Painting black skin

[malduran]

Hi, i have recently got my hands on some nids and was thinking of painting them with back skin, gray-to-white carapace and purple vain bits.
My problem is that i am a less than adverage painter and was wondering what you guys think is the best way to achieve black skin which looks good.
Any help would be great.

[Mordheimer]

OK... not too hard! Actually, it will be a GREAT exercise for you to jump in the road to become a GREAT painter. The trick is to practice with a couple of Gaunts, until you are happy with your scheme.

Black is not an easy color to bring out, because it 'eat' the light, thou obscuring the definition. In our scale of painting, the paint colors is about tricking the observer into 'creating the rest'. It is all an illusion.

1) Prime 2 Gaunts black. One you will leave as is for reference.... hide it! The other you will work on.
2) Use Fortress Grey color to paint thin lines between every joint. This is like black-lining marines, but with grey. The lines do NOT have to be continuous (all around). Remember, the observer will be trick, and their minds will 'fill in the blanks'.
3) Use a lighter grey (Shadow Grey) and make some (thinner) lines like before. You do NOT have to put as many lines... remember the trickery!
4) Now, take the reference model from hiding. See the difference? Now your black LOOKS like real black (in 3D), rather than flat.

Of course, this is the dirty fast method. For your good models (Carnifexes, Tyrants, etc), you want to use a black wash/ink over the prime to make the color uniform.

POST PICTURES, and we will help! ;D

[Aux]

You could also drybrush them a very (Almost Black) gray color to give them texture

Which is generally a whole lot easier then highlighting

[Trygon]

I would go for Mordheimer's approach because dry brushing can lead to messy results that just do not look very clean at the end of the day. You can also try glossing. Highlight the black a bit and then paint it in gloss, which does the rest of the highlighting by nature. This works out sometimes quite well.

[WestRider]

A gloss finish really helps Black paintjobs, and it looks particularly good on Nids. Gives 'em that nice slimy look.

[citizen]

I drybrush Adaptes Battlegrey, then Skull White, then aplly a black ink wash (I use Indian Ink, so water it down loads, but it still darkens all the colours) then lightly drybrush white again. It comes out faintly metallic, and here's a photo:



Missing out the last 2 steps gives almost the same effect, it just looks a little 'chalky'.

[krakenfiend]

Ok...it depends on what kind of black you want....flat or glossy. For a flat black you will need to edge all the imbs and curves with a dark grey and then rim the extreme edges wit a lighter grey. I recomend three highlight stages for the right look:

Step 1. Apply Vallejo Model color German Grey to the edges. If you don't have this color, mix some Black paint with GW Fortress grey. You are looking for a shade that is pretty dark but still different from black.

Step 2. Mix Reaper Master Series Linen white into the German grey. OR, using GW paint, a small amount of skull white into the mix. ou probaly want a brush full..just enough to give a lighter shade. Apply this in a layered highlight leaving some f the previous grey showing.

Step 3. Add More Linen white or skull white. Just a little more white so that you have a nice grey color to work with. Rim the edges that you have been working with in this color grey leaving some of the previous greys showing...and that should be it.

Glossy: This way is pretty neat and takes way less time....just coat all the black areas in gloss varnish and let the natural light take care of the highlights for you...DONE...and it looks like a nid with black skin should look too...nice and slimy...

krakenfiend

[Assimilator]

My paint scheme is simialr take alook!

I just sparay totally black, Astro grey foundation on the carapce, and go from there!

[Mordheimer]

Also, something you need to have in mind... what type of black over all model you want. For example, citizen's models are done with drybrushing. It is quick & dirty method (I love to dry brush!), but the over all look will produce a good table quality, but never a 'Golden Daemon' one.
See Kep's Tyranid Tutorial at www.necrotales.com/necroTutorials/tut_painting_tyranids_01.php
be warned... Kep is a multi-Golden Daemon recipient, so his work is the ultimate in cleanliness!

A simple, but good tutorial is in uk.games-workshop.com/spacemarines/blacktemplars-black-armour/1/

luck!

[malduran]

Cheers for all the help guys, over the next few days im going to try 2 or 3 different ways and then decide on which i like the most. Will post pictures when i am done so you can have fun criticising it for me.

Ok i am underway painting a test gaunt but my highlights are a little to... obvious. Would giving it a black ink wash over the top make it blend in better or just cover everything?

c