painting a more believable white

[therealjohnny5]

Hey guys so i'm in need of some advice. I have paint scheme for my marines that uses washing to get to different colors, and i don't use extreme highlights. So i have to paint white arms and helmet for my vets. Now my problem is getting it to look natural on my models without being too bright and clean.

to give you the low down, my color scheme is half red and half black. I get to the black by painting adeptus battle grey (base), Codex Grey (drybrush), then 3 washes of Badab black. The red is Mechrite base, Blood red (Drybrush), and Devlin Mud wash. so the colors are toned down and weathered.

I was thinking about a brown base and lighter shades of flesh then up to white dry brush? or possibly start white, wash then drybrush back up to white. Any suggestions for a milder white?

[isotope99]

I do the following:

• Black spray
• Adeptus base
• Codex or fortress grey
• Mix of the above plus white
• White highlights
• Weak badab black wash
• Re-highlight where needed

[Limey El'Jonson]

While Ive been painting the Aquilas and stuff on my Bastions and defense lines, I've been mixing Deneb Stone with Skull White, 50/50. Then I add some retarder and thin it slightly with some water. Takes a couple of coats but it's not stark white and goes on nicely.

[cobra6]

I undercoat with Astronomican Grey, including in the recesses. Next, I put a coat or two of Bleached Bone, followed by a coat each of 2/1 and then 1/2 Bleached Bone/Skull White, each leaving a little of the previous color exposed around recesses and lower areas. Finally, I do 2-3 dry brushes of skull white on the raised areas and/or edges, and dab skull white on rivets and such. It ends up looking like this: