GW Elf Hero

[ScottRadom]

Did this as a commission and I think it\'s OK. I felt less intimadated by the metals on this one, and I am happy with the shadow effect on the shield. I feel this was my most succesful effort so far. But please, keep up the crit\'s! I\'ve been getting really good ones especially lately and it\'s helped a lot I think. AS always, thanks for looking people!

http://www.coolminiornot.com/229272

 

[exilesjjb]

metal is v.nice think the cloak could have one more level of highlight (I still can get myself to go high enough with highlights) and I do not no why but the eye stands out to much for me. Over all I would be happy if I was your customer gratz

 

[Monkeysplitters]

hes solid, I definitely think the face needs more highlighting. other then that I do like the metals especially the sword. keep it up

 

[Talonicus]

Critique

Contrast.
I know its always touted but thats because its one of the hardest disciplines to get right. This model is neatly painted but very flat. Deeper shadows and brighter highlights will help bring it up.

Prepping
The mini looks quite rough in spots, time spent on prepping a mini pays back double on the finished item.

 

[kathrynloch]

I pretty much agree with all that\'s been said. I really love the scale-mail. I wouldn\'t have made the gambeson under it green tho - it blends too much with the cloak. And ya - more highlights on the cloak. But otherwise, nice mini! I really like it.

Cheers,
Kat

 

[ScottRadom]

Thanks guys, agree on all points. It\'s tough, I don\'t know how many times I have to be told to highlight more! Next one!

Now, for shading. For the deepest shades on the model I used one of two colors, either Vallejo Black Red for warm shades or P3 Coal Black for cool shades. I applied this first mixed about 50/50 with the base color then on it\'s own for the deepest shades.

I\'ve heard the more contrast and deeper shading and highlighting quite a bit, and I get how I would do the highlighting part, but the shading appears to be missing me.

In specifics, using this model as an example, what would you do to add mroe shade? Should I just add a spot of black to my deepest shade colors? Just apply more of the shading I am using? Both?

It\'d be great to hear what you guys got to offer on this. Thanks again!

-Just re-reading that it almost sounds a little defensive. It\'s not, I am just really intrigued to get some more insight into shading. I\'ve been getting top crit\'s lately and really enjoyed them!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by ScottRadom
Thanks guys, agree on all points. It\'s tough, I don\'t know how many times I have to be told to highlight more!
I don\'t think it the highlight more. it\'s the placement of highlights that\'s important. For example in my opinion the highlights on cloth should go very high alsmost to white in the sharpest points of the folds. ie the gather of the cloak at the shoulders. That way you are fooling the eye by trying to emulate the light on cloth.

Now, for shading. For the deepest shades on the model I used one of two colors, either Vallejo Black Red for warm shades or P3 Coal Black for cool shades. I applied this first mixed about 50/50 with the base color then on it\'s own for the deepest shades.
I\'ve heard the more contrast and deeper shading and highlighting quite a bit, and I get how I would do the highlighting part, but the shading appears to be missing me.
I\'m no expert on Color Theory and the application of which color works best as a warm tone/cool tone, for that I\'d really recommend Generulpoleaxe or Einion.
However If it were me attempting to get the tones to darken I\'d not go a strong as Black Red I\'d probably start with a tiny amount of Purple in to the blue and work that into the deepest creases alternating between that and a very thin wash of the base colour.
To extend the contrast I\'d be looking at glazing the highlight areas with something like Vallejo MC Transparent Yellow extremely diluted as it\'s a strong pigment. Yellow glazes really make green highlights pop (Thanks Mr McVey).

-Just re-reading that it almost sounds a little defensive. It\'s not, I am just really intrigued to get some more insight into shading. I\'ve been getting top crit\'s lately and really enjoyed them!
It didn\'t. And to be honest the people on here who are giving feedback understand and appreciate more when someone is trying to apply the suggestions. I\'m just trying to be cautious in not giving you too much to \"chew\" on.

 

[green stuff]

Although what has already been said is pretty sound advice, I\'m going to take a different road in mine.

I think what\'s most important to consider if you want to take it to the next level isn\'t how you paint it, but rather what you\'re painting.

A few examples :

*) Although the green of the cape could have been deeper, I think it works well with the matte and natural highlights you gave it. On the other hand, you painted the elf\'s hair the same way. And that\'s where I think something was overlooked. He\'s an elf : i.e. legend has it that they wake up with \"because they\'re worth it\" Loreal hair every morning . Pun aside, the hair is missing the extra gleam that one would expect on elven hair;
*) Another elven thing concerns the metals. Comments have already been made about making deeper shadows with glazes. I\'d add the following point : don\'t just apply a dark color, apply one that suggest a magical property in the metal (blues and greens usually work well for that). And as Mike suggested, purple usually works well for the darkest tone;
*) You painted the back of the shield plain brown. I suspect that do to tight commision times you didn\'t have the time to paint freehand to give it a more wooden aspect;
*) As with your Gamezone horse, not painting the runes on the sword a different color really lets down the final effect. A quick layer of gold would have done a lot to give it a richer look and a little wash of blue arround them would have quickly simulated some localised OSL.

I\'ll stop the bashing there .

 

[Ritual]

Cédric made some good points about putting a bit more thought into the different areas (and having a big-picture idea in mind all the time).

About the eternal contrast/shadow-highlighting dilemma... I think, to raise your level above where you\'re at right now, you need to think about the shadows and the highlights more in an overall sense, as well, just as with the compositional points that Cédric mentioned. If you just look at a tiny area and think \"ok, I go deeper in the shadows and higher in the highlights\" you will get a very unnatural look. You will lose very much of the midtones and everything on the mini will be, more or less, deep shadows or bright highlights. What you should do is identify larger areas that are to be in shadow, and correspondingly, larger areas that are highlighted. Within these areas you\'ll have a whole range of values, but when you look at the mini as a whole you\'ll see that this area there is generally darker than that area there. In the darker areas you go really dark with the shadows, and not so high with the highlihgts. In the lighter areas you go really high with the highlights and not so dark with the shadows. This will give the mini a different kind of contrast, that works on the mini as a whole, and one that, in my opinion, is more effective and gives the mini a more life-like appearance. I hope you understand what I mean.

 

[generulpoleaxe]

imagine a street light shining down onto the model, think of how the parts that are directly under the light are not only lighter but their shadows are stronger.

for the hair, it\'s exactly as Cedric mentioned. give it that extra shiny look and your golden mate.

last piece of advice, by Jeremies dvd.

 

[ScottRadom]

Very cool stuff guys, much appreciated. I think I get it, now to just APPLY it.

-The back of the shield was done in plain brown \'cause my freehand in the worst. I\'d liek to improve it but I can\'t bring myself to do work I kNOW will be bad on someone else\'s mini for practice. MickC22 has a cool article on thus site that I\'ve tried out and am getting better on for doing woodgrain.

As for the sort of directed shadow\'s highlights... man, that is gonna be TOUGH to get used too! I\'m gonna put some effort into it though.

Amyone got some really good mini\'s to reference for this? I like looking at Rituals\' Airtis (No, that is NOT code for anything!) as I really like the shadowed effect of the shading, especially near the left arm of the mini where it meets the body. Anyone care to point out an especially well done mini that encompasses the best of this kind of philosophy?

Really interesting point about the different mediums (Is that the right word?) of glossy to matte on the model. Not something I would\'ve thought about for sure Cedric/Green Stuff. Thanks!

Good stuff gang! Really feel great about brushing stuff now.

Chris I do have JBT\'s DvD and I think it has helped loads. What I would really love is to see some snapped pics of stuff in progress by some of the members around here. I find the process of painting helps me just as much as seeing the finished product!

Appreciated all. Thanks a TON!

 

[Ritual]

Originally posted by ScottRadom
Amyone got some really good mini\'s to reference for this? I like looking at Rituals\' Airtis (No, that is NOT code for anything!) as I really like the shadowed effect of the shading, especially near the left arm of the mini where it meets the body. Anyone care to point out an especially well done mini that encompasses the best of this kind of philosophy?

Have a look at Mathieu Lalain\'s stuff!

http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/MathieuL

He\'s one of the best painters I know of at handling lighting. And his use of colours is also great!

 

[green stuff]

Message original : ScottRadom
Anyone got some really good mini\'s to reference for this?

[edit]Anders beat me to it [/edit]

Examples for the deep or directed shadows :

http://www.coolminiornot.com/113668
http://www.coolminiornot.com/182658
http://www.coolminiornot.com/156016

And the more historical minis.

The rest is for the discussion on materials :

As always with Anders\' mini, the effect is subtle, but it\'s there :

http://www.coolminiornot.com/221228

You can see the gleam on the hair in front, and then a shadow marked by the raised arms. It\'s also interesting to compare the hair to the skin. The later one is matter.

In this one :

http://www.coolminiornot.com/192255

The leather tends to pick up most of the light with a few sharp marks whereas the metals tend to have harsher contrast. And the painted shoulder pads are one of the mattest parts of the mini.

And another example :

http://www.coolminiornot.com/184584

Message original : ScottRadom
What I would really love is to see some snapped pics of stuff in progress by some of the members around here.

I find it distracting to take pics in between painting phases for a same surface. It kind of kills the momentum and often I\'ll touch up or add details to a zone well after the initial highlights and shades are done. But I agree that painting follow ups like what Giganticdarks did a while back for his marine are a pure pleasure to read .

 

[Ritual]

Originally posted by green stuff
You can see the gleam on the hair in front, and then a shadow marked by the raised arms. It\'s also interesting to compare the hair to the skin. The later one is matter.

I often paint hair in a similar way as I would do NMM (at least when I want \"pretty\" hair). And, don\'t get too caught up with the texture of the hair... Paint the bigger volumes as if they were smooth surfaces and just pick out the texture with the final highlights.

Originally posted by green stuff
I find it distracting to take pics in between painting phases for a same surface. It kind of kills the momentum and often I\'ll touch up or add details to a zone well after the initial highlights and shades are done. But I agree that painting follow ups like what Giganticdarks did a while back for his marine are a pure pleasure to read .

Yeah, me too. I often plan on doing WIP shots, to show friends, or even to make an article or a tutorial. But, when I actually sit down and paint I find it too bothersome, and rather just paint along.

 

[Trevor]

What they said, but also, I think you have space for some fine \'hotspot\' highlights. You\'ve got them on the sheild on that top edge, a thin line of very light and you can do the same on the rest of the mini to make it \'pop\'

 

[Donga]

I\'ve done one of them!

I\'m not showing you this to say whether or not they are better, its just to show you how I would highlight and shade the same mini. All I can see is the bits I would do differant now!!!

But it will give you an idea.

Bad pictures, dude!

 

[ScottRadom]

I\'d have no hesitation in saying yours was the better painted Donga. What I like about looking at yours is it really illustrates in soem key areas, like the inside of the cloak, what a difference succesful shading can make.

Also really like the blue color you added to your armor. Nice one!

 

[Donga]

That\'s just 50/50 black and blue ink (I\'d use washes now) and glazed with VMC Dark Prussian blue for the shadows.

By god does that yellow/gold line look rough!!!

(overexposed too!)

It\'s just an illustration, he\'s gone the way of ebay now anyway!

 

[Avelorn]

While I think you\'ve gotten some great advice, I think the biggest point is missed here actually, at least to my eyes. To give more interest to the mini you need more contrast in between the colours rather. These colours are all greyish midtones pretty much. Work with light and dark colours, saturate some colours more and others less. Work more with cold and warm colours. You quite frankly need to be a very very good painter to pull off a miniature with a colour scheme that is this subtle.. in one way of another it needs contrast light-dark, warm-cold, saturated-not so saturated. It doesn\'t have to be a lot. Just look at IMO your best miniature to date:

http://www.coolminiornot.com/228104

This is your best miniature because it is neat and has a good colour composition, an interesting spot colour with the teal on the belt that works well with the warmer skin colour.. and that the entire scheme really fits the miniature. The brightest points on the claws are well balanced with each other. It helps that the sculpt is really cool as well! The only thing it needs is something that makes the face even more a natural focal point. A bit more contrast on it perhaps.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/222524

Black head, red eye, white star. That small area that make or break the entire miniature. But also the light reflections on the side of the plates that frames the miniature.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/226045

Classic red green combo! Light beige teeth and the bone areas.

Squint till you only see the light and dark parts of the miniature and I think you will almost there see some of the difference with your high scoring miniatures and the others. Remember always that the face is the most important focal point of the miniature.

 

[ScottRadom]

Simply awesome advice. Man am I glad I posted this mini! Very generous of everyone to take the time (as always) to help a brutha out. If you can make it to Switzerland for world expo... you can even buy me a beer as token of goodwill!

Much appreciated. I gotta tell you, it feels pretty good to be past (hopefully) the point of getting the \"Thin you paint.... Stay in the lines....\" crits I got intitially (fairly spot on too though!). Have some lvl 20 thanks amigo\'s!