Stryker & Lancer NMM WIP - Need help!

[TobiWan]

After having messed up my first serious attempt at nmm yesterday (see pic #1: Stryker), I looked at some pics a little more closely and started another offensive in order to capture this technique.

On my Stryker I chose the following transiton: black to scorched brown to shadow grey/scorched brown/black to shadow grey to space wolves grey.
I have serious problems with how to paint the top of his smoke stack and the collar guard (that surface is parallel to the \'sky\').
I need a few tips on where to place the reflections, e.g. on the curved shoulder guards.

On today\'s Lancer I replaced shadow grey with codex grey and the topmost highlight is a codex grey/white mix.

The pic\'s a little blurry but I was too lazy to fetch my tripod.

I\'m pretty content with how my second attempt turned out but I\'d like to hear a few suggestions on how to improve!

Have a nice day,
Tobi

 

[DennisMech]

I don\'t really have any suggestions, that looks really good! I don\'t think you\'re doing anything wrong here. I\'m going to have to add in that transition to scorched brown inot my mix, I\'m trying to learn NMM as well. The problem I have is that I cnat get that many transitions on such a small space!

 

[TobiWan]

Originally posted by DennisMech
that looks really good! [...] The problem I have is that I cnat get that many transitions on such a small space!

Thank you!
From what I have now learned NMM consists of \'incomplete\' painting and highlighting, meaning that you leave the dark areas on a surface and only paint increasingly smaller parts when moving to brighter colors... and of course being very sparse with the top-most highlights.

I tried adding a little soap (well, \'neutral cleaner\' as I\'d translate it) to my water today - just a small drop of this detergent and the paints dry slower (of course I sometimes use vallejo\'s retardant, too) and have a nicer flow and the lancer\'s the result.
However, this took a lot of time at first but I think it will be easier with a little practice.
Now I\'ll have to develop some good looking nmm gold as well... I\'ll probably test it on Stryker - he\'ll be stripped anyway.

Have a nice day,
Tobi

 

[Hi-lite-r]

The lancer is the better work and i never thought of doin NMM in that fashion. With the weathered/beaten look that is, mine was normally starting at a 20/80 mix codex grey to chaos black.

Great Work

 

[farseerlum]

the parts parallel to the sky will show the higher areas of the sky, therefore will be slightly darker than the other sky reflection areas.

of course this part on the mini is a smoke stack so be free to try doing it heavily sooted if you don\'t manage it.

 

[TobiWan]

Originally posted by farseerlum
the parts parallel to the sky will show the higher areas of the sky, therefore will be slightly darker than the other sky reflection areas.

Ah, thank you! Of course the sky is darker at its highest point than at its sides. I just didn\'t notice it.

Have a nice day,
Tobi

 

[TobiWan]

I experimented a bit with NMM gold today.
At first I tried the {scorched brown - bestial brown - snakebite leather - bubonic brown - bleached bone}-gradient but I didn\'t like that one.
What you can see in the pic is a {scorched brown/black - scorched brown - vallejo yellow ochre - bleached bone} - gradient.

What do you think? Comments are welcome.

I don\'t know yet if I\'ll leave the head like this (top-highlight: snakebite leather); the (now brown) collar will look like the other steel parts in the end.

Have a nice day,
Tobi

 

[farseerlum]

are you being sarcastic tobiwan?

if you are thats ok maybe my skills cant keep up with the best. i thought the second sentance was more appropiate anyway.

if you are not then cool. i try to help.

i just need to know as my \"offenso meter\" has been broken in the other forum areas!

 

[MaestroOfMayhem]

Originally posted by TobiWan

Originally posted by DennisMech
that looks really good! [...] The problem I have is that I cnat get that many transitions on such a small space!

Thank you!
From what I have now learned NMM consists of \'incomplete\' painting and highlighting, meaning that you leave the dark areas on a surface and only paint increasingly smaller parts when moving to brighter colors... and of course being very sparse with the top-most highlights.

I tried adding a little soap (well, \'neutral cleaner\' as I\'d translate it) to my water today - just a small drop of this detergent and the paints dry slower (of course I sometimes use vallejo\'s retardant, too) and have a nicer flow and the lancer\'s the result.
However, this took a lot of time at first but I think it will be easier with a little practice.
Now I\'ll have to develop some good looking nmm gold as well... I\'ll probably test it on Stryker - he\'ll be stripped anyway.

Have a nice day,
Tobi

Liquitex extender is very good for this. You can mix it with some paint and it will make it more transparent. You would need a few more layers but your layers will be more gradient or something like that. But add a drop of matte varnish as well, the extender really makes it shiny.

The gold looks very nice to. I use Vallejo Charred Brown, sometimes with Dark Fleshtone added instead of Skorched brown and black and I think it looks good, rotting flesh for highlights also adds a nice touch, like the metl is oxidizing.

 

[Trevor]

I generally dislike NMM, but this is looking pretty good. I think the gold maybe even looks better than the silver.

The pics show quite nicely how you\'ve gone about it, I\'m half tempted to have a go myself...

 

[TobiWan]

Originally posted by farseerlum
are you being sarcastic tobiwan?

No. I didn\'t mean to sound offensive or so. Sorry. I\'m very thankful for every constructive comment.

MaestroOfMayhem
I use Vallejo Charred Brown, sometimes with Dark Fleshtone added instead of Skorched brown and black and I think it looks good, rotting flesh for highlights also adds a nice touch, like the metl is oxidizing.

It\'s quite hard to oxidize gold but I\'ll try it when I paint up something more sinister, e.g. Chaos warriors.
Thanks for the advice!

Trevor
I generally dislike NMM, but this is looking pretty good. I think the gold maybe even looks better than the silver.

Thank you! After my first try on Stryker I was really reluctant to put too bright highlights on what I wanted to look like scorched iron. I suppose the gold won\'t look too overpowering anymore once I paint the rest.

This is what I want to get:

What do you think?

Thanks for all the helpful comments and have a nice day,
Tobi