I added a Kruleboy Killaboss (with Stab-grot) and a Murknob Belcha-banna to my Greenskins (with Orc skin tutorial)

The new Age of Sigmar Orcs Orruks Kruleboyz really hit the spot for me, except for one detail: the names. I guess I should count my blessings that the crossbow wielding orcs are called Boltboyz and the ones that are supposed to do the stabbing are called Gutrippaz. I can work with that. But names for command cadre Orcs are about as confusing as the average Stormcast Eternal name (what exactly is difference between a Liberator, Annihilator and a Vigilor? Get off my lawn!). No matter. I'll privately just stick to calling them for what they seem to be (luckily the new app has pictures so I can find the proper warscroll without knowing the name ;). Using the Age of Sigmar app as an identifaction too: here's my  new Murknob with Belcha-banna (Battle Banner wielding Orc), Killaboss (Orc Champion) with Stab-Grot (extra wound).

If you ever find yourself meeting these three while strolling through the swamp, smile, wave and run away. This helpful lifehack was brought to you by the color green (for greenskin).

I like how GW gives nods to classic Orc designs with these new Kruleboyz. The helmet of the Killaboss reminds me of a classic miniature that's rather high on my wish list (getting a proper eighties Orc Army is rather high on my wish list, but that's an entirely different story). The orcs are continuing on their trajectory of looking properly mean and dangerous again (as opposed to cartoony football hooligans). I also really like the pre-sculpted shields. They scream John Blanche at me (and I don't have to try and fail once more at sculpting my own proper face shields). Last, but definitively not least, I love the little Stab-Grot that seems to have run away from the set of Labyrinth. Kudo's if GW manages to get a David Bowie lookalike character in this army. Otherwise I'm mighty tempted to find the company that made a proper Jared miniature (if they're still around) and order one, just for the sake of having him lounge around in the background. 

A lot of details on these Kruleboy Orcs suggest that they hunt large monsters. For instance the giant's skull on the back of their shaman, but also the disgusting rotting tongue nailed into the steel plate of this battle banner. It even has some maggots crawling over the surface.

I'll spare you my croaking rendition of Bowie songs and focus on the orcs (before watching the movie again). The Orc in the picture above is is a Kruleboy with Belcha-banna, or as I like to call him an Orc Battle Banner Bearer. It's so much easier to remember what he's supposed to be doing if the name is a bit more descriptive. In the previous Kruleboy post I promised to get back to the skin color I painted on these Orcs. I wanted these greenskins to have a paler, more yellowish, look than I generally go for. They are swamp creatures after all. After checking out a whole bunch of tutorials ranging from 'not so good' up to 'very nice, that'll take the rest of my life to paint' I settled on adapting this one by MarcoFrisoniNJM mixing it in with a few observations by Vince Venturella. With a thank you to both of these gentleman (and all the other maniacs blogging and vlogging out there).

I was a bit worried when I made the decision to give their clothes a human skin color. Seeing the result I think it works wonders. I am still pondering adding a tiny bit of blood and gore, but after my recent Flesh Eater Courts I am a bit tired of adding a gory mess to my models. 

My recipe starts with priming the models black (I recently switched to AK Black Primer as it dries quicker than Vallejo's). After the black coat I give them a 'oh dear, I'm surrounded by stage lights'-zenithal with Vallejo Red Brown. Red paint beneath green should breathe a bit more life into the skin later on. Finally I go for a another slightly too enthusiastic zenithal layer with Vallejo White Primer. The models end up looking mostly white, with reddish browns showing faintly through. Only the darkest recesses remain full-on black. When the primer has properly dried I apply GW Plaguebearer Flesh Contrast paint through the airbrush. At first I thinned it down with a bit of Contrast Medium, but in the end I got lazy and just upped the pressure to spray it out. To my surprise Contrast paint works quite well through an airbrush. 

After a bit of contemplating I decided to add rust to the metal gear of the Goblin Grot, while keeping the Orc's armour looking relatively clean. I'm not fully sure if I wont go back later to add some rust and impossible (but pretty when applied subtly) verdigris to the metals.

When the Contrast paint has properly dried I reduce the pressure in my airbrush (I have one of those nifty pistol grip pressure regulators that makes this quite easy) and throw in GW Biel-Tan Green Shade (I guess any green-green wash or ink will do, but I had this one standing around). I spray this from the bottom up to get a darker green in the shadows (and to make the Orc skin look like a proper green-lit disco floor, thus ensuring my Orcs, like disco, will never die*). After the basic skin has been airbrushed, I paint the rest of the model. I get back to the skin during the highlight stage. I highlight all the green with watered down GW Nurgling Green. I use this to cover small mistakes (Contrast paint is rather unforgiving) and it helps add detail to the skin. 

* Your mileage may vary, Another Wargaming Blog does not accept liability for either the demise of disco or your Greenskins...

I just had to add some scars to this poor grot's back. A happy little accident as it ties nicely with his master's skin colored cloak. Now that I think of it: "I only hit you so our outfits are color-matched," might just make for the most horrifying whipping ever. 

As a final step I grab a dab of GW Bugman's Glow or Orcish Dermis by Scale75 (depending on what is in reach or on the wet palette as I'm painting) to add a bit of color to the lower lip and elbows (where visible). I also added some scars on the back of the Grot as I assume a fellow like that gets whipped around a lot by his boss (that's what you get if you don't unionize). As a final step I add blacklining between fingers, toes and between most of the different overlapping colors. Perhaps it is a bit of phase I'm currently in, but I really like the result of (subtle) blacklining. It also makes me feel like an above average painter ;). That is the entire 'secret' to this Orc/Kruleboy/Greenskin flesh. I was planning to type a lot more about color choices, but I seem to be running a bit long in this blog (and there's more of these guys on the paint station so I'll have plenty of space later). Let's finish off by mentioning the stitched together rags they wear. After a bit of fooling around with dark blues and browns I settled on giving every Kruleboy at least one layer of dead human skin-colored clothing to wear. I think it adds to the overall horrifying appearance devious swamp Orcs should exude. More on painting dead skin colored rags and finding the proper sepia tone for yellow shields in a later post.