BloodFather's Axis of Chaos

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Need a bit if advice before I proceed. Here you have black armor enhanced with some VMC Pale Gray Blue highlights. I don't know if I am happy with it though. Thinking I need to go with just a bit darker than my last project and a similar contrast to it. So mid tone of dark gray instead of medium gray, pushed up to a light gray ( but not white). Or do you like what I have here?

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Also, received a package from PK Pro today. Got some pretty awesome stuff that you will see appearing on my bases soon. But here is what I got an my initial impressions of it:

Winsor Newton Series 7 size 1 watercolor: My first ever. Already love it. Perfect size because I like working with a size 2 with my Reaper Kolinsky and this matches that size. What strikes me the most about this brush so far is the spring and the point. It almost maintains a point too well!!!

Sea Moss: These are some cool looking dried out stick things that make for awesome trees. They could probably work on their own, but I'll get some flock to glue on them, and then put sawdust on the trunk for some perfect trees. However, I ordered 6 pieces and most of them were in poor shape. Only about 2 that I would put on a base. The rest can be broken down and act as little bushes though.

MiniNature Field flowers: They looked a little different in the pic online. Basically, these look just like the Army Painter yellow and white meadow flowers. Exactly like them. I already have these and they work great, so I guess I could use extra.

Polak Low bushes-rose: Very cool pink rose bushes. They're basically just big tufts with pink flock on them though. Still, they look very good

Polak High Bushes-Brown- These are my favorite. Basically look like a big brown thorn bush or something. Should look good as a background to a mountain scene.

Polak high grass- I wanted something different and more natural to normal tufts or flock grass. This stuff is great, but perhaps too tall as it is mostly taller than the average mini. Might need to trim it before basing with it.

Milliput -Been wanting forever for its sand ability. Standard type. I'm going to freehand on it if the next item doesn't work.

Plasticard-3 thin pieces. Ordered to try freehand on. Bad experience in past because I order Gale force 9s version awhile back and couldn't get it to take paint. I've tried everything. First impression is that it is too glossy. So now I've sanded it, washed in rubbing alcohol, varnished and then primed it. We shall see if it takes my paint or if my paint just pools everywhere.

 

[Meph]

It's such a great joy to unpack freshly delivered oddities for modeling, innit? You're making me curious to those modeling flowers, because I have to admit, that little meadow on that latest base you did looks so inviting to dive into, roll around and take a midsummer's day nap with a flower sticking out of the corner of my mouth...

About the grey in the pics. 't is a bit fuzzy, it is.

 

[Esco]

Lovely base in the previous page, and the NMM looks great too! And can't wait to see Maagaan finished, such an awesome sculpt!

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Sorry maybe zoomed in too much. Question is, should I go with this black armor look?

 

[AndyG]

Yep but line the joints the overhanging top sharp edge will catch light

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Right. I planned on edge highlighting all that. Really was just after advice on if I was highlighting black correctly with shades of pale blue gray.

But in looking at several versions online, I'm not too sure I want to go with the black. I want to go about your Axenarf's darkness. The side that is in the shadows more. I think the above type of black to blue armor is better suited for space marines and such.

So I'm going to paint directly over the black without stripping anything. Hopefully it remains smooth....

 

[AndyG]

If your going to do it like Axenarf then codex grey then wet in wet blending direct from white to black v thinned. Then blue glaze on highlites and purple glaze in shadows then re touch up the glints. Sounds easy it ain't.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Ha, I said "like" Axenarf. I don't by any stretch of my imagination think I'll be able to duplicate your fine results. But I am very glad you shared your recipe on this, I was going to ask. I am going to do it how I always do, by glazing and occasionally wet blending (I wet blend when I fail to achieve a decent transition by glazing). In going to make my mid tone darker than codex gray, I think. In the shadows I'll glaze VAC Artic Blue, a darker blue, and in the mids to the first highlights I'll glaze in VMC Sky blue. Maybe a sea green. On his legs I think I'll introduce some orange browns here and there.

I didn't know you did that wet on wet sorcery, Andy. In looking at Axenarf, I remember that he looked a lot darker all the sudden on one of your updates. I think that is when you must have added your purple glaze.

Anyway, wish me luck. I have a plan...sort of....<gulp>

 

[stokerd]

Oh, man - how did I miss this? You finished the elf!! He looks totally awesome. And while I agree with the others about the big base, I do not feel it detracts. I personally really appreciate the difference between the large, lush vegetation and the clean, detail oriented painting on the model. I think they work excellent together, their contrasts creating a better effect than the two individually. Totally hit it out of the park, dude.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Hey, thanks Stokerd. Very kind of you to take the time to check out the WIP. I certainly learned a lot of the whole experience. Please make sure to comment and vote.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/364012

Also, I'll be teaching a painting class at Olympic Comic and Cards starting on Sept. 12th, 6pm to 9pm. I will be there every Tuesday at those times, until they kick me out after finding out I am really just a newb. It's an informal thing where we all just sort if paint and I offer help where I can. If you find yourself in Lacey/Olympia, hit me up!!!!

 

[BloodASmedium]

Idk about the black bfok it might be best to get the hang of the shade black before going with it it's such a lovely model to experiment on idea go with your comfort zone or it might be time to try some tmm, if your confident with the black then go for it but if your asking for critique on it that tells me your not feeling it but in the end it's up to you bud. I just think it's a magnificent mini that deserves ex your best technique and nmm, or the likes would be preferable if anything goes to practice try the tmm or the black but think first and make sure your going thato rout I myself can offer no help as you skillset is limited bud I chose to try and master a few things thathat I do really well if I was let say trying nmm, I Def wouldn't use this mini for that.idea have to get something less attractive a practice on thatt. But again bud this is all the advice I can give as I've never worked with black.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Yes that was my thinking exactly. I went with a dark steel NMM. I'm going to glaze a lot of colors in it though.

 

[BloodASmedium]

Alrighty man yeah just keep mastering your nmm cause when it comes to competing the strengths are what you focus on we're going to Win man nothing less so master what your best tech is and after the contest you can experiment I need to get you ready bud!!! You have a better shot than me your as technically good if not better but your a visionary and your ideas are in another planet where I'm stuck on earth bud. So keep strong and keep mastering what your strengths are . Good luck

 

[Demihuman]

Hey, thanks Stokerd. Very kind of you to take the time to check out the WIP. I certainly learned a lot of the whole experience. Please make sure to comment and vote.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/364012

Also, I'll be teaching a painting class at Olympic Comic and Cards starting on Sept. 12th, 6pm to 9pm. I will be there every Tuesday at those times, until they kick me out after finding out I am really just a newb. It's an informal thing where we all just sort if paint and I offer help where I can. If you find yourself in Lacey/Olympia, hit me up!!!!

Whoa that sounds fun!

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Oh it will be! I'll be relying on you guys to help me answer the students questions that I can't answer, of course. I imagine most of what I'll be doing is undoing the damage that GW/Citadel have done to their painting.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Just have to prove that I am painting. Moving along. Everything going quite well, I think. Only problem is I've broken this guy in like 3-4 different places from dropping him so many times. So I've had to bust out the GS/milliput mixture. I removed the sword blade to make it easier to repair a sanding mistake I made earlier. Other than that, what you see is the armor coming along. It's done in some places. Keep in mind though, there will be a lot if colored glazings going on over the armor. Such as Vallejo Metallic Air Artic Blue.

 

[Stewsayer]

Hey BF

Don't you hate uncooperative minis. They just seem tot want to jump off the table.

The pic isn't from a great angle so makes it a little hard to see your progress. The highlight line on his thigh armor looks a little heavy to me. You might want to nibble at the edges of it to shrink it some when you start work on your glazes. Other than that what I can see of the blends looks pretty good. Nice start mate.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Thank you Stew, as always. I will address this edge highlight. If I do it right, it should look like an edge highlight at all, but rather a transition reaching it's brightest point. Nothing a simple feathered glaze won't fix.

Aye, unccooerative minis. I'd be lying if I said I don't like messing with the putty, though. One of the first minis I ever painted was about 50 percent self sculpted. It can offer a pleasant little distraction every now and again.

I am really planning on the final glazes to push things for me. Though, tbh, I'm not entirely sure of the scheme yet. If I do blue, for instance, then it takes away from using blue as the OSL light coming from his scepter. What do you think of glazing with a rusty brown? There's also going to be a lot of dings and cuts in his armor soon.

 

[Stewsayer]

Hey BF,

Dredging up an uncooperative model.

Check the edges of the Dark Steel. When I was still doing a reasonable job of things that's what I aimed for and achieved with my edge highlights. The best examples are on the fiery faced knee pads edging. I recall using my range of tones from the midtone - white along those edges. Mid-tone for the shadowed areas white on a slightly larger area of the edge than the glint covered.