[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"faction-/factions/high-elf-realms":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":360,"description":361,"extension":362,"faction":363,"heroImage":364,"hex":365,"intro":366,"lastUpdated":360,"meta":367,"navigation":368,"path":369,"seo":370,"stem":371,"system":372,"__hash__":373},"factions/factions/high-elf-realms.md","How to Paint High Elf Realms",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":350},"minimark",[9,13,16,21,24,28,36,67,81,85,88,120,145,160,164,195,198,242,254,258,288,305,309,341],[10,11,12],"p",{},"High Elves are the tidiest scheme in The Old World, and tidy is the hard kind. There is nowhere to hide: white robes show every brush mark, the blue panels are large and flat, and the gold is on show at close range on almost every model. What you get in return is an army that looks expensive from three feet away, because clean is exactly what nobody manages by accident.",[10,14,15],{},"The good news is that the model count is low for a rank-and-flank force and the detail is shallow and crisp, which means thin paint behaves. Work slowly on the first ten spearmen and the technique carries the rest of the army.",[17,18,20],"h2",{"id":19},"the-signature-look","The signature look",[10,22,23],{},"Off-white robes and cloth shaded blue-grey rather than brown, azure blue on shields, helmet plumes and banner fields, warm gold on trim and ithilmar armour, and a small number of jewel-bright gemstones doing the work of a spot colour. The palette is cool throughout, so any warm shadow reads as dirt - and a dirty High Elf reads as a mistake, not as weathering.",[17,25,27],{"id":26},"the-white-robes","The white robes",[10,29,30,31,35],{},"Undercoat ",[32,33,34],"strong",{},"Grey Seer"," - starting from a mid-grey rather than white saves you two coats of white paint and gives the shading something to sit in.",[37,38,39,47,54,60],"ol",{},[40,41,42,43,46],"li",{},"Shade the recesses and the base of each fold with thinned ",[32,44,45],{},"Drakenhof Nightshade",", applied only where the cloth folds inwards. A brown wash here is what makes white go ivory and grubby.",[40,48,49,50,53],{},"Layer ",[32,51,52],{},"Ulthuan Grey"," across everything except the deepest folds. Two thin coats, and let the first dry properly.",[40,55,49,56,59],{},[32,57,58],{},"Celestra Grey"," back into the mid-tones if the transition looks too abrupt - optional, and only on characters.",[40,61,62,63,66],{},"Highlight ",[32,64,65],{},"White Scar"," on the raised edge of each fold and along the top of every panel. Keep this to genuine high points; white everywhere is white nowhere.",[10,68,69,70,73,74,77,78,80],{},"For the fast version, undercoat ",[32,71,72],{},"Wraithbone"," and give the cloth a single coat of ",[32,75,76],{},"Apothecary White"," contrast. It shades cool, which is exactly what this scheme wants, and one ",[32,79,65],{}," highlight on top finishes it.",[17,82,84],{"id":83},"azure-blue","Azure blue",[10,86,87],{},"The Lothern blue on shields, plumes and banners:",[37,89,90,97,103,109],{},[40,91,92,93,96],{},"Basecoat ",[32,94,95],{},"Macragge Blue",", two thin coats.",[40,98,99,100,102],{},"Shade ",[32,101,45],{}," so the shadows stay blue.",[40,104,49,105,108],{},[32,106,107],{},"Calgar Blue"," on the raised areas.",[40,110,111,112,115,116,119],{},"Edge-highlight ",[32,113,114],{},"Fenrisian Grey",", with a final ",[32,117,118],{},"Etherium Blue"," catch on the corner of a shield boss.",[10,121,122,123,126,127,129,130,133,134,137,138,141,142,144],{},"For a lighter, more turquoise-leaning azure, basecoat ",[32,124,125],{},"Teclis Blue"," over ",[32,128,34],{},", layer ",[32,131,132],{},"Lothern Blue"," and highlight ",[32,135,136],{},"Baharroth Blue"," - brighter, faster, and better suited to Lothern Sea Guard than to a Silver Helm. ",[32,139,140],{},"Talassar Blue"," contrast over ",[32,143,72],{}," gets you close in one coat.",[10,146,147,148,151,152,155,156,159],{},"Vallejo painters can run the same ramp as Prussian Blue, Royal Blue and Andrea Blue; Army Painter equivalents are ",[32,149,150],{},"Deep Blue",", ",[32,153,154],{},"Crystal Blue"," and ",[32,157,158],{},"Wolf Grey",".",[17,161,163],{"id":162},"gold-ithilmar-and-gems","Gold, ithilmar and gems",[10,165,166,167,170,171,174,175,178,179,182,183,186,187,190,191,194],{},"Trim, helms and ithilmar plate: ",[32,168,169],{},"Retributor Armour",", shade ",[32,172,173],{},"Reikland Fleshshade"," rather than a brown wash - it keeps the gold warm instead of muddy - then layer ",[32,176,177],{},"Auric Armour Gold"," and put the smallest possible catch of ",[32,180,181],{},"Stormhost Silver"," on the sharpest corners. For a paler, silvery ithilmar, use ",[32,184,185],{},"Ironbreaker"," shaded ",[32,188,189],{},"Nuln Oil"," with ",[32,192,193],{},"Runefang Steel"," edges.",[10,196,197],{},"Gemstones are the spot colour, and they are two minutes of work each:",[199,200,201,219,230],"ul",{},[40,202,203,204,207,208,211,212,215,216,218],{},"Red - ",[32,205,206],{},"Khorne Red"," in the recess, ",[32,209,210],{},"Evil Sunz Scarlet"," across the middle, ",[32,213,214],{},"Wild Rider Red"," at the lower edge, a single ",[32,217,65],{}," dot at the upper corner, then gloss varnish.",[40,220,221,222,151,225,151,227,229],{},"Blue - ",[32,223,224],{},"Kantor Blue",[32,226,95],{},[32,228,107],{},", same dot.",[40,231,232,233,151,236,151,239,229],{},"Green - ",[32,234,235],{},"Caliban Green",[32,237,238],{},"Warpstone Glow",[32,240,241],{},"Moot Green",[10,243,244,151,247,155,250,253],{},[32,245,246],{},"Spiritstone Red",[32,248,249],{},"Waystone Green",[32,251,252],{},"Soulstone Blue"," over a silver basecoat do the same job in one coat if you have a lot of gems to get through.",[17,255,257],{"id":256},"faking-non-metallic-metal","Faking non-metallic metal",[10,259,260,261,151,264,151,267,270,271,273,274,277,278,155,281,284,285,287],{},"High Elf gold suits the painted-metal look because the surfaces are large and flat. You do not need full non-metallic technique to get most of the effect: ramp ",[32,262,263],{},"Zandri Dust",[32,265,266],{},"Ushabti Bone",[32,268,269],{},"Screaming Skull"," and a ",[32,272,65],{}," stripe on the topmost edge, keeping every transition sharp and placing the brightest line on one side only. For steel, run ",[32,275,276],{},"Dark Reaper"," through ",[32,279,280],{},"Thunderhawk Blue",[32,282,283],{},"Administratum Grey"," to a ",[32,286,65],{}," edge. Pick one light source and stick to it across the whole model.",[10,289,290,291,151,294,296,297,300,301,304],{},"Skin should stay pale and cool: ",[32,292,293],{},"Rakarth Flesh",[32,295,173],{},", then back up to ",[32,298,299],{},"Pallid Wych Flesh"," with a ",[32,302,303],{},"Kislev Flesh"," touch on the lips.",[17,306,308],{"id":307},"tips-and-common-mistakes","Tips and common mistakes",[199,310,311,317,323,329,335],{},[40,312,313,316],{},[32,314,315],{},"Never shade white with a brown wash."," It goes instantly to old parchment. Blue-grey shadow is the whole difference between marble and canvas.",[40,318,319,322],{},[32,320,321],{},"Two thin coats of white, always."," One thick coat leaves ridges that no highlight will rescue, and white is the least forgiving paint you own.",[40,324,325,328],{},[32,326,327],{},"Let the blue be the smaller area."," White dominant, blue as panels and plumes, gold as line work. Reversing that ratio makes them look like a different army.",[40,330,331,334],{},[32,332,333],{},"One dot per gem."," Two dots and it stops reading as a reflection.",[40,336,337,340],{},[32,338,339],{},"Keep the bases clean and pale too."," Stone, sand or grass - churned mud undoes an hour of careful white.",[10,342,343,344,349],{},"Try the balance of white, azure and gold in the ",[345,346,348],"a",{"href":347},"/tools/scheme-generator?color=4a86c8","scheme generator"," before you commit the host.",{"title":351,"searchDepth":352,"depth":352,"links":353},"",2,[354,355,356,357,358,359],{"id":19,"depth":352,"text":20},{"id":26,"depth":352,"text":27},{"id":83,"depth":352,"text":84},{"id":162,"depth":352,"text":163},{"id":256,"depth":352,"text":257},{"id":307,"depth":352,"text":308},"2026-09-03","How to paint High Elf Realms for The Old World - clean white robes shaded cool, Lothern azure blue, warm gold trim and jewel-bright gemstones, with a non-metallic option for the trim.","md","High Elf Realms",null,"#4a86c8","White robes, azure blue and gold, kept clean and crisp",{},true,"/factions/high-elf-realms",{"title":5,"description":361},"factions/high-elf-realms","old-world","8MTTzxwWseCWK5q3JkNrjKurge4l6qurO1FZ1txe1ok"]