Painting Bloodreavers (on Contrast basecoat)

Introduction

After all the "by-the-book" experiments with Contrast on the undead commission stuff, it was time to try out a serious paintjob. I laid down the basecoats with Contrast, did regular highlights, then painted the metallics in a normal fashion. I am completely satisfied with the end result. With actual planning (instead of these haphazard experiments), this can save some time on the basecoating stage.

Basecoats

Prime Wraithbone. 

Apply basecoats: Darkoath Flesh (skin), Black Templar (black leather), Snakebite Leather (light brown leather), diluted Cygor Brown (dark brown leather), Gore Grunta Fur (orange leather, bracers), Wyldwood (wooden hafts), Skeleton Horde (skulls).

Highlighting black

First experiment: how to highlight a black area over Contrast. Start with this basecoat of Black Templar.

I followed my regular black highlights for the first try, but it doesn't look any good. The Heavy Charcoal is already darker than the basecoat.

So I went over with Black Templar (left) and Basilicanum Grey (right). It might do for quick and dirty work, but not up to my standards.

Second try: darken down the basecoat with a second layer. Black Templar on the left, Basilicanum Grey on the right. The grey layer makes it look better, as if I'd already applied a first highlight over black. Promising.

Cold Grey on this basecoat would be way too stark, and Heavy Charcoal is invisible. So I got to mixing 2:1 Cold Grey with Black for the first highlight, then Cold Grey for the second.

Third experiment: dark grey/black rocks. Based on what I learned, I started with two coats of Black  Templar. Then a thick edge highlight of Cold Grey.

Highlight Stonewall Grey.

Second layer of Black Templar (left) and Basilicanum Grey (right). Right one looks better.

Highlight Gore-Grunta Fur

I first mixed Beasty Brown and Hot Orange, and it's 99% the same color. Invisible for highlights, but useful for tidying up any pooling.

So I did highlights with pure Hot Orange, a bit better this time.

Superhighlight Filthy Brown. A bit too yellow, but it will do here.

Highlighting skin

Heavy Skintone is invisible on Darkoath Flesh - again, this looks to be a tidying up stage.

So I mixed 1:1 Heavy Skintone and Elf Skintone. Used as a highlight on the left, and directly on the Contrast base on the right. 

Final highlights with Elf Skintone.

Second experiment. To achieve a lighter skintone, I did the cleanup step with Elf Skintone.

Highlight with a mix of Elf Skintone and Pale Flesh.

Third experiment. Start with a second layer of Darkoath Flesh for a darker base, then cleanup/highlight Heavy Skintone.

Highlight with a mix of Heavy Skintone and Pale Flesh.

Also Gore Grunta Fur nipples.

Superhighlight Pale Flesh.

Highlighting bone

Start from Skeleton Horde.

Apply patches of Snakebite Leather. I like Agrax Earthshade more here, as it is subtler.

But Basilicanum Grey is perfect.

Highlight Bonewhite.

Highlighting wood

I started with my normal dark brown scheme, but I immediately noticed that Charred Brown is darker than Wyldwood.

So I rather came in with another layer of Wyldwood to darken down the basecoat.

Successive highlights of Charred Brown (invisible); Charred Brown mixed with Heavy Brown; Heavy Brown. Leave the brush strokes to induce some texture.

Highlighting leather

Beasty Brown came as a natural highlight for the thinned down Cygor Brown.

A second highlight of Leather Brown rounded off the job.

The lighter brown proved trickier, with Leather Brown near invisible - a cleanup stage not needed on these small straps.

I decided to go with it and use Filthy Brown instead.

Then Bonewhite for the final highlight, creating some texture and ageing the leather.

Fur cuffs

I was out of ideas for Contrast here, so I instead experimented with Khaki. That is the basetone for the fur here.

Each chap gets a different wash. From left to right: Agrax Earthshade, Nuln Oil, Reikland Fleshshade, Seraphim Sepia. They each look OK, but given the amount of browns and reds already on the model, I decided I liked the Nuln Oil one best.

Use a small brush for Khaki highlights.

Pale blond hair

I know I already have one, but I tried something a) faster to achieve b) less yellow.

Basecoat Ghost Grey.

Wash with Seraphim Sepia diluted with Lahmian Medium.

Highlight with a mix of Ghost Grey and Wraithbone.

Can you say platinum blond again?

White cloth

Just like the original, but with diluted Skeleton Horde instead of Seraphim Sepia. No noticeable difference.

Weapons and armor

Just like the previous batch. Also blood on the weapons and base. 

Finished?

Not 100% as I will do some enhancements on the skin & face after I get the other 10 done. But so far so good!