Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Painting & Modelling => Topic started by: Last Hussar on 26 June 2014, 06:27:52 PM

Title: Painting black skin
Post by: Last Hussar on 26 June 2014, 06:27:52 PM
How do I get realistic African-American skin on my 10mm Viet Nam Yanks?

Please don't tell me what paints to buy - I don't want to accumulate more paint!
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 26 June 2014, 07:26:27 PM
Normal flesh, two coats of sepia wash then a watery black wash.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Steve J on 26 June 2014, 07:35:12 PM
Black skin is very hard to paint because there are around 24 recognised 'black skin tones', ranging from pretty light through to oily charcoal black. Personally I'd got for a lighter shade than you think so that it stands out on the figures, especially against their camo uniforms. Will's advice seems to make sense, but as with all these things I'd do a few samples to see what works for you.

Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Fenton on 26 June 2014, 07:39:42 PM
I use GW Dark flesh with a highlight of the same paint mixed with dwarf flesh
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: GordonY on 26 June 2014, 09:20:28 PM
I use brown, honestly that was what was printed on the label, flat brown (Tamiya), then darken it a bit with my magic wash.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: petercooman on 27 June 2014, 04:06:59 AM
Quote from: Fenton on 26 June 2014, 07:39:42 PM
I use GW Dark flesh with a highlight of the same paint mixed with dwarf flesh

Same here, dark flesh with a highlight, but i give it a good devlan mud wash first:

(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff441/petercooman123/competitions/DSC02325.jpg) (http://s1236.photobucket.com/user/petercooman123/media/competitions/DSC02325.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: FierceKitty on 27 June 2014, 04:13:07 AM
Sorry - that fails to convince me.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: petercooman on 27 June 2014, 05:43:54 AM
Quote from: FierceKitty on 27 June 2014, 04:13:07 AM
Sorry - that fails to convince me.

Not trying to convince anyone, just showing  :)
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Orcs on 02 August 2014, 10:58:44 AM
Colour party do a range of skin tones

I have always used "Negro Flesh" by colour party paints for African skin. Dark wash for the darker skin tones. For Asian I ngenerally use leather brown
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Leman on 02 August 2014, 01:50:43 PM
Quote from: FierceKitty on 27 June 2014, 04:13:07 AM
Sorry - that fails to convince me.
I think they're Arab types rather than Afro-Americans.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: FierceKitty on 02 August 2014, 01:51:58 PM
Quote from: mad lemmey on 26 June 2014, 07:26:27 PM
Normal flesh

For God's sake! Just noticed this now. Try thinking before you speak!

Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 02 August 2014, 02:11:05 PM
FK, all I was saying was one way of painting people of African origin was to take your normal flesh colour and by applying undiluted sepia ink, leaving it to dry and then applying a second sepia coat you can produce a reasonable approximation of lighter African skin tones without shelling out for new ink/paints.
Sorry if my original was confusing.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: FierceKitty on 02 August 2014, 02:17:28 PM
Normal = about 20% of the world at most?
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Leon on 03 August 2014, 03:56:22 PM
I think we all understood what Lemmey was saying there.  Vallejo have colours called 'Basic Skintone' and 'Flat Flesh' which might only cater for a percentage of the world as well, but everyone knows what they mean.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: WeeWars on 03 August 2014, 06:31:24 PM
Quote from: Last Hussar on 26 June 2014, 06:27:52 PM
How do I get realistic African-American skin on my 10mm Viet Nam Yanks?

Please don't tell me what paints to buy - I don't want to accumulate more paint!

Burnt Umber is a good start as it is a dark red-brown and is a must in every wargamer's paint box. It lends itself very well to washes over a lighter colour - something like a mid to light brown.

Otherwise, you're looking at replicating something like the Foundry Dark African Flesh palette with whatever you have.

(http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/files/cache/eebcfbd51813803ef081b900ca264f00_f7577.png)
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: WeeWars on 03 August 2014, 06:34:00 PM
Quote from: FierceKitty on 02 August 2014, 02:17:28 PM
Normal = about 20% of the world at most?

Normal = 99.9% of the figures I've painted.
Title: Re: Painting black skin
Post by: Leman on 03 August 2014, 07:13:06 PM
It's political correctness gone mad. Again. At one time SOME people from this continent bought SOME enslaved people from another continent. It was a long time ago. Get over it. Or go on and on and....... Anyone fancy a holiday in  Gaza?