[Ravendove]

So I'm working on my Guard army and I've just realised that I've never painted human skin before. Firstly, my previous armies include Orks, Necrons and Space Marines so I've never really had to. Secondly, I'm not that great a painter so I like to keep things simple, making heavy use of foundation paints, washes and extreme highlights to 'fake it'.

Bearing in mind I have over 60 infantry alone to paint, it needs to be a quick and simple method. Preferably in the region of Foundation > Paint > Wash > Highlight. But hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Anyone know of any good tutorials, or have any step by step advice (with pictures) in general?

 

[jonojoe]

a tip that Sknight gave me was white base follwed by a couple wash of organ flesh till you get the desired tone simple and easy

 

[kithre]

Paint bronzed flesh, shade with an ogryn flesh or snakebite leather wash, highlight with bronzed flesh + bleanched bone, and the jobs a good 'un

 

[xbanditsx]

I use a base of Dwarf Flesh, wash with Ogrynn Flesh, and highlight with really thin Elf Flesh - quick and easy. If I'm really rushed I'll use a base of some brown Foundation paint before doing the Dwarf Flesh to cut down on some layers.

 

[catbarf]

My method is to paint Tallarn Flesh, Ogryn Flesh wash, go back over everything but the shadows in Tallarn Flesh, and then highlight by adding in Vallejo Pale Flesh. Tallarn Flesh is a very nice, muted skin tone (unlike Dwarf Flesh and Elf Flesh), and Pale Flesh is a fleshy off-white that is good for highlighting without becoming too pale. I think you can take shortcuts with flesh as long as you get the colors right.

 

[curly24242]

this might sound a bit weird but i always like to start with a basecoat of scorched brown and then dry brush tallarn flesh pretty thickly over it. then i like to lightly drybrush tallarn flesh with a bit of white in in to 'highlight' it. i like to do this because it gives them a rugged, dirty look

 

[kithre]

Thats not weird, I use a similar approach with layering rather than drybrushing, up through various deep felshtones all the way up to elf flesh, starting with scorched brown basecoat - check out Ragnar blackman in the paiting section - thats exactly how his face started out..

 

[Ravendove]

Does any have an pictures of what these techniques look like? My problem being I don't have any of these skin tone paints, so would like to see the results before spending the money on paints I may (or may not) use.

 

[ArtificiallyEnhanced]

My method found here uses tallarn flesh with elf flesh highlights then an ogryn wash. A final elf flesh highlight on noses and fingers normally finishes it off.

 

[kithre]

Does any have an pictures of what these techniques look like? My problem being I don't have any of these skin tone paints, so would like to see the results before spending the money on paints I may (or may not) use.

http://www.librarium-online.com/forums/members/kithre-albums.html

The Ragnar and Space Wolves squad album has the face painting technique as follows:

Scorched brown
Snakebite leather
Snakebite + bronzed flesh
Scorched brown wash
bronzed flesh
bronzed flesh + elf flesh
elf flesh final highlights

You could replicate quickly using the following formula:
Scorched brown
Bronzed flesh + snakebite leather
Scorched brown wash
Bronzed flesh
Elf flesh final highlight

The Dark Elf bloodbowl team followed a different approach, using a slightly paler effect - I also used teh same approach on my high Elf cavalry
Start at snakebite leather on a black undercoat
Wash with very thin scorched brown
Next highlight add elf flesh and continue adding elf flesh to snakebite. For these elves I continued further up to white.
Paint the lip in a very slightly tinted version of a midrange highlight colour - add a drop of blood red or purple depending on the effect you want to get for open lips (if you want to paint it as such). For grimaces or closed mouths, a thin line of dark brown ink or paint will do the job.


There is also teh "ultimate" quick method:
bronzed base coat
Wash dwarf flesh
re-touch-up bronzed flesh
highlight elf flesh

 

[jonojoe]

the flesh i got on my h-bolter scout was done with a solid P3 Midlund Flesh similar to elf flesh, i gave it one organ wash, then two grifin sepia washes. i have a photo in my ToP tread

 

[xbanditsx]

These guys were painted with my method:

I've also done a tutorial on face painting in the Tutorials section here:

http://www.librarium-online.com/forums/completed-tutorials/148943-painting-faces-101-a.html

 

[odinsgrandson]

Well, I find this method to be very easy:

Start with a black undercoat, and paint the eyes first (it makes it easier this way, since you can paint around the eyes afterword).

1- Start out with a medium brown (bestial brown is a good color, but I've also used vermin). Paint the skin in this color entirely.

2- Second, mix your brown with a good skin tone (Dwarf Flesh or Elf Flesh or even Bronzed Flesh will work for this- also P3's Midlund Flesh and Ryn Flesh are good for this). Mix the two together, and go over everything that you don't want shaded.

3- Paint the highlight areas using only the skin tone that you grabbed.


This will give you a solid 3 tone coloring that will give your flesh tones the depth you need without taking all day. I personally find it much faster and more precise than using washes.

 

[King Ulrik Flamebeard]

Not quite human, but I used a technique adapted from WD. Used it on my dwarf character:

Calthan brown + tallarn flesh. Washed with dark flesh and scorched brown. Reapply basecoat, then slowly add dwarf flesh. Then bleached bone, and finally a small amount of skull white.

I admit, its long winded, and you might be better off for a quicker method for rank and file. This would work quite well for characters and the like.

Kuffy

 

[kithre]

Kuffy's method is great for swarthy skin, and for lighter, paler skin, you can replace a few of the colours easily enough, on the base swap out tallarn for dwarf flesh, and use bronzed flesh instead of dwarf flesh elsewhere...