Shading Power Armor Question

[never knows best]

Just a question about a technique I\'m trying out. This is only the 2nd space marine I\'ve done, so I\'m trying different things. I haven\'t been able to find a good example of it, and to me it looks alright, but I wanted to get more opinions and perhaps pointers or techniques that you guys like.

Here\'s what I\'m trying. The picture is bad quality, but I think you\'ll be able to see:

I tried to pick the spot most likely to have light on it, and use that as a bright spot, and shade outward from that. Any tips, pointers, alternative techniques, links to pictures of similar minis, etc. etc. would all be very helpful.

 

[Jericho]

This is very similar to how I\'m doing Marine armor these days. My only advice is to be a bit more subtle with the little rectangle cutout kind of areas if they\'re not near the brightest part of the model.

Definitely a thumbs up overall

 

[never knows best]

So if the area is in a shaded region, then I should just highlight with a darker green? I\'ve always wondered this, because the GW guides seem to have some strong contrasting highlights and I\'m trying for more of a gradient.

 

[Jericho]

My new rule of thumb is to hilight the little details a bit brighter than the ambient lighting, but not too much. I used to just trace all the lines with super sharp hilights and it doesn\'t look realistic at all.

If you still want contrast, only pick out the edges facing the light source with a high cotnrast hilight. That\'ll keep it realistic without dulling it down too much either.

 

[never knows best]

Nice. That\'s exactly the conclusion I came to. With this one I\'ve been highlihting the top, while leaving the bottom a bit darker, especially if it\'s under part of the model. It looks really nice so far, but I agree I need to make the effect more subtle.

I tried a red ink glaze on the gun casing as well. No pic, but do you know where there\'s a guide or tips on glazes that\'s really in-depth. I want to make sure I\'m doing it right.

 

[never knows best]

Same miniature as above, only I\'ve added a dark green glaze to it. Should I have highlighted more before the glaze?

 

[matty1001]

You can always rehiglight after the glaze aswell.

 

[J2FcM]

it looks funkier now. Your should build up your highlights more so we cannot see streaks, etc... Then go back with some shading, then go back to clean up highlights, etc... repeat as needed.

Its a back and forth process

 

[uberdark]

ouch too much of a quick trnsition. the glaze hurt it. water it down more. but still pretty darn good for a beginner.

 

[never knows best]

First time I\'ve used a glaze. Trying to find a clean shading method that I like. I think no matter what I just need to water my paints down more than I think I should.

I\'ll post another pic once I fix him up a bit.

 

[vincegamer]

not sure the glaze changed it.
Could just be the lighting changed and the focal point on the camera changed.

lots of thinner layers on the highlight prior to glazing would help.

 

[never knows best]

It\'s definitely darker, but yeah it was near impossible to get the same lighting and angle without creating a lot of glare, so I had to change it. The gradient is still the same, just shinier and a tone darker. The only thing I really lost was the brightest highlight.

I glazed it to mute the contrast and it came out pretty good. The camera is horrible, and until I borrow one or buy a better one, it\'s all I got.