How to achieve this highlight on brown?

[marrak]

Hello there! I've lurked on CMoN for a while now, and have always been amazed by the paintjobs I've seen here. This is my first post, so I was looking to get some advice for how to go about a certain highlight effect for painting brown on my tyranids.

This...


...is my best work thus far, but I want to mute down the brown highlights to something that looks more natural.

Now yes, before you mention it, I know my nids look a great deal like the zerg from Starcraft; this was actually unintentional, but ironically I did get the concept from another blizzard game. But... they make the best reference point, so here goes!

View attachment 14891
View attachment 14892

Those are the two best examples for what I'm looking for out of the brown. Currently my mix uses P3 paints, going from Umbral umber, bloodtracker brown, to rucksack tan. The shade is done with a wash of exile blue and umbral umber mixed and thinned into the recesses. The highlights, however, are where I'm unhappy, and I'm not certain I'm utilizing the correct paints. I've seen some tutorials that call for a bone, rather than tan, to highlight the brown, but the colors in those images look like more of a blueish-gray than bone coloring overall, but I do see some hints of bone in there as well.

I'm wondering what direction people think I should move foward with for improving my painting and getting the effect I'm desiring. Any comments are indeed welcome and eagerly sought. Thanks in advance!

 

[MAXXxxx]

2 things pop in my mind:

- use more natural browns, that don't have such a red/yellow shade in them. Graveyard Earth from GW/VGC is such a color
- use greys/greyish colors for highlighting. So instead of just RucksackTan use a mix of Ruchsack and a light greyish color. (I don't really know the P3 paint names, so I use the old GW/VGC names. Good colors for this are: fortressgrey / SWGrey / Khaki / BleachedBone. Also I'd say menoth-white-Highlight is also good for this.)

 

[Wyrmypops]

Yeah, just add light greys instead of tans for the highlighting and you'll be set. Or, could go with a dark and dirty brown to start with, adding white to that would result in an equally muted look.

Lush purples by the way.

 

[marrak]

Thanks for the tips and comments! Do you know what new color in the gw range matches graveyard earth, or any suggestions from Vallejo? I'll work on my test model with the suggestions an see how it turns out.

 

[airhead]

It looks like you are trying to do the highlight in a single step? Wetted/glossy hard surface type painting?

If you are looking more for a diffuse shading from the base color to the highlight, you need more transition layers - and thinner paints.

example (paint from bottom up)

highlight = light tan/buff
mid highlight = mix of buff and midtone
midtone = medium brown (leather?)
mid shadow = mix of midtone and shadow
shadow = dark brown

Lots of articles on blending in the articles section.

 

[marrak]

Actually it's 4-5 layers. Just the photo emphasizes the final highlight more. I'm actually following those steps, just having issues with the final highlights

 

[airhead]

Actually it's 4-5 layers. Just the photo emphasizes the final highlight more. I'm actually following those steps, just having issues with the final highlights

If that is the case, thin it more and take one more intermediate layer mixed with what is under it.

 

[marrak]

I'll keep that in mind airhead, thanks for the tips. I should have a test model up and able to be shown by this evening or tomorrow at the latest; I think I found a good series of paints that would help with the more muted brown I'm desiring as well.

 

[war0827]

Hello there! I've lurked on CMoN for a while now, and have always been amazed by the paintjobs I've seen here. This is my first post, so I was looking to get some advice for how to go about a certain highlight effect for painting brown on my tyranids.

This...


...is my best work thus far, but I want to mute down the brown highlights to something that looks more natural.

Now yes, before you mention it, I know my nids look a great deal like the zerg from Starcraft; this was actually unintentional, but ironically I did get the concept from another blizzard game. But... they make the best reference point, so here goes!

View attachment 14891
View attachment 14892

Those are the two best examples for what I'm looking for out of the brown. Currently my mix uses P3 paints, going from Umbral umber, bloodtracker brown, to rucksack tan. The shade is done with a wash of exile blue and umbral umber mixed and thinned into the recesses. The highlights, however, are where I'm unhappy, and I'm not certain I'm utilizing the correct paints. I've seen some tutorials that call for a bone, rather than tan, to highlight the brown, but the colors in those images look like more of a blueish-gray than bone coloring overall, but I do see some hints of bone in there as well.

I'm wondering what direction people think I should move foward with for improving my painting and getting the effect I'm desiring. Any comments are indeed welcome and eagerly sought. Thanks in advance!

Sorry to go off topic, but that's starcraft 2, is it an expansion or what? I don't remember seeing a screen like that where you can upgrade your lings or roaches...

anyways, for your question, I haven't really used any other paints other than GW brand, but what I would do is use the main base coat color you used and mix it progressively with a bone color. Once you do a couple of layers of the mixed colors, i would wash the entire area with a watered down base color mixed with something darker, like a little bit of black (not too dark though). This should drop the lightest highlight color down a bit blending it into the base in a more even transition. Try it on some test pieces first before fully attempting.

 

[marrak]

Sorry to go off topic, but that's starcraft 2, is it an expansion or what? I don't remember seeing a screen like that where you can upgrade your lings or roaches...

anyways, for your question, I haven't really used any other paints other than GW brand, but what I would do is use the main base coat color you used and mix it progressively with a bone color. Once you do a couple of layers of the mixed colors, i would wash the entire area with a watered down base color mixed with something darker, like a little bit of black (not too dark though). This should drop the lightest highlight color down a bit blending it into the base in a more even transition. Try it on some test pieces first before fully attempting.

yes, those are from Starcraft 2's upcoming expansion, heart of the swarm. I got them from the preview site.

Sadly I intended to work on a test model with both bone and gray to try to color, but the weekend had me a lot busier than I thought I'd be. Here's hoping the next few days give me some painting time so I can post up some tests.

 

[the alleycat]

To echo what others have said:

The question i think you're basically asking is about saturation... you want a more desaturated effect [i'm basing this on what you've posted and the pictures linked.]

So either, use browns with less saturated reds/yellows [like graveyard earth/steel legion drab]
Shade and highlights by adding greys [but again choose carefully, try to avoid blue/greys.]

 

[Baffo_mk2]

Have you ever used or heard about using thinned oil paints to make the shades of colors? It gets some very smooth gradients without needing 5+ layers and if done correctly looks quite realistic...

It is a bit difficult to explain the trick in words but here's the gist of it:
1. You start by getting an even coat of mid tone (will need multiple layers if you work on black undercoat, much easier if you use gray or white undercoat) and 1, max 2 layers of highlight (meaning atm you have no shades yet). At this point apply a layer of gloss varnish to the figure.
2. You take a little amount of Burnt umber fine oil paint and thin it out (to the consistency of a milk) with white spirit and paint it in the crevasses and where you want your deepest shadows to be and let it rest to let the white spirit evaporate from the paint (usually 5-10 minutes).
3. Once the spirit evaporated (but before the oil paint really dries) use a drybrush (that you don't care about getting 'destroyed') and 'feather' (push around) the oil paint... Basically you end up dragging the paint around creating gradients.
4. If you make a big mistake or find the result too dark, you can take a cotton stick (the ones to clean your ears... don't know how they're called in English...) with a drop of white spirit and you can swab off excess paint from elevated parts of the model where highlights would normally be (think of it as 'reverse dry brushing').
5. Once you're done with the shades let the oil paint dry 24-36 hours and seal it with some mat varnish; you can apply other acrylics for extra highlights or stuff from there on...

I've just recently started using this technique (especially on bigger models like my Khador colossal...) and find it saves me 2-4 layers on my reds and gives me much deeper and smoother gradients

If you would like to see some videos explaining these tricks with oil paints you can check out Mat Hart's painting articles on Steamforged.com:
http://www.steamforged.com/painting-and-modelling/
in particular I would start with this video:
http://www.steamforged.com/kreoss1-from-start-to-finish-mats-painting-table-4/

Hope that helps, Cheers

 

[marrak]

Thanks for the tips guys!

Im
sorry for the lack of images; without going into too much detail, some emergencies came up RL and I had to take care of them. I will be trying out some of these techniques this Friday on my test model minus the oil, as it is an expense u can't do ATM, but want to try in the future. Any brand in particular you recommend for oils?

 

[Baffo_mk2]

I am using Lefranc extra fine or Winton oil paints, but I guess th brand doesn't really matter.
About the costs, they aren't really that high, since you basically only need 1-2 small tubes of color for most of the shades you will most commonly do: Burnt umber (a dark brown for all your warm shades) and Lamp black (for cold shades); I got mine for 4 euros each, so less than 10 euros including the spirit...
Anyway cheers

 

[Einion]

Excellent first post Baffo :good:

Marrak, oils are definitely worth playing around with but I do think you'd need more than just one brown and a black to really take advantage of them (see this recent thread on shadows for yellow for example).

Don't be put off if the tubes look small as oil paint goes a loooong way, and it lasts nearly forever too if it's capped properly so no worries if you use very little of it each time.

Einion

 

[Dragonsreach]

Don't be put off if the tubes look small as oil paint goes a loooong way, and it lasts nearly forever too if it's capped properly

It also lasts forever if you screw the damn cap on without cleaning the threads properly!
As you (Ok I ) can't get the damn top off again, the tube is now twisted to Buggery.
Idiot of the Month award to self!

 

[Einion]

It also lasts forever if you screw the damn cap on without cleaning the threads properly!
As you (Ok I ) can't get the damn top off again, the tube is now twisted to Buggery.
Idiot of the Month award to self!

Well don't beat yourself up too much, you're not the first! And it only takes a small amount of paint in the threads for this to occur.

Try heating the cap by dunking it in boiling water, should help loosen it up. If you have to you can heat the cap near a candle flame or gas burner, but obviously be careful not to melt it; once it gets hot grab it immediately with doubled-over kitchen paper and twist gently. Older caps were made of metal and they were great as you could heat them directly in a flame, they'd come off no problems after that.

Nutcrackers are handy to help with twisting off stubborn stuck caps, some people say they never get a badly twisted tube if they do that.

For after, a thin smear of petroleum jelly in the threads should prevent any future sticking.

Einion