Contrast Help

[Gandalf the Grey]

This is an area I am struggling with, in particular with my latest project.
I am painting a blue cloak and have gone from a base of VMC Regal Blue then mixed that blue with VGC Ice Blue. Finally adding VMC Ivory for final mixes and highlight. For shading I have added a touch of GW Liche Purple and then black ink. It has also gone a bit glossy, but thats no issue as I will use either Testors or VMC matt varnish.
Yet as you can see, it basically looks a bit flat and completely naff. Can anyone help please ?

 

[ten ball]

The colours you have used are a good choice. I think your adding each layer on to thick and over powering the lower layers. Start with the regal base, then add 50/50 regal and ice blue to some of the raised areas. This will leave a nasty seperation line between the base layer and the highlight then using a turquoise glaze (real thinned down) glaze over in several layer. This will blend in the highlight and also get a nice 'glow' on the colour.

I used the technique on this fisherman.

View attachment 30881

 

[MAXXxxx]

hmm, first it looks like you went too thin with the purple/black, they are not visible on the pic at all.

for the missing of contrast: looks like you overpainted almost the whole cloak. So instead of having a smaller and smaller area it looks like the are used for the highlighting stayed about the same --> you are missing your middletones/basecolor.

3rd: the difference between ice-blue and regal-blue is not enough normally. Ice blue darkens a lot in my experience, so it's not that a good of a color to highlight with.
What I don't know is why the iceblue-ivory doesn't show up? Normally it ligthens up colors really fast. Or was it used only as edge-highlights?

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Thanks fellas.
10 Ball - did you use any more lighter glazes or is the give the recipe you used ?

Maxx - I think my glazing was too thin and perhaps over done in places when I was working one the blending. Probably too much and blended everything back to base.

i will try 10 Balls technique and see how I go. With my having deeper shadows on the cloak and I will look to this moving toward black.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

I have made a start by applying the base coat and highlight and I am now applying Hawk Turquoise glazes. Ive only done a few coats so far. My question now is, as the glazes get applied I'm losing the highlight. Should I look at a pure VGC Glacier Blue or Ivory before bringing it back in with a few more turquoise glazes ?







As you can see, th blends aren't there yet but a few more glazes should bring them together.

 

[ten ball]

With each glaze move away from the upper highlight like a stepping motion. Its real time consuming, I use a hair dryer for speed.
Remember to drag the glaze (as with washes) from light to dark to reduce getting a line or tide mark.

View attachment 30918

 

[Trevor]

If you are losing the highlights, then you are covering them with the glaze, when you should not be. To remedy this you can go back and add in some highlights. Various options for this, you could try a 'glaze' of lighter colour or just re-highlight. In fact looking at it, you could leave the shading as it is now and just do some highlighting. Aim for the upper sides of the cloak (not just the raised areas, but those areas uppermost to the light, where the light falling on the cloak will make it the lightest, i.e. shoulders), at the moment you are falling a bit into the trap of highlighting the raised areas on the model instead.
I'm not sure how understandable that is, very hard to describe!

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Here is where I am up to. The photos haven't quite picked out the highlights which are a touch lighter than they look.

 

[Trevor]

looking good. The light patch on his back between his shoulders is the sort of level you should be aiming for. Do that on the top of the shoulders and on some of the edges of the folds towards the bottom of the cloak (like you have on the front).

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Thanks Trevor,
actually the light patch on the shoulders is exactly the same lightness as the areas you have mentioned. Unfortunately my photography skills aren't good enough to pick it up.
thanks to all who have replied.

 

[oistene]

Great improvement!

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I may be a little late to the dance, but here is a blue NMM tutorial I used on my first ever display mini. Very simple and provides a very saturated and vibrant blue. All citadel paints but you the same could be done with equivalents. The important part with that would be a midtone of baby blue. Anyway, the link is to the tutorial, the pic is my project. If I can do it, so can you!!!

http://taleofpainters.blogspot.com/2013/04/tutorial-how-to-paint-nmm-style-blades.html?m=1

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Nice tutorial, thanks. It may be late for now but never late for the future.