I really, really appreciate the help Lauby from Lauby Industries (yea, yea) gave me. His post really pointed me in the right direction, especially with the idea of using gold. I wasn't going in that direction with my previous efforts, but once I tried it I realized it was spot on. I'm hoping you folks like the scheme... and okay, obviously I like it, but I'm not set in stone here. This is not me asking for feedback that I'll then bitch about. Let me know what you think and I'll definitely accept any suggestions.
- I had a hard time finding a test model to stand in for the army, which is obviously a Footdar variant. I chose this one because it has large areas of cloth, armor, and skin - all of which the army has.
- It's a model I like but don't have an immediate use for. I've been looking forward to painting it for some time.
- I haven't worked out a design for the tattoos, so they look a bit random on this fig. Remember the armor will look more appropriate purple than it does here.
- I'll be using a neon green for the flames and guns, but only in moderation.
- This was a speed-paint. Taking out the time needed for drying, I maybe spent 40 minutes painting it. That said, I won't have the luxury of much more time per mini for the army... BoLSCon is 45 days away, after all!
- The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) might recognize it as a model he gave me. I hope he appreciates the use I put it to.
Okay, that's it - thoughts?
10 comments:
I think that's pretty much where it needs to be. The gold you used looks great. I'd need to see the neon green before passing judgment.
Also, don't worry at all about not knowing how to spell Laubersheimer. I go by Lauby all the time.
Fun fact, in kindergarten i had to have a cheat sheet for my own last name. @<:(
I think it looks great. I wanna see how the neon green looks.
@<:( = sad clown? I <3 you Lauby.
....
Just show me another picture of the Storm raven. It will be less painful for you.
Good Lord, man!
MM(esno) if you don't like it that wouldn't surprise me - you never rush out minis.
It's a color test. Do the colors work well together or not? If not, what needs changing?
Help me out, or not, just leave the Storm Vac the justly-famous Dyson Pattern Storm Raven out of it.
He's been in therapy with McVey's Lemartes enough lately.
Ok here goes...remember you asked for this.
First off, your pics never help you painting at all. Flashes wash out the colors and exaggerate the shading. Use a tri-pod, some indirect light, the exposure/white balance setting as well as the timer on your camera.
Next, this model looks way too much like everything else you do. I know you have the talent to expand your painting but you fall back on your comfort zone too much.
Too much gold. I never really like gold as a main color. It should be for accents more than main color and it hurts this model a lot.
Dead flesh should not be the same color as living flesh. Yours is. I also think (and this is a personal preference) that models that live their lives on a space ship or wearing a helmet should not be nicely tanned. To me (one again my preference) elves not of the wood variety should have a paler complexion.
I can't tell if its the flash but it looks like you lightened the purple using white. If you did stop it. You should use bone or ivory to lighten, white turns everything pastel or chalky.
I don't like the gray on this. It is hard to tell how it will look on an eldar model and the places you have chosen to put it looks wrong on this.
Another thing on the gray is that it may be too close to the same tone as the purple. A dark purple and light gray or a dark gray and a light purple would be a better look. Matching tones like that makes the model look flat.
Fundamentally, if your going to paint a test model, paint a test eldar model. Its really hard for me to envision this on an eldar guardian, I imagine the undersuit will be the grey and the armor plates the purple? Leave the body suit black and do the plates purple so they pop right off.
MM(esno) is dead on about using white to lighten as opposed to a bone or grey. I imagine if I were speedpainting that army I would leave the undesuit black, paint the plates either lich or warlock (your choice) and then wash them black and then purple and be done with it. I get some highlights as the wash tints and settles and thats enough for a tabletop quality model.
it would cut the painting time way down, though drying time would go up.
I would use the same technique for my aspect warriors as well, black undersuits all around then plates in the aspect scheme. Wash, Wash move on to details.
The black undersuit will really make the colored plates pop. Use a saturated color, not a washed out one.
Of course you know I don't paint so its all theory from me.
That's better.
Louis, I value your criticism. I put this model out there for everyone to comment on and I was prepared to accept feedback.
Your first statement was jocular, but it was basically a back-handed insult at my Storm Raven rather than anything I could use. You said 'remember you asked for it' then followed that up with great, pointed ideas.
Thank you! I can use all of it.
If you don't like the gray - and your eye was good, 'cause there was purple mixed in - what color would you suggest?
Also, what should I highlight up the flesh with, white or ivory?
I'll be using the gold in moderation - that's a good point.
Evil Homer: just because you don't paint doesn't mean you can. The actual models don't have much of the elements you mentioned, which is part of the problem with using the model I did.
Thanks - Brent
You were sorta right, the first comment was as much a shot at the Storm Raven as it was my dislike of my first impression of this model.
Your model will look entirely different when photographed incorrectly. It is just tough for you to tell because you know how it looks and may not notice the difference. Between the flash hardening the shadows and washing out the colors along with your normal room lighting shifting the color to a different temperature it is really hard to tell what the "really" looks like. If you are curious, leave the flash off and turn up the white balance or increase the exposure on the camera. Then take one like you normally do. You will see quite a difference. I know many times you are taking quick shots to get them online but if you tinker with the settings and get something you like, you can go back to that each time and it should be the same.
Now as for the gray, I am not opposed to using gray and I can not detect any purple in it. I was merely talking about the tone. For me tone is less about color and more about how light or dark that color is. From what I can see, they seem like they are in about the same point as far as light and dark in their respective colors. Does that make sense?
Perhaps you could try the purple a bit darker, and use the same gray or lighter. That way there is some contrast. Or similar to what Homer said, paint the purple..purple, then the gray a light grey and wash the entire model with a 1/3 mix of purple/black wash. Hell you might even do the metal using chainmail that way. As I said earlier the tone is less important than the color.
As for the highlights it is really tough to say what to use to lighten or darken certain colors. I know my main concern is to avoid using white. White will wash out a color and make everything lean toward the pastel side or look chalky. If you have to use it, only use it on very light colors and only for the extreme highlights For me, I have an ivory and a bone color that I use for add to make highlights. One is warm with a ever so slight hint of yellow, the other is a colder color. That allows me to use the one I want depending on the base color.
As for skin I have a pale flesh tone (VMC Pale Flesh I think) I use for almost all my skin (except those I really want to look tanned or leathered). The only difference being whether I mix it in to my base to highlight or use it straight. It's a standard in my skin painting. I almost never go above that tone, unless I am doing something like dead skin or some ashy looking stuff. Here is my basic three colors I use....
VGC Elf Flesh
GW Flesh wash (last model, not new washes)
VMC Pale Flesh
Volumes vary based on desired result and I believe GW make matches for those colors.
Evil Homer: Rereading these comments I saw a typo.
It should have read, "Just because you don't paint doesn't mean you can't."
Obviously that's a big difference!
For skin, I frequently use VMC cork brown and then mix it white for highlights. I use my stash of GW brown ink for sparing deep shades.
Though if you're gonna use the GW colors for skin, add bleached bone for the extreme highlights.
I think the test model looks fine as is. But now that I've looked at it again, they gray you've used is too blue... and too close to the purple. It looks suspiciously like shadow gray. Definitely try something more neutral and maybe a bit darker. Something close to 50/50 codex gray and black. charadon granite might work too.
with a darker gray, i think people would like the gold better.
also, pro-tip on speeding drying times, guys - use a hairdryer on the low setting. works wonders.
other than that, don't get too bent out of shape on the test mini - its strictly there to test colors. Color placement is a whole different issue. I like to do multiple tests so i don't have to have to work on multiple problems at the same time - ie: overall scheme, placement, technique. Though i will admit that an actual eldar test should be right around the corner.
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