A Guide on Freehand Scale Textures

Whenever I show my Lizardmen to anyone, whether it's friends, people in Games Workshop, or here on this forum, I always get great comments on my freehand scale textures. So I thought I'd share my methods and discoveries to adding a little bit of scaly goodness to your models.
These work best on smooth surfaces such as Skinks, or Saurus crests. You'll need a detail or liner brush you're comfortable with, the kind you would use to paint eyes for example.

Method 1


This technique is for fine scales such as geckoes and chameleons as shown in figs. A and B.

This was the first method I came up with and the most straightforward. Essentially, the model is layered as normal (step 2.), but with a final highlight applied as dots.
The number of layers doesn't really matter, but for the purpose of example let's think of it as 3 stages; shade, mid-tone and highlight. Step 3. illustrates how the dots in the shaded area are the mid-tone colour, and the dots in the mid-tone are that of the highlight.
For step 4. a final brighter highlight is applied.

Fig. C shows this method in the classic Lizardmen blue, and D is one of my first goes at it.


Method 2



This one emulates the diamond-shape scales found on vipers and rattlesnakes (A), or desert lizards such as bearded dragons (B). It's an extension of the old trusty freehand crack or scratch effect. There are many tutorials out there that demonstrate it, but it just involves placing two lines together of contrasting tones.

For this method I didn't layer up the model as normal, but just applied a flat mid-tone basecoat for step 1.
I then applied a grid pattern in the highlight colour for step 2. I made mine in a diamond formation, but it would probably work well as a square one, like a crocodile's scales or the Bastiladon's.
Step 3. is the hardest part. Another grid is applied with the shade colour. the lines have to be a little thinner than the last step, applied just below them. Take care not to cover them entirely.
Lastly for step. 4 a wash is used in the recesses to add definition.

Fig. C shows how it can work with the previous method. The model's chest scales are finer.


Method 3



I haven't had much experience doing this one. The idea for it is focusing on the shiny quality of the skin in-between the scales as demonstrated on the stretched skin of this egg-eating snake (fig. A). It was inspired by this 'Eavy Metal painted Screamer of Tzeench (B).

For step 1, layer and shade the model as normal. The technique works best with a bright highlight.
For step 2. paint dark scales in the highlight area.
For step 3. paint mid-tone scales in the shaded area. For extra effect the recessed scales can be painted as bright as the highlight colour.
For step 4. the scales can all be highlighted to make them appear 3D.

Fig. C is my only example of the method. I extended the existing 3D scales with freehand ones.

I hope this guide inspires some of you to try these out. Please post pics if you do!

 

Thanks for this!

This is something I've been wanting to do if and when I get some lizzies of my own >_>.

 

You, Sir, are a god! I am but a mere camp follower, lingering in the trail of your Crusade of Awesomeness.

 

Hey admin could we get this stickied in the painting section somewhere?

 

It's a month later and I've just noticed this thread. Thank you, neveroddoreven, you have sped up my learning curve for painting scales greatly!

I especially like the techniques described in methods 1 and 2, and will be attempting both for my Lizards.

On method 3, I might disagree with steps 2 and 3. It seems like the scales from the Screamer example are highlighted independently of the level of shade/highlight in the skin beneath. I might argue that the raised/rough areas of the scales just means that the light hits those areas differently, so they get highlighted in a way that is different from the smooth skin underneath (like, at a slightly different light source angle?).

I'm a little hesitant on this disagreement, since I haven't tried the method myself.

It may be a couple of months, but I will attempt to come back to this thread and post pics based on on my experimentation with what you have described.

Thank you again!

 

Some interesting and very different methods here, I'll make sure I use them, thank you for sharing.

 

I also only now noticed this thread. Awesome tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing. I probably would only try the first one, as the others are too far beyond my skills. I was actually thinking of how to differentiate my Skink characters from normal ones. The first method could be a way to go. Again, thank you for taking your time to make this tutorial.

 

doubt there would be any video tutorial on this?

 

My new year's resolution is to get my Youtube project up and running (still trying to think of a catchy name for myself, neveroddoreven is taken of course!). There will absolutely be a video on this, I've come up with better ways to do this sort of thing since I made this thread too.

 

That's amazing I cant wait.

 

Sorry for the thread necromancy!

Found that on Pinterest and want to try it. Just need somethings clear in my mind:

I want to use method 2 for my Kroxigor, is shade color a special color from GW or just a darker color? I'm using Army painter so are the color definitions different?