Painting Black using Washes (Commissar DeMartin)

This is a tutorial about painting black without just drybrushing dark grey over a black base coat (which is what I usually do) and trying to create a range of 'blacks' on a potentially monotone model like a Commissar - it also brings out my aversion to just painting Commissars black (I don't know what it is but even Yarrick I painted very dark brown rather than black).

Stage One: Basecoat the model - use colours that you think will make good highlights (the base coat will make the highlights up)
Coat: Khemri Brown (Dark Brown Coat)
Belt: Calthan Brown
Jacket, Cuffs and Hat: Fenris Grey (to give a dark cloth black)
Trousers: Adeptus Battlegrey (to give a matt
Boots: Necron Abyss (to give a dark polished black)
Skin: Tallarn Flesh



Stage Two: Wash (GW Washes used)
Coat and Belt: Devlan Mud
Jacket, Cuffs and Hat: Badab Black
Trousers and Boots: Badab Black
Skin: Ogryn Flesh



Stage Three: Wash (Badab Black layers - all except face - until desired effect achieved) The basecoats shine through as highlights.



Stage Four: Add Highlights to the model (Job Done)



Black but not black finished (Ignore the dodgy eyes they have since been fixed!)

EDIT: Final Model with dodgy eyes fixed (at least partly) and a matt varnish - which has come out a little 'dusty'


Quick Glossary of the Basics:
Undercoat: The first layer of paint on your model - usually white of black primer spray (I almost always use black as a preference)
Basecoat: The first layer of colour of your model - the basic colour of any part of your model (for the beginner - GW foundation paints are a winner)
Wash: A watered down paint used to provide shading and definition to the model (usually in a complementary colour to the basecoat e.g. Mid Brown basecoat, washed with a Dark Brown wash to shade the recesses on the model). You can either use bought washes (which I tend to because I am lazy) or you can create your own by simply thinning normal paint with water. Note: Glazing is a similar but more controlled use of washes, often used to enhance colour or in lighting techniques
Highlights: Painting the areas of the model where the light would catch e.g. the edge of a sword, with a lighter shade (usually linked to the basecoat). Can be done with sharp highlights (good for armour and metal - easiest to do - this is what I have done on the Commissar) or developed into layering and blending (expert level techniques worth several pages on their own)

Cheers Laney - feedback appreciated

Excellent tutorial!

I will refer the young painters to it. It CLEARLY shows not only the power of washing/inking, but that some times you benefit from multiple passes (thanks for adding that... so overlooked in tutorials) and combination with highlighting. Even the base was washed... so it shows the versatility of the ink!

If you consider that many new painters can work the model at the level of the first picture and they think "What a piece of crap... I will never paint again!", then this tutorial takes them to the next level... EASY steps on how to bring the model from blah to WOW! in 5 minutes flat. Now, everyone knows they too can have GREAT LOOKING MODELS!!!


My only recommendation... when you have time, take a picture of the final model (with fixed eyes) and replace the last picture.

A very informative guide, I like how you keep it simple with a minimum amount of text, I could suggest adding a small glossery, as new people can be unfamiliar with terms such as basecoat, highlights etc.

Other than that, a good guide Laney, keep up the good work