Well, I'm far from a great painter by any stretch of the imagination, but I've done black hair pretty simply by using a black base (no surprise there), then I made my own really dark greys by mixing black and white. That way, I've got the deep, middle and hilite colors.
I'm not winning Golden Demons or anything, but I do end up with hair that actually looks black instead of grey or white.
Hey, my achilles heel is human skin tones. Armor I can do fine. Cloth I can do fine. Human skin? I'm horrendous at it. I've thought about going back and painting everyone with bright blue or green or red skin, just 'cause I can handle those colors better than peach/tan/white/olive/yellow/whatever. :p
Hi
I would suggest you to start by a black + white + brown mix to obtain a dark gray. The brown is here to guve some natural feel, and to warn up a little. This grey has to be the shade you want for the most clear hair (on the top so) and then you can darken all this with quite diluted dark layers. Doing so will avoid the unatural feeling that white highligth can give. Adding the brown is important, you can as weel try by adding your skin shade, can give interesting looks.
for european black hair I pretty much do the same as malhorme, for asian jet black hair I use very very very dark blue as my inital stage, then highlight then brown and black wash over it. probably overcomplicates it but meh, it;s habit by now:)
I'm a little different too- for asian hair I start with a pure black, generally lighten all over with an almost black, then highlight only in the very high points with lighter shades of cold grey with a tiny bit of blue in it. I never take it all the way up to white. Black should still be mostly black, and I generally wash over any drybrushing I do to tone down the chalkiness.
I ended up taking a complex action and focussing. Looked at drawings (mainly in my Osprey books) of black asian hair.
That made me realise that it's just like painting black NMM. (More or less like Mertaal says.) Something I've never been able to do to my satisfaction either.
But I tried, and itseems to have worked fairly well. At least on my second try. At least I have a way of tackling it, even if I need more practice.
Well, I'm far from a great painter by any stretch of the imagination, but I've done black hair pretty simply by using a black base (no surprise there), then I made my own really dark greys by mixing black and white. That way, I've got the deep, middle and hilite colors.
I'm not winning Golden Demons or anything, but I do end up with hair that actually looks black instead of grey or white.
There are some people that call me... Polar_Bear
In fact, most do.
Come see me over at http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/.
Why don't mine look fine then *grumble, grumble*
Couldn't we do like fantasy vikings instead? I'm fine with red hair!
I follow the rules of bushido. I am a bushi.
Hey, my achilles heel is human skin tones. Armor I can do fine. Cloth I can do fine. Human skin? I'm horrendous at it. I've thought about going back and painting everyone with bright blue or green or red skin, just 'cause I can handle those colors better than peach/tan/white/olive/yellow/whatever. :p
PB
There are some people that call me... Polar_Bear
In fact, most do.
Come see me over at http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/.
Hi
I would suggest you to start by a black + white + brown mix to obtain a dark gray. The brown is here to guve some natural feel, and to warn up a little. This grey has to be the shade you want for the most clear hair (on the top so) and then you can darken all this with quite diluted dark layers. Doing so will avoid the unatural feeling that white highligth can give. Adding the brown is important, you can as weel try by adding your skin shade, can give interesting looks.
Good luck
I basically do the same as Jason, but then give the whole lot a black was to bring it back to a darker shade.
Cheers
AdvanceOp
for european black hair I pretty much do the same as malhorme, for asian jet black hair I use very very very dark blue as my inital stage, then highlight then brown and black wash over it. probably overcomplicates it but meh, it;s habit by now:)
Never tell me the odds: Han Solo;)
(avatar from http://www.sillof.com/C-samuraiwars.htm)
Thanks, all.
Yeah, I should have made it clear that it's the shiny jet black asian hair that gives me a headache. Brownish black I can do, but not jet black.
I ought to scrounge up some old asian figures I don't care much about to practice on.
I follow the rules of bushido. I am a bushi.
I'm a little different too- for asian hair I start with a pure black, generally lighten all over with an almost black, then highlight only in the very high points with lighter shades of cold grey with a tiny bit of blue in it. I never take it all the way up to white. Black should still be mostly black, and I generally wash over any drybrushing I do to tone down the chalkiness.
Thanks for all the ideas.
I ended up taking a complex action and focussing. Looked at drawings (mainly in my Osprey books) of black asian hair.
That made me realise that it's just like painting black NMM. (More or less like Mertaal says.) Something I've never been able to do to my satisfaction either.
But I tried, and itseems to have worked fairly well. At least on my second try. At least I have a way of tackling it, even if I need more practice.
I follow the rules of bushido. I am a bushi.
I think the hair looks good now dude. Also, nice work on the rest of her!
Also known as Astraeos on Warseer!
i really like her and the hair, nicely done.
"To a real warrior, power perceived may be power achieved."
She looks grand!
Never tell me the odds: Han Solo;)
(avatar from http://www.sillof.com/C-samuraiwars.htm)