Fire Dragon, need feedback

[Hendarion]

Hi.

I've completed a classic Eldar Fire Dragon lately and thought I'm gonna hit at least an 8, since I've blended all parts to a kinda great contrast and without any hard edges in some cenital way, but apparently that idea failed. Now I wonder what exactly went wrong and I'd like to hear ideas why I'm just going home again with a 7 instead. Sorry for yet another cry-topic, but I don't understand what's wrong about the technique and I really want to advance. Or is it maybe the old model, the photo or the color-composition? I'd be glad for hints and help what to do better - and be honest, I wanna hear real thoughts and reasons, not just beating around the bush.

The image is this one:

http://coolminiornot.com/261249

 

[bsop]

Your blending of the red really does look great, but the model as a whole appears unfinished. I think the helmet and the very uniform grey color you chose is what is bringing the model down. With his trousers, gun, Holster, straps, pipes, canisters, boots, etc. all being the same color, it really kills the liveliness you've created with your armor. even if you did multiple tones of grey for his attachments, it would help distinguish them from one another and kill the Statuesque "armor-rack" look the model has as a whole.

Also, as wonderful as your reds look on his body, the head seems to have been forgotten! What should be the focal point of the model, is instead quite boring when compared to the body it sits atop. Get some of your red blends in there, I think simply bringing the reds on his helmet to the orange highlight would be enough to do the trick. Green glowing eyes would be a wonderful addition as well, the blue contrasts nicely, but the complimentary green would give a pop effect to his helm that it really needs.

The suit looks fantastic though, you absolutely have the skill to hit at least an 8 on here, so don't be discouraged.

 

[crystella333]

I have to agree with what bsop has said.
The reds on the suit really pop but the overall effect is that it still needs finishing off. Especailly on the helmet. The gems on the sides of the helmet would look great in the blue that you have done on the gems on the other parts. You have got the skill with how well you have done the blends on the reds and the blues so just keep on going

 

[Hendarion]

So the technique is fine, but the model is boring. I guess I will have to live with that, since the uniform coloring is exactly as intended. Sad story though.
The ideas aren't bad to give an orange touch on the helmet-highlight, but it was meant to be that dark red as is and green eyes might give that Eldar-rainbow-warrior-feeling that I really dislike (I also dislike OSL on minis big time). Different colors/greys for the goodies he is carrying are an idea, but will give a bit busyness instead of uniformity. Still kinda makes me sad, since entirely one-colored-models got bigger scores. Meh.

Whatever, thanks so far, that got some light on the issue. More ideas or comments are still welcome of course.

 

[JRN]

I know you are going for grey, but I just had to try and add a little bluish sharpness to the hard parts of the grey area.
The gun, rund bits, and also an extra sparkle to the gems.

I don't know what colour you have used for the top touch on the gems, but in the photo it looks grey rather than white. At least here I would recommend pure whiter to add that intense sparkle. Or maybe the proto is a little dark. This at least might be solved with better lighting.

My photoshop work isn't perfect and someplaces are overdone, but to the eyes of the mini-community I'd expect that the image looks a little more finished like this. Annoying if you prefer the grey, but then again this place works with images rather than actual figures. So be proud of your paintjob. It is nice and clean with no faults.

 

[Hendarion]

The gray highlights are done with... grey!
The blue gems are highlighted with a nearly-whitish blue. The grey gems are highlighted with bright grey and the simple-round-bubbles are lighted exactly as the grey gems, but with opposite (from top) lighting direction. Thanks for your photoshop-work, gives a bit of an interesting/considerable impression.

 

[Einion]

Now I wonder what exactly went wrong and I'd like to hear ideas why I'm just going home again with a 7 instead. Sorry for yet another cry-topic, but I don't understand what's wrong about the technique and I really want to advance. Or is it maybe the old model, the photo or the color-composition?

The older figure might be part of it but I think the black/grey areas are letting it down - too uniform and just grey-looking. More contrast on that would help I think; IMO there should be some attempt to paint the various items that are black a little differently, to try to give the impression that while they're the same colour they're different materials. Plus, sharper highlights on the gems deffo (some or all).

I think the photos are fine (better than average). The groundwork is a bit dull, not that it has to be exciting or anything but it's like stuff that'll have been seen a hundred time already; that may not be a negative in the scoring but might not be adding to many people's scores.

Einion

 

[Hendarion]

Thanks. But what exactly would you like to see on a mini that was painted for gaming?

... 7.3 now, over night its gonna drop to 6.X. Yea... I guess I deserve it for that bad color-scheme... Q_Q

 

[Talion]

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with the grey, just a bit to much of it.

If the holster, canisters and end of the gun were not grey, I think it would balance out better

 

[bsop]

Thanks. But what exactly would you like to see on a mini that was painted for gaming?

... 7.3 now, over night its gonna drop to 6.X. Yea... I guess I deserve it for that bad color-scheme... Q_Q

I'd say stop dwelling on its score and experiment! Its just a mini, they were meant to be painted; it wont harm anything just to try a few things out, possibly the blue gem idea that was illustrated with photoshop by JRN. If you don't like the changes, you can always paint it back with grey, its not like your losing your red blends...

I just stared at a mini of mine for days until finally opening the pot and going at it, now I have my first truly successful painting of yellow; a color I avoided for many years. You wont get anywhere unless you smack it with your brush!

 

[Arma]

Oh wow. JRN on the boards

 

[Hendarion]

I'd say stop dwelling on its score and experiment! Its just a mini, they were meant to be painted; it wont harm anything just to try a few things out

Except that too many layers of color will mess it and it is sealed with varnish already. Surely not gonna mess around anymore with it now.
The gems are highlighted, as I said, with nearly pure white and the brightest part looks brighter than on the photo anyway, so there's not much I could do, except I'd wanted to mess around with photoshop.

Anyway, thanks for explaining what the problem actually is. The mini is too boring, despite the coloring. I guess I gotta change my way of voting towards the coolness and liking of color-schemes instead of how well a painting is executed and that will explain everything.
Thanks for clearing it up.

 

[bsop]

and be honest, I wanna hear real thoughts and reasons, not just beating around the bush.

I don't think I, or any of us intended to imply that your mini got sub-8 votes because it wasn't "cool." You asked, we were honest; your blending technique was praised, No offense was ever intended regarding your color selection.

 

[Hendarion]

No offense was taken and I appreciate the answers. I just realized that I am using a totally different way to judge a mini.

 

[bsop]

Every looks at em differently, plus its much easier to critique than to create. By the way, what type/brand of paints do you primarily use? Just got my hands on Vallejo for the first time but I'm finding then to inconsistent in thickness from bottle to bottle. Not an issue as i wet palette nearly everything anyway, but I was a tad disappointed.

 

[Hendarion]

I'm using GW's pots and Coat D'arms, although the latter ones have a weird consistency and transparency which dries to a much more opaque finish. Quite weird, but so far I am still satisfied.
Vallejo got thrown out of my shelf, because after some time, they seam to deteriorate in such means, that after painting and letting them dry, a tiny amount of water will wash them off from the surface which disables blending/juicing/touching entirely and is a horror if it happens on a partly-finished mini.

 

[bsop]

I actually noticed this yesterday while working on a darker skinned ogre. Basically im blending up from Charadon Granite Citadel foundation with vallejo's Bone White. Even coverage with highlights has been tremendously difficult, I'm hoping I may be able to get around the learning curve and get used to em, I bought the paints, hate to see them a wasted investment. I do like the way the yellow works with itself though, makes for nice blending.

 

[Empchild]

arkanseth told me to just use the P3 and GW as they are consistent and boy was he right. I have multi pots of the same vallejo and I never get the same result. I am personally trying to get rid of them myself.