BloodFather's Axis of Chaos
- Thread starter BloodFather of Kharnath
- Start date
chaos spawn
Member
Looks good so far. At the moment I would leave it as it is. Changing something could make it worse (My advice: You have to know when to stop 
). I would continue with the rest of the mini and in the end you can look at the mini closely and decide where to do a little finetunig.
). I would continue with the rest of the mini and in the end you can look at the mini closely and decide where to do a little finetunig.SkelettetS
New member
I should start my own paint range - 10 balls orange / 10 balls bad ass brown / 10 balls bollox blue / 10 balls motherf green - £15.99 each
NMM looking sweet mate.
i would totally buy them!
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
I should start my own paint range - 10 balls orange / 10 balls bad ass brown / 10 balls bollox blue / 10 balls motherf green - £15.99 each
NMM looking sweet mate.
You would have to put a Citadel stamp on it to get away with those prices. But I would love to basecoat with Bad Ass Brown. Or just Ass Brown. That sounds lovely.
Thank you Ten. Great success! <Borat voice>
Humanitarian
New member
Axe looks fantastic. I have to agree with leaving it alone and maybe doing something more later.
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
This conversation started on. AndyG's WIP:
Originally Posted by BloodFather of Kharnath
That at skin recipe sounds like Razza's. And seeing as he worked with 'Eavy Metal, it is no surprise that you got it out of WD. I really,really like it though and I'll have to try it sometime, though I struggle putting so many layers down on faces.
Originally Posted by Dragonsreach:
"OK Bloodfather that sounds to me like one of a possible few things, so here goes;
1. Your paint isn't thin enough and you're losing detail shape as the heavier layers dry. (BTDT)
2. Wrong size brush so that you're overloading the underlying shape.
3. You are unconsciously struggling to see the detail you are working on and may need to consider some kind of non-prescription magnification. (But don't just rush out on this one.This is your eye health I'm talking about here so be careful. My own eyesight is "damaged" and I have to use reading glasses to see anything inside three feet and clip on magnifiers for mini's. I don't want you to risk straining your own eyesight just because I suggested it.)
4. Perhaps your approach to the painting is not conducive to what you are aiming for. (If you go into the Articles and look at the Faces with Expressions one I did, take a look at the Chaos warrior face I've used as an example. He is painted in the same manner I still use today.{OK not the same paints}
Eyes first. Get them 'structured' with VMC Ivory and a pupil in place.
Basecoat. For me that's VMC Brown Sand. Carefully go round the eye socket, missing the Ivory obviously, then do the rest of the face and into the hairlines, if any. This should take two to three thin coats.
Now this is where it gets complex, so think of this; the head shape is round but the sculpted structure isn't. Think of the face as sets of TRIANGLES which have to be highlighted (not just the nose).
For a start look at the eyebrow ridges the base starts at the eyebrows an the apex is at or towards the hairline.
The forehead has a triangle in between the to eyebrow one with it's base at them hairline an apex above the nasal bridge.
In between these two triangles is the darker skin tones.
Now applying the same principle you can define areas on the face to consider as triangles, eyelids, cheeks, nose, upper lips, chin.
So with this concept it's the balance between the triangles and the darker areas you need to work on.
For me I tend to use a mix of VMV Violet Red and Brown Sand as the darker skin tone these days making a very dilute tone and carefully shading the eye sockets and sides of the nose. DO NOT WASH OVER THE ENTIRE FACE.
(DR's Rule of Thumb No 1: if you can see the first tone of shadow you've applied at arms length..it's TOO DARK!)
Then using the same paint shape in the darker skin tones in between the identified triangles where you want to highlight. Alternate between placing a highlight shape and a darker tone.
(DR's Rule of Thumb No 2: You ain't gonna get it perfect first time, Practise is your mistress, and Patience is your Lover.)
So here's the advice I was given by Mike and Ali McVey:-
For our purposes the face needs to not be thought of as a face but Areas of Emphasis.
Think of a capital letter T pace it so the cross bar is on the eyebrows and the staff is down the nose and that is where the smoothest and highest emphasis of highlights should be.
Think of a capital letter V place the point on the chin and the arms running along the jawline that's your mid strength structure.
So why think like this? Because when we look at a portrait of someone our tendency it to look to the eyes first so those areas we've defined as T and V shape the rest of our visual impact response. Giving the model face "areas of emphasis" like this makes us respond subconsciously as we would to a real face.
So take a look at some photo's of famous people (Sir Sean Connery is a great subject for this) and try to identify the shapes and areas on the pictures as I've discussed. Perhaps that way you'll get into a painting way you'll become 'happier' with.
Here endeth today's lesson!"
Right! Incredibly thankful for such a rounded and explanatory discourse on painting faces. There is a lot here that I find helpful. The T and the V and the triangles really helps me know where to apply my shades and highlights. Using my standard size one Reaper KS, I normally shade under the lower lilip, the jawline and out parts of cheeks, immediately under the eyes, the sides of the nose, any wrinkles, and the wrinkles above the brow. Then I'll highlight the cheekbones, lips, nose, etc. but I'll try to think of it in terms of the zones you discuyssed.
Painting faces isn't too much of a struggle for me. It's just that.at times, I can overwork the paint. I'll be satisfied with the result, and the next day I'll "fix" things. But this problem should at least partially improve with my purchasing some VMC Ivory. This should take away some of the perceived chalkiness. I bought this paint because Is heard you'd reccomended it.
Thanks for the theory and advice in painting faces. Actually, now I can't wait to try out some techniques.
Originally Posted by BloodFather of Kharnath
That at skin recipe sounds like Razza's. And seeing as he worked with 'Eavy Metal, it is no surprise that you got it out of WD. I really,really like it though and I'll have to try it sometime, though I struggle putting so many layers down on faces.
Originally Posted by Dragonsreach:
"OK Bloodfather that sounds to me like one of a possible few things, so here goes;
1. Your paint isn't thin enough and you're losing detail shape as the heavier layers dry. (BTDT)
2. Wrong size brush so that you're overloading the underlying shape.
3. You are unconsciously struggling to see the detail you are working on and may need to consider some kind of non-prescription magnification. (But don't just rush out on this one.This is your eye health I'm talking about here so be careful. My own eyesight is "damaged" and I have to use reading glasses to see anything inside three feet and clip on magnifiers for mini's. I don't want you to risk straining your own eyesight just because I suggested it.)
4. Perhaps your approach to the painting is not conducive to what you are aiming for. (If you go into the Articles and look at the Faces with Expressions one I did, take a look at the Chaos warrior face I've used as an example. He is painted in the same manner I still use today.{OK not the same paints}
Eyes first. Get them 'structured' with VMC Ivory and a pupil in place.
Basecoat. For me that's VMC Brown Sand. Carefully go round the eye socket, missing the Ivory obviously, then do the rest of the face and into the hairlines, if any. This should take two to three thin coats.
Now this is where it gets complex, so think of this; the head shape is round but the sculpted structure isn't. Think of the face as sets of TRIANGLES which have to be highlighted (not just the nose).
For a start look at the eyebrow ridges the base starts at the eyebrows an the apex is at or towards the hairline.
The forehead has a triangle in between the to eyebrow one with it's base at them hairline an apex above the nasal bridge.
In between these two triangles is the darker skin tones.
Now applying the same principle you can define areas on the face to consider as triangles, eyelids, cheeks, nose, upper lips, chin.
So with this concept it's the balance between the triangles and the darker areas you need to work on.
For me I tend to use a mix of VMV Violet Red and Brown Sand as the darker skin tone these days making a very dilute tone and carefully shading the eye sockets and sides of the nose. DO NOT WASH OVER THE ENTIRE FACE.
(DR's Rule of Thumb No 1: if you can see the first tone of shadow you've applied at arms length..it's TOO DARK!)
Then using the same paint shape in the darker skin tones in between the identified triangles where you want to highlight. Alternate between placing a highlight shape and a darker tone.
(DR's Rule of Thumb No 2: You ain't gonna get it perfect first time, Practise is your mistress, and Patience is your Lover.)
So here's the advice I was given by Mike and Ali McVey:-
For our purposes the face needs to not be thought of as a face but Areas of Emphasis.
Think of a capital letter T pace it so the cross bar is on the eyebrows and the staff is down the nose and that is where the smoothest and highest emphasis of highlights should be.
Think of a capital letter V place the point on the chin and the arms running along the jawline that's your mid strength structure.
So why think like this? Because when we look at a portrait of someone our tendency it to look to the eyes first so those areas we've defined as T and V shape the rest of our visual impact response. Giving the model face "areas of emphasis" like this makes us respond subconsciously as we would to a real face.
So take a look at some photo's of famous people (Sir Sean Connery is a great subject for this) and try to identify the shapes and areas on the pictures as I've discussed. Perhaps that way you'll get into a painting way you'll become 'happier' with.
Here endeth today's lesson!"
Right! Incredibly thankful for such a rounded and explanatory discourse on painting faces. There is a lot here that I find helpful. The T and the V and the triangles really helps me know where to apply my shades and highlights. Using my standard size one Reaper KS, I normally shade under the lower lilip, the jawline and out parts of cheeks, immediately under the eyes, the sides of the nose, any wrinkles, and the wrinkles above the brow. Then I'll highlight the cheekbones, lips, nose, etc. but I'll try to think of it in terms of the zones you discuyssed.
Painting faces isn't too much of a struggle for me. It's just that.at times, I can overwork the paint. I'll be satisfied with the result, and the next day I'll "fix" things. But this problem should at least partially improve with my purchasing some VMC Ivory. This should take away some of the perceived chalkiness. I bought this paint because Is heard you'd reccomended it.
Thanks for the theory and advice in painting faces. Actually, now I can't wait to try out some techniques.
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
Thanks all for the kind words.
Shout out to Maxxx for help with color theory and finding a color that won't distract too much from the desired focal point of the model. I went with a mix of sotek green and incubi darkness instead of purple on the cape. I think I may need a wash to tone down some of the highlights, and then some pure black in the darkest shadows. Yeah, think I'm gonna do that. I like this much better than that super bright purple though...
Shout out to Maxxx for help with color theory and finding a color that won't distract too much from the desired focal point of the model. I went with a mix of sotek green and incubi darkness instead of purple on the cape. I think I may need a wash to tone down some of the highlights, and then some pure black in the darkest shadows. Yeah, think I'm gonna do that. I like this much better than that super bright purple though...
Last edited:
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
Thank ye thank ye. Forgot to mention that the skulls and the horn on right shoulder are still WIP. They will get lightened a bit but not too much. Just some bleached bone on prominent points with a couple dots of Ivory.
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
Ok so I am still painting the actual mini. Putting on the finishing touches, fixing mistakes here and there. I haven't had much time lately and it's bugging the shizer out of me because I want to get this guy done and put him in the gallery. But I started a little base work. It's going to be a snow base. How it appears below is not exactly how I plan to configure it. The big rock will be more to the left, etc. also included will be some broken spears protruding from the snow and helping to frame the mini. A shield will be leaning against a rock. I have several grass tufts that I'll plant here and there. Maybe a dried out bush or two represented with some moss I found. I will place icicles here and there, hanging off the main rock and the rocks at the cut-away portion of the base. It's hard for me to do much else since snow will be covering the majority of the surface. Oh, the rocks will be based with a dark gray and highlighted with Fenrisian Gray-a blue gray. The ground has since been painted graveyard earth and washed with agrax earthshade-dark brown. I suppose I should have just taken an updated pic that shows all of this, but I'm not home and so just have this older one. Any thoughts? Very new to basing on this level....
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
I guess the above pic doesn't really tell much. Here is my update. The rocks are supposed to give off a fantasy feel. But remember that this base will largely be covered in snow. My main question I have is how do I tie the rocks into the brown ground? Should I repaint the ground to better reflect the stones? Or will it likely not matter because once snow covers most of the base, the brown that shows through will look muddy and natural? Or should I just glue some actual earth to the ground? Need guidance here as my rookie-ism is challenging me...
AndyG
Active member
Ok a few tips you need to put a lot more sand earth gravel whatever on to the base slather the ground regions with woodworking glue and very liberally dust it with a mixed size sand so some fine some coarse and some little gritty pebbles. Then dab the dried ground randomly with glue again and sprinkle on small pieces of slate. You need to do this because even though most of it is going to be covered in snow you need the correct contour and support to it and you need to have regions were there and gaps in the snow and little nooks and crannies. As far as bringing the colour together washes and glazes are your friends the big rocks need more contrast so you need to dry brush them a lighter colour on the edges also when dry you need to wash them with dark browns and green the grey will still show through but it will tie it into the earth colour. Them ground needs to be dry brushed up through a couple of tones to a light tan colour but sparingly then when dry you need to apply the same washes you have put on the rocks but darker this is because the flat surface of the rocks reflect more light. I would even go so far as to put thin black washes in the shadow reions that the rocks cast on the ground. Then slather on your glue again in the regions were you feel the most snow would accumulate and carefully dust on your baking soda for snow. go a bit crazy and do icicles as well off the bottom sections of the rocks great fun basing don't rush it too much it should be a labour of love.
BloodFather of Kharnath
Active member
And that, good sir, is exactly what I needed. Thanks!!!
