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PAINTING·WHITE DWARF 310

Tattoos, Warpaint and Scars

October 2005·p. 79

THE SHORT VERSION

Parkes preserves a tattoo’s dark colour by highlighting the surrounding skin rather than the marking, and gives warpaint frayed edges to suggest rough application. Scars begin as small red-and-magenta marks around the cut, with black added for two fine wound lines. Leaving a damaged eye white strengthens the malevolent appearance. The examples show detail serving characterization rather than merely adding complexity.

AT THE PAINTING DESK

Paints in this article

Every named colour below is searchable across the archive.

Red GoreMagenta InkChaos Black

The dark blue/red tattoo colours and scarred eye’s white are not given specific product names; only the named scar mixture is indexed.

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Tattoos Warpaint Scars

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Find this article in White Dwarf 310, p. 79.

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PaintingWD 310 · pp. 58–59

Painting the Land Raider

Brown chalk is worked into the blue hull’s recesses as an alternative to an ink wash, with varnish recommended if the model will be handled. Brazen Brass and Shining Gold build the ornament, brown-black ink deepens it, and Burnished Gold and Mithril Silver finish the edges. Similar curling gold designs decorate black gun casings. Patient hand-painted scripture and custom transfers complete the narrative surface.

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PaintingWD 310 · pp. 72–75

Painting the Mob and Bad Moon Glyphs

Snot Green highlighted with Goblin Green establishes the skin, while several pale browns over Snakebite Leather vary the tunics. The Nobz receive more attention to details, Chestnut Ink on selected metal and Shining Gold highlights. A four-step glyph builds offset black and Bleached Bone circles, then restores a little skin colour inside to complete the crescent. Bone replaces yellow in key markings so they stand out from the clothing.

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PaintingWD 310 · pp. 76–79

Painting Faces

Matt Parkes describes display-level human faces through ten skin stages, carefully positioned eyes and a range of hair colours. Thin paint and intermediate mixes create gradual transitions, while ink choices alter the expression and character. Teeth, tattoos, warpaint and scars add distinct personalities without overwhelming the underlying face. The examples repeatedly use the same head so the effect of each choice can be compared directly.

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