Painting Fire

Been spending past few days on the final four Orks Boyz from Battlereach, leaving a final two Boyz with Big Shootas to complete the set. To break up the static position of sitting painting and neck ache I tend to read various sites for further painting techniques. In particular I come across another nice approach to rust and of particular interest was a very well done painting of fire article by Hot-Lead. What makes the fire article so good, was the initial pages on theory of fire and how it should look. Covering image analysis of fires point of combustion through to how objects are shown when heated and cooled. He then proceeds to run through a step by step example of applying this theory to painting an elemental miniature (see Hot-Lead finished example left).

Black Reach Painting - Day 11

Not posted for few days due to work, but I finally managed to get the second pair of Ork Boyz done with new paint scheme mentioned in my last post.  Below are a few shots of the latest scheme for legs, boots and leather straps.


I still notice I am catching the paint on boots and buckles and therefore rubbing it off back to the plastic.  Frustrating and need to be more careful, hopefully my new paint stick made from the top of an old broom and some blutak should help.  If you have any good tips on preventing this issue please comment.

Black Reach Painting - Day 8/9

Its been a slow week for me painting due to work and late hours, but I managed to find some time to finish of the first pair from new half squad or Ork Boyz.  I decided to try out some new scheme changes to the Orks skin, new teething, boots and belts and new highlighting.  

For skin I continued with a Knarloc Green base layer, but covered with the new Biel-Tan Green shade, which I feel created a more realistic skin tone and depth the the previous Devalun Mud.  I then added a dry brush of Underhive Ash to bring out some highlights early, which I then re-washed with the Biel-Tan Green again.  This worked really well and brought out much more detail in the faces and arms than previously with the last half squad.  Next was a coat of milk consistency lighter Knarloc/Snot Green mixed 2:3:3 careful to only apply like a wide highlight.  Lastly the skin had finer highlights applied of Snot Green/Knarloc mixed 4:1:3.

The boots, belts and pockets had a new Citadel colour of Rhinox Hide.  The next layer was another new colour of Doombull Brown with little Rhinox Hide to tone it down mixed 4:2:3 which brought out the detail nicley.  Finally a highlight mix Doombull Brown/Calthan Brown and Rhinox Hide mixed 2:2:1:3 to create fine highlighting edges.

Below is a couple of early shots be the final basing, touchup and battle damage is added.
[images coming soon]

Black Reach Painting - Day 6

Spent a few hours this evening finishing of 9/10th pair of Ork Boyz with their highlighting and battle damage.  Really liking the new rust technique I tried on the weapons with these guys, maybe a touch to much on the guns, but the axe really came out better than expected.  I'm still not keeping my hand as steady as would like when highlighting and in particular the battle damage but I'm hoping it will improve over time.  Hope to base the first 10 Orks Boyz tomorrow and setup my light-box using my photography experience and get some much better images to show progress through the pairs I have painted.

Beginners Day 4

This weeks beginners day was interesting in that I went excited to pick-up the new How to Paint Miniatures by Games Workshop which now includes a DVD which mirrors the book, but I forgot it was Easter Sunday and hence arrived to a closed shop. Since I was in the mood for some hours of painting I spent the day completing my 7/8th Ork Boyz and tried the new line highlighted technique.  Sadly the new highlighting felt to bright on the edges for Orks so I added a Devlun Mud wash to specific areas to lower the tone of the highlights. I then proceeded to add the new war damage technique I started with my previous pair to proceed with the battle torn army.  Once I was happy with the 7/8th pair of moved on to the new pair of Ork Boyz, bumping up to 8 completed and 12 to go.  With this pair I also continued my new approach to base painting Orks as follows:

• Ork base colours Knarlock Green, Iyaden Darksun, Mechrite Red and Calthan Brown to corresponding areas
• Weapon base metal colours Boltgun Metal, Tin Bits and touches of Iyaden Darksun to mirror the armour on the Ork Boyz
• Jewellery colours of Chainmail for rings or hoops through noses/ears and Tin Bits for buckles
• Completed the base painting with a Devlun Mud wash carefully moving the wash to key locations such as the bolts, teeth gaps, gun metal join points and cracks in armour

Black Reach Painting - Day 4/5

Spent the last few days researching better techniques for my gun painting such as wearing, rust and chipped paint.  This led me to a number of new tutorials and the find of a couple of great sites The Painting Corps (TPC) and From The Warp (FTW) which both have extensive list of tutorials for particular techniques.  FTW quick and easy soot effect for guns is proving useful for my Orks Boyz guns, as now starting to apply a spent ammo wear to the end of the barrels.  TPC have a number of good tutorials for weathering and battle damage of which I found the Rust in Two Colors and Painting Battle Damage for tanks.

I also spent some time learning about highlighting and come across FTW tutorial for teaching how to complete Line Highlighting which is something I have yet to master, but slowly improving on.  TPC have a nice simple technique for Eldar Tank Armour Lining for creating clean lines in those armour plate creases.