Scherdy's Happy Place - WIP/paintlog

[Scherdy]

I couldn't agree more GreenOne. I'd be really interested in a specific item on a particular mini. I do get tired of trying to make the ugly areas better and not seeming to find success doing it so I move on because sometimes it starts to get worse the more of overwork an area. I'm sure there are areas I'm finding hard to see that need more work after looking at it for so long. Probably need to look at them fresh after setting aside a while...

Some me things that stand out as ugly I see are areas like the troll lady's gloves and hand wraps, the orcs belt of bones and a lot of my metallics I seem to agonize over but not get the results that correspond. The black eldar though is one I look at and not sire where to work on it. Smoother transitions in the black? The gems could be brought up a notch. And maybe the weapons and faces look a little flat/lacking enough contrast?

Really appreciate the honest critique and this little pengwhing I'll try to treat the entirety with the same effort! Thanks so much

 

[Scherdy]

Emperor

Did some work on the coat and collar last night. Trying for a muted red on the collar but highlight is coming out too pinkish. I've been adding a light grey to highlight. Maybe a light green for a muted highlight?Anyway, would love to hear how I can make this guy better. I'm thinking the hat will be a very dark cold brown almost black.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Scherdy, I think all painters suffer to some degree from what Green pointed out. I think I certainly suffer from the same. Oftentimes, when I finish a project I'll be told that I need to put the same degree of contrast into other parts that I put into my NMM. And it seems like you have the same conundrum as me: if I knew how to fix it, I would. It's certainly not laziness or a lack of care that makes some areas better than others for me. I am normally either ignorant of the sloppy work, or I don't know how to fix it. And the more I try and fail at fixing something, it gets overworked as you say and looks worse than it did before I tried to correct it.

So how do we proceed? I think, at least for myself, that I need to risk things and try out new methods. This means that I should try these risky things first. It's much easier to strip a mini if you haven't painted damn near the whole thing. By new things I mean stippling, oil paints, base coating with different colors with the intent of tinting it with subsequent layers (example: basecoat a skin tone with green, adding very thing layers of traditional skin colors so that the green is visible through their translucence), pushing the whole range of gradients for even non-metal items, directional brush strokes to build a texture, etc etc...I think you understand. By trying new things, this may defeat the mediocrity in parts of our minis. I hope so anyway, because the uglier parts of my miniatures are not for lack of trying. It is insufficient skill, though others may not see it this way because of the adcanced level of painting seen elsewhere. While I paint good skin, I have more trouble with faces and I tend to overwork them. You got to risk it for the biscuit, a wise man once told me....

 

[Scherdy]

Thanks BFoK. Feel the same about knowing parts that don't look up to standard and often not knowing what to do to make them better.

Your wise man gives way better advice to you. The wise man I know only told me something about "man who go to bed with itchy bottom wake up with smelly finger"....

I did have a coach who once told us "As you wander through life, whatever may be your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole." Which I took to mean you should only eat maple bars or at least doughnuts without any holes.

Pretty sure it can apply to painting too though right?

 

[Scherdy]

Did some building and airbrushing to follow along with the Painting Buddha tutorial. Will get clearer picture with regular camera this weekend. Only done some airbrushing so far but excited to work on this in a way I haven't been for a while!

 

[Scherdy]

Better pics after doing some color glazing with some yellow/oranges and dark blue in shadows. Next up is some chipping/scratches! Any C&C welcome. Make me weep with truth.

 

[BloodASmedium]

Well done highlight placement scherdy looking forward to more progress!! Take yo time take it slow and I'm sure there will be no disappointment!!! Nice job bud!!!

 

[Scherdy]

Phone pics and light isn't really showing color true to what it is, but can see some of the chipping/scratches I've tried for the first time. I'm really enjoying this and has really has me thinking about it during the day at work. I'm sure they'll understand if I'm not meeting deadlines and I can show them my WIP thread, right? Can I use any of you for references?

Been working on this bit by bit in the evenings and watching painting vids at work during lunch.


Any suggestions and critique to improve I'd be grateful for.
Thanks for looking.

 

[Scherdy]

Some better photos more true to color. Glazed some midtones to try to get rid of grainy texture from airbrush (speckling?)

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Muuuch better photography my friend. Can actually see what you've done now. Looks very nice indeed. Can't wait to see what you do with those Metallics. A yellow type metal will look the best with blue....so gold?

 

[Scherdy]

Thanks Blood. Yeah planning on warm golds and brass metallics and a few rusted/chipped white armor areas (knee pads?). Also been trying to think of what kind of base to have him leaping off of. A junkyard/metal scrap heap? A scenic rock formation? Ruined wall?

Taking any suggestions for ideas as I'm not sure I have a clear picture in my head yet.

 

[Scherdy]

Chipping away. So punny. Anyhow a few more colors introduced just to see what they'll look like and white armor and chipping done with rust showing through. Think I will have a few streaks running down from a couple areas. Anyhow. Thoughts? Betterments to be made? Scathing reviews? I want it all!

Thanks folks and folk-ettes.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Looks pretty good to me. One thought is with all that rust and weathering I'm surprised it can move !

 

[Scherdy]

Well, I felt like I did a lot this weekend but these phone pics either aren't showing it very well or I may have just not accomplished much in improving it.

Spent a lot of time on the metallics but we'll see if regular camera proves me right tomorrow. Gotta go to bed now.

Really liking working on this thing but still lost for ideas of base to start on.

 

[Scherdy]

Better pics. Really tried to give some of the metals a beaten look. Will be coming with me to Adepticon so anyone I see there I may corner you and interrogate for feedback.

 

[Arkhareon]

Really nice. Abrasions and wear look great and realistic. Lots of beautiful paintings of machines here on CMON, but very clean, sterile. That's the right thing, the real battle look, battered war machine. Wow. Awesome work !!!

 

[Scherdy]

So I've done a little painting since adepticon. Started to try to implement some of the feedback from Sionid amd Bailey and BloodAsMedium. Even for the time put in I feel like I'm getting very little results. Probably just unfamiliarity with trying to finish a piece to a high level like mentioned by some earlier? Excuse the curvy weapon syndrome. We are having it corrected later.
anyhow, have put lights and shadows on weapon. Trying to shade and highlights each plane for contrast. I like how it looks in the pic but up close its a little rough. The blue on the weapon is going to be OSL since its like charged with lightning or some such craziness. Also why I decided on the copperish weapon shaft. It's powered through the warjack and conducted out to the weapon. In my /fiction it is anyway.

Critique is always appreciated. Next will be weapon scratches since its too clean now and then the head and swan symbols I think.

 

[moetle]

I think you have some solid work going on there.

 

[Scherdy]

Work from tonight before turning in. Happy Easter! I think I had too much candy filling eggs tonight.

 

[Canny]

Thats looking really great!