.

You could try basecoating something like 'Adeptus Battlegrey', doing your highlights with something like 'Astronomican Grey', and doing a couple of washes over the whole model to darken everything and get the recesses of the model nice and black.

Normally for black I go the pretty standard route of black basecoat + grey highlights, but I think the above technique would work pretty well, based on my experience.

I use a similar technique for painting my IG (with greens) and one of my Marine armies (with bronze/gold colours). It actually works really, really well. I basecoat in my 'flat' colour (or as close to the middle hue/shade I'm going for as possible), drybrush a highlight colour, do hard edge highlights with said same colour, then wash with a dark colour as close to the middle tone I'm working with as possible. Blends the shadows and highlights together really well. I should try to get some pictures of my IG or Bronze Angels sometime so I can give a better idea of what I mean.

[Grailkeeper]

There was an article in White dwarf about a brilliant painterwho was colour blind he may have been a golden daemon winner. Maybe if you can find that or his site there might be some tips.

Does it have to be Blood angels- why not try a successor chapter with an alternative paint scheme. The lamenters use white. OR have death company who fell just before the battle began, and there wasn't time to paint their armour black- scope for interesting conversions there

[Deadlift]

This is how I did my Death Company,

1, Spray Skull White

2, 1 thinned coat of Charadon Granite foundation all over the model. Thin enough that you can slightly see the white undercoat on the hard edges

3, When fully dry wash with Badab Black.

4, finish the rest of your painting when the model is completely dry.

Its not going to win any daemons but I have had compliments on my DC Models including my Dreadie. However this technique I found didn't work so well on larger models like my Storm Raven.

Cheers :)

[Defenestratus]

This is how I did my Death Company,

1, Spray Skull White

2, 1 thinned coat of Charadon Granite foundation all over the model. Thin enough that you can slightly see the white undercoat on the hard edges

3, When fully dry wash with Badab Black.

4, finish the rest of your painting when the model is completely dry.

Its not going to win any daemons but I have had compliments on my DC Models including my Dreadie. However this technique I found didn't work so well on larger models like my Storm Raven.

Cheers :)

This morning I started the storm raven with the typical black->adeptus battlesuit->beached bone drybrush highlight and its working pretty well on a big model like this.

I think I'll try a test model the way that you've recommended. Thank you for the tips!

Oh and don't need sympathies (but they are appreciated!). I consider myself lucky to live in a day and age where modern medicine can save my vision. I'll take 4 laser surgeries and 1 with 3 needles in the eyeball over going blind anyday!

[fade_74]

why not try another color for death company? I think that White ones with black accents would look cool.

[maddoc]

I think the basic process was already mentioned.

1. Paint mini using a dark grey.
2. Wash with badab black.
3. Repeat until you have basically black with only very little grey showing.

I do it when i need bigger black parts with highlights.

[Deadlift]

This morning I started the storm raven with the typical black->adeptus battlesuit->beached bone drybrush highlight and its working pretty well on a big model like this.

I think I'll try a test model the way that you've recommended. Thank you for the tips!

Oh and don't need sympathies (but they are appreciated!). I consider myself lucky to live in a day and age where modern medicine can save my vision. I'll take 4 laser surgeries and 1 with 3 needles in the eyeball over going blind anyday!

Cheers matey on the tip for larger models, much appreciated :)

[Wolf Brother Hellstrom]

an easy way to do black is to bascoat with astronomican grey then wash twice with badab black. it ends up being a really really dark grey, or black with highlights. no drybrushing required. if you want it darker just wash again. looks awesome and super easy.

[Defenestratus]

Might as well turn this into a project log.

Here's a two-pass highlight on the stormraven. You can tell in some places where the eyes crapped out. I've gor an old pot of black ink but not badab black - so I'll be running to the store later tonight and then starting the occupants tonight.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TY9b-5OpKgI/AAAAAAAAOKg/rwK0gSYgmHk/s800/2011-03-27_11-46-42_805.jpg

[Defenestratus]

I really have to thank the readers for the help with my problem. Got my test model done today (still not based yet, but thats soon to come)

I think it turned out pretty damn well. I've never been able to paint black and now - I'm confident that i can. Thanks again everyone.

Test Model:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TZuO5SNIVdI/AAAAAAAAOWs/09X6At8WQcM/s800/2011-04-05_17-48-27_460.jpg

Another view:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TZt0hZ7R2oI/AAAAAAAAOVI/usaPAAXoa6k/s800/2011-04-05_15-56-47_171.jpg

Oh, and here's his taxi:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TZuORhiHCSI/AAAAAAAAOWU/KznU5Lph_Ik/s800/2011-04-05_17-46-34_505.jpg

[Defenestratus]

Finished a couple more DC. I am going to move back to finishing the Sang Guard that I have laying around, then come back to the DC and the second SR after that.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TaLzZEjQlNI/AAAAAAAAOkk/VxpxVkCx_pE/s800/2011-04-11_08-22-53_106.jpg

[ScrutMaster]

what technique did you end up using to paint the black?

[celestialatc]

I love the black coloring you have used, what's steps did you take to get it like that?

[Deadlift]

Looking good matey. :cool:

[Defenestratus]

Thanks everyone. I used Black primer -> Astronomicon Grey -> light progressive layers of badab black washes.

I'm doing up lemartes right now and its really shining on a model that has more detail. I have to thank those of you that told me about this method. Theres no other way I can do it and it looks fantastic!

[Defenestratus]

Got Lemartes done. The black turned out well, but the model just doesn't feel as "clean" as the other DC. I think its the golden halo that I'm sour on. I might repaint that.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TacvsOrZCTI/AAAAAAAAOvw/G5CgeDHJwN0/s800/2011-04-14_13-30-10_46.jpg

Good shot of the effect of the black on the jump pack here (which is magnetized btw, so Lemartes can become Mister Generic Chaplain when need be)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/TacveSxg08I/AAAAAAAAOvc/YRBCDwRg7OA/s800/2011-04-14_13-30-51_246.jpg

[isotope99]

I like the death company, they look good and brooding.The cross on the storm raven is good too, took me a moment to figure it out, though I'd probably paint over the red on the engine intakes.

On Lemartes, a few suggestions:

I agree that the halo could use an extra coat of gold/silver to pick out the points.

I'd also try to separate the colours a little on the bolt pistol.

The skulls could probably use an extra highlight as the wash has gone on very thick. Bone is a tricky colour to get right.

Finally, I'd try and pick out the eyes either with a colour or just by darkening the sockets.

[Defenestratus]

Thanks. The bone is a bit of a staple of mine. All of mine come out a bit "dirty". I like them like that rather than the pure white skulls.

As for the eyes, my own eyes make the eyes really really really hard to paint. I can barely make out the sockets to begin with and my brush is even harder to get in there without going all over the face mask. On Lemartes, you can see his eyes a bit better:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_W-OLykJh4lc/Tacvx8ekt_I/AAAAAAAAOv8/SApW0CKXCTc/s640/2011-04-14_13-29-55_255.jpg

[Gir]

I've found a really easy way to do it on vehicles, definitely on the lazy scale :P

First I spray it black, then I paint all the details and do all the non black highlights. I then seal it with a matt varnish. This makes the black spraycoat come up very very dark and smooth. I then drybrush the whole model with ateptus battlegrey, and a final drybrush of Astronomicon Grey. This lightens out the whole model, and gives it a subtle worn look.

Will try and get some photos tonight.

[turel2]

I have been Struggling to highlight my DC myself. Black is such a pain. :(

[mysterex]

Thanks everyone. I used Black primer -> Astronomicon Grey -> light progressive layers of badab black washes.

I'm doing up lemartes right now and its really shining on a model that has more detail. I have to thank those of you that told me about this method. Theres no other way I can do it and it looks fantastic!

I've just started doing some test deathwatch using this technique and was wondering how many coats of badab black wash you used. I've done a couple and it looks a little light.