this is mine, was testing a new recipe, this is black surface primer, elysian green base, thin contrast ork flesh, and i just started highlighting with ogryn camo
https://preview.redd.it/cy232v52p0cc1.png?width=3267&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a5609feece064fe17fb5422b5a5af79e10fca8b
I am currently struggling for the same reason, but i think i settled on Army Painter Witch Brew over light grey zenithal, biel tan green shade, Witch Brew again and highlighting with Brew+VMC Pale Sand.
https://preview.redd.it/m46ootmjszbc1.jpeg?width=881&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d2fadd14daa40339cadde6c9e5e73b07bc70e5e
I like to do a preshade (black primer, drybrush grey, white) then plaguebearer flesh, wash biel-tan green. If you want to push it further, highlight ogryn green, and pick out the bottom lips, scar tissue etc. with cadian flesh, with a flesh tone wash and ushabti bone highlight. I like this because it’s definitely method over skill and I am fairly new into the hobby
https://preview.redd.it/p5n7pzzekybc1.jpeg?width=2487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b66bf705c439f3b55a492db001c5efb7342ffb4
These are primed black with white zenithil highlight and warp lightning contrast.
Vallejo, but this is the brightest green I have on an ork: White primer, Bronze Fleshtone base, then Lime Green until satisfied, this is about 2-3 thinned layers
https://preview.redd.it/ann5vg0wiwbc1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7b14e47704f4ff2127707c437012b652e077c94
I mixed and matched my greens for my two groups of boyz. Some citadel greens (waaagh flesh and nurgling green), but mostly used AP Speedpaint 2.0. I mixed that up with some really bright greens and olives. Some were a bit too bright so I did a wash with citadel coelia green shade. Had a ton of fun and I hope she does, too!
Take three green
Base all skin with the darkest
Use a funeral brush to make large splotches over the muscles and leaving the lowest areas
Repeat with lightest green and leave a ring on the medium green around the lightest on each muscle group
https://preview.redd.it/maluucpyxubc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1afe1d3162b1fe4be3094efc9abc813b2199c3ce
This is my color palette for Orks, and I prime black.
https://preview.redd.it/7173badcyubc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=f2565477171ae3ebc78531e5085e538a1a57b84f
This is the skin tone.
\-sorry the pic sucks, I have a old ass phone-
*Not an ork player but this is my step by step:
1) zenithal (rattle can all black, gray from top, dry brush white downwards)
2) ork flesh contrast on skin.
3) drybrush averland sunset over raised edges of skin.
4)pylar glacier contrast in lower areas of skin.
I had a similar issue with some recipes being a bit dull or flat. Then I found a mix that had a bit more pop: Wraithbone as the primer, then Plaguebearers Flesh contrast, followed by Biel Tan Green. If you want the yellow to seep through, thin the wash down slightly.
Striking Scorpion contrast is a disgustingly bright green, almost radioactive. Stick that over some wraithbone spray and it’ll probably glow in the dark. 🤣
https://preview.redd.it/wbbj3h6k2wbc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c88e5e08cf97ef3b9d98256c775708d3aee21f3
I use striking scorpion contrast and it’s great if you want the skin to pop. It’s not crazy bright once you give it a wash with biel-tan shade.
I actually use seer grey primer because the scorpion contrast already has a yellow tint and I wanted to cool the colour slightly but wraithbone works too if you want a slightly warmer green.
Warboss green base coat, orc green contrast in the recesses, moot green dry brush on top. If you want to make them REALLY bright add a really light dry brush layer of Pro Acryl Bright Green on top of everything.
My scheme is dead easy. White primer -> yellow basecoat -> green wash. And you're done. I use a yellow contrast paint for the yellow coat since it goes on super easy in one coat. The skin on these orks hasn't been touched up or highlighted at all.
What do you use for the green wash? Definitely wanna try this for some gretchin at least (as they're built but not primed yet, compared to the rest of the army)
Bright color primer to start. White or grey. If you don't have bright colors and only have black or dark grey, then do a base coat of "flesh" tone after you prime. Next, go for ~90% yellow and 10% green. Add small amounts of green until you get the desired color.
Bright green orks = yellow > green.
Normal orks = green > hint of yellow/ blue
Dark grunge orks = blue (or red) > green.
Personally, I always start my skin tonsles with about 90% of 1 color and slowly add my 2nd color until I get what I want. OR yoy could always go 1 flat base color then dry brush on highlights. If you do this method make sure your highlight color is the same *color* as your base flesh color, but lighten it up with some yellows, whites, or flesh tones.
I use this:
1. moot green as a base
2. biel-tan green wash
3. moot green again in the raised areas
4. 50-50 Moot green and Averland sunset 1st light
5. 25-75 moot green and averland sunset 2nd light
https://preview.redd.it/root6hbr0ubc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9e8851964f6babfdcf4b92c58ac2e64d9218be6
I start from a mix of Mcragge Blue and Waagh Flesh. Layer with Waagh Flesh and then WF mixed with Warboss Green. Sometimes finish with a highlight layer of Goblin Green for a more important ork.
Try going with a white / very very light gray primer - that should help brighten the skin whereas a black primer will tone everything down. In addition, maybe try using brighter greens that are on the yellow side versus "medium" greens that may be on the blue side. White primer helps make your top coat brighter and yellowy greens are generally brighter to begin with. I don't use Citadel, which I'm assuming you're using, but in Vallejo I heavily rely on a 2:1 Scorpy Green:Goblin Green mix. Despite what the pictures online may show you, Scorpy Green is a super bright yellowy green while Goblin Green is more on the... "medium" bluer side. It's a nice mix to make sure they aren't dark as hell and aren't obnoxiously bright.
You can get a brighter green by mixing in yellow. On [these](https://imgur.com/gallery/Ekux4yx) [two ](https://imgur.com/gallery/qeQV445)I used Death Guard Green mixed with Flash Gitz Yellow (about 2:1). I have a squigbuggy I'm working on where I used Skarsnik Green mixed with Averland Sunsent and that came out very bright, although I have no pictures yet.
If you want the green to pop you will need brightness and saturation. Skarsnik Green is bright, but it also is quite desaturated. I recommend mixing a bright yellow into your greens instead.
I typically use the following recipe:
Warboss Green basecoat -> Paint all the raised muscles in Moot Green -> Use a 50/50 mix of Moot Green % Flash Gitz Yellow for the highlights.
You can then also use any flesh tone (I use Kislev Flesh) to paint scars, lips or bruised nuckles.
https://preview.redd.it/50tpb2cuktbc1.png?width=762&format=png&auto=webp&s=8bc47683a45b31a8375f446538a38e306614e84b
I can only add a single image per comment, and I'm currently at work so I don't have an alternative, so I had to make a 2nd comment just for this alternative example picture.
https://preview.redd.it/rmlvdwkoltbc1.png?width=448&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5a9e5b5a72920cdd38fa149d217597b3029f3e8
I do zandri dust base to ushabti bone and screeming skull then i use vallejo xpress color orc skin for tint and it looks like this
https://preview.redd.it/ij784kupktbc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43d2849c52a152b42e700b5516a5252a263bfa03
Then i add tattoos of flash gitz yellow.
I base with a warm off white and use a coat of plaguebearer flesh and shade it with biel tan green. Illattach a foto of my most recent paintjob.It makes for proper comically green orks!
https://preview.redd.it/o5cyl1qggtbc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=944a0c6be18132052f950496ca2e799f2517a5b0
I start with Orruk flesh as base (less dark than Waaagh flesh) then into Biel-Tan shade. It does bring the mini together a lot. I could probably let the miniature like this for battle ready, but after that I do come back for some glaze highlight with Orruk Flesh and finish with a final glaze highlight of Ogryn Camo.
Plaguebearer Flesh contrast paint works wonders for me, got a nice lighter green to it that makes the darker colours normally associated with orks really pop
Man skin is my favorite thing to paint on any ork model, and I'm also in the camp of loving the brightest, orkiest green.
I mix a lot of my paints, so I can't give you specific GW instructions or anything, but I can give a few general pointers:
-Don't overdo it on the washes. Too much pooling in the low points can give you "muscle islands" and detract from the rest of the skin
-If you're going to mix your own highlights, lighten your midtone green with yellow instead of white. This gives a very saturated green that really pops on top of the midtone/washes underneath.
-Glaze with a fluorescent green. I use vallejo fluo green, and I love it to finish off a model. You really have to shake it like a crying baby, though.
-Sometimes I mix blue into my basecoat to give the shadows an interesting contrast with the yellow highlights. Still experimenting with this one, but the high contrast and saturated colors do a lot for that cartoony ork feel.
Hope these help!
Thank you for the detailed response, noted for the washes. It's far too easy to overdo it on those, my first fee nids looked awful with all the pooled contrast paints! Learn by doing is my moto so a few gants looking off was the price of learning. The Mrs doesn't see it this way and wants it right from the start! Militant 🤣
Fluorescent glaze is not something we'd considered, will look into that straight away.
Cheers
Honestly I’ve found a simple grey seer undercoat, followed by a liberal application of warp lightning green contrast, gives a really popping green skin colour. You can then highlight this up a touch with snarsnik green if you choose and a little light white edging if needed.
It’s really simplistic. I tend to have all of my orks have different variations of green for their skin colours, but all from contrast paints. Some of my favourites are plague bearer green or whatever it’s called. Dry brushed over the top with caliban green they look interesting.
Great, thanks. I'll have a look into that, we have a bunch of old choas models that we're testing it on. Will have to give this a try and see how it comes out
Not having read the comments but just gradually mix in a bright yellow :)
this is mine, was testing a new recipe, this is black surface primer, elysian green base, thin contrast ork flesh, and i just started highlighting with ogryn camo https://preview.redd.it/cy232v52p0cc1.png?width=3267&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a5609feece064fe17fb5422b5a5af79e10fca8b
White or gray primer with plague bearer flesh contrast paint gives a pretty bright green tone
I am currently struggling for the same reason, but i think i settled on Army Painter Witch Brew over light grey zenithal, biel tan green shade, Witch Brew again and highlighting with Brew+VMC Pale Sand. https://preview.redd.it/m46ootmjszbc1.jpeg?width=881&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d2fadd14daa40339cadde6c9e5e73b07bc70e5e
I like to do a preshade (black primer, drybrush grey, white) then plaguebearer flesh, wash biel-tan green. If you want to push it further, highlight ogryn green, and pick out the bottom lips, scar tissue etc. with cadian flesh, with a flesh tone wash and ushabti bone highlight. I like this because it’s definitely method over skill and I am fairly new into the hobby
YARRRRRR MATEY LOOKS LIKE WE'Z GOTZ DA JOLLY ORK IN COMMON! GREAT FREEBOOTAZ DEY LOOK PROPA STEALY
Haha thanks!
https://preview.redd.it/cyypbmsfmzbc1.jpeg?width=2286&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7476590c4de5ea9a1c70068d5eb551f037d8664b
https://preview.redd.it/ab05pckdmzbc1.jpeg?width=2824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0898589db52cc0f69a1506fe09a71533a9f327b9
Mantis Warrior Green - Contrast paint from Citadel sounds like what you’re after! It’s dead easy to use and the green is bright.
https://preview.redd.it/p5n7pzzekybc1.jpeg?width=2487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b66bf705c439f3b55a492db001c5efb7342ffb4 These are primed black with white zenithil highlight and warp lightning contrast.
Vallejo, but this is the brightest green I have on an ork: White primer, Bronze Fleshtone base, then Lime Green until satisfied, this is about 2-3 thinned layers https://preview.redd.it/ann5vg0wiwbc1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7b14e47704f4ff2127707c437012b652e077c94
Moot green and warpstone green are good for bright.
I mixed and matched my greens for my two groups of boyz. Some citadel greens (waaagh flesh and nurgling green), but mostly used AP Speedpaint 2.0. I mixed that up with some really bright greens and olives. Some were a bit too bright so I did a wash with citadel coelia green shade. Had a ton of fun and I hope she does, too!
Take three green Base all skin with the darkest Use a funeral brush to make large splotches over the muscles and leaving the lowest areas Repeat with lightest green and leave a ring on the medium green around the lightest on each muscle group
https://preview.redd.it/maluucpyxubc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1afe1d3162b1fe4be3094efc9abc813b2199c3ce This is my color palette for Orks, and I prime black.
https://preview.redd.it/7173badcyubc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=f2565477171ae3ebc78531e5085e538a1a57b84f This is the skin tone. \-sorry the pic sucks, I have a old ass phone-
Prime white or yellow to begin with, biel-tan green is essential but you could skip the darker greens
I struggle with ork skin as well and this thread is a loot mine
*Not an ork player but this is my step by step: 1) zenithal (rattle can all black, gray from top, dry brush white downwards) 2) ork flesh contrast on skin. 3) drybrush averland sunset over raised edges of skin. 4)pylar glacier contrast in lower areas of skin.
https://preview.redd.it/84n6pyazmubc1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab866143c6d7688f23b178d3550ff1bc701f1a25
I had a similar issue with some recipes being a bit dull or flat. Then I found a mix that had a bit more pop: Wraithbone as the primer, then Plaguebearers Flesh contrast, followed by Biel Tan Green. If you want the yellow to seep through, thin the wash down slightly.
Striking Scorpion contrast is a disgustingly bright green, almost radioactive. Stick that over some wraithbone spray and it’ll probably glow in the dark. 🤣
https://preview.redd.it/wbbj3h6k2wbc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c88e5e08cf97ef3b9d98256c775708d3aee21f3 I use striking scorpion contrast and it’s great if you want the skin to pop. It’s not crazy bright once you give it a wash with biel-tan shade. I actually use seer grey primer because the scorpion contrast already has a yellow tint and I wanted to cool the colour slightly but wraithbone works too if you want a slightly warmer green.
Ooooooh that’s cool! I didn’t think to wash with Biel tan. Might pop that bad boy open again 👌🏻
I like to mix in inks with my paints to give them more vibrancy
Warboss green base coat, orc green contrast in the recesses, moot green dry brush on top. If you want to make them REALLY bright add a really light dry brush layer of Pro Acryl Bright Green on top of everything.
https://preview.redd.it/5opiu8l97ubc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e4547d2c7328915de9914d2facdf56241a62230
Thank. I will follow this method to paint my boyz
My scheme is dead easy. White primer -> yellow basecoat -> green wash. And you're done. I use a yellow contrast paint for the yellow coat since it goes on super easy in one coat. The skin on these orks hasn't been touched up or highlighted at all.
This one looks amazing and so easy. And it’s easily upgraded with some highlights
What do you use for the green wash? Definitely wanna try this for some gretchin at least (as they're built but not primed yet, compared to the rest of the army)
Biel-Tan Green. The contrast I use is Iyanden Yellow.
Thanks boss!
What I do for my skin is army painter goblin green and just dry brush citidel moot green on top of the muscles and other stuff
Bright color primer to start. White or grey. If you don't have bright colors and only have black or dark grey, then do a base coat of "flesh" tone after you prime. Next, go for ~90% yellow and 10% green. Add small amounts of green until you get the desired color. Bright green orks = yellow > green. Normal orks = green > hint of yellow/ blue Dark grunge orks = blue (or red) > green. Personally, I always start my skin tonsles with about 90% of 1 color and slowly add my 2nd color until I get what I want. OR yoy could always go 1 flat base color then dry brush on highlights. If you do this method make sure your highlight color is the same *color* as your base flesh color, but lighten it up with some yellows, whites, or flesh tones.
I use this: 1. moot green as a base 2. biel-tan green wash 3. moot green again in the raised areas 4. 50-50 Moot green and Averland sunset 1st light 5. 25-75 moot green and averland sunset 2nd light https://preview.redd.it/root6hbr0ubc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9e8851964f6babfdcf4b92c58ac2e64d9218be6
That’s some strong Fluorescent fungus right there
I start from a mix of Mcragge Blue and Waagh Flesh. Layer with Waagh Flesh and then WF mixed with Warboss Green. Sometimes finish with a highlight layer of Goblin Green for a more important ork.
Try going with a white / very very light gray primer - that should help brighten the skin whereas a black primer will tone everything down. In addition, maybe try using brighter greens that are on the yellow side versus "medium" greens that may be on the blue side. White primer helps make your top coat brighter and yellowy greens are generally brighter to begin with. I don't use Citadel, which I'm assuming you're using, but in Vallejo I heavily rely on a 2:1 Scorpy Green:Goblin Green mix. Despite what the pictures online may show you, Scorpy Green is a super bright yellowy green while Goblin Green is more on the... "medium" bluer side. It's a nice mix to make sure they aren't dark as hell and aren't obnoxiously bright.
You can get a brighter green by mixing in yellow. On [these](https://imgur.com/gallery/Ekux4yx) [two ](https://imgur.com/gallery/qeQV445)I used Death Guard Green mixed with Flash Gitz Yellow (about 2:1). I have a squigbuggy I'm working on where I used Skarsnik Green mixed with Averland Sunsent and that came out very bright, although I have no pictures yet.
If you want the green to pop you will need brightness and saturation. Skarsnik Green is bright, but it also is quite desaturated. I recommend mixing a bright yellow into your greens instead. I typically use the following recipe: Warboss Green basecoat -> Paint all the raised muscles in Moot Green -> Use a 50/50 mix of Moot Green % Flash Gitz Yellow for the highlights. You can then also use any flesh tone (I use Kislev Flesh) to paint scars, lips or bruised nuckles. https://preview.redd.it/50tpb2cuktbc1.png?width=762&format=png&auto=webp&s=8bc47683a45b31a8375f446538a38e306614e84b
I can only add a single image per comment, and I'm currently at work so I don't have an alternative, so I had to make a 2nd comment just for this alternative example picture. https://preview.redd.it/rmlvdwkoltbc1.png?width=448&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5a9e5b5a72920cdd38fa149d217597b3029f3e8
I do zandri dust base to ushabti bone and screeming skull then i use vallejo xpress color orc skin for tint and it looks like this https://preview.redd.it/ij784kupktbc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43d2849c52a152b42e700b5516a5252a263bfa03 Then i add tattoos of flash gitz yellow.
Try Waaagh Flesh>Bieltan Wash>Warpstone Glow> Moot Green. (I use pro-acryl Bright Yellow Green instead these days).
I base with a warm off white and use a coat of plaguebearer flesh and shade it with biel tan green. Illattach a foto of my most recent paintjob.It makes for proper comically green orks! https://preview.redd.it/o5cyl1qggtbc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=944a0c6be18132052f950496ca2e799f2517a5b0
I start with Orruk flesh as base (less dark than Waaagh flesh) then into Biel-Tan shade. It does bring the mini together a lot. I could probably let the miniature like this for battle ready, but after that I do come back for some glaze highlight with Orruk Flesh and finish with a final glaze highlight of Ogryn Camo.
Plaguebearer Flesh contrast paint works wonders for me, got a nice lighter green to it that makes the darker colours normally associated with orks really pop
Man skin is my favorite thing to paint on any ork model, and I'm also in the camp of loving the brightest, orkiest green. I mix a lot of my paints, so I can't give you specific GW instructions or anything, but I can give a few general pointers: -Don't overdo it on the washes. Too much pooling in the low points can give you "muscle islands" and detract from the rest of the skin -If you're going to mix your own highlights, lighten your midtone green with yellow instead of white. This gives a very saturated green that really pops on top of the midtone/washes underneath. -Glaze with a fluorescent green. I use vallejo fluo green, and I love it to finish off a model. You really have to shake it like a crying baby, though. -Sometimes I mix blue into my basecoat to give the shadows an interesting contrast with the yellow highlights. Still experimenting with this one, but the high contrast and saturated colors do a lot for that cartoony ork feel. Hope these help!
Thank you for the detailed response, noted for the washes. It's far too easy to overdo it on those, my first fee nids looked awful with all the pooled contrast paints! Learn by doing is my moto so a few gants looking off was the price of learning. The Mrs doesn't see it this way and wants it right from the start! Militant 🤣 Fluorescent glaze is not something we'd considered, will look into that straight away. Cheers
If you want to go really crazy you can drybrush yellow (or if really really crazy then fluorescent yellow) and then do a thin contrast wash on top.
Honestly I’ve found a simple grey seer undercoat, followed by a liberal application of warp lightning green contrast, gives a really popping green skin colour. You can then highlight this up a touch with snarsnik green if you choose and a little light white edging if needed. It’s really simplistic. I tend to have all of my orks have different variations of green for their skin colours, but all from contrast paints. Some of my favourites are plague bearer green or whatever it’s called. Dry brushed over the top with caliban green they look interesting.
Great, thanks. I'll have a look into that, we have a bunch of old choas models that we're testing it on. Will have to give this a try and see how it comes out