Colour theorists I need some advice!

[archreptile]

Right, long term lurker and occasional poster but its time to start some WIP's (of course first I need to figure out how to insert pics directly into the body of messages etc but lets give this a try).
I'm working on a diorama featuring the reaper monique and an old GW vampire. The idea being that these 2 belong to the same order, he is old, evil and turned to the dark side. She is young, full of the joys of spring etc etc and in true tradition they are facing off in a ruined temple (probably of their order, yes maybe I have watched too much star wars).
Obviously he will be painted in crappy chipped armour. The first 3 pics are of her as she stands at the moment (gees the iphone washes out colours terribly but I guess you all know that, I hope my foldio kickstarter thingy sorts it out but will see) with a lot of work still to do. The red parts have been shaded down to blue and up to blazing orange. The sword sheath and shield have been shaded up from a charadon granite all the way up to white.
The next pic is the diorama base. You cant see it from the pic but I have done each brick in the same fashion as you see on her base - there is a lot of red and maroon going on (curse you Ben Kommets and your damn miniature mentor tutorial, you made painting bricks look so easy, after weeks of trying to emulate your technique I settled for shading each brick individually with oils, I barely cling to my sanity).

My question and the current point of this is I'd like some advice on what to do with her robes. She has that short tunic at the front and a long cloak. I have already decided I want them both white but:
1. Should I do the white in a cool white or a warm white (cool might be consistent with the shield and sheath but would look weird with the sheath right next to it, warm might be better but I fear there is a great deal of warmth already going on here)
2. The trim on her cloak and tunic - any thoughts on colours? I was initially thinking of red but there is too much already, purple would be nice and complimentary and is my current favourite.
Thanks in advance,
D
P.S. I note you can't see it very easily on the pics but the trim I am talking about is a that sculpted line you can see on the second pic of her...

 

[TrystanGST]

Go cool - there is, as you noted, already a lot of warmth from the red and the armor. As for the trim, why not do black? Or silver?

 

[Zab]

I second the black trim or a very very very dark blue or brown. Maybe keep her cloth warm to make her seem more alive and youthful

PS- WOW! Great start! MOAAAAR!!

 

[Dragonsreach]

OK as she stands at the moment the red trim, sword shield etc look flat and therefore too close to the bricks in colour.
Change the tone slightly by working the highlights up using red and flesh tones.
Another issue you're gonna get is that the red looks as if its painted NMM while the armour is glazed TMM, for it to work the red will need to look like enamel doodads, so that does mean highlight spots of white.
Oh and typically just the same as my (unpainted Monique) the sword needs straightening in line with the hilt.

 

[archreptile]

Thanks for the replies guys. I had not thought of black - personally I hate black as its boring but a very dark blue (or even purple - now we are talking. I like that idea.
One vote for a warm white tunic and one vote for a cold one
DR - I've included another pic as I think a big part of the problem is my photography - its not a flat red at all, its a graded in colour from a blue all the way up to blazing orange and even some blazing orange with elf flesh on the top highlights. Doesnt seem to be coming through and it looks very flat but I assure you it isnt. Yes its a sort of enamel I guess in that its not really part of the sword (sword anatomy and history be damned I'll just paint it red). You are right that the armour is glazed TMM and I suspect it is all going to look a bit dodgy when tied together.
You are also right about the red floor - the red on her is definitely brighter and a different colour but I think when put all together, I dunno.
Finally you are also right about the sword being bent, not much for it now, dont want to break up the paint but I'll have a go before painting the blade at straightening it.
Let this be a lesson to those of you planning a diorama - as it turns out its worth doing some planning beforehand (or you could just do what I do but looks what happens). I've taken this project on as a whole lot of new challenges but without tying it all together its probably going to end up looking like just that.
I've included another pic of the ground as it is right now (that was an exercise firstly in painting bricks and then turned out to be an exercise in painting with oils)
I've also included a pic of a broken marble column I've done which will go on top. The astute amongst you will wonder what the hell I was thinking with those colours (especially in light of what we have been talking about here and what it will looks like when its actually part of the diorama) - all I can say is remember my exercises, I've never painted marble before and this was an exercise in doing that. Bloody difficult mind you and I probably should have avoided blue but there you go.

 

[TrystanGST]

Black is only boring when it's left as a flat black. But it's your mini, paint it how you like

 

[archreptile]

Fair enough, I suppose dark blue would be considered black anyway, I'm thinking of flat black