Painting crabshell help please!

[jp762]

Like it says. I am at a loss. I have tried working up from Cavalry brown through brown rose but it doesnt look right. Anybody with experience before I apply too much paint and have to start stripping?

[Cory]

I paint the undersides cream and highlight with white. For the upperside I start with a brown and apply thin washes of a lighter brown and GW's snakebite leather (which is orangish) in a dappling method with a sponge.

[snitcythedog]

Like it says. I am at a loss. I have tried working up from Cavalry brown through brown rose but it doesnt look right.

Why limit to brown?

Are you blending or highlighting?  Highlighting probably will not get the results you want.  Possibly find or mix a light brownish green as the highlight color to give you more contrast? Hope that helps.
Snitchy sends.

[jp762]

Blending, thanks guys, in particular I hadn't considered green or indeed using a sponge. I will give those a go!

....also.....DUH! I had undercoated black as per usual.White methinks for these guys. Wheres the Dettol.....

[Thargor]

I always undercoat black and it didn't seem to have a detrimental effect on this guy:

Hueso Narg 

I used GW Snakebite Leather as a base I think, followed by a wash with Foundry Bay Brown, then slightly-wetbrushed on Foundry's Chestnut Shade, drybrushed the same over the top, then gradually working up the Chestnut series to Chestnut Light.  The edges were then worked up further by adding in progressive amounts of Foundry Canvas Shade in a couple of coats, working up to using a very light drybrush of Foundry Canvas.