I suck at NMM!

[Mosch]

And I have the pictures to prove it:

Cheryll says it looks bad because the colour is too dark. I say it looks bad because the blending sucks, the colour selection, the glare is wrong and the transition is at the wrong parts.

Problem is, I have no idea how to correct it. Anyone here up to the task of telling me how much I suck and how to stop it?
And please don\'t send me to the article section, I have read all of them several times already. In theory I should now rock at theory.

 

[Ritual]

Blending is important, so if you think you suck at it there\'s nothing but practice that helps. You probably know most of what is to know in theory, so practice is the way to go.

As for placing the highlights... I find it useful to place the mini under a strong lamp and watch where the light is brightest. I then use that as a guide for painting the light reflections.

I agree the sword looks too dark, but it looks like a good start. A bit more work on it, more highlights, and it could look good.

 

[Shadzar]

here is an idea...go back with some midtones and blend them between the light and dark.

then reblend the highlight into the new new midtones.

just an idea cause i have yet to give NMM a try.

ptherwise you can just call it a rusty old sword that has recently had the tip sharpened and re-honed.

 

[Mosch]

Orginal gepostet von Ritual
I agree the sword looks too dark, but it looks like a good start. A bit more work on it, more highlights, and it could look good.

A good start? I\'ve been trying to do NMM for more than half a year

Thanks anyway, I\'ll keep trying

 

[Ritual]

With good start, I meant a good start on that particular sword. Something to work a bit more on and it would look good.

 

[StarFyre]

Mosch...

From what i hear, blending is the most important of the advanced skills to learn. If you can do it, you can not only do NMM, but all sorts of effects with non-metallics, metallics, etc.

I\'ve been trying for about 3 or 4 months now, and I always fail at it with only a couple exceptions. Yesterday I did the armour of the Red Lioness\' horse, trying to blend from black to white (don\'t ask...will explain when I put pics of it up). Let\'s just say that I might as well have painted it all black and put polka dots of white

I hear some people can blend easily, others take years to get it down...I think we know which people we are, right? =)

anyways...good luck and keep trying.

Sanjay

 

[donga666]

Blending top-tip

What has revolutionised all my blending can be said in 4 words:

Drying Retarder & Flow improver

There are alot of paint manufactures that will make an equivalent. But they have improved my blending no end. I have been using Windsor & Newton, but any \'artist\' acrylic manufacture will make one if not both. Give that a try

I have a ready made \'blending mix\' in a dropper bottle. 1 part improver, 4 parts water and a \'squirt\' of drying retarder (thick stuff). Makes life easy.

But what you have done looks good so far to me, just stick with it

Andy

 

[Drake Farstrider]

Well wish I could help you out, but I suck at NMM even worse than you claim to. And to top it off I have read and re-read and yet again re-read the articles and still can\'t get the hang of it. I think that I will just stay with using metallic metels.

Good luck and keep at it.

 

[Astonia]

Right now the sword looks like it\'s in the shadow of something else, and that only the tip can catch the light. I would suggest painitng the whole right side of the sword (as seen in the pic) in lighter colours, and let the glare be either in the midle of the sword, or let it run along the middle, from top to bottom. try Ritual\'s suggestion and use a strong lamp to see where the sword would catch the light.

In general it takes a lot of light areas to really get that metal feeling. I ususally start out too dark, and I then have to go back an use more of my midtone and light colours to get it right

Look at this sword I recently painted. It is very bright as you can see, a lot brighter than I thought it had to be from the beginning, so I had to go back and repaint it a couple of times before I got this look. I also used a little blue in my paint, as it really helps getting the steel look.

 

[Mosch]

Thanks a lot! I tried it again and completely redid the sword. I increased the contrast, with a pretty dark grey right next to my white glare in the middle and lightening the grey in comparison to my first try. After I blended my grey along it, swearing all the way, I glazed it with an azure, pastel blue several times and then applied a little more white.
Doing the clear lines along the \"spine\" without changing thickness or sliding over onto the other side is giving me a lot of trouble, even more than blending such a colour range on such a small area.
Don\'t ask about the back of the sword please, it looks so smeared it\'s not even funny... no idea what went wrong there.

Without further ado, here is the picture:

 

[Shadzar]

not to be pesimistic seeing the sword looks great!...

BUT.....

i hope the fire ball in his other hand wont be reflected off that nice NMM sword.

 

[Drake Farstrider]

Originally posted by Shadzar
not to be pesimistic seeing the sword looks great!...

BUT.....

i hope the fire ball in his other hand wont be reflected off that nice NMM sword.

Ohh, now I think that might look pretty cool. I have thi figure sitting in my to be painted box and I might have to do some OSL on him and the sword.

 

[Ritual]

That sword seems good to me! It looks like a worn, slightly battered, but still sharp sword.

 

[Astonia]

That\'s a huge improvement! Well done.

 

[Mosch]

Thanks! I\'ll do the rest inNMM too, and I think I\'ll apply some more azure glazes to the sword. Also, I will definitely redo the back...

Shadzar, the fireball will be blue and it will be a light source, but I don\'t want it too bright and so it will probably only reflect from Dieter\'s shoulder. Never did OSL before either, so I\'ll hope for the best!

He is only a filler for those times when I get absolutely fed up with my paint aid ogre by the way, but I\'ll complete him after the ogre

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally by Mosch

He is only a filler for those times when I get absolutely fed up with my paint aid ogre by the way, but I\'ll complete him after the ogre

Err.............. I hate to tell you but the Ogres due back to Tammy this week.

 

[Mosch]

I know, he\'ll be going off tomorrow. I have faith in our postal system because they have always been exceptionally quick.