Sleipnir`s WIP - A new one in this big place!

[Sleipnir]

Hi there!

I`m Sleipnir and new to this forum.

After lurking around for about 2 years I`ve deceided to get back into this great hobby after a break of many many years.

Some of you may recognized my previous post about my chaos marauder horseman. I`ve deceided to add a thread for my entire work`s that will follow.

I would like to get some advice to improve my skills.

Let`s start with my Gretchin, you can vote the current WIP here.

This is the picture you can find in the gallery:

After some comments there I`ve spend just a little time to create a base. I`ve sculpted the tiny mushrooms with some green - my first sculpt ever out of filling molds between 2 parts of a mini.

And here`s the current WIP. The flag on the helmet is my first freehand at all. I am satisfied with (as it is my first try).

All I have to do now is to add shades and weathering to the metalparts, painting the skull and fingernails and working out some missing highlights I`ve seen during my work.

 

[Empchild]

The photoshopping is not working well with you on this one sad to say.

 

[Sleipnir]

It`s "just" GIMP. I`m a beginner in working with this programm. I think there will be much better pics as soon as i`ve managed to work with it.

I also don`t have a photobox to do really good, bright pics - just working with 2 desktoplamps.

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

Base looks good, should add the finishing touches to this piece. Regarding gimp i can offer no advice as i use photoshop, just really zoom in there and remove the halo. But the best option is to buy a sheet of fairly heavyweight matte paper/card and print a gradient (blue/white or grey/white is quite nice) to provide a nice contrasting background to the mini. Light tents are fairly cheap and this will also make a difference to the quality of the pictures, diffusing the harshness and providing an even lighting enviroment.

dfb

 

[Sleipnir]

Thanks for the comments. I ve tried to made some different work with GIMP (see below). Looks way better now.

Finished my lil`green friend:

You can vote it here: http://coolminiornot.com/255890

After sprayed on 2 thin layers of matt varnish (Games Workshop) the mini seems to lost it`s colors a bit Does someone knows how this could happen?

 

[Empchild]

force of habit "Matt Varnish" is a major oxymoron and drives me crazy when people say it. Now to the model try from now on using a testors dull coat as it does very little when swaying the colors.

 

[Sleipnir]

I`ve found the reason for the lost of colors. It wasn`t MATT Varnish, it was SATIN varnish -.-` It`s like a milky film over the entire mini. I think there`s no way to remove this, right?

It`s not that visible on the pictures (just on the weapons you could guess it - those are true metallics).

What is a "testors dull coat"? My english ends here

 

[Empchild]

testors is a brand and dull coat takes off the sheen on the paint.

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

Sleipnir - Looks really good with the base, nice job painting it and I like the retro styling of your presented photos with the bubbles on the gradient!! Post it to your gallery so we can vote on it mate!!!

dfb

 

[Gilvan Blight]

I noticed you had oritinally posted a WIP for voting. This is a pet peeve of many of us here. I suggest you only put up completed and finished minis for voting. The WIPs are for what you have right here, forum entries.

It's odd that your guns look NMM and that it was caused by the Satin Finish.

Testors is a brand name, dull coat is the product, here's one of many places you could get it:
http://www.thewarstore.com/TestorsDullcote.html

I buy mine from the local hobby store (which does not carry gaming and is dedicated to Trains, models and RC).

 

[Sleipnir]

Sleipnir - Looks really good with the base, nice job painting it and I like the retro styling of your presented photos with the bubbles on the gradient!! Post it to your gallery so we can vote on it mate!!!

dfb

You can vote it here: http://coolminiornot.com/255890

Thank you! I think i could do a better job now. Was testing around a bit with a horse and a chaos marauder (doesn`t want to paint that one really, just testet some (for me) new technics like shading with different colors as layers and so on. Therefor I was just able to use some washes and drybrushing the rest, completed with some edge-highlights. That was my painting skill before lurking on here.

You can see my blending progress on the brown mushromm-head. i think it`s pretty nice for one of the first times using this technic.

It's odd that your guns look NMM and that it was caused by the Satin Finish.

Testors is a brand name, dull coat is the product, here's one of many places you could get it:
http://www.thewarstore.com/TestorsDullcote.html

I ll give this testors dull cote a try.

Okay, no more WIP-pics for the gallery. It was just to get a feeling on which way I am concerning to my painting skill. I think i should remove the WIP pic.

 

[Sleipnir]

Xargax, Before Loratham

Hey folks, here`s my next project: Xargax, before Loratham from Enigma miniatures. A nice 30mm scale.

First time I`ve seen this one announced on CMON I thought: You MUST HAVE this one! So I`ve ordered it (payed 7 $ for shipment, 14.95 $ for the mini itself - bad ratio, but I don`t care).

I haven`t seen any painted one before and am not able to find one to get some inspiration what others made of it. If someone knows someone who`s painted this one... I would thank you hundred times for some pics

Since he`s looking similar to a chaos babarian I`ve thought about a dark (black / brown / bronze) colourscheme and a bright skin with some purple touches for the shades. Dunno how i have to do this but I`ll try as long as I have to get the final result i am satisfied with.

Here we go:

Oh damn it - was looking at CMON galery a 2nd time and found on: http://coolminiornot.com/256177 =)

 

[Sleipnir]

Here`s a small update.

Worked a bit on the skin and added a first layer to his cloak. Will add more paleness to the skin later.

Advices are always welcomed!

Bigger picture can be found here: http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy28/Sleipnir1985/WIP3.jpg

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

Looks good so far, i like the browns definately!!! This mini is fantastic - i have it myself, but alas it sits in its box awaiting the day that my painting skills have improved to a suitable level....

dfb

 

[BPI]

Good looking stuff Sleipnir. It's a nice mini, looks like the kind of thing Skellettets would paint I'm looking forward to seeing what colour scheme you're going to use, that belt seems to have all-sorts going on!

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

Thanks dfb, thx BPI.

Here`s a small update where u can imagine what color scheme I am going for. I ve painted the "shoulderpads" in a red/brown leather tone and shaded those down to black on the edges. That`s a pretty nice effect I think and makes a dark mute to the model. I ve also did this to one part of the cloak.

Accidently there are now many many red dots on the skin I think i ll repaint the skin to make it more pale from begin on instead of "erasing" those tiny dots.

I don`t think that I`ll keep the lower part of the cloak brown, but will finish the top of the mini first (you can see the primer on the edges of the first coat of the cloak... this comes from touching the mini during the painting sessions.)

Again, this is a great model and full of details! There is a cape for this mini too, but I won`t use this since it covers most of the details on the back... and it`s really small and looks... funny?...when added.

Here`s the bigger picture again: http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy28/Sleipnir1985/WIP4.jpg

 

[Sleipnir]

This mini is fantastic - i have it myself, but alas it sits in its box awaiting the day that my painting skills have improved to a suitable level....

dfb

Nice to hear that mostly everyone else likes this model! I am happy that I ve bought one since it`s sold out on CMON Shop. =)

..., that belt seems to have all-sorts going on!

Cheers, B.

What do you exactly mean with "that belt"? belt as color scheme or the belt itself? Anything in your twisted mind that could inspire me?

I am not sure what kind of metal i should use for the helmet (and everything else of course)... was thinking about a bronze or dark gold. Both would fit to the color scheme right now.

Would like to do NMM, but I am far away from painting that thingy as good as ppl are expecting here. Have to learn that tricky thing first


I have a question painting the horns on the shoulderpads:

Do I have to start with a bright colour at the bottom, going to dark or just the other way? I think the first one would get more attention to those spikes and would be a good contrast to the dark red highlight of the shoulderpads.

 

[SkelettetS]

best way to learn nmm is to paint something like this. im not saying thats good in any way, but its good practise although i do believe this mini would look better with tmm, matter of taste, i know...

anyway i do think that the dark red is an excellent colourchoise to the pale skin, to bad he got some strange red dot sickness...

 

[Sleipnir]

That`s right, a necron is nice to learn NMM. I ve ordered a emperors champion to do so - like the model more then any necron.

I ve made some small progress on Xargax. Mixed some nice metallic together (looks darker in, photo is like... meh!), but i m not sure how i should highlight this one and what colour i should use for the ornament on the helmet. Any advice?

Bigger version: http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy28/Sleipnir1985/WIP5BIG.jpg

I am also intersted in, when i have to paint veins on the skin. Right after the basecoat? Or is it a finish at all?

Today I was out for a walk and picked up some basing material... not very happy with those things i ve got And don`t ask my wife, she was really annoyed that i was always starring at the bottom xD

Here you can see what I ve grabbed:

Orderes also some more minis. Will post a picture of them when they ve arrived

Cheers
Arne

 

[cheelfy]

To highlight your metals, you should use brighter gold colours and then mix them with a silver colour and highlight up to pure silver. I also think you could blend a bit better your skin, and for the veins, I think you should paint at the end but very slowly not to ruin the work you've already done on the skin.