Thread by @VoiceOfKosh

My guide to painting black armour in 6 easy steps.

#warmongers #warhammer40k

Mostly drybrushing and shading (no edge highlighting!)

Note: This is using Citadel paints. I primed the model black using a spray can of Chaos Black but I forgot to take a picture of that.

Step 1: Base coat all the areas you want black with Eshin Grey.

Keep the paint thin and do two or three coats. Use a big enough brush to keep the paint smooth. For a model this size I use a small or medium base brush.

Step 2: Drybrush the model Dawnstone.

You're trying to pick out all the edges here so that you'll be able to see the detail. I use a large drybrush.

Step 3: Shade with Nuln Oil.

Don't skimp on the shade. This needs to cover the model nicely. If you don't use enough it just makes it look dirty. Remove any pooling wash with a clean brush before it starts to dry. I use a medium shade brush.

Step 4: OPTIONAL. I've found that some models need another shade of Nuln Oil at this point. Regular marines don't but Primaris do. Have a play around and see what you think looks best. You want a shade similar to the picture.

Step 5: Directional drybrush Celestra Grey.

You want to just hit the edges of things that would catch the light, like shoulder pads, knees, edges of armour plates. Take your time and do each bit in the best direction to catch the edge and nothing else. I use a small drybrush.

Step 6: Shade Nuln Oil again.

This is the final step. As before don't skimp on the wash. Once it's dry you can use small amounts of wash to neaten up areas you want where you drybushed too much.

Now you're ready to paint the rest of the model.

Here's a big picture of all the steps if you'd like to save it.

Notes:

You only want one wash/shade over the Celestra drybrush, so if it's not dark enough do another shade before that step.

You could add extra edge highlighting, but I concocted this method because I hate painting edge highlighting. And I quite like how subtle this is.

You could also add battle damage in step 5 when you directional drybrush, although I've not tried that.

This method is based on Peachy's video on WHTV. I changed it up a bit and added a few more steps.

I used Citadel paints for this and I use them for most of my painting. I've had outright abuse for this on other platforms, not from you lovely people on twitter though! This is just my personal preference right now and I'm sure this method could be modified for other brands.

Some more examples of models I painted with this method.

Please let me know if you use this method to paint something. I would love to see pictures of your work!

Happy painting my friends. 😀