Thursday, July 27, 2017

Rhinox Hide - The Bestest Citadel Paint Color

What do bone, gold, brass, copper, leather, rusty metal, mud, and red cloth all have in common?

This guy right here.


Rhinox Hide, it is quite possibly the most versitile color I've ever used in the current Citadel line of paint. Since it's release, I've found multiple uses for it and emptied half a dozen pots.

Rhinox on the left, Scorched on the right.
Released as a replacement for Scorched Brown during the last major paint range shake up. It is actually quite a bit darker of a brown than its predecessor, and slightly less red. Unlike the change from Devlan Mud to Agrax Earthshade, this is actually a boon.

If I remember correctly, I'd never used Scorched Brown for anything other than a base layer for browns. Of course, this may also be because my style and skill level has changed over the years, as much as it does the change in shade.

It hadn't clicked with me just how much I used it until after I painted the Deathwing Terminator Captain for this year's Crystal Brush. For that model, I used Rhinox Hide in the shadows of nearly everything. From the actual bone colored armor plates, to the red sections and since then I've noticed myself using it on various other models as well.

Most notably, I used it on Iron Golem on the gold of his sword hilt and shield, trying for a high contrast metallic, using it in the darkest sections and darklining. But more on that in a bit.

Add this on top of the fact that I almost always paint the sand on my bases, leather, wood and red cloth with it. It really is the MVP of my paint collection.

Here are some examples of things I've painted using Rhinox Hide, either as a base or shadow.

Bone

For the bone colored armor on my Deathwing Terminator, I needed to push contrast as hard as possible.

So I made the shadows in Rhinox Hide and then worked up to Screaming Skull highlighting and white.

The effect worked really well and the shadows were more believable, than if I had just used straight Ushbati Bone for the entire thing. 
Copper

For Copper, I start with a base coat of Rhinox Hide and then work up from there.

In this example of a Skitarii Vanguard head, I started with Rhinox Hide, followed by a mix of Rhinox and Brass Scorpion, then highlights of Brass Scorpion, Hashut Copper and an edge highlight of Stormhost Silver and a dark line of Rhinox in the recesses.

The matte finish of the Rhinox in the recesses and shadow areas really helps the metallic pop better and lets your eye see the details easier. With full metallic, the flake reflects the light and hides details.
Dirt

The dirt of Jack Scarecrow's base was painted with Rhinox Hide and then washed with Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil.

From there is was some drybrushing of Chocolate Brown and Flat Earth and then some gloss 'ardcoat to give it a wet look. Followed by more drybrushing.

The end result is some nice dark, rich soil.
Gold

Gold, like copper, really shines (pun totally intended) when it is placed next to dark shadows. So for something like the Iron Golem's sword here, the Rhinox Hide acts as the darkest part of reflection.

This sword was painted following my High Contrast Metallic technique, using Rhinox Hide, Retributor Armor, Liberator Gold and Stormcast Silver. 
Leather

This leather backpack on the Skitarii Vanguard was painted with a base coat of Rhinox Hide, a wash of Agrax Earthshade, then another layer of Rhinox, and highlights of Chocolate Brown, Flat Earth and edged with Usbhati Bone.

Basically the same colors as the dirt above, but used in a different way, showing that you don't need to have 50 different shades of a color to get the look you're going for. 
Metal

Sophie, from Hobbyistgirl uses Rhinox Hide as a base coat on the metals for her 40k Orks. She was kind enough to allow me to share it.

According to Sophie, "it gives a darker, ruddier look to the base coat which, I feel, allows the subsequent washes to really age the metal."

Her process is a base coat of Rhinox Hide, followed by a layer or Leadbelcher, washes of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade. Once dry, she chips and slashes the surface with a few quick brushstrokes of Stormhost Silver to age and weather it.

Expect a tutorial from her on this technique soon!
Red

Possibly my most favorite use for Rhinox Hide is to use it with red. Rhinox Hide really shines when used as a shade and base coat for red. The richness of the brown works amazingly well with Khorne Red, especially once you give it a Agrax wash.

For this shield, I painted the entire area with Rhinox Hide, then built up highlights by working in Khorne Red and using glazes of Khorne Red mixed with Evil Sunz Scarlet, and eventually Wild Rider Red.


All these uses, and more, just from a single color. There's a reason that I keep an extra pot of it on hand. It really is the most versatile paint color I've found, in the Citadel range.

If you haven't tried it, give it a shot! Or, if you've found other uses for it, leave a comment below and tell everyone about your experience.

What other colors have you found multiple uses for, outside the basic base coats for similar colors?

Until next time!