Savanttheory's WIP

[Savanttheory]

I've got a new project to start, this time using the feedback I received in my last posting. I'm going to try and do everything in my power to only use paint thinned past what I'm used to so this is going to be quite a learning experience in paint control for me.

On to the fun stuff though. The miniature I'll be working with is Almaran the Gold by Reaper Miniatures. This was a pretty clean sculpt except for a nasty mold line cutting straight through its hair. I've gone through with a exacto knife and needle files until I was satisfied with the surface. After that it got a dishwater bath and a scrubbing with a stiff toothbrush.

I think the basic concept is going to be a Purple Dragon knight with inspiration from a couple of the attached pictures. I will say I'm looking forward to playing around with the flaming sword, I've seen a couple of interesting effects I'd like to try but we'll see how it works out.

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...now if I can just keep my paint thin

 

[Savanttheory]

A little too hot and sticky tonight to be priming outside so it was back to the trusty guest bathroom/makeshift spray booth. Just goes to prove there isn't much you can't solve with a roll of duck tape and a plastic tarp.

As mentioned in one of my other threads I've been going through pine sol like it is going out of style when it comes to Armory Black so the last of my black cans went out the window today. I decided to try and find some middle ground and when with one of my remaining Armory Gray spray primers. Came out clean thankfully so no chemical bath for this guy, a fortuitous start so far.

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Alright so here is where the fun really gets to start, right? In addition to a change in the consistency of the paint I use, I think I'm going to change the method of layering I've been using. In the past I've always started with the darkest color of the mini as the base coat and worked up to the brightest highlight from there. For this mini I'm going to try and attempt what appears to be the more prevalent approach of basecoating in a mid-tone and adding darker shades and highlights as separate steps.

 

[Mr.S.Marbo]

Have you started yet? Purple is a good colour to shade and highlight I think. It works nicely, and you can get a good amounts of tones with it. What paints do you use? If you use Games Workshop there are some purples that you can use to shade a highlight on this page. I like the look of Imperial Purple -> Liche Purple -> Warlock Purple. If you use Vallejo MC then you are in for a treat I think because Royal Purple -> Violet -> Blue Violet are very close in shades to each other and you don't need that much mixing to shade and highlight. I did a model with these paints (Bretonnian Sorceress in my gallery) and it really was good fun to paint.

 

[Savanttheory]

Yeah I've started up just been too busy to post up anything new. The paints I'm using are a mix of Vallejo Model and Game color, vmc-purple, vgc-warlord purple, vgc-squid pink. Definitely needing to log some more brush time with this thinner paint something can be said for patience being a virtue.

 

[Savanttheory]

Just some quick pics of the base coat of warlord purple being blocked out on the mini. At this point I'm really debating if I want to attempt NMM. I like the color so far I just want to make sure it doesn't overpower the other selections down the road.

The base skin tone is VGC-Dwarf Skin

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[Savanttheory]

Citadel chainmail is laid down, I'm thinking of gold accents for the angel on the breastplate, sword pomel and shield. I'd like to add another color to liven up the miniature but haven't made up my mind yet. May go in and replace the cloth located at the joints from purple to another color maybe a light green or sea foam blue.

Going to finish blocking out my color choices then it'll be time to add my wash and start the highlights and shading.

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[Mr.S.Marbo]

If you are doing metallics you might want to check out the article "True Metallics with Citadel Washes" - by mattsterbenz which is pretty good I reckon.

 

[Savanttheory]

Interesting article, thanks for pointing it out.

 

[INFERNO]

if i could give u an idea about color i would tell u to use mix of warlock purple+ some blue (like imperial blue) for shades and bleached bone for highlights.

 

[Savanttheory]

if i could give u an idea about color i would tell u to use mix of warlock purple+ some blue (like imperial blue) for shades and bleached bone for highlights.

Always open to suggestions, thanks for speaking up Inferno.

 

[armornv]

Nice start to this one. I've looked at getting this guy several times(still haven't bought it). Looks like a really good sculpt. Your efforts may push closer to picking this guy up.
Keep the updates coming!

 

[Savanttheory]

Nice start to this one. I've looked at getting this guy several times(still haven't bought it). Looks like a really good sculpt. Your efforts may push closer to picking this guy up.
Keep the updates coming!

The sculpt is great, detailed but not cluttered with some good surfaces for freehand. My only disappointment besides the mold line running along the side of the haircut is the nasty integrated base that came attached to it. Nothing a jeweler's saw couldn't fix, but an extra prep step none the less. I think this miniature is going to find its way onto one of my new microart studio bases.

 

[armornv]

I agree. Call me picky but the molded on bases from reaper as well as some others has always been a downer for me. It hasn't kept me from buying them, but I'd just prefer seperate bases.

 

[Savanttheory]

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Alright so a quick update. Used inks for the first time instead of thinning down my own washes. Definately lays on the miniature differently than I'm used to but I'm happy with the results, definately helps bring out the definition in the facial area.

Tried to use it to mute the shine on the armor, jury is still out on how happy i am with that.

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Starting to lay down some of the shading, this feels so strange not starting from the darkest color and not working up to the highlights. Sticking with the thin paint, really starting to get a feel for how it lays onto the mini I think.

 

[Savanttheory]

Alright another update amid calamity.

Quick run of it, I've been using thinned down paint. Positives in this seems to be it makes it easier to make a smooth transition from one shade to the next without losing the details on the mini. The negative seems to be my base coat is rubbing off far too easily. I'm having to go back now and rebase several areas which is madenning. As soon as I fix one spot another trouble area seems to crop up.

Do one of the more experienced members have a good fix to this problem?

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[Savanttheory]

On an unrelated note anyone have any creative suggestions for basing this fella?

 

[INFERNO]

u can and u should use normal paints to shade metallic pars. Basicly u want shades to be opaque and highlights to be shiny. Just thin some red/green/blue/bronze paints to the consystency of a wash (colored water) and aply thin layers to shade armor.
I know that u're following matt's tut but there is a great article done by automaton. U dont have to follow all what he talks about (as long as ure not painting Golden Demon quality stuff) but its great source of knowledge.
ARticle

 

[Savanttheory]

u can and u should use normal paints to shade metallic pars. Basicly u want shades to be opaque and highlights to be shiny. Just thin some red/green/blue/bronze paints to the consystency of a wash (colored water) and aply thin layers to shade armor.
I know that u're following matt's tut but there is a great article done by automaton. U dont have to follow all what he talks about (as long as ure not painting Golden Demon quality stuff) but its great source of knowledge.
ARticle

Thanks for the advice Inferno. I've been toying with the idea of shading with real thin blue to tie into the other cool shades in the miniature. The biggest struggle right now is dealing with areas that have worn already from light contact. I've got to get better at avoiding touching the paint job even by accident. Just another challenge to beat though learning to use the thinner paint.

 

[INFERNO]

best way would be to file this areas and to paint them once more. or You can use few coats of varnish to smoothen rough surfaces

 

[Mr.S.Marbo]

Alright another update amid calamity.

Quick run of it, I've been using thinned down paint. Positives in this seems to be it makes it easier to make a smooth transition from one shade to the next without losing the details on the mini. The negative seems to be my base coat is rubbing off far too easily. I'm having to go back now and rebase several areas which is madenning. As soon as I fix one spot another trouble area seems to crop up.

Do one of the more experienced members have a good fix to this problem?

Can't say I am that experienced however I have had this problem before. If I am applying a thinned down paint it sometimes lifts the colour underneath. Is this what you mean? Sometimes it's just a case that the colour underneath hasn't dried yet and the watery paint on top of it is acting a bit like when you wash your brush in water and the paint comes off. I didn't find a good solution apart from waiting a bit longer for the paint to dry before adding more. Not loading the brush up with too much thinned paint. It should still be thinned but less of it and that seems to help. Finally and this is a terrible solution if you have started painting already, but washing the mini with soap and water after filing and sanding and then priming with something like Vallejo primer gives the paint a good surface to stick to and reduces this. That last one is probably not what you wanted to hear (and indeed you might already have done this) but I have learnt that the hard way myself hehe Shading on the purple is starting to look real good.