Painting white
- Thread starter lenihan
- Start date
Captain Crooks
Member
After years of painting high elf skirts, the best i can offer is try to fool the eye with contrasts of grey, and make sure your paint water is fresh and clear! Several thin coats...erm... citadel whites are confusing these days but the ceramite one is thick and quite flat. White scar is okay but mine dried up in about 5 seconds, a trait shared with every citadel white since the 90's...
Magos Explorator
Member
When painting white, I tend to start with a darker shade tone (grey, beige, or pale blue) and then highlight up. I find that helps to get a smooth coat, especially if the primer used wasn't white, as the GW white paint at least doesn't always cover well but the various 'foundation' paints tend to cover ok. (Note my paints are still mainly from the previous Citadel range.) Then yes, multiple thin layers help.
If it's a really large area then I would suggest using a white primer to start with, to help avoid a streaky appearance in case the basecoat doesn't cover well.
If it's a really large area then I would suggest using a white primer to start with, to help avoid a streaky appearance in case the basecoat doesn't cover well.
Rob_S
Member
http://spikyratpack.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/inquisitor-isaac-valon.html
I followed the recipe in the comments section of the above post on some stripey pants. They turned out great.
1. paint white
2. Devlan mud
3 highlight white
4 Devlan mud
In the end it all comes down to what kind of white you want but the above produces a dirty lived in white that I was very happy with.
Edit: I didn't really answer the question. I would prime the area grey and paint a thin coat of white on it, you shouldn't need more than one coat unless your paint is really watery, in which case buy better paint. Then do the above to get some tone, shading on the area.
I followed the recipe in the comments section of the above post on some stripey pants. They turned out great.
1. paint white
2. Devlan mud
3 highlight white
4 Devlan mud
In the end it all comes down to what kind of white you want but the above produces a dirty lived in white that I was very happy with.
Edit: I didn't really answer the question. I would prime the area grey and paint a thin coat of white on it, you shouldn't need more than one coat unless your paint is really watery, in which case buy better paint. Then do the above to get some tone, shading on the area.
ardyer
Member
Thin your paints even more than normal and make sure you blot excess off your brush before applying. Lots of thin layers.
The other trick I've found it to find a base shade that is extra opaque (space wolf grey used to be good for this). You can use that to cover up any errant strokes over your undercoat.
The other trick I've found it to find a base shade that is extra opaque (space wolf grey used to be good for this). You can use that to cover up any errant strokes over your undercoat.
stone cold lead
Member
White is one of those colours that just needs a few coats to cover properly. Like others have said, keep the paint thin and fluid. Maybe add a touch of flow enhancer. It might take two or three coats but it's better than trying to work with a thick paint hoping it'll cover in one go. You could also try adding a little Tamiya X-21 flat base to the paint on your palette. It's a matte medium that ensures the paint dries matte which I've found incredibly helpful (and it actually works unlike most of the matte mediums I've tried). It's not going to make the paint cover better or give a smoother finish but it's so much easier working on a matte surface than a semi shiney one, especially when it comes to layering highlights.
If you want a few colour suggestions try some different base colours to give different whites. VGC Ghost Grey will create a nice bright white. VMC Silvergrey and Stone grey will make a muted colour. VMC Ivory is quite a warm colour, you could add a little VGC Bonewhite to deepen the shade as well.
If you want a few colour suggestions try some different base colours to give different whites. VGC Ghost Grey will create a nice bright white. VMC Silvergrey and Stone grey will make a muted colour. VMC Ivory is quite a warm colour, you could add a little VGC Bonewhite to deepen the shade as well.
Asslessman
Member
I usually start with a deneb stone base but I always lack the brightness I see in other people's whites. If I have lots of bright colours, I will strat with a grey prime (can't get myself to priming white...)
@Stonecoldlead : I'm intersted by what you say about matte mediums. I do use the PA one to either to prevent pigments to go straight in the recesses when I'm thinning paint or as is with just water, to kill the shineing effect of inks. What does the Tamiya X21 do? does it help with the consistensy of the mix or does it really kill the shiney effect?
@Stonecoldlead : I'm intersted by what you say about matte mediums. I do use the PA one to either to prevent pigments to go straight in the recesses when I'm thinning paint or as is with just water, to kill the shineing effect of inks. What does the Tamiya X21 do? does it help with the consistensy of the mix or does it really kill the shiney effect?
stone cold lead
Member
Asslessman":1jkuxtv3 said:
The Tamiya flat base just makes the paint dry with a nice matte finish. It doesn't improve flow or anything. You have to be careful not to add too much though as it can make the paint dry with a chalky white bloom. One brush full added to a good splodge of paint should be good enough. I've not tried adding flat base to washes so don't know what that might do. I imagine it might not work so well but it's worth a try. I just find having paint dry with a nice even matte finish is so much easier to work on. I threw out a full set of Coat d'arms and a good number of Foundry paints years ago because they all dried with quite a shine and they were simply horrible to work with. Now it doesn't matter because I add flat base to everything on my palette.
Harry
Moderator
I wanted to get my High Elves very white ... and asked this same question back then.
I start from a white undercoat anyway so I had a head start ... but the best bit of advice I was given was to thin my paint loads and paint it several times. I think I went for four.
I now do this for all base coats. Almost anything I paint starts with multiple (Normally 3) very thin coats of the base colour. Whether that is the flesh on a dwarf slayer or the ulramarine of a space marine.
This gives me a very smooth even base to build on and makes my shade washes flow nicely into the recesses.
I start from a white undercoat anyway so I had a head start ... but the best bit of advice I was given was to thin my paint loads and paint it several times. I think I went for four.
I now do this for all base coats. Almost anything I paint starts with multiple (Normally 3) very thin coats of the base colour. Whether that is the flesh on a dwarf slayer or the ulramarine of a space marine.
This gives me a very smooth even base to build on and makes my shade washes flow nicely into the recesses.
Mr Papafakis
Member
Don't know if you've considered it, or if your hell bent on using a paint brush, but for my money you can't go past spraying for nice even coverage on large surfaces.
There's a reason why they don't paint car bodies with a brush!
There's a reason why they don't paint car bodies with a brush!
Asslessman
Member
Sure, when masking is not a nightmare and that the shape is right, airbrushing can be a good solution too I guess.
Asslessman
Member
ardyer":2cjoojt1 said:Asslessman":2cjoojt1 said:
If you're having to mask, your needle is too big or you're pulling to far back on the trigger
...or that I'm not confident at all in my hand not shaking and not ruining everything...
Seriouly, I'm no expert with an airbrush and the one I have is definitely not the best quality around (gor it free from a friend so no complaining) but is it possible to get and clear and neat line and demarkation with an airbrush? I know you can always try to make the white airbrush before doing the other things so you don't mess the job but once again this is totally alien to me (definitely want to learn though).
ardyer
Member
The best can do it perfectly, but for the rest of us you can minimize the need for masking by holding the airbrush really close and using the correct amount of paint. A good way to practice is to get a sheet of poster board and practice your handwriting with the airbrush.
Afterwards, you may still have to touch up a little overspray, but that shouldn't be a big deal.
Ask that said, I'd still advocate painting with lots of thin layers by brush unless you're trying to get a large area done
Afterwards, you may still have to touch up a little overspray, but that shouldn't be a big deal.
Ask that said, I'd still advocate painting with lots of thin layers by brush unless you're trying to get a large area done
Captain Crooks
Member
ardyer":7zcmd8ur said:...your needle is too big...
According to the ladies, he does in fact have this problem.
Asslessman
Member
@ Ardyer : I see that I have yet A LOT to learn with airbrushing 
@ Crooks : Shhhh 
@ Crooks : Shhhh
lenihan
Moderator
Thanks for the advice on this, helpful as always. I think part of the problem was that I was going for too "clean" a finish, and part was that I wasn't thinning my paints enough.
It may well be that airbrush is the way to go here in the long term but I don't have the equipment or practice time at the moment... something for later though!
It may well be that airbrush is the way to go here in the long term but I don't have the equipment or practice time at the moment... something for later though!