How do YOU paint "Zombie skin"?

[magokiron]

Exactly as the title says. 

We're expanding our gaming adventures with some "zombie survival" using the EXCELLENT AKULA's rules.

So I'll paint a good bunch of zombies in the near future.

How do YOU paint your zombies?

Pic of your models and/or links to your blogs are more than welcome.

AND if you can explain the techniques and colors used, I'm sure lots of us will be grateful.

Thanks and best wishes.

[bandit86]

I like freshly dead so I use a mix up flesh with light gray. then a weak wash of blues and purples to build up the dead look.

http://bandit86.blogspot.com/search/label/Zombies

[TwoGunBob]

A few of my some odd 175 zombies. I prime white, wash in a deep plum purple, highlight in slate grey, then highlight once more in Vallejo Dead Flesh. Somewhere in the mists of internet time someone suggested that recipe to me and I found it works pretty well.

[Lowtardog]

I play around with flesh tones

Some I base on newly dead, with flesh then pale flesh then a bone or off white

then the grey with lighter shades again ending in a bone or off white

for green its camo green, zombie flesh and then bone drybrush

I tend to use olive oil wash to give an unhealth look too.

[necrocannibal]

I'm not very fond of painting Zombies with greenish or greyish skin, so I use "fresher" fleshtones.
I use Tan (Vallejo Game Color) as a base color and then I highlight with Dwarf Skin (Vallejo Game Color) and Cadmiun Skin (again, Vallejo Game Color). I use Ogryn Flesh Wash (GW) in the recesses and finally Baal Red Wash (GW) to taste.

[blackstone]

I start with a flesh colour then add either a green or blue to make the flesh an off-colour.  A dirty coloured wash here and there can help give the skin a mottled look.  Red ink, with a little black added, mixed with PVA makes a good gore mixture and if you apply this after you've matt varnised the figure the PVA gives a the blood a nice glossy finished which looks cool.

[magokiron]

Great ideas!

blackstone I really like how your odd color skinned zombies turned out. No doubt I'll try something like that on the "Special Zombies".

necrocannibal I like the "fresh" zombies too, and undoubtedly I'll make some that way too for the "Shamblers".

TwoGunBob you have a nice selection of zombie models and they turned really good. Thanks for sharing your colors with us.

Lowtardog and bandit86 Thank you for your great suggestions.

Anyone else want to share his/hers techniques?

As I need to paint a big bunch of models, any "easy and quick" method is more than welcome.

Thanks a lot and best wishes.

[goon3423]

Base with Dehb Stone, wash with a dirty brown ink or wash then highlight with zombie flesh/undead skin & finish with a highlight of an off-white. It looks like old bloodless skin, not very "fresh dead". I like a high contrast between the living & the dead  .

[snitcythedog]

I blogged my recipe.
http://snitchythedog.blogspot.com/2012/03/painting-zombie-skin.html

Just remember, first everyone does it different.  Second zombies will be in various states of decomposition.
And C, do what works for you.  Have fun.
Snitchy sends.   

[Braxandur]

I have tried a lot of different recipes, I like the grey skins tones, but was looking for an even easier disgusting look

I start with GW rotting flesh (which is already not for sale anymore for years, but putrid green from Coat D'arms is the same color.
After this, a ogryn flesh wash en ending with highlights which can be elf flesh or rotting flesh. Sometimes I add an additional GW purple or red wash.

Noe pictures from me, I'm afraid. All the miniatures are packed into boxes and will only get out after I am living in my new house.

[sundayhero]

For zombies tone, the most important thing is to choose the decomposition level of them.

It can depand of the background, or simply of the figure sculpture itself.

In the following example, these "blessed legionnaries" from Warzone are known for being raised dead soldiers, charged with lethal deseases and plagues. So I choosed some greenish skin tones, to represent their sickness. ("fresh" tone = good health for most people).

I used thraka green citadel wash, dead flesh Vallejo Game Color, bone white VGC, and finished with a chesnut acrylic stain.








1)dead flesh coat
2)bone white (on...bones)
3)thraka green wash (on flesh zones)
4)chesnut stain (all over the figure)


That's a simple, fast and (I hope!) eficient technic to paint zombies in heavy decomposition, or sick zombies, swamp zombies, etc...

[magokiron]

sundayhero, your zombies really look the part.

So... only flat colors and 2 washes?

THAT is "quick and easy" with great results.

To all of you, thank you very much for your very useful explanations pals.

Now to the painting desk... 

Best wishes.

[sundayhero]

So... only flat colors and 2 washes?

THAT is "quick and easy" with great results.

Almost. I always make some small additions, a highlight there, a bit of shading there, etc...

I also use an "old school" detailing technic, wich is a part of the final result (you can see it on my D&D figures, or my Super Heroes)  : I paint blacklines (mix of 1/2 black ink + 1/2black paint) with a thin (5/0) brush between the diferent parts of the figures I want to make more visible. It give nice contrasts, and it's easier than you may think (the mix and the brush quality are important).


To resume, for speed/regiment painting (and, to be honest, even  most of my individuals :: ) I do 1 basic tone, one highlight, one shading (most of the time, citadel washes, inks, sometimes wood stain), blacklining, and that 's it.

[Stahlfürst]

I'm quite lazy too:

1) Grey primer
2) VGC Heavy Warmgrey basecoat
3) Wash of ~ 2:1 mix of Leviatan Purple and Badab Black
4) VGC Heavy Warmgrey highlight

[Commander Vyper]

All in my thread mate:











No secret really just playing with palettes,
Three colour options that work well:

Grey, overwashed with thinned purple ink + green citadel wash, highlights picked out in grey + touch of rotting flesh (GW)

Camo green (GW), washed with thinned purple ink, red ink + green citadel wash, highlights picked out in thinned camo green(GW)/rotting flesh(GW).

Rotting flesh (GW) washed with thinned purple ink + green citadel wash, highlights first with rotting flesh (GW) and a tiny spot of purple ink, then rotting flesh highlighted with a touch of bleached bone(GW).

Just play around and see what you come up, good luck, post up when painted.

The Commander