Monochrome Nighthaunt

[MaliGn]

So, Games Workshop's newly developed Nighthaunt range has intrigued me and inspired me to try a new challenge: painting monochrome ghosts.

To this end I picked up a Tomb Banshee model to try out the idea and see if I had the ability to make it work.

A few nights later (it is important to paint ghosts at night for reasons) and this is how I am getting on.

These photos are a little off colour due to the electric light, but I have used exclusively back white and grey paints from the GW range to try and create different textures in different areas. Note - the model is far from complete I am fully aware that her corset/breast plate and collar need painting and the outer layer of the skirt isn:'t finished yet. But I thought I would share with you all to see if I could pick up any tips for where I should be looking to go with this model and get some feedback on my current progress.

 

[MAXXxxx]

I've painted a few monochrome minis and I think you need bigger difference in the materials.
Right now it's really hard to see the details of the mini.

What I mean is:
- Arms + face a LOT lighter
- Robes more to the middle grey
- hair in this case can stay black/dark
- armor... originally I'd say dark, but the way the robe/hair frame it it might work better if it is also light like the arm/face.
- base if also hard... Best would be the middle-grey, but than it's too similar to the robes. As a ghost it might be good OR you'd need to choose between leaving it almost black (some fine edges) or go really light (like sand/limestone)

One of the cheats in mono minis is that you don't really cover more than 25% of an area with the highlights/shadows.
For example on the Arm/Face I'd do an uniform light base (offwhite/white), then shade with the middle grey making sure I cover about 25% of less with that. Right now the fingers/inside of the arm is simply too dark for that area.
Similarly for the robes. The back looks ok (altought a few light edges could improve it), but on the pic showing the front the base grey color is lost in the black shadows/light highlights.


edit:
also some recommended resources:
- Miniature Mentor - Monochrome Techniques from Jennifer Haley (worth the price, but also saw it on torrent a few years ago)
- Game Forces Magazine 20
- YouTube - Scale75 Channel - Black-White Paintset video (free)
- I thought Figure Painter Magazine had one article too, but can't find if or in which one of the 48.

 

[MaliGn]

Thanks for the advice, looking at it again the photo is really not doing the model justice I will try taking some more later in better light.

I'm actually planning to do the base in colour.

 

[alim192]

Pretty cool doing monochrome iv always like the idea of it but never tried it, something you dont normally see. Are you going to do more?

 

[AJ Tudor]

Can we get a photo under natural light? Even though ghosts should be in the dark by your logic :act-up:

 

[MaliGn]

Here's a couple of shots in better light, I haven't made much progress since the original photos, but you can see more definition between the areas here.

Cheers for looking.

 

[AJ Tudor]

Yeah looks good man, you can see the definition far better. I'd echo Maxs comment here and have a bigger contrast for the different areas. Kudos for having a crack at a technique that can be hard to pull off!

AJ

 

[MaliGn]

What definitely doesn't come over from the photos is the gloss effect on the hair that I got by using the Bulb Oil Gloss from GW, which helps set it apart from the other areas.

I'll keep playing around with it.