How Not To Paint - Otherworld Wraiths

I’m back! It’s been a little hectic around here, but I’m back, at least for a bit anyway. So, the paint job I’m showing you today uses a single colour across the entire model, in this case Grey, but the technique could easily be used to paint a sepia scheme or any other monochrome effect.

To start with I undercoated the model with black, then a layer of Astronomican Grey and then I washed the whole thing with Badab Black.

Next I mixed up a wash of Greatcoat Grey and Badab Black and washed the entire model again. 

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Next I added a little Fortress Grey to the mix. This should thicken the mix from a wash to a thin paint, this will give a very smooth finish and flow, but it may feel different to paint with because it’s so thin. Using this I painted everything but the recesses. As you can see on the sword I feathered the edges so that it fades slowly into the darker layer. This is relatively easy to achieve with these watered down layers.

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Next I added more Fortress Grey to the mix, adding some more Badab Black to keep the consistency of the mix about the same as the previous coat. This layer was applied to all raised areas of the model. This was the final layer of highlights for the cloth and skin. I used different levels of highlights to add definition to the finished model so that the cloth, skin and armour would have a different feel without needing to make them a different colour. If everything is the exact same colour it can look more like a statue than a living thing.

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Finally I added some white to the mix and highlighted all the edges of the armour and weapons. I also added highlights to the various adornments on the fabric, like the chain and medallion. This final layer of highlights was very much about painting lines because the armour needed to feel the most solid part of the model. You may be able to see how this effect works on the sword. The original blending is still visible but the edge is also very defined.

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The final step was to wash all the flesh with Badab Black to bring it all down a shade below the clothing. I also added a touch of Badab Black to the very deepest recesses of the armour. I based using my premixed earth flock, adding extra stones using superglue.

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And that’s how I painted an Otherworld Wraith using only 4 colours and one wash. Shame I don’t get to keep it!

Next Week: Zombie Halflings

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