How to paint black skin

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

I don't have much experience painting black skin, and I want it to be different to the way I usually paint brown shades (which is usually 3 layers of different versions of brown with a wash). Can someone give me some tips? Cheers.

JamesR · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:00 am

I painted my Mahud in the skin tone of my good friend from Cameroon, Africa.
To try and mimic it I used equal parts Bestial Brown to Doombull Brown as the base. Shaded with both Agrax Earthshade and Reikland Flesh-shade (however it's spelt). And highlighted with coats of Doombull Brown and then Doombull Brown with Skrag Brown and a little Doombull with Ushanti bone (this is only for the brow and other regions that caught the most light.

Dezartfox · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:46 am

I just went doom bull brown with reikland wash. Highlight back up with doom bull and then add a touch of bugmans into the mix for lips etc

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:36 pm

Jenova's website here has a great tutorial about painting african, caucasian, eqyptian, and drow flesh tones. I love, love, love, love it. It's located in her tips and tutorials section. *warning miniature nudity*

http://www.jenova.dk

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

Thanks for the tips, does anyone have any pictures?

JamesR · **Posted:** Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:42 am

Here's my Mahud King.

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

Very well done! Thanks for the picture, its giving me lots of ideas already.

Hirumith, the Grey Knight · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:18 am

Here's a gladiator I've done in a dark skin tone (not the best photograph, sorry):

I'm afraid I couldn't tell you the exact method I used, as it was some time ago, but I know I started from a Scorched Brown base, built up with a mix of that and Bestial Brown, and finished of with Vermin Brown mixed with a tiny bit of Red in it.

Most of those are old GW paint names, but there are conversion charts out there if you were interested.

revolutionary · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:52 pm

The base is burnt umber over a black primer. Highlight with three lighter shades made by adding successively more IWM/RalPartha Leather. I find browns work pretty well!

Thanks
n

revolutionary · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:53 pm

I can't believe it says I've only posted 35 posts! I know, it happened with the re-launch, but ouch!

Thanks
n

Rangefinder · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:02 pm

For my Mahud Warriors I did not like the paint in the sourcebooks.
I wanted them to be "really black".
So I based them with chaos black.
Then I just went in with a small drybrush with a little shadow grey.
I really go in with very very little paint, work up layers.
It pops out the features.

One thing is, I am not super into painting face details.
No eyeballs, teeth, or tongues; etc...
I am going for nice tabletop quality.
If something looks lacking, I will go back into it more.

JamesR · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:30 pm

I'd call my piece a table-top quality. And there's literally no humans who are a "pure black" skin tone. There's very very dark brown, but not a true black

revolutionary · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:35 pm

JamesR wrote:

I'd call my piece a table-top quality. And there's literally no humans who are a "pure black" skin tone. There's very very dark brown, but not a true black

Have a quick internet search for "coloidal silver", you might be surprised what you see... Those people are actually GRAY!

Painting black skin is easy though, you just paint it black and highlight up with gray/white! I've painted zombie with dark gray flesh many times.

Maybe that gray in the middle is too light, but it should give you some idea of how it looks!

Thanks
n.

How to paint black skin

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