need some help on getting smooth transitions in blue armor

[Paintforfun]

I've been painting Tyranids for a while and decided to start collecting other miniatures just for the sake of painting them and maybe improve my skills..
Anyhow, I chose to buy some Warmachine models and I decided to paint them the Cygnar painting scheme.
I realized that it was very hard to achieve the look with GW paints and I'm not a pro mixer so
I ordered a set of cygnar paints.

Now I wonder how I should do to get a smooth transitions between the blue colours, since I have basically been painting the same stuff on my tyranids (Hive fleet Behemoth)
I feel like I want to learn how to paint armor, in this case blue.. I've watched alot of guides and saw something called "Zenithial highlighting"which I guess I should use on the armor(?)


ne more thing.. I don't know why but for some reason its alot easier for me to paint larger models, like dreadnoughts, carnifexes etc.

also, how thick/thinn paint should I use when layering and blending?

any kind of help is appreciated alot..

 

[RuneBrush]

You might want to put up a pic of one of your unsuccessful attempts as it's easier to say "Ah, you need to do x, y and z" as opposed to "This is how to..."

Zenithal highlighting (only one I in zenithal) is (very simplified) a technique used to work out where the highlights and shadows fall on a miniature (e.g. http://fromthewarp.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/how-to-do-basic-zenithal-highlighting.html). Although it's very effective, it's not mandatory to do and people often work on the principal that "highlights go on the upper surfaces and edges" and "shadows go underneath" to very good effect. Zenithal highlighting is commonly used with an airbrush as it's much easier to achieve the single light source effect.

pete

 

[Paintforfun]

sure pete, I will upload some pictures.. just need to get the models
I mean something like this:

http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/Strangewayes
http://www.coolminiornot.com/309732?browseid=2535430

 

[Paintforfun]

here is another example, what I mean is that you can't see any brush strokes or anything it just goes smoothe from blue to in this case white

http://www.coolminiornot.com/312107

 

[Dragonsreach]

PET IRRITATION!!
​

If it were true Zenithal lighting it would be from DIRECTLY ABOVE the model and only the top most surfaces would be highlighted.
What people mean is Directionaly Scourced Lighting and has been a model painters standard for Donkeys Years.
It was used by Shep Paine in the 70's and is developed from the techniques of Portrait Canvas painters.
The use of the term "Zenithal lighting" has come about because of the ability to place Airbrushed (*) highlights over the original primer. (* or spraycan)


Paintforfun you asked:

"also, how thick/thinn paint should I use when layering and blending?"

The answer as thin skimmed milk is one you will receive from a lot of people, but the basic answer is that the dilution you end up being comfortable to work with is the right answer. It's a lot of trial and error to find how dilute you are able to get the paint and feel comfortable with.
But remember its only paint and time your wasting, its practise and experience you're gaining.

 

[MAXXxxx]

sure pete, I will upload some pictures.. just need to get the models
I mean something like this:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/309732?browseid=2535430

The only 'secret' is to use many *thin* layers of diluted paint instead of a few thick ones with a big jump between the shades.
Then again normally about 5-7 mixes of colors are more than enough. Of course when it's diluted it could take more than 1 layer of a mix to get to the point where you can continue with the other.

here is another example, what I mean is that you can't see any brush strokes or anything it just goes smoothe from blue to in this case white

http://www.coolminiornot.com/312107

here the 'mini' is so large, that it doesn't really make much sense to paint it with a brush, so an Airbrush was used, that's why there are no brushmarks.
Then again if tackled with a brush the secret would be the same as before: many thin layers with diluted paint.


dilution: as Dragonreach wrote: skim milk. Which helps little if you are lactose intolerant and haven't seen milk for the last 10-20 years
So as an alternative I have 2 'rules' to help me:
- for transitions I aim at a dilution of about 1:3 (paint-water) or higher (up to about 1:5 or 6)
- after adding water and mixing with a brush I run over a newspaper, if you can easily read the text behind the paint it's about good.

What helped for me a lot more: dilution doesn't matter as much as the thinnes of the layer.
So don't let the color pool. Here I have the best effect, if the layer is so thin, that I see it drying as I move my brush away, almost if I'm painting with a damp brush (to see this live/on video is the best, for that MiniatureMentor's first Video is really good)

 

[Kalidane]

...
What helped for me a lot more: dilution doesn't matter as much as the thinnes of the layer.
So don't let the color pool. Here I have the best effect, if the layer is so thin, that I see it drying as I move my brush away, almost if I'm painting with a damp brush (to see this live/on video is the best, for that MiniatureMentor's first Video is really good)

And the secret to that is de-loading your brush on a lint-free paper towel/old shirt/stray cat. Assuming the paint is sufficiently dilute you're now away laughing. If you find your paint is too thick sometimes you'll still be learning interesting things about your paint so it really is all winning

 

[Paintforfun]

allright, here's my attempt at the cygnar warjack. The model isn't finnished. Ever since I stopped "armypainting" I feel like I learn new things all the time..
View attachment 15617

I've painted about 10 tyranids and see them improve the more I paint other things..

 

[the alleycat]

Your transitions look perfectly smooth in that picture... maybe someone else can offer obvious improvements but not I

Edit: Although on a tangent, after seeing that Phantom... anyone here know of any good guides to that sort of metallic and carbon fibre effect? Just one of those pieces of knowledge it would be nice to have stewing in the back of ones brain.

 

[Paintforfun]

thanks alleycat.. I think buying the privateer press painting set did it for me, since my other, "frustrated" try was mixing various GW paints to achieve that cygnar blue.. which well, didn't work out very good.

For the smokey metal effect, you don't really need a guide. It's basically Boltgun metal with a wash of nuln oil, the gold type of metal is GW's Shining gold with a wash of Reikland fleshshade.
You need to shake the wash alot before applying it, in some parts, like the pipes I used several layers of wash to the last which was basically a big pool of reikland fleshshade for gold or nuln oil for silver.

 

[Baffo_mk2]

I recently started experimenting with oil paints to achieve nice smooth gradients in my shades.
Basically I paint my model with normal acrilic colors from midtone (that is in this case the first basecoat over gray/white undercoat) to highlights (just 2-3 layers of these with very slight variation in tone), seal it with Gloss varnish and then make a 'wash' of oil paint and white spirit. You paint this wash in the crevasses and where the deeper shadows will be, let the spirit evaporate (5-10 minutes' and then use a dry brush to feather and drag the oil paint from the shadows toward the highlights, creating a nice gradient without layering... When you've done all the shades you leave the oil paint to dry for another 24-36 hours and seal it with mat varnish.

Here's a nice video explaining the trick on creme white (you can look around the other painting articles on Steamforged.com for similar tricks):
http://www.steamforged.com/kreoss1-from-start-to-finish-mats-painting-table-4/

Hope that helps

 

[Paintforfun]

woah.. I think I got it, very advanced though, hehe. Thanks for the white creamy tutorial. I happen to have a warcaster whos cloak is going to be that colour!

 

[RuneBrush]

I do use oil paints for some shading and weathering on larger mini's (vehicles generally).

For me I think the extended drying time (as in days rather than minutes) would hamper me on a normal sized mini rather than be a bonus. On a vehicle it's quite handy to have a few hours to do the shading and generally that'll form the whole of a 'session' so waiting isn't a problem. On a 'biped' sized mini I want to shade and get onto the highlighting in that same session