Hobby Cheating 215 - How to Paint Ruddy Dwarf Skin

In this Hobby Cheating Tutorial, I take you through my method for doing ruddy dwarf skin, that sort of tone that has a deep red, almost sub-burnt luster. Hope you enjoy!
Twitter: @warhammerweekly
Instagram: VincentVenturella
Email: [e-mail]
Take a Class with Vince: ckstudios.bigc...

[@Matthew_Dubroq]

Verdaccio, just the mention of the word and the subsequent Google searches has opened a huge door for me. Awesome vid as always Vince, thank you.

[@VinceVenturella]

Awesome, happy to help as always. :)

[@Sporkmurder]

This video has singlehandedly upgraded my skin tones to the best they've ever been. I have a Shadespire dwarf, and this technique has given him some of the richest, most complex skin tones of my life! Thanks for the tutorial! I have a quick suggestion for another skin tone centered video. I think it would be great to go over frostbitten skin, where someone's all pale and raw from being outside in the winter. It would be great to go over which areas should have the red glazes applied and which areas should be left pale. Again, thanks for the incredible info you put out on KZbin!

[@VinceVenturella]

That's great, I've added it to the list. I think it would be wonderfully fun to do a video on cold skin.

[@battspaints]

I recently started reading the gotrek and Felix books for some old world nostalgia. This obviously caused me to buy the model and I'm really glad you did this tutorial.

[@Hushai1979]

Vincent, excellent, so good... When it comes to flesh.... it can be so hard for me. but, you teach it so well.... & make it look easy ; great... thank you for teaching us. from Aiken, south Carolina.😀🇺🇸👍

[@VinceVenturella]

Always happy to help.

[@eetennak966]

Painted orks for about 4 years on and off and was alwayd afraid to Touch the technique of painting non-orkish Skin. Dont want to brag, but I painted today a dwarfs skin and am i am really happy about that. Thanks a lot mr VinceVe! Your way of explaining is wundervoll

[@scArisen]

Good video as always. I think a good addition to the HC series would be more videos on how to paint a chaff type unit for an army, maybe by honing into a small number of techniques. While combining a large number of these techniques is good for competition painting (or at least special units in your army,) I think I and a lot of people are guilty of trying to make troops and other rank and file units look fantastic and go that extra mile. In reality, if you're out to paint an army that can make things laborious (especially with skin tones, as you pointed out in this video - its ok get that base sketch down and call it good with a little refining - no need to glaze for hours on a unit that will be killed in one turn.) I think it's cool to see a great painter like yourself say "I'm focusing on making X Y and Z look good on these guys, and these are the handful of techniques I'm going to use to get there. Just my two cents with my experience watching masters of the craft and trying too hard to do everything at once and getting bogged down >,< Thanks again for the videos!

[@VinceVenturella]

Stay tuned, you'll see something along those lines in the coming weeks.

[@DoomDarkness]

insane! amazing effort I cant believe you did this so quickly and right in front of my eyes!

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank s buddy, happy to help as always. :)

[@waylowsworkshop]

The verdaccio underpainting looks like A Franzetta painting. Could you in a future video demonstrate how to do that from scratch...thanks much love your videos

[@VinceVenturella]

It was super easy, it was literally just a Zenithal prime and then I shot a deep, hunter green from below the figure up. Basically, that was it.

[@waylowsworkshop]

that coloring is awesome thanks as always

[@Cheeseburger2469]

Great tips as always and this comes at a good time for me when I want to up my fleshtone and blending skills. As a suggestion for future: could we see a deep dive on the "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing three times" process? Some sort of big model where we can see what one pass VS two VS three looks like side by side? I've never really understood it since, even with thinning paint a lot, it feels like you just erase previous work. Thanks!

[@VinceVenturella]

Great suggestion, I added it to the list.

[@caspianclaesson9161]

This was a great tutorial, it really helped me understand how to do good looking skin with a normal brush. It also really helped me achieve an ok Nmm effect somehow

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joewhite4234]

I really appreciated how at the end of the video you spoke to the fact that you don’t have to 1-use the exact same brand/colors and 2-or the same number of colors (unless we want to turn it up to 11).

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, I always really try to impress that message, there is no one right way to paint for sure. :)

[@AcropolisGames]

These videos have been sooooo super helpful! Thanks a lot Vince. Also Warhammer Weekly has become a must watch for me as well. Could you do a video about painting white vehicles?

[@VinceVenturella]

Awesome, happy to help as always and yes, I just happen to have a white vehicle tutorial planned. :)

[@redrooster7371]

We just used verdaccio last weekend at Roman Lappat's skin and faces workshop. And the whole process of painting skin was similar to yours. So I had a nice refresher. And it was a running gag that you don't just use 'dwarf flesh' out of the bottle. Was there a reason you left out the right side of his neck with the inks? As always thank you for putting out that great content every week!

[@VinceVenturella]

I would love if I could say there was some crazy good reason to have not done the neck, but it's just I missed it when working like that. :)

[@nemikan]

Not sure where to put this so posting it here! Request: You've worked up quite a lot of videos now (and they are great content!). I've been going through seeing your thoughts on the various paints and brands over time, however as you've even stated your videos a lot of the time the newer brands have surprised you and you seem to REALLY like. Would it be possible for you to post a running list of you're favorites of what brands per color, type of paint (florescent etc..), inks/washes, mediums, brushes etc? Essentially it would be listed out on paper a lot the content from your videos, which do the job really well and go into depth. I'm just finding after going through say 10+ hours of them I'm not too sure how some of the products in your videos from say 3 years ago have stood the test of time vs. been replaced (we know you love warcolour now!). Having a single list stating your current favorites or what's on desk would be wonderful and then we can dig into the existing videos further to understand what makes those individual products great and how they differ from the competition. I know it may not be super simple as each paint has it's uses, but that's what the videos do well explaining. In addition I feel like this could become a simple template to share, send out and usable when interviewing other pro artists to get their preferences and why they prefer various lines / mediums. My current interest - I'm mostly just using GW paints and recently bought some scale paints and an airbrush. I now don't feel like migrating all my GW pots to droppers so I'm just going to buy a new paint line for the purposes of airbrushing and to augment weaker parts of the GW line, then migrate to droppers the best of the GW I like. Thanks for all your hard work with these videos as they are really helping me to up my painting game with invaluable information! I'm soon to start posting in PMP as I just found out about it this month!

[@VinceVenturella]

Sure, I'd have to think about format, but it seems a good thing to put on the list.

[@DrParka]

I was just about to paint a dwarf today, thank you! I'll try this.

[@VinceVenturella]

Excellent, happy to help as always. :)

[@nicolaikristianstergaardth6024]

Wow, Vince. You made that look easy. 😎 Doing okay until I get to the yellow and white tones. That’s when the chalkiness kicks in.

[@VinceVenturella]

Just remember, you can always glaze back down with the other colors, just working it back and forth.

[@DeBeuLioU]

Damn, this is incredible, and I have a looong way to go still ^^

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, hope it was helpful. :)

[@DeBeuLioU]

Vince Venturella started painting a dwarf yesterday (the 40 year anniversary grombrindal in power armor :D ) and I’m doing the skin today, so we will see :)

[@U_N_C_L_E_Mike]

Hi Vince, awesome video. I love your theory it's such a great help. I'm still confused with warm and cold tones though. If I have a warm highlight do I need to have a cold shadow? Thanks

[@VinceVenturella]

It's a good rule of thumb (warm/Cold vs. Cold/warm) it's not an ironclad rule, but it can help the overall feel and impact of the piece.

[@U_N_C_L_E_Mike]

@@VinceVenturella so I have a warm highlight and warm shadow on top of his right arm and a cold highlight and cold shadow under his arm? Do you have a video I could watch? Thanks again

[@liamroche1295]

Did you just make Gotrek a Greenskin. Book of grudges worthy!

[@VinceVenturella]

FOr a few moments, I did indeed.

[@gibi3115]

Top as always

[@VinceVenturella]

Much apprecaited, always happy to help. :)

[@finkmonkeyful]

Great video! I need to find a model to test this out on!

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, happy to help as always. :)

[@bencoomer2000]

Just about to do a beholder in that sort of color scheme. Vince! Stop reading my to do list!

[@VinceVenturella]

Awesome, happy to help as always.

[@dennisfoulds3941]

Your one of the best!

[@VinceVenturella]

Thanks!

[@oDMACo]

Id love to see what you did with his beard and hair

[@VinceVenturella]

I'll notate it down for a tutorial, but effectively, it was pretty straightforward, lots and lots of slightly lighter progressive very thin lines built on top of each other with a very sharp brush (much like muy painting white hair video, but with Red-Yellow).

[@adamoakson3076]

Great stuff! Would this technique work for more inhuman skintones? Eg red undershadow for green skin or purple undershadow for yellow?

[@VinceVenturella]

Purple and yellow are more difficult, as they aren't equally strong in pigments we use (it would work digitally where we pigments are even because computers), but the Green/Red or Red/Green works very well.

[@erikvacek2050]

Hello, I recently found your channel and am thankful for it! Some friends and I have gotten back into Warhammer 40K and after putting together a few units of Tyranids, I need to start painting them. The wet blending over Zenithal style that you prefer looks absolutely amazing on your models; but since Tyranids are chitinous boney spikey bug critters that have a very broken up surface, I was wondering what types of techniques you would recommend using in addition to or in place of wet blending? Any information or tips provided would be greatly appreciated; Thank you!

[@VinceVenturella]

So I think it still very much works with Tyranids, it's just a good idea to also incorporate some light dry brushing on the bug first so it picks out those edges nice and clean. Then you can simply glaze and/or wet blend the panels in the color you are looking for your hive fleet.

[@erikvacek2050]

@@VinceVenturella Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a try.

[@dennisfoulds3941]

Bless you.

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you!

[@derekstiles5801]

Great vid, but man I hate you use Scale paints. I’ve stopped in hobby shops in 7 states I’ve traveled to and can’t find them. And I tend to not order “color” off the internet so I’m stuck a little. I can kinda get close, but not exact.

[@VinceVenturella]

I understand, they are just paints that I really enjoy for their properties and that I am very comfortable with. (Basically, they do what I like how I like it). That being said, someone like Michigan Toy Soldier is certainly a trusted online source, but if you want to stay away completely, you can also look at things like conventions, most places like Reapercon and Adepticon do have them available.

[@noahw2466]

When you use contrast paint in an airbrush do you thin it differently? Thanks, love the videos

[@VinceVenturella]

I still use the same thinner, 80/20 Vallejo Thinner/Flow Improver, usually around 1-1 or much more thinner if I want a filter.

[@jean-charlesblanc8454]

Great video as usual, I tried some Pro Acryl colours, but some - like shading white, look like I paint with chalk, Scale 75 - didn't encounter the same result compared to chalky Pro Acryl

[@VinceVenturella]

Huh, that's strange, I had exactly the opposite experience, mine were smooth, that's why I like them. Was this happening with like the Bright Ivory?

[@jean-charlesblanc8454]

It was with titanium white and other colours added to shade a mouse grey horse. On the whole the thinner I use Pro Acryl colours the chalkier and grainier they get. I did not buy the first batch when they appeared on the market but the second one. Well let's see how the other colours work out.

[@bartek_ewertowski]

Hey Vince, what was the basic fleshtone that you airbrushed on over the preshade?

[@VinceVenturella]

A little vallejo game air mix of dwarf flesh and elf flesh (2-1).

[@bartek_ewertowski]

@@VinceVenturella Thanks! For this basic flesh (and also for the Dark Angels Green shot from below) roughly how thin should I go?

[@bartek_ewertowski]

@@VinceVenturella Also, did you still use your "prepare for your best paintjob" method with Vallejo Model Wash Grey and Pale Sand drybrush after using the green shot from below?

[@VinceVenturella]

@@bartek_ewertowski Sure, you could certainly add that as well, you would do that before green.

[@bartek_ewertowski]

@@VinceVenturella Thanks! So in this case I guess you didn't do the model wash grey and pale sand drybrush on Gotrek? How do you decide when to apply the full process of preshading with the wash and drybrush? Does it depend on the model you're painting or is it a matter of saving time?

[@tomkelly2363]

Hey Vince, any tips on applying this technique to Squigs? Specifically red Squigs?

[@VinceVenturella]

Well, it would be much the same, but you could flip the model over and pull the more fleshy colored bits to the tummy, basically build your layers in reverse.

[@oathstoned3414]

Ty

[@VinceVenturella]

Happy to help as always. :)

[@marcyablon1279]

I have e lot of Rackham Dwarves plus Avatar of War Dwarfs can I use some of what the colors you used ?

[@VinceVenturella]

Absolutely, you can certainly use this.

[@RobertGardnerEngineer]

I ahve a request for texturing cloth, leather, wool, etc.

[@VinceVenturella]

I have done leather previously, but I will add the cloth texture to the list.

[@lysanderaurelius7810]

It would take me 30 minutes to transfer Golden Skin onto the wet palette.

[@eetennak966]

Scale75 Black leather Indian shadow Kalahari Orange Golden skin Tenere yellow Moonray Flesh Pro Acryl Shadow Flesh Ivory BoldTitanium Vallejo Inks Red Yellow

[@auhjo8406]

It says sub burnt in the description. I assume that is a typo

[@VinceVenturella]

It is, but I will have to correct that. :)

[@persigvallius6778]

Say Im only using GW colours, what would match your green starting colour?

[@VinceVenturella]

Probably like a Dark Angel's green (I think that's one of the darker layers, I will admit I haven't used GW paints in a while so I don't remember all the names).

[@keithlol]

thank you

[@VinceVenturella]

Happy to help. :)

[@docbun]

Very nice and very interesting video there Vince. Thank you! When you showed us the Verdaccio, I almost thought you were after some "visibly cool" shadows, like I thought Frank Frazetta did for Conan (but I couldn't find a lot of art for this - maybe this: i.pinimg.com/736x/f3/49/fb/f349fbc0a29ddc777d5769e28d52a65c.jpg ). I suppose the green still does something but I can't really "see" it in this video. I will have to go open that door a bit further and search around. While I do that, do you ever actually let some green show "more proeminently"? (Probably not for dwarven skin, for sure, but on other occasions, maybe?) Have a nice week-end!

[@VinceVenturella]

So in general, the idea with Verdaccio isn't to allow any of the green to show, you are simply using it when combined with pink skin to get rich, natural shadows. That being said, I should really do a video on the Frazetta style and having all of those blue and green colors and everything else as well, because that is also awesome.

[@docbun]

@@VinceVenturella I would watch it with twinkling eyes, for sure! :-)

[@magnus71111]

I love your videos, and I have watched most of them. Could you please, PLEASE upload a version without the elevator music? I have difficulty concentrating on what you are saying over the background. I know a lot of people do not have a problem with it, but for those of us who do, it would be highly appreciated!

[@VinceVenturella]

Well, I can't do multiple versions of the same video, KZbin will generally get angry at that. I tried to turn it down in future videos, The music has had an overall positive response, but I never want it to be too oppressive, just something in the background.

[@klilichan6160]

You are a master, but I can’t see how you paint ggggggggggg