Your tips for painting black Ashigaru armour.

[carlos13th]

Does anyone have any good tips for painting black armour for Ashigaru? Want it to look decent while ensuring the detail that's there stands out.

Thanks

Carl

[OSHIROmodels]

Paint the whole figure as normal (well, as normal as you can get with samurai), the lacings should be a light tone but not bright, the black should only have one highlight or so. Once the whole thing is done, varnish as normal (matt) and then paint all the armour plates with gloss. If you go over the lacings they can be touched up with matt again.

It might be useful to use different highlight shades for the black i.e. blue, brown etc.

Hope that's a help 

cheers

James

[carlos13th]

It does thanks. I think highlighting the detail is what I was worried about the most.

[Arteis]

I haven't done any ashigaru as yet, but this is what I did for the black armour on those of my samurai who have it:

1. Undercoat entire figure in matt black.

2. Dry-brush entire figure with medium grey.

3. Paint and ink-wash everything as per normal, including any lacing, EXCEPT leave any armour itself in its black/drybrushed grey undercoat.

4. Varnish the entire figure with your normal matt varnish.

5. Ink-wash ONLY the black armour parts of the figure with GW 'devlan mud' wash (the wash dries to a slight sheen, which makes the armour look slightly shinier than the clothing around it, but not as glaringly shiny as gloss varnish).

The guy second from left is done as above. And the guys on each end, whilst their armour isn't black, have used the same final ink-wash step to achieve that egg-shell sheen on their armour and helmets.

[carlos13th]

Thanks both. How do you do your skin btw?

[OSHIROmodels]

Foundry oriental flesh triad over a base coat of Halfords camo brown spray.

cheers

James

[Cubs]

When I did the dude on the left, I painted it as normal, with a black base, then a darkish grey strip to delineate the edges of the armour and then a bright streak of light down in one place.

If it comes out too grey, try a black ink to darken it back down.

[grant]

You are a god amongst us little men, cubs.

[Cubs]

Then where's my statue, eh? WHERE'S MY STATUE?!

[Ray Earle]

Then where's my statue, eh? WHERE'S MY STATUE?!

You can have it, but you've got to paint it first.. 

[carlos13th]

Thanks for the tips guys. Gonna try some of your suggestions and post the results for your critique.

[carlos13th]

Painting a samurai ATM. Realise I started him a while back and hadnt finished him. No idea how to Pick out the lacing. It's really difficult.

[Ray Earle]

Good tip on your brush and a steady hand. 

[carlos13th]

I have the first. The second is a little more difficult.

One of the hardest parts is working out where to actually place the lacing.

[carlos13th]

This is what I have so far. I washed off the lacing I attempted.