How do I paint really white skin tones?

[The Gray Ghost]

I am working on some evil elves and want them to have really white skin, are there any tips for doing that?

[Heldrak]

Take a look at the Privateer Press Forum and have a gander at some of the tutorials on painting Legion of Everblight blighted Nyss flesh:

http://privateerpressforums.com/forumdisplay.php?6-Miniatures-Painting-and-Modeling

Alternatively, I can give you my recipe for these Foundry Elven Revenants:

[Eric the Shed]

Gorgeous figures...

[Mason]

Alternatively, I can give you my recipe for these Foundry Elven Revenants:

I think that had better do so.
After posting a picture like that, you are honour bound to share.
 

Bloody gorgeous!
 

[The Gray Ghost]

Indeed, those, the Everblights and the old Grenadiers Dark Elves are the figures I am trying to paint

Alternatively, I can give you my recipe for these Foundry Elven Revenants:
I think that had better do so.
After posting a picture like that, you are honour bound to share.
 

Bloody gorgeous!
 

[Michi]

I started with leather brown with white mixed in increasingly. The result is a very strong contrast of highlighted areas and makes the paleness (while not looking dead or sick) quite believable, I find.

[Heldrak]

I think that (you) had better do so.

The recipe is simple in the description, but finicky in the execution.

Start with a basecoat of the old GW Rotting Flesh over a black undercoat. If the old GW Rotting Flesh is no longer available, then any greenish undead flesh tone (Reaper Master Series, P3, Coat d'Arms, Vallejo, etc.) will do. The base color should be essentially the same color as the the background of the LAF board. Make sure that you get good coverage on the basecoat (no black primer showing through or discoloring the basecoat). After the basecoat is dry, shade with a thin 50/50 wash of purple and brown washes. This helps knock out the greenishness of the Rotting Flesh (or equivalent) and provides a more realistic flesh tone. Then highlight upward with Rotting Flesh plus increasing amounts of white, reapplying the shading wash (thin!) at various stages to smooth the transitions. The final highlight stage should still have a tinge of the original basecoat color.

You can see a picture I took at an earlier stage of the same figures here:



You can see the effects of the wash on this closeup of Mayalari here:



The wash shows most in the shadows/definition of her face, her throat, her chest and her legs.

[Heldrak]

I started with leather brown with white mixed in increasingly. The result is a very strong contrast of highlighted areas and makes the paleness (while not looking dead or sick) quite believable, I find.

I painted this Jack Carson figure according to Michi's sage advice (brown highlighted up with white), although I didn't take the highlighting so far up the scale:

[Mason]

Well, thank (YOU  ) very much, MG!

I will have to give that a go soon.

[Melnibonean]

I use a layer of very pale flesh tone - a blue wash - highlight with a mix of the pale flesh and very pale grey (Vallejo Ghost Grey... I think).

Very easy.

[The Gray Ghost]

Melnibonean who makes that figure?

[Major_Gilbear]

Melnibonean who makes that figure?

Avatars of War (linky).

[Melnibonean]

Like the Major said...