Got some quick questions

[MyLove4uIsLikeATruck]

First off can anyone tell me how washing works? I hear its easier to do faces that way.

Second, what color should I use to highlight black armor?

Third, my Apothecary isn't looking so good. You can see all the brush strokes on this white parts. Any tips on making it look more smoother.

[Stubber]

Washes are inks or watered down paints. They're applied in very small ammounts and they settle in the recesses, giving stuff like faces a shadowed eyes appearence depending on the shade and ammount of wash you used.

Skull white mixed with Fortress grey is a good combination for highlighting black.

Apply the paint in dozens of very thin layers. I mean you shouldn't be able to tell there's any more paint on the model after doing each layer, but after 30 or so layers the colour should be fairly solid.
If you want you can use a skull white-water mix of about 10 parts water per 1 part skull white.
Apply a few washes of this and the colour should be perfect.

[Steellegioncpt]

Originally Posted by MyLove4uIsLikeATruck

First off can anyone tell me how washing works? I hear its easier to do faces that way.

Second, what color should I use to highlight black armor?

Third, my Apothecary isn't looking so good. You can see all the brush strokes on this white parts. Any tips on making it look more smoother.

Once you paint a face the color you want it used a flesh wash very watered down this then makes the ridges in the face look a lot better.

Secondly, ues codex grey

Thirdly,
build it up in layers. For starters when your donw painting it black paint it codex grey then fortress grey then white.

[Perturabo]

Also for painting white areas try doing an under coat of Ice blue (trust me) this gives the white a more crisp finish (painting is all about the undercoat-get that right and bobs your uncle) also it means you can leave a thin line of Ice Blue round areas where panels meet or where things join each other giving a nice outlining effect. If you Need to shade white-say on tabbards again blue gives a cleaner more subtle finish than grey-but it depends on the finish you are after!

[Ion Raptor]

For mostly bright (like your Apothecary) models use a white primer. For 50/50 models use grey and layer, and for dark use black.

As for washes on faces what brand paint are you using (this alone could improve your painting)

If using Vallejo or GW use a thinned down (added water) Elf skin tone for painting over the faces, then take GW Flesh Wash and thin it a bit and apply all over the face. Then take a small brush and highlight any raised areas of the face with the elf skin tone again. This is a basic face.

For black armor uses a neutral grey like GW Codex Grey, you can add a small amount of black to it to make it darker if thats still too bright for you.

Golden Rule: it's easy to make something darker but very hard to make it lighter again.

[Dan296]

also, the new foundation paints are a good tool for brighter models. even with white primer, it can be difficult to build up a brighter color for things like imperial fists, who are sunburst yellow (usually) or some tau sept colors.

[Templar Mikeel]

For highlihgting black armor, I like to use codex grey with black added to it.

[wolfpack]

as for getting out brush strokes...which usually means that yer paint is too thick, is not thoroughly mixed or beginning to dry out...

If your paint is still wet on the fig...open a pot of unshaken white (or whatever the color is)...there is a clearish liquid at the top (liquid acrylic coat and very minute pigment) ...dip your brush in this and then into warm water....apply this in the opposite direction of your strokes and it will pull the paint flat...You don't wanna use a lot of this as it may cause your paints to drag off and make sure you use a soft brush...camel hair or the like...harder brushes can cause paint to pull as well

If the paint is dry on your fig...you can use a diluted color wash...not too thin but just enough to stay in the low areas and settle away from the higher areas...which is why there are brush strokes on your fig...(the paint was drying too fast as you painted)

as for avoiding them in the future...moisten your brush before painting...just damp mind you...get it too wet and the paint runs like an ink...and not necessarily clean it but keep it damp...clean your brush when the paint begins to dry on it...acrylics dry quickly and even more so when you are going from pot to fig and the paint is drying on your brush as you paint...keep your brush moist to avoid this...

[hairyyahoo]

some tips on painting
http://uk.games-workshop.com/painting/

especially black armour
http://uk.games-workshop.com/spacema...lack-armour/1/

[newpaintbrush]

Originally Posted by Dan296

also, the new foundation paints are a good tool for brighter models. even with white primer, it can be difficult to build up a brighter color for things like imperial fists, who are sunburst yellow (usually) or some tau sept colors.

Naw, you just mix in some Golden Yellow (or whatever that dark yellow is) with a bit of Snakebite Leather, then it applies real nice and even. Then you hit it with some Skull White/Bad Moon Yellow drybrush highlights, then you hit it with some watered down Yellow Ink, then you go over with a watered down coat of Bad Moon Yellow to smooth out the transitions.

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

Originally Posted by MyLove4uIsLikeATruck

First off can anyone tell me how washing works?

it involves soap and water and a liberal amount of scrubbing specially behind the ears, the bellybutton and the [censored] regions, as those can easily be forgotten. i know this hobby has inextricable links with malodourous people and similar lack of cleanliness, but i commend your initiative on the battle against bacteria. good luck with the washing.

(sorry, i coudnt help myself)

firstly, welcome to 40k Terra.
secondly, the process of washing or inking is basically using watered down paints and using them to flood areas of detail with colour, leaving higher areas free of colour. its very effective on faces, cloth, fur and generall any area with stark detail. another use for washes is as glazes, which you use on an area one all the highlights/shading have been applied, to bring the colours together, but its best to stick to washes for now.

you can use normal colours watered down (with a teensey bit of washing up liquid to break the surface tension), but i find proper inks are better. you can either apply them as washes, just sloshing it liberally over the area, or you can actually paint it onto the model, being more careful. bot methods have their uses, but its best to aim for a mix of the two; apply it to the model, not too carelessly, but theres no need to be too meticulous

hope that helps a bit

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

Edit: oops double post, sorry