Guide to my 30k Dark Angels Scheme

Hi readers,

Someone expressed interest in a "How-To" guide for my 30k scheme for my Dark Angels. I took pictures at most of the stages, though as it was pulling together I got a little excited so there are a few jump cuts I'm afraid! But I hope that anyone who wants to repeat the above scheme will find this useful!

This was what the model looked like after undercoating. To get to this stage I undercoated with black and when that was dry I sprayed the model with white BUT only from one side.

This was from the right as you look at the picture, sweeping it to the back and the front of the modl. This meant I still got white coverage on the front and back but it fades to the left of the model as you look at it.

This is supposed to create natural shadow on the model. The direction from which I spray the white is the direction from which the an imaginary light source is coming from, thereby creating an effect of "natural" shadows. I hope that makes sense?

 The model then got a wash of Drakenhoff nightshade all over. I am lazy so I just slapped it on, but I would think better more patient painters would actually restrict this wash to the areas they want to be black. The purpose of the blue is to add depth to the black washes that will go over it after.

I wasn't sure how many washes of black I would add, so I decided to put on my leadbelcher now as I usually give that 1-2 washes of nuln oil if I am going for a dirty metal look, which I am with this model.

This is the model after TWO washes of nuln oil. I was just guessing here, but I thought it gave a nice black effect, going off the shoulder mostly, which would take the bulk of the light hitting the model I suppose... (or is that bullshit.. hmmm!) So I stopped here and went on to basecoat the other colours.

The model has had the red and cloth coloured here with khorne red and ushabti bone respectively.

With both red and cloth washed with nuln oil and whilst that dried I painted the claws macragge blue

The red got a highlight of khorne red and the cloth ushabti bone

The cloth was given a light wash of seraphim sepia to blend the highlights a bit (didn't work all that well tbh) and the red was highlighted with wazdakka red.

EDIT: I also line highlighted the important edges of the black using Dark Reaper... Sorry I don't know how I forgot this first time!

The red got its final highlight of a very light touch of evil sunz scarlet

The eyes were filled with khorne red and red gem on the cloth was coloured with wazdakka red

The silver was then highlighted with leadbelcher and wazdakka red added to his eyes.

Finally ceramite white was added to the eyes and the claws were drybrushed to get that effect. I forgot to take pictures at each stage sorry!

But briefly, you drybrush 3/4 of the claw with altdorf blue starting near the hand and moving to the tip of the claw. Then repeat this with hoeth blue but only on the bottom 1/2 of the claw. Then mix ceramite white into the blob of hoeth blue left on your drybrush cloth. Roughly 50:50 but I don.t measure it closely. This is drybrushed on to the final quarter of the claw and then the very tips are drybrushed with ceramite white only.

Its important to overlap these layers so they blend. So don't stck rigidly to 3/4 or 1/2 of the claw but overlap them as seems right.

EDIT: I also used a TINY amount of macragge blue to highlight the highest points of the black. Again sorry I completely forgot to put this in originally! 

And the finished model with whatever basing you care for!

I hope that helps even one of you out there :)

Peace out,

Rob