"Ancient Egyptian skintone" Topic

Howdy all,

So far, I have a few archers painted, using Vallejo Hull Red (GW Scorched Brown) as the base coat, and then highlighted with a 50/50 mix of Hull Red / Brown Sand (GW Bestial Brown), but I have found this doesn't quite give the look that I am going for!

The effect I am after is the red-brown look as shown in these images:
picture
picture
picture
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picture

Can anyone help me, please?

Regards
Ryan

Look at modern North African skintypes, Berbers etc. That will be a lighter tone then what is on the pics. The nobles will be a lighter tone then the more common people as well in general. Some of those pics may be Kushite Egyptian or possibly the result of interbreeding with Kushites? I'm not sure but others will have the knowledge.

Anyway bookmark this link

Like nowadays Egyptians. Darker in the south (almost black), lighter in the north (almost white). @ Malekithau : nobles won't always be much lighter, especially in the army. Skin color is not an issue in Ancient Egypt. Lighter skin (yellow) is associated with women, darker skin (red) is associated with men.

Currently painting up some Fuzzy Wuzzies for the Sudan and the mix I am using is (Vallejo of course):

Chocolate Brown Base
Flat Brown mid tone (quite thin, almost a wash)
2 x Flat Brown / 1 x Brown sand mix for highlight.

It actually has come up too red for the Fuzzies (can't be bothered to repaint them) but *might* be OK for what you are after.

Alternatively check out the Foundry Flesh paints :

link

The North African palette might do the trick.

Pete

Also, this might help:

link

Pete

OOOOppsss…see somebody beat me to it!

But he doesnt WANT actual Egyptian Skintone – he wants skintones like the pictures he linked – I assume for an arrmy that looks like paintings. I used to have a lovely Norman Army painted to look like the Bayeux Tapestry, they were nice.

I would start with Bestial Brown with Red Gore and go from there, lightening with Snakebite leather.

pat

In light of Renaud S.'s advice, note, however, that modern Egyptians would also reflect some admixture from Macedonian, Roman, and later times and places…

--- and, of course, Arabs, who arrived bringing their language, religion and culture in the C7th CE.

I, for one, welcome the portrayal of Egyptians as brown people. For most of the past two centuries European illustrations have shown ancient Egypt as being peopled by light-skinned folks who might be Italian. You obviously needed light skin to develop an advanced civilization.

(The whole Afrocentric 'black Egyptians' debate is best seen as an over-reaction to the Pharoah-from-Milan syndrome, but that's another story)

The Egyptian artwork shown clearly indicated that – at least according to conventional form – Egyptians were red-brown, Libyans were almost parchment-white, Asiatics were tan and Nubians seriously black.

For myself, I'd use Howard's Hues Roan, highlighted with Chestnut. But I imagine that doesn't help much, sorry!

Sane Max: You hit the Nubian on the Head!!! ‌
I know it may not be "accurate", but I really like the style in those paintings. I'm going to paint my Nubian auxiliaries/enemies almost as black as the picture, and I've painted some of my sea peoples the colour in image 3. The only major differences will be the Libyans. I'm not overly keen on them looking white!!!

I was contemplating Red Gore (Cavalry Brown), but over Scorched Brown (Hull Red), and thought it might look a little too red. I'm definitely going to try it with Bestial Brown (Flat Brown)

I've bought a load of 1/72 miniatures from Caesar. Gorgeous they are, and CHEAP!!! 2 whole armies (and then some) for less than £50.00 GBP Bargain!! ‌‌

ooohhh a 1/72 biblical player? wanna see some of my WAB Caaesar Egyptians?

link

Pat

Sane Max: VERY NICE!!! I've been looking at different games to play, and although I played WAB in the past, I was quite taken with Armati, so I'm painting and basing for that system.

The only downside I have with plastics is there just doesn't seem to be enough command figures!

I really like the armour on your Sherden. How did you go about producing it? Also, what skin colour did you paint your Libyans?

The whole army was painted the same way, in about a week – Brown and Chestnut ink over white undercoat, then highlighted using a flat-brushing technique. The Sherden are in Leather, so bestial Brown highlights over the ink, then probably a wash to deepen them again and another highlight.

Skin tone was mostly Snakebite leather and a little flesh, highlighted twice with more flesh in the mix each time. The end result isn't quite 'Scottish-Egyptians' like we used to paint them, nor is it the colour they really were.

None of my mates will play WAB in this scale, until now – a new member at my club has had his ass handed to him on a plate by my WAB Libyan Army (Warband) and last night my HAT Assyrians got beaten like a ginger step-child in revenge.

I hope to use the Egyptians soon.

Pat

They do look good. I like them.

I've been struggling to get the 'black' look on the armour of the Sherden, without paintin them black. I might try your method as they turned out how I pictured them.

I'm having to build both armies, but fortunately Armati armies don't have to be massive if you only play the basic game.

Ryan

Nice work, Sane Max!

@Brummie Lad: What sort of basing does Armati require?

Skeptic: It's pretty much the same as DBA mate.

"For most of the past two centuries European illustrations have shown ancient Egypt as being peopled by light-skinned folks who might be Italian."

Yup.

picture

Wonder why?

Allen

That's a Mummy-Case painting is it AE? I have seen a lot of those, including a few that look like firm evidence that Pablo Picasso had a Time Machine.

Just because the upper-classes had nice complexions proves nothing.

'I never realised the Working Classes had such white skins'

Pat

any craft paint acrylic burnt umber should work straight out of the bottle.

seriously…terracotta paint is perfect.

If I am recognizing it correctly, the case painting Alan is showing is from the period when Egypt was part of the Roman Empire. The point he's making is that some of these "Egyptians" really WERE from Italy.

I thought they were greek!!!

I, for one, welcome the portrayal of Egyptians as brown people. For most of the past two centuries European illustrations have shown ancient Egypt as being peopled by light-skinned folks who might be Italian.

Hmmm……. so I guess this:

picture

shows a good Egyptian boy, on a date with his Italian girlfriend.

Ralph

I remember reading an article on Egyptian art, and they stated that when multiple subjects are depicted, they have one painted dark, the next one light, then dark. I'm sure that was referring to New Kingdom art.

I'm sure that wasn't always the case, however, in paintings from that period (New Kingdom) you will find that the greater majority of images portray the Egyptian as the one on the right in the picture above.

Or it could be aa union between an Egyptian prince and a non-Egyptian princess…. That could also explain the difference in colouring.

Ryan

"Hmmm……. so I guess this:

picture

shows a good Egyptian boy, on a date with his Italian girlfriend."

That shows Gina and Tutmoses together. Not shown is Luigi, who is riding around the pyramids on his Lambretta. Conventional illustrations show Gina and Luigi at Memphis, usually drinking cappuccinos.

…and jiving:

picture

Gina and Luigi were big into jiving. But so were Mia and Vincent.

I like the part in S.M. Stirling's Nantucket series when the former Coast Guard cadet McAndrews (who, along with the training ship Eagle and the modern island of Nantucket, were transported back to 1250 BCE) shows up in Egypt and finds his Afrocentric beliefs rudely shattered.

Allen