20 replies to this topic

[Brett Birkmire]

I would like to know some good painting combos i could put on my dawrf beards using the paints I already have any advice is welcome.


OK first off here is the colors I have that could be used for beards:

Bubonic Brown
Golden Yellow
Chaos Black
Codex Gray
Calthan Brown
Skull White
Bleached Bone
Fiery Orange
Desert Yellow
Vomit Brown
Snakebite Leather
Vermin Brown

Inks:

Yellow Ink
Chestnut ink
Brown Ink
Black Ink(not games workshop made by Reaper minis)
Delvan Mud(wash)

I would not like to buy any new paints/inks so if you know any good combos using these please share.



P.S. is how I type in the forums OK?

Edited by Brett Birkmire, 16 February 2009 - 09:50 PM.

[Glali]

I tend to use controlled-dipping alot ("Painting on the dip" so to say) though during the time i painted beards I tended to do layering. Lets say you paint brown beards, do some dark brown then move up lighter for example Scortched Earth / Brown then a mix of Scortched Earth and white and so forth. Just mix around and you will find something that suits you.

Yours Truly

Glali

[Halbrad]

Your typing is fine now!

I am not the most accomplished painter on this board, but some combo's that work nicely for my average skills:

Dark brown beard: Calthan Brown, Wash of Devlan mud, drybrush calthan again (i use b estial), some hairs vermin
Brown beard: Vermin, Wash of Devlan mud, drybrush vermin, drybrush bubonic, some hairs bubonic/bleached bone mix
White Blond beard: Bleached bone, wash of thinned chestnut ink, drybrush bleached bone/white mix, drybrush white
White Grey beard: Codex grey, thinned down black wash, drybrush grey/white mix, drybrush white
Black beard: Black, drybrush codex grey, black wash, some hairs codex grey
Orange beard: Fiery orange, wash of brown ink, drybrush orange, some hairs golden yellow

Cheers,
Hal

Edited by Halbrad, 16 February 2009 - 10:22 PM.

[Tungdil Goldhand]

I try to paint my Dwarfs with as much as variation as possible. For me, there's basically a few colours of beards: white/grey, black, red/ginger/orange and brown and blond colours. Therefore, actually all paints in your list are used by me to paint beards.

When I get to painting hair or a beard, I randomly pick a colour and sometimes mix something up; a red-ish brown beard, a greyish brown beard, a ginger beard, all combinations work. I use washes though.

I usually paint the beard with the main colour first, then wash it completely with the new black wash or *the new brown wash*, apply a thick/rough highlight of the main colour again and highlight with a mix of the main colour and some white (or bleached bone if preferred).

I advise definattely to get just the new black wash and to give it a go. It works like a charm, really.

[Lord Ravenhelm]

Black beards:
Chaos black, highlighted with codex gray (and perhaps with a few well placed lines of skull white, since you don't have fortress gray).

Brown beards:
Calthan brown, wash with devlan mud, highlight with vermin brown and add further highlights with a few thin lines of vomit brown.

Blond beards:
Calthan brown, highlight with snakebite leather, highlight with either bubonic brown or desert yellow, then highlight with bleached bone.

Orange beards:
Basecoat with vermin brown, highlight with fiery orange, try washing it with devlan mud, reapply fiery orange, followed by golden yellow.

I hope this helped you a bit.

Lord Ravenhelm

[Halbrad]

Blond beards:
Calthan brown, highlight with snakebite leather, highlight with either bubonic brown or desert yellow, then highlight with bleached bone.

Thank you Lord Ravenhelm! So far i have had problems with creating true blond beards, always ending up to yellow or to white. I'll definitly try that one!

Cheers,
Hal

[Lord Ravenhelm]

You are welcome. I am always glad to help my fellow painters (since I often seek the advice from my friends in the club). Feel free to ask anything you need.

Lord Ravenhelm

Edited by Lord Ravenhelm, 16 February 2009 - 11:10 PM.

[Perv]

For black beards you can use a technique that I've only ever seen in a VERY old White Dwarf. Instead of highlighting the black with grey, mix some turquiose in with the black and highlight with that. It gives a blue hue to it and looks very natural. Also gives more of a variety to the usual grey\white highlights Bet ya never thought turquoise could be used on a beard !!!!

One way of getting a blonde beard is to basecoat light-grey, drybrush white, yellow ink it all Or basecoat mid-grey, heavy drybrush light-grey, lightly drybrush white then yellow ink it all, this gives more depth without needing much skill.

[Pipeline]

here's a few i didnt see above:


Black, Shadow Grey, Spacewolf Grey, White

Black, Greatcoat Grey, Frostbite, White

Bleached Bone, Ogryn Flesh Wash, Bleached Bone, White

Rucksack Tan, Gryphonne Sepia Wash, Rucksack Tan, Bleached Bone, White

rucksack tan is a p3 paint

Greycoat and Frostbite are also p3

[Lord Azaghul]

One way of getting a blonde beard is to basecoat light-grey, drybrush white, yellow ink it all Or basecoat mid-grey, heavy drybrush light-grey, lightly drybrush white then yellow ink it all, this gives more depth without needing much skill.

Do you dry brush back over the yellow ink? It just sound's so bright.

[Perv]

Nah but I dont find my yellow ink is very bright although its about 15 years old now. Its glossy which is annoying, just not bright. I like different shades of blonde and this just gives an extra option. I dont have many yellow shades for some reason and I hate mixing paints.

[Lord Azaghul]

I guess it's more the gloss I'm concerned with - I often ended up dry brushing back over most of my older GW washes because of the gloss, and of course blond is one of beard color I've never been happy with in my attempts. - Thanks for the tips

[Perv]

I got that tip from a painter off the army painting yahoo group. They specialise in fast painting and not too much detail though. I thought it was just my yellow ink that was glossy through age but must be the ones from that era. Join the club with not liking how blonde beards come out !!! I think theres more of us that dislike the results than do like the results

[Tungdil Goldhand]

I personally use the technique Perv describes every now and then, I just add one more layer (highlight/drybrush), rarely even two.

Edited by Tungdil Goldhand, 19 February 2009 - 10:47 PM.

[Perv]

Its nice to have several ways of doing things so you can get varied results. One way may be preferable but you cant have every beard looking the same shade. No reason for not adding an extra step but I was just going for simple, adding the extra highlight\drybrush will give you an extra shade option too

[maciasas04]

Apart from all the techiques mentioned above , what I found the easiest way of painting beards was simply picking any colour- rather darker shade-and move up with the layers just slightly brightening them with white/bleached bone or yellow. quick and with many beards ,efficient way with possibility of building the depth just with simply increasing number of lighter layers

[Stoobacca Hindirth]

i find washing over inks once they dry takes off the gloss buy keeps the richness of color inks give you

[Perv]

Yeah you cant beat layering Maciasas, if only I could do it

How would you wash over a yellow ink Stoobacca?

Is there a brush-on Dullcoat product? I think Dullcoat only comes in a spray but may be wrong. If there is that'd be something I'd invest in. Not sure if matt varnish would do the job?

[Stoobacca Hindirth]

a watered down ogryn flesh would do the trick i reckon

[Perv]

cheers, I'll try it