Painting Capes

[BrotherValliant]

Ive got me a couple of metal space marine miniatures as well as a whole squad of sniper scouts that have capes on or like dresses or something. Anyways i wanted the capes/dresses to be black cloth but there has to be more to painting them than just leaving them solid black and highlighting the edges.

Any tips for painting capes and whatnot?

[liveevil2000]

Black capes are tough.

I tend to stay away from black capes. But if I am forced to do one, I usually build it up from black to an off black on any raised areas. The process I use is time consuming.
I start with black and use watered down grays. Basically glazes. I start by getting black and adding a greyish blue (shadow gray) in small amounts. I leave pure black in the depest parts of the cloth. Then slowly build up from wide strokes using dark colors to thinner strokes using lighter colors. Again I am using what looks to be dirty water. I build the color up until I start to see depth. Its something I reserve for character pieces since it takes forever to do. If I can find a pic or something laying around with an example of this I'll post it.

FYI: My painting style is one of subtle highlights. If you want bigger contrasts then you would want to use a different method.

[BrotherValliant]

Much appreciated! Ok what about brown, im willing to go back over ALL my scouts and paint all their leather bags brown, but i need a good brown bag tut as well as brown cape tut. Any input on that?

[liveevil2000]

I did a nurgle wizard and posted it in another thread on this forum. Maybe that is the look you are looking for. If it is then I'd be happy to give you the entire formula to do it.
Nurgle Wizard

[Ides]

in the new WD there's a tutorial for painting manfred von carstein, it goes from black through to bleached bone, could be one way to go.

[BrotherValliant]

I like the way you did the nurgle wizard but if i was going to do a brown for the scouts it would have to be darker, im thinking the predominant would be a scorched brown color perhaps beastial brown but im leaning to scorched. Also i couldnt find the Manfred von carstein post if you could link to it that would be awesome.

[Ides]

Don't think there's a tut online for it. Basecoat 3:1 Chaos black and shadow grey. Highlight by adding bleached bone to the mix for two more layers, then highlight with pure bleached bone. Finish off with a glaze of scaly green over the whole thing.

Its the technique used for the armour Here.

[Biadetic]

If your'e not to comforatble using staright applications of highlights, try realllly watered down (whatever colour you want) and apply it down the ridges, it doesnt really show through at all until maybe 4-5 applications... but it gives it a more flowing melded colour instead of sharp highlighting.

[liveevil2000]

The watered down technique I was describing works best. Time consuming but worth it.

I am working on doing a sword this way. Maybe I can show you a step by step. Except I usually go brain dead when trying tuts and forget to take pics along the way.

[Rellik]

i did a couple of black capes with just a light drybrush of codex grey then a highlight of it as well. maybe that might help.