Teach myself blending - a WIP

[RobF]

I have to admit I am VERY nervous about posting here. The work I see here usually leaves me speechless.

I have been painting for about two years and I guess I must have done about 15 minis now - most to wargames standard but I want to up my game and I know I need to learn how to blend if I am going to improve.

I have been working on this Warrior Priest for about two weeks I guess but a trapped nerve in my arm has been making it so hard to get it finished. I suppose I am about 80% done now

This is how it looked after the first few bits ...

Like I said I am a little nervous of your comments but without them I cannot improve

 

[Tagamoga]

Hello RobF.

Be carefull my comments are rather harsh...

Well, the red blendings of the robe are really smooth and fine. It is a pitty, that you did not the same to the face, and grey cloths. The you have washed (?) and in the face drybrushed first (?). You can use the same blendings techniques with a wash too...

But I like really the red cloth!

Greetings, Taggi

 

[crazyboyae1]

Yes red is very good, on the right track with blending. but the rest of the model looks like base coat wash or dry brush wash. take your time and blend every part of the model like you did the red, cuz that looks great. i suppose that those parts aren't done anyway right?

 

[RobF]

I started with a white primer and as you guessed I used a black wash before I started

This was my next step

 

[doyme]

Looking better but still a slight bit more contrast between the skin and parchment I think. Perhaps the parchment could be bit richer in brown? Coming on quite nice though. Oh and your blending is good. Keep going!

Yeah this site has a fair few ridiculously good painters. I was in the same position as you a couple weeks ago and it's daunting as hell ain't it! Posting is good motivation for finishing a model and doing the best you can at it, though.

Have fun painting the rest of the model.

 

[RobF]

I am hoping the contrast works better once the lettering is on the parchment - I am guessing that when I add the 'black' lettering then the parchment itself will look lighter - of course I could be wrong

 

[Chrome]

you're not put to shame here, that's for sure! Hey, you even made Taggi make a less harsh comment!

 

[Gilvan Blight]

I only wish my 16th model looked this good. You have nothing to be ashamed of. My 200th model didn't look this good and I doubt my next one will either.

 

[RobF]

Thanks for the positive comments. I know I have a long way to go for where I want to be but I have worked hard on this figure and I think in total I must have 25 - 30 hours in it now and it's still not finished. The next thing I decided to do was do the basics of the base work - took a little while to get the moss to have the texture I wanted and I think it's about right but sadly my photos don't show the textures or subtle colours too well ...

 

[BPI]

Hi RobF, he looks great to me so far I really like this mini, very characterful, I have him stashed in a box somewhere

How much in the way of red tones are being lost from the flesh in the photos because of the strong blue background? The face looks fine but the arm/bandage are very close in colour, is that true to real life? Has paint rubbed off the bottom back of the skirt? and is that dust spotted further up it? Again on the bottom photo, the lower left crease, the black shading doesn't run the full length of it. Are you going to dull the gloss from the black wash with varnish or glaze over it with paint?

The biggest step up from your rather nice table top standard that I can see would be use of more colours in shading rather than solely relying on black. Whaddya think?

No need to have been nervous posting this, just check out some of the crap in my WIP

Cheers, B.

 

[RobF]

This is where I got to yesterday ...

 

[RobF]

and today I am at this stage ...

 

[RobF]

Thanks so much for the feedback - yes I need some repairs at the bottom of the cloak and have been putting that off. The 'dust' is actually some pock marks left where there used to be dust I guess and now I have some pinpricks - again I need to find some way of repairing that.

Thanks for spotting the incomplete shadow - I didn't notice it all all and now you mention it it's obvious

Hi RobF, he looks great to me so far I really like this mini, very characterful, I have him stashed in a box somewhere

How much in the way of red tones are being lost from the flesh in the photos because of the strong blue background? The face looks fine but the arm/bandage are very close in colour, is that true to real life? Has paint rubbed off the bottom back of the skirt? and is that dust spotted further up it? Again on the bottom photo, the lower left crease, the black shading doesn't run the full length of it. Are you going to dull the gloss from the black wash with varnish or glaze over it with paint?

The biggest step up from your rather nice table top standard that I can see would be use of more colours in shading rather than solely relying on black. Whaddya think?

No need to have been nervous posting this, just check out some of the crap in my WIP

Cheers, B.

 

[Necroghast]

The biggest step up from your rather nice table top standard that I can see would be use of more colours in shading rather than solely relying on black. Whaddya think?

Agree with that. I've said it so many times, but using complimentary colors to shade often yields a much more life like result than black. Even so, its looking quite good!

 

[obsidianpainting]

I don't want to put any negative things out there, but i feel the metallics let the rest of the model down. There isn't much contrast in the armour, or the weapons. It also looks a bit grainy. (the metals i mean, the rest looks fantastic) While i'm hear, what blending technique are you forcing yourself to learn?

 

[RobF]

Not done any real work on the metallics yet - still very much a WIP. Edge highlighting I can manage but blending on metallics will be something new to me. It will then get a thin green wash - I have tested that part and liked the effect and seemed to work well against the red.

Which blending techniques ? - errrrrm lol - I don't even know what ones there are really - I have just been trying to use ( mainly) very thin coats and mixing the base colours into every shadow and highlight

 

[Hard Cover]

Looks really good.

Only question or critque I have is does the model seem kind of gray or is it just a lack of lighting durring the photo?

 

[Eelco]

I just love this figure. Outstanding paintjob till so far.
Only thing is the armour, but you already said it's not finished yet. So I will be waiting till you finished this job and I am sure I am going to like it a lot!

25/30 hours? Sounds a lot, but the results are well worth the time.

Best regards,

Eelco

 

[RobF]

Various bits of real life have gotten in the way of me finishing this one but now he is done. I have now uploaded him to the website and just wanted to say thanks for all the comments and help you guys gave me.

I am happy enough I think with the front - not so happy with the scroll on the back but maybe I will get that right next time I try ....

Anyway - enough excuses - here he is ....

 

[cassar]

lovely job especiallly the blood dripping down the rock you managed to pull the armour back from the brink of graineyness too. the writing on the back scroll seems to be the only thing leting you down instead of using the brush use a cocktail stick with a tiny dab of paint and just dab it along in ragged lines it should give you the effect of small lines of text