Lining Space Marines

[ikew]

Does anyone know a good tutorial for lining space marine power armor with micron pens and the like? I've decided to start an army and think that lining might be the best way for me to get a crisp look quickly.

A while back (probably years), BoLS featured a pretty thorough article on the subject, but I can't seem to find it.

Suggestions?

[Meph]

The best, easiest, and fasted way to outline Marines is using thinned black oil paint.

-Spray/airbrush coat your model with glossy varnish.
-Thin black oil paint using modeling turpentine to a ratio of somewhere between 1:5 - 1:8
-Apply copiously on the model. Don't worry, it won't coat the surfaces like acrylic ink and it will suck itself into every nook & cranny like nothing you've seen before. The big bonus is you can still correct when dry as it's only permanent until you fixate it.
-Let dry for a day or two
-seal with matte or satin varnish.

done

[MaltonNecromancer]

Or a Black Wash over your base colour, followed by heavily drybrushing said base colour when done...

[Cherub]

I've tried both and the oil works much much better, if you are willing to do the work for it anyway. If you are going for speed the black wash and dry brushing works well.

[brokbrok]

I've just used a detail brush and put lines of badab black wash onto the cracks. It's not as time intensive as it sounds.

[ikew]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've never used oils before - are there any how-to's you'd recommend? What kind/brand of black oil paint to you use? Can I paint over it to touch up?

[Cherub]

I kinda do it my own way but if you follow meph's step by steps its one of the easiest and best ways to do it. I use windsor newtown oils as they are the best that I have found. I cant recommend enough that you get a different brush to do your oils then your regular painting.

[Meph]

Here's a copy/paste of one of my posts in my ongoing BA Army thread.


I just bought the colours I needed off of Ebay from random webshops. My experience with oil paints is that most of them are quite to very good. A general rule of thumb to buy them would be to buy a true arts brand or high quality modeling. It doesn't hurt to go for the medium-high priced stuff as it's not that expensive anyhow and it will last forever. And you want a paint that has a decent medium and high quality pigment, quality does show. Mine cost somewhere between 3 - 6€ a piece.
In general, oil paints are just basically an oil based medium and pigment so there's not much that can go wrong with them. Also handy to know is that the colour names are universal as the paint has been around since hundreds and hundreds of years. The oil paint Burnt Umber for example was first used in 1650...

-Top one is from Bob Ross, the afro'd painting pixie. Actually this black is one of the easiest to thin oil paints I've had so far. Dissolves very smoothly with turpentine.
-Middle one is from a 'true' artsy brand. The colour shade is universal, Burnt Umber, absolutely perfect for grease stains and for rust when mixed with weathering powder.
-The bottom one is from MIG and is 'Shadow Brown', I used that over the whole of my vehicles for shading. Made a wash with it and brushed over the whole lot except the silver metallic detailing.
-The lighter is fine produce bought from a nocturnal Pakistani entrepreneur.


http://postwarvandal.com/Meph/Land_Raiders/BA/IMG_4414.JPG

[ikew]

Thanks for all the tips. I'll have to give this oil thing a try - sounds like it may be just what I'm looking for.

[Meph]

No prob man, anytime. And in case you have some specific question concerning oil paints and their use, don't hesitate. ;)