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Layering, Blending and Feathering (For Teh Empwah!)

Started by LinnScarlett, September 20, 2012, 06:51:05 PM

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LinnScarlett

I'll have you know, I am a pointless overachiever when it comes to painting these miniatures (which I don't actually play with, I just like painting them. My bf does most of the theory-crafting and playing, in all honesty), because I really really like being artsy with them. Anyway, a few days ago I got it in my head to try using the blending/feathering techniques that 'all the cool guys' show off on the GWS miniature showcase pictures. I was very certain there was an article or pointer about the technique somewhere, but I've scrounged through all my molested (and my bf through his unmolested) White Dwarves, but I can't seem to (re)find it. Not at all daunted, I tried to figure it out along the way simply by staring at the showcase pictures long and hard enough, and trying to mimic the effects.

That didn't work out. At least, not to my satisfaction. My bf helpfully reminded me I have an account here, so I was wondering, if there happened to be anyone around here that is familiar with that way of painting, and if, Emperor-willing, they could give me some pointers? I attached (really bad quality, I know) photographs of the offending miniatures in question, to illustrate my badly articulated point. ;)

They are a picture of my Ultrawolf Captain Throrgar Godslayer (long story), and my Catachan designated-flag-carrier-because-he-annoyed-the-Commissar Tex (another long story, but readable via my FFnet link, down below in my signature. Try 'Port Green'.)

I tried blending smoothly through the layers with most of Godslayer's power armour (going from more or less Fenris Grey through two lighter mixes; and then topped with a hard edge highlight to bring out the chunky nature of the power armour more) and with Tex' skin (which didn't work out so very well, as the transition between shade and the lighter layer turned out totally unblendy :( )
I need more time to do the Emperor's work!

You can read my stuff on 2S's Fluff and Stories.

Or, you can come visit my author page on Archive of Our Own. WARNING: NC-17

Will's on Fire

I think I see what you mean.

I guess what you want is to be thinning your paints slightly, so it might take a little more time in the painting but your blending will improve, and also, especially seemingly with the catachan's skin, is reduce the area you cover with each increment of colour. The muscle looks like you've painted the dark area, then all your highlights have gone over the same area so you just have the darkest and the lightest. I admit, I am not the best at painting skin, but I think you want more of the mid-tones in the skin than you have at present.

On the space wolf, the legs looks really nicely done. Maybe again, thinner paints will help smooth those transitions, but that's a really good job. The arm needs slightly more work, you seem to have done the trick I like to do of pushing the highlight across to much of the area. Try and reduce the area the lighter colour hits, especially on the "glove" piece and that will help it 'pop' a bit more.

Nice work so far, small alterations and you#re well on your way!

- Will

LinnScarlett

Thanks, I'll give that a shot! I already thin them pretty much, but it's difficult to figure out how much is too much (or too little). On the Space Marine's leg you can see indeed what I was trying to do, especially the inner leg on the top inset picture. I blended it from dark, to lighter, to light, and then tried and 'blend' the edge high light a bit as well as the front of the leg to try and create a sense of roundness of the plate piece, and then did the edge highlight (power armour just looks weird without edge highlights to me, I don't know what it is :P)
I need more time to do the Emperor's work!

You can read my stuff on 2S's Fluff and Stories.

Or, you can come visit my author page on Archive of Our Own. WARNING: NC-17

Will's on Fire

In that case you can always try and additional mix between each colour you use. Adding another mid tone between two will help draw them together, the less dramatic the change in paint is, the smoother the end effect looks.

- Will

Tom

These might help:
http://secondsphere.org/labs/index.php?topic=131137.0
http://secondsphere.org/labs/index.php?topic=131138.0
There used to be many more. I wonder if Thantos still has the whole lot safely stored somewhere because I think it used to be such a good resource for painting tutorials on general techniques that could be applied to all sorts of models.

LinnScarlett

Oh, thank you! Those are awesome! I bet I'll manage with a little practise (where's Thantos so I can hug him?)

...did I just wander into ghost-old-forum or what? I suddenly couldn't refind this thread at all (had to cheat the game by loading it via my e-mail link). It was like... I suddenly stood in the Warp-reality of this site. There were a lot more treads... and folders... and sub folders... it was scary *shivers*
I need more time to do the Emperor's work!

You can read my stuff on 2S's Fluff and Stories.

Or, you can come visit my author page on Archive of Our Own. WARNING: NC-17

Jonagon

haha, Thantos' tutorials are awesome, he has a couple of different blending techniques in there, but the one he calls "dry blending" is the best in my opinion.

It's really hard to tell people what consistancy of paint to use, because it depends on the paint and so on, but I did a video a little while ago which might help, it's very similar to Thantos' stuff, but might be easier to see for some things in video form:

You Tube link

A few general tips:

Glazing (thin washes evenly applied) tend to tie layers together and cover up harsh transitions.

Glazes of random other colours can also add depth to a blend and make the surface appear to have more 'depth'.

This was a recent blend of mine, which I did using the techniques in Thantos' tutorials and my video. Whenever I got a harsh transition I went back and glazed the surface to bring it back together before going again. Also I have purples glazed into the shadows to add depth:



Good luck with the painting, It's challenging trying to get the blends going the first time, but very satisfying when you start getting it!  :)

LinnScarlett

Oh... wow... That picture makes me jealous   ;D
Would it be possible to pilfer some example pictures of your amazing work? I was confronted just now (when trying the blending) that I am not sure where (I want) to apply the dark/light areas on the power armour, it would be good to have some reference ideas.  :D

Your video was really helpful by the way, getting the right consistency of paint (and using little enough of it, but not too little) is currently buggering the hell out of me trying to get it right! Hehe! It dries so quickly! Or maybe I just paint very slowly?  :P
I need more time to do the Emperor's work!

You can read my stuff on 2S's Fluff and Stories.

Or, you can come visit my author page on Archive of Our Own. WARNING: NC-17

Jonagon

haha, thanks.

I haven't actually painted much power armour lately, at least not in a normal style (the style above being called NMM and trying to simulate metalic reflections.)

Basically what most people do is called Zenithal highlighting. In this case you imagine a light source (most people go for above and to the right of the model) and then highlight the surfaces closest to the light source.

I haven't got any great examples myself, but I dug a couple out from the internet which I think show this fairly well.

This guy has gone for a light source almost directly above the mini, all his highlights are on the highest points on the surfaces (most easily seen on his knee plate).



This guy has put his light source in the top left of the picture (to the right of the mini)



Hopefully this helps you with your highlight/shade placement!

Note: These are not my work! I stole them from google!


Thantos

Quote from: Linn Scarlett on September 22, 2012, 10:43:45 AM
where's Thantos so I can hug him?
Lost in the warp at the moment :( Moving house means no internet until BT openreach can fix the phone line and connect me to the Astronimican again.  ::)

Hope to update the reclusiam tutorials sometime, fix all the links etc etc. Just 9 hour days at work and trying to run Zealot Minis and do freelance CGI and create meals for food leaves 0 time for anything other than sleep.

Looks like your getting some great advice from Will Jon and Tom :P Not much i can add apart from practise makes perfect!


LinnScarlett

When you said 'lost in the Warp' I somehow heard the sort of 'slurrrp' noise I always imagine to be audible when warp rifts close  ::)

Oh - and thanks for the pictures Jona, those are great! It was quite difficult trying to imagine where light is supposed to be coming from on the miniatures, especially the space marines. Though I spend most of today trying to make my self-imposed problem (in the form of tiger stripe camo...) work out on my catachan. I think I finally got it in a way I like, although it did require me repainting his ass like, I don't know, 4 or 5 times before I was satisfied with the result (it would seem I use my nailpolish remover more for my minis than my nails these days...). Anyhow, his ass looks really good now, if I may say so myself. :P

And yes, I am in active denial of the fact that I still have the rest of the regiment to paint. Oh well!  ::)

I also did try blending his skin better, but achieved only slightly more success. Blending towards the shadows is being a bit of a pain currently (and the fear of messing it up or making it too light :p)
I need more time to do the Emperor's work!

You can read my stuff on 2S's Fluff and Stories.

Or, you can come visit my author page on Archive of Our Own. WARNING: NC-17