Power Sword Tutorial (with more to follow)

Hi All,

At request I've done a power sword tutorial, which is my own take on the space hulk 'blue lightning' effect. It's easier to do than you might think so give it a go. I'll post a 'basic' drybrush power sword effect on here when I get time. Please note: The green was a test for this technique - you can say if it was successful or not!) So here goes...

Step 1: Find out the range of blues (or greens, or reds) that you have and put them in shade order. Some of these I used as extra steps, which you can skip for a quicker effect -I will mark the main steps with a 'KEY' as we go. I missed out camo green on the green stages, because it was clearly the wrong sequence of colours!


After undercoating black - personal preference - never tried this on a white/grey undercoat - try it tell me if it works!

KEY Step 2: Basecoat with necron abyss (blue) or orkshide shade (green)


KEY Step 3: With a detail brush draw on fairly broad lightning crackles in regal blue or dark angels green


Step 4: Go over these with a thiner line of Mordian Blue or Knarloc Green


KEY Step 5: Use an even thinner line of enchanted blue or snot green (don't worry if you cover over parts or run onto the base coat (if it's too precise it will look rubbish anyway)


Step 6: Same as above, but using Hawk turquoise and Scorpion green (you can begin to use this stage as the start of highlights on key parts of the 'lightning')


KEY Step 7: On parts of the lightning, use Ice Blue or Rotting Flesh as a highlight (you can also use this step and the previous one to line the edge of the blade - I like the overall look this achieves - but you can miss it out)


Step 8: You can use space wolves grey as another level of highlighting on the blue.


KEY Step 9: Skull White as the final highlight - really brings out the lightning feel.


You can use the same colours and gradually drybrush a pretty cool looking power sword (tutorial on this to follow).

Examples of power swords past and present!
Lightning Effect

'Molten' Sword - using drybrushing techniques

An early effort of a Drybrushed blue thunderhammer

Highlighted green power fist


Cheers Laney

EDIT: In retrospect, including some yellow tones at the top end of the green sequence would have created a better overall effect (I might try this and post the results.

Holy cow.... you revealed another secret... solved another mystery! It is just like your Verdigris Style Weathering Tutorial... so easy it hurts!

Instinctively I had tried this before, but with 3 colors. I basically stopped at Step 5 and obviously I FAILED. Now I understand... this is about setting as many colors in the range as possible, letting them go through in small sections of the crackle (to make it 'move')... so clear now.

You should write a book. I mean it... Your pictures are good, but if you make a more professional-looking pictures, or better yet... a VIDEO... you could sell the tutorials. Make 'em cheap (bunch of videos for $5)... I buy one! Thanks for the freebie... my mind has been open. Once I start painting again, I will try it. You know that the Verdigris worked for me (you see PERSONALLY) in a couple of days... so I'm confident I will be able to reproduce this one.

Glad to be of help!

Great tutorial, I will have to give it a go, thanks!

WOW, that looks awesome! Thanks for the tut.