Need some help painting the naked elves of my childhood Fetish.

[Kokaka]

Hi all.
So I have finally decided to dust off my old airbrush which has been laying dormand for 9 years and finish a project I started years ago.
I experimented with a brown colour scheme for the Dark Eldar and came up with a colour scheme which I really, really liked and I think I remember what colours I used. The flyer is far from done but it is the only picture of my idea that I have.

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So this will be the colours for the vehicles and the main colours of the army.

The thing is however that during my abcense from the Hobby, a new company has started to create miniatures which is just amazing called Raging heroes. They have made alternative models for the Whych Elves which is just stunning who I really would like to paint and make a Whych Cult project.
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My idea is to paint them in the colour scheme of my childhood fantasy, an anime character called Pirotess from the anime Record of the Lodoss War OVA.
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Here is where I am a little lost.
First I was thinking of painting the skin with the base coat of the vechicle colour and highlight with maybe ivory, paint the clothes off white, the hair in a darker ivory. Then gloss varnish, a shade from army painter, then matt varnish and some highlight.
Then I thought that I wont get any contrast from the vechicles and the skin colours and it will look wierd and I have to use other browns. The anime character is just inspiration and it does not need to be exact, as long as it looks good.
The main problem that I have is that I have been away from the hobby for so long so I dont know if the technique is the right way to go or what colours I have to select. I just know that I want to paint brown, naked women.

If you have some tips on what colours to use or what techniques I should implement that would be greatly appreciated. I will post pics as thanks

 

[MAXXxxx]

Hi,

I think the brown vehicles can work with the Pirotess themed infantry. The browns are different enough.

As for tools/techs it would be good to know the level you are aiming at.

simple TTQ:
- just get 2-3 contrast paints from GW (Fyreslayer flesh or Gor-gontha fur for the skin, Apothecary white or skeleton horde for the clothes) + some metallics and the nuln oil wash for them. Pro is that you can paint very fast

more advanced TTQ:
- I'd basically do the same as in simple ttq, but with a few extra colors (like VMC-Ivory/Off-white for some extra highlight on both skin and clothes)

display:
- not really good for armies, but here you can work on the skin as much as you want building it up from different colors.


To be honest on an army scale I'd first do the first one, then slowly upgrade the minis with the second.

 

[Kokaka]

Hi,

I think the brown vehicles can work with the Pirotess themed infantry. The browns are different enough.

As for tools/techs it would be good to know the level you are aiming at.

simple TTQ:
- just get 2-3 contrast paints from GW (Fyreslayer flesh or Gor-gontha fur for the skin, Apothecary white or skeleton horde for the clothes) + some metallics and the nuln oil wash for them. Pro is that you can paint very fast

more advanced TTQ:
- I'd basically do the same as in simple ttq, but with a few extra colors (like VMC-Ivory/Off-white for some extra highlight on both skin and clothes)

display:
- not really good for armies, but here you can work on the skin as much as you want building it up from different colors.


To be honest on an army scale I'd first do the first one, then slowly upgrade the minis with the second.

Thanks for the input. Yeah the contrast paints do sound really fun and easy to use. I do however have an airbrush which I was thinking about using to highlight the flesh, dont know if the erea is to small though and if it is possible. I am aiming for something in the middle of advanced TTQ and display since I'm not aiming for a big army to play with. Just a fun project for myself. I will definetly use the contrast whites for the clothes and hair. For the skin however, do you think I can use contrast as a base and then use the airbrush to make smooth highlight on the face, chest and shoulders, then gp in with a shade or it is to small an area and just not worth it?

 

[MAXXxxx]

Pass on that, could work, could not. In my experience most of the Airbrush work gets lost during the part where people strengthen the highlights/shades.

But an alternative idea:
- do the initial highlight/shade with the AB (go a bit lighter than you want it to be)
- get a dark brown and a black pastel/pigment (I suggest black here because it's a dark skin and you might want to really make it dark). Use a small brush to apply very little of it where the shade should go then with a soft brush push it into the surface/blend the edge. (yes, the pigment/pastel is dry here)

pros:
- on skin it works wonderfully from small to large figures. (some examples from my gallery: Shieldmaiden skin, Shurafinity armor and skin, most of the anime figures shadings).
- fast

cons:
- have to seal it with a varnish

 

[Kokaka]

Pass on that, could work, could not. In my experience most of the Airbrush work gets lost during the part where people strengthen the highlights/shades.

But an alternative idea:
- do the initial highlight/shade with the AB (go a bit lighter than you want it to be)
- get a dark brown and a black pastel/pigment (I suggest black here because it's a dark skin and you might want to really make it dark). Use a small brush to apply very little of it where the shade should go then with a soft brush push it into the surface/blend the edge. (yes, the pigment/pastel is dry here)

pros:
- on skin it works wonderfully from small to large figures. (some examples from my gallery: Shieldmaiden skin, Shurafinity armor and skin, most of the anime figures shadings).
- fast

cons:
- have to seal it with a varnish

That sounds like something really fun and makes me experiment with both Contrast paints and pigments. I have some experience with pigments years ago where I grinded down pastels but it was to much trouble for me so do you have any recommendation of a good premade one that would work for this project.
Also after seeing your photos, you are a very talented individual and I really appreciate that you help me

 

[Kokaka]

So I have been reading up on the contrast paints and think I might actually do the more advanced TTQ technique.
I also piched up some Executrix Models since I got a god discount from raging heroes but this made think how to get the hair and armour to match.
The idea is to paint the armour with a mix of Skeleton Horde / Contrast Medium 1:1, then shade with a wash or an own concoction of Vandyke Brown and mineral spirits and then highligt with ivory and white to get a nice, bone armour look.
This got me thinking about the hair colour since it would be the same colour more or less.
As far as I understand, the Contrast paints is very dependent on the primer. I have a vallejo gray primer but maybe I have to base the miniature white to get the best effect and airbrush on a wraithbone equivalent on the hair on the models to get a slightly warmer shade that till differ from the armour. Is that something that could work or should I just stick to the gray primer?
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