Painting Guide: Foundation ink shading in 3 simple steps

[Shinobi_8745]

Hi.

In the UK WD 343 there was a painting guide that I tried out, it's simple and most important effective.

It only needs the most basic skills (aka you can hold a pencil and use paint to completely cover any area of a mini) and a steady hand (as long as you don't get paint ALL over the mini you should do fine).

This guide will include simple highlights and basic shading with the help of inks from the foundation paintset, Devlan Mud in this case (I think it should do fine on any other mini too).

Basicly, you just use the paint you want on the mini, just skip the details since you'll take those AFTER the wash, and make sure you cover all the areas, even small gaps between fingers etc, no drybrushing, just cover the mini and make sure the paint have a strong look, like we all know painting yellow is hard since the undercoat mostly can be seen through it, so you might need to put 2-3 layers on depending on what paint you use.

And this is what the stage 1 model should look like when you got the paint on.



Not really a beauty as you see, but yet it's tabletop, and many starters start painting like this.

Next step, is adding a wash of Devlan mud (I used plenty of it since I wanted a somewhat dirty look on my dwarf), and then you can place it under a lamp and either watch it, or go do something else since the new foundation inks take some time to dry compared to normal inks.

This is what it would look like when it's inked.



And as soon as it's dry, you just take the same colour you started with, and start highlighting, all you need is paint on the strong edges (cheeks, noses, fingers, pointy bits, folds etc). Areas with hair and fur just needs a light highlight on it, so be careful so that you won't get paint between the hair and such so that the depth of the model gets ruined. Details such as eyes etc can be added now when it's nearly finished.

And here is the finished model, just needs some basing and he's ready to join the lads!



It's simple, but mind you that the drying time is 20-30 minutes I think (depends on how much you use), so my tips is to paint several minis at the same time.

Just to show 2 other successful minis I took this groupshot.



Hope the guide will help you out to get that nice army you've always wanted~  

[Vikki Stardust]

Wow, this should be stickied as it looks very useful.  

[Caleidah]

Stickied, though it very well might get turned back into a thread.

This looks to be massively useful. I might try and pick up some of those inks.  

[Shinobi_8745]

Trying the method right now on some skullpass goblins, and might as well go for a space marine tomorrow to see how it works with different colours.  

[Hoxtalicious]

I bought the washes last weekend and I am finding them very effective. Sorry for crappy quality, but here are some of my results from combining Foundation paints with the washes and something as simple as drybrushing.

http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs31/f/2008/195/9/0/Quick_WIP_1_by_BrookM.jpg

http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs32/f/2008/195/f/f/Quick_WIP_2_by_BrookM.jpg

I've mostly used Devlan Mud and Badab Black, the latter is damned good in combination with boltgun metal, something I've tried on my Ork Trukk. Instant filthy and worn metal.  

[[.Psycho.Doughboy.]]

can this same process be used with regular inks? I've never been very good at ink washing  

[Dragonzealot]

Any tips on Dry Brushing?  

[[.Psycho.Doughboy.]]

Dragonzealot

Any tips on Dry Brushing?

Have a brush especially for dry brushing, trim the bristles so that they're pretty short, and be sure that you're very light with the brush.  

[Shinobi_8745]

[.Psycho.Doughboy.]

can this same process be used with regular inks? I've never been very good at ink washing

I don't think so, since foundation inks works in another way than regular inks and doesn't give that glossy feel when dried.

And washing with this techique you just make sure the entire model have gotten a wash or two, it's simple. :3



Here's a unit I started painting yesterday and finished yesterday, and I'm ok with the result, maybe not as good as the dwarves but it's still better than "tabletop" standard.


 

[Xenos Mortium]

I've been sold. I'm getting some of the Delvan Mud and trying this out.  

[[.Psycho.Doughboy.]]

Anything for those who only have citadel inks?
In b4 get foundation inks  

[Shinobi_8745]

Nope, nothing for those who only have normal inks, sorry, foundation inks only. n_n  

[Dregh Omnius -Kody30-]

I like to use tooth picks to paint the eyes. And where might one aqquire Foundation inks? They seem to work better then my normal ones...  

[Shinobi_8745]

At your local hobby store perhaps where they sell normal GW paints I guess? I mean... it is GW paints after all. n_n;;;;  

[Dregh Omnius -Kody30-]

.. ehh, no, my hobby shop only has a basic selection (By that I mean almost all the paints, and some inks) So, no, I havent seen any foundation inks anywhere, I might browse ebay for some though.