from chalky to milestone mini

[scottjames]

Here is my WIP Typhus. Thanks to the help I\'ve got from this site I recently made some little breakthroughs with blending/layering, and have started to get past my \"chalky\" problems! Now, this isn\'t the best model for somebody to be practicing blending on, but it\'s the one I happened to be painting when the progress started to come. I am really happy with how this is going - I\'m thinking it\'s shaping up to be one of my best so far. I\'m going to get something with lots of nice smooth areas for me to practice on next. =)

I\'d love some comments and criticisms ofcourse, and I know it\'s not great or anything but it\'s good for me and my progress is thanks to this site and everybody who has helped me out (remember the what\'s wrong with my wet palette questions? lol! no paper on top! lol!) - from time to time so thanks!! /grins over his mini. =p

 

[uberdark]

wow...nice job mate. the blends are spot on. hope to see it when its done. the back side on the top thats green could use some more blending but i would give it a good 8.5 or 8.6. keep it up.

uber

 

[redarmy27]

Beautiful job! I love it. I\'m currently getting over my chalky phase as well. Any advice in doing so?

Again, excellent work!

Jake

 

[scottjames]

uber, I\'ll revisit the back for a touch up, cheers, it does look a little flat in comparison doesnt it - and dont think I\'ll ever get an 8 lol but thanks!

red - I certainly still have ALOT of practicing to do, but my solution to chalky blending was - more layers + less on brush. As soon as I started wiping more off the brush, and doing way more layers, I started to see solid colour, and so now I can go on working at it and hopefully improve until I can do it consistently. At present, I\'m still hit and miss, and very slow. give it a go, wipe most of your thinned blend colour off the brush, and do more layers, try and get it so you can watch each layer dry off the model before your eyes, if you cant watch it dry you\'ve probably put too much on. after many layers and two or three colours, it starts to solidify. then the practice can start. good luck! (oh, ask the pros too - cos Im definitely still a blending newb! =))

 

[uberdark]

Originally posted by scottjames
uber, I\'ll revisit the back for a touch up, cheers, it does look a little flat in comparison doesnt it - and dont think I\'ll ever get an 8 lol but thanks!

red - I certainly still have ALOT of practicing to do, but my solution to chalky blending was - more layers + less on brush. As soon as I started wiping more off the brush, and doing way more layers, I started to see solid colour, and so now I can go on working at it and hopefully improve until I can do it consistently. At present, I\'m still hit and miss, and very slow. give it a go, wipe most of your thinned blend colour off the brush, and do more layers, try and get it so you can watch each layer dry off the model before your eyes, if you cant watch it dry you\'ve probably put too much on. after many layers and two or three colours, it starts to solidify. then the practice can start. good luck! (oh, ask the pros too - cos Im definitely still a blending newb! =))

i dont know man...take a look at some of my early stuff....i never thought i would get an 8 but i did. keep it up mate...

 

[Gilvan Blight]

That is some really nice progress. Looking way better then anything I have done. Maybe it\'s time I try out this thin layered (juicing?) technique.

 

[Joek]

I think you\'re doing yourself down with the \'I know it\'s not great\' comment - he\'s looking great at the moment!

The \'fleshy\' parts look suitably fleshy. Are you going to gloss them up to give them that \'icky\' feel?

It\'s always great to do a model that becomes something of a watershed moment, so bravo!

 

[freakinacage]

well done sir!

 

[Arma]

Excellent work.

Out of interest, what steps took you from the chalky problems to this. Was it simply a case of practice, more or less dillution etc?

 

[boristfrog]

Good job

 

[redarmy27]

Thanks for the response . Again, great work! I see that you\'re using metallics on him as well. Are you using the same principles for the metallics you are for the normal colors?

Keep up the good work!

Jake

 

[scottjames]

I haven\'t used any metallic paints. The tubing/plates above his stomach have just been highlighted up sharply, like specular highlights - same for the chainmail, which isnt finished, and the shoulder pad rims are not finished but I intend to just highlight them up very sharply to make them appear for reflective than a matte surface which would reflect diffusely (i.e. his stomach etc.)

I need to read up on NMM - and will probably not get it anywhere near right on his scythe blade when I come to it. But it\'s ok, I love to make mistakes. =)

 

[Mourner]

something i recently found to help me achieve smooth (wet)blends:
\"prepare\" the area, i tend to moisten the area i want to blend with an extremely watered down (10 large drops of water VS 1 brushtip of paint) version of my shading colour. then proceed to apply paint (watered down with no more than a brushlick), blending the shade and highlight together.
the wet surface helps the paint spread evenly and smoothly, and gives you more control.

although more a sort of wetblending tip, it should work for layering too.

another layering tip would be to add some soap into your water, this helps break up your surface tension. you might even add a really small amount of slowdry, this tends to help with certain colors (i\'ve found it helpfull with Camo Green for example)
Be mindfull though, the slowdry will slow the drying process (obviously), this has caused me to ruin near perfect blends because lower layers came loose and started wandering....... Make sure to let every layer dry REALLY well before applying the next layer.

also, i have found your solution (more layers, less on the brush) really helpfull, as it allows you to target problem areas on your blend (ie place a stroke where it\'s needed)
also: blowing on the mini will lower the drying time of each stroke

 

[scottjames]

fini! votey - thanks again!

 

[SonofGrimnir]

Loving the mini chap but the finished pics dont seem to be as good as the wip ones you took.....just jumped over to vote and it was sitting at 6.2.......which is rubbish, if thats just better than tabletop then im Enriques mole!
Might be worth re-posting with better pics

 

[scottjames]

Not sure I could take better pics without either a better camera, or more lamps. I shoot from about 12\" away in super macro mode, put it in GIMP, auto-white, and crop. What else can I do?

edit: Plus I really enjoyed painting it and nobody can take that away whatever they vote it! =p You can take my 7s! But you\'ll never take my painting! lol.. (ahem.) =p

 

[Jabberwocky]

Delurking...

Very good job on this one! As I mentioned in my comments, the greens and rust are great! As for critiques, I have a few. While the rust on the blade extremely well done, I would have added some \"metallic\" color (whatever color you use for your steel/iron) along the edging of the blade. As it stands the blade looks like it hasn\'t been used in thousands of years lol. The metallic trim around the green armor on the legs could use a bit more range (darker shading and brighter highlights) IMHO--it is flat compared to your greens. The base of the scythe looks almost undone, especially the metal ring on the very end; in the picture it looks just basecoated and no where near the color of the other metal bits on the model. The fleshy bits on top could use an additional highlight or two, IMHO. Finally, the base is well done, but plain. I have long been struggling to get to an 8 here at CMoN as well (and never going to get there I fear ) but anymore you really have to have the total package--not only does the mini need to be well painted, but the basing has to be more than rock n\' flock.

I hope you have not found this too harsh! These are all just my opinions and serious constructive criticism can be tough to get sometimes.

Best regards,
Jabber

 

[scottjames]

Thanks jabber, excellent critique and just the sort of thing that can help a painter really improve.

I was pleased with the rust effect too but sat for a while thinking it looked TOO old, and wondering how to get some metal onto it correctly.. I\'ll be experimenting with that for sure. and yes to your other points, and feel free to critique as bluntly as you like as it\'s really helpful..!

edit: one more thing, the base, yes! I actually didn\'t mean to paint this mini for display but got into it along the way and as a result, just decided to leave the simple tabletop style base I\'d already pinned him to. my next mini is going to have a very interesting base for sure.. =)