Nobz/Boyz/Gretchin skin colors?

[nismogrendel]

I am working on some Orks, I am not sure how I should do the skin colors.

 

Are Gretchin normally bright green vs dark green for Boyz?

 

Are Nobz normally darker/highlighted different from Boyz?

[toaae]

Orks get darker green skin the longer they live and fight, so it stands to reason that Nobz would have darker skin. By that same token, Gretchin don't live very long and don't fight very much, so they would be brighter.

That's how I do it. I actually do a lot of skin color variations across my Orks, but generally, nobz are darker than boys, who are much darker than gretchin.

[XIXWYRMEXIX]

Traditionally and in the fluff orks get bigger and darker the more they fight, so snotlings are bright light green, grots are goblin green, boyz are darker, nobz darker still, warboss even larger and darker still. If boyz fight long enough they grow into nobz, the nobz then into warbosses. There is fluff in earlier ork codexs talking about mega bosses, even larger than the bosses we have. That's according to "fluff" and tradition. That said, you can paint them as you want really as orks can live in all types of environments, the orks thrive in places other races cannot. They literally bring their entire ecosystem with them, each ork sporing thousands of spores that develop into everything from fungal forests, squigs, squiggoths, snotlings, grots and boyz. So if your boyz are "lighter" than others or "darker" than others, perhaps that is because of where they developed, I'm sure there would be a skin tone difference in a group of orks from a sun baked planet vs. a group of orks developing on a space hulk or a dead space station. That's in addition to the fight more become bigger, stronger, darker. Also remember generally if there is no else to fight, they will just fight each other. 

 

So fluff wise the orks go lighter to darker, smaller to bigger. The tone itself is up to you.

 

 

edit- You can also see this progression in the "odd boyz" meks and spanners, they are fix it orks the size of boyz, the big mek is the size of a nob. A Mekboss is around the size of a warboss (though they did not used to have these either except in fluff until the forgeworld mekboss. I have been "pretending" my warboss is a mekboss for years before the forgeworld model existed). The weird boyz and the doks have no game equivilant of a boy size, though I imagine they have to exist. Weird boyz and doks are nob sized. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by XIXWYRMEXIX

[Kierdale]

For mine I’m going with colours that - I hope - compliment the model’s clan/appearance. With a dose of whatever-is-convenient added.

 

For example (basecoat / first highlight / second highlight / shade or wash):

 

Snakebite nobz and individuals: deathworld Forest / Elysian green / Orgyn camo / Athonian camoshade.

 

Snakebite boys: Tamiya TS28 spray (close to Deathworld forest but a bit lighter. Also easy to spray these models with a lot of flesh showing) / Elysian green / Orgyn camo / Athonian camoshade.

 

Snakebite Grots: deathworld Forest / Orgyn camo / Athonian camoshade, heavier on the lighter highlights.

 

Bad Moon Grots: death guard green / ogryn camo /Athonian camoshade.

 

Bad Moon orks: caliban green / warp stone glow / moot green / Biel tan green. I like the darker green against the black and yellow armour.

[nismogrendel]

Thanks for the info. I have been basecoating the Gretchin w/ deathworld forest for now. Still trying to figure it out.

 

My KT is going to be Goff, I need to find out a good black cloth recipe for these guys.

 

Kierdale, you do the washes after the base/highlights?

 

I watched a few YT vids, this is one recipe for Gretchin I was looking at:

 

Deathworld / Bieltan shade / Elysian / Ogryn Camo

[Kierdale]

I often do the shade last, but I know it’s usual to do it between the basecoat and the first highlight.

I do it my way as it tones down the starkness of highlights, blending them into the basecoat a bit, in my opinion.

 

Try both ways on a couple of models and see which you prefer :)

 

I use Athenian Camoshade as it gives an olive green colour. Biel Tan would make it more vivid green....now I think about it I might give that a try too! :)

[tvih]

Moot Green is a nice lighter green for skin I think. I use it even for my boyz and some test nobz, and plan to use it more heavily for the gretchin... if I'd get around to painting the darn things. It's too light for the nobz though, I maybe have to try tone them back down with the Biel-Tan wash. If I can find the pot, anyway... :P

[Warbringer]

I don't worry about this to be honest i paint my with similar skin tones and just vary the amount of highlights used.

 

Here are some of my Grots, Boys and Buzzgob

 

[Kierdale]

I tried a Biel Tan wash over my Grots (left one with, right without) and liked it so did it for all of them.

I’ll probably do my Bad Moon Grots like this (richer green) and Snakebite ones the more olive colour.

[XIXWYRMEXIX]

I don't worry about this to be honest i paint my with similar skin tones and just vary the amount of highlights used.

Here are some of my Grots, Boys and Buzzgob

It is of course something you do not have to worry about. I like the fluffy skin tones personally, but as I said above even in fluff there are all kinds of reasons they might be different tones or shades, beyond the first and foremost reason- Your personal taste, which is of course THE most important thing. I really like the last pic by the way, I love the facepaint! Also like your Klan, I do not see too many deathskull armies. Very cool.

I tried a Biel Tan wash over my Grots (left one with, right without) and liked it so did it for all of them.

I’ll probably do my Bad Moon Grots like this (richer green) and Snakebite ones the more olive colour.

If you can pull it off your army will be a green rainbow of different skin tones! Very cool. This is one reason the orks are a lot of fun- you can do all kinds of different things with them and they all super cool. As an aside I used fantasy goblins for grots like 18 years ago, but used the "goblin regiment" ones (they didn't have the little guys in robes then), I wish I could still find some. I really love the way your conversions came out, they look cool, they are well done.

[nismogrendel]

I finished the first gretchin for my KT. I always hate how these things look when a picture blows up the details. The highlights dont look as crazy from 3 feet away :P This is the deathworld forest / biel tan wash / elysian / ogryn camo recipe.

I wasn't sure what to go with for bases so I put it on a finished base I had lying around for my IG army.

The green skin / city rubble base contrasts well, I think I'm going to use this type of base for the whole KT.

[toaae]

Yeah, I bet that looks really good. I like it here, and I know what you mean by close up photos not being glamorous.

[XIXWYRMEXIX]

He looks great! Photos not looking as good as the real thing IS a thing. Lighting when the pic is taken has a lot to do with that effect as well. I can see how it is highlighted, and he looks awesome. Getting kill team is high on my list of "extras" to aquire.