Tuesday 14 July 2015

Snakebite Leather - my on-going quest for a replacement


Regular readers and followers will know that I use Snakebite Leather from Games Workshop (the old paint mix) quite a bit. It is the base layer of my flesh colour and my preferred base or groundwork colour. With the most recent changes in GW paint formula and the Citadel/Games Workshop painting technique and its base, layer and highlight, Snakebite Leather - my favourite GW colour has disappeared.

I still have a pot or two (which I treat like gold dust) but I now have to start thinking very seriously about a replacement.....

This colour swatch shows some of the alternatives.

The swatch shows two Snakebite Leather samples the top left and middle left swatches. One is fresh from a new pot and the second from a nearly finished pot.

The others show paint that reports to be a replacement, but as you can see (or maybe not as the image is not that great) there is a wide variation in colour and tones.

I think the closest is Vallejo Cobra Leather (the clue is in the name!) With Cote d'Arms Barbarian Leather a very close second.

The swatch shows miniature paint manufacturers and artist quality acrylic paint as well as Dulux Sample Pot paint.

The Daler Yellow Ochre and Galleria Raw Umber look way out of register with the others even though the tube colour swatch is Snakebite?

So where from here?

I think I'll have to pick up a couple of bottles of Vallejo Cobra Leather the next time I am up at Parabellum, Birmingham. "Mark, just make sure you have some in stock."

Tony

7 comments:

Heisler said...

Mmm, Colors on a computer screen are always tough. If you have access you might try Oiled Leather from the Reaper MSP line (9110).

Anonymous said...

If you add a small amount of black in the CdA paint you have in the first row, you will get the result you need. If not, then add a bit if a darker brown. Most artist browns are mixes of Umber or Sienna and black, so you are not far off with the choices you have! Good luck.

Tony said...

"If you add a small amount of black in the CdA paint you have in the first row, you will get the result you need. If not, then add a bit if a darker brown. Most artist browns are mixes of Umber or Sienna and black, so you are not far off with the choices you have! Good luck."

Thanks for the advice - I'll try this out the next time I'm down the shed.

Tony

edgates said...

I think GW's XV-88 base paint is the equivalent of snakebite leather. Also as it is a base paint it should be good for working up from.

Tony said...

"I think GW's XV-88 base paint is the equivalent of snakebite leather. Also as it is a base paint it should be good for working up from."

I've tried it in store and comparing against my swatch (yes I do carry a swatch of Snakebite Leather in my wallet) it is not the same.

I have, however read on some forums that GW's XV-88 does give differing results if painted in one coat, two coats or three coats.

So maybe I'll have to pick up a bottle and test it.

Thanks for the comment and the advice.

Tony

Anonymous said...

I've just picked up a bottle of Vallejo's Premium (airbrush color) Dark Ochre. My early 90s (old round bottles) Snakebite got gunked up at the top and dried up before I got to it :( The Dark Ochre looks a little darker than Snakebite but it's closer than the GW conversion (not difficult). I might try Cobra Leather as well though, because Snakebite's one of our favourite colours!

Tony said...


"I've just picked up a bottle of Vallejo's Premium (airbrush color) Dark Ochre. My early 90s (old round bottles) Snakebite got gunked up at the top and dried up before I got to it :( The Dark Ochre looks a little darker than Snakebite but it's closer than the GW conversion (not difficult). I might try Cobra Leather as well though, because Snakebite's one of our favourite colours!"

Thank you.

I will search out a bottle and check it out.

Tony