hey all, I wanted to start this to give you guys an idea of where I am with my painting and my army in whole.

I have been doing a lot of experimenting, research and questioning a lot of people on how they do specific thing. I want to thank these people for their time.

Anyway to start this thread with a bang, here are some pics of my newly improved elves, with improved painting techniques!





well there it is,
If anyone has any tips on how I can improve PLZ TELL!
please guys comment, anything that you say is appreciated.

feanorthenoldor

Looks very nice to me. I like the way you have managed to bring out the armour details of a plastic miniature (always harder to do than in metals with deep recesses).

Edge highlighting might look good in the armour plates. Although it always drives me crazy when I'm trying to paint realistic thin lines on the edges. Also, since the clothes have a nice surface with deep recesses and contours, a wash might work well on them. Asurmen Blue wash could tie the highlight layers together (but also darken the highest highlights) nicely.

-- Pasi

I really like the way you have painted them smoothly. I also like the way the armour has been muted. Very good.

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"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."
- Bertrand Russel

Ohh so THIS is that project of yours Very nice indeed. If you wish to give armour some more shine you could consider using gloss varnish on those parts

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My WiP thread

www.independent-painters.blogspot.com/

thanks guys for the comments, I have another question.

What is varnishing? I mean is there a difference between Matt Varnish and Gloss Varnish.

Anything on what to buy, and how it makes the model look after its use would be helpful.


Also I use GW's black primer for my models, is this a good choice, I've heard that GW's primers aren't that good.

I heard Krylon is good, what would be the specific name of the primer for my models made by Krylon?
thanks

For primes I use either Army Painter of Vallejo. An Varnishing is the layer of transparent "paint" you overcoat your mins with to protect paint from being damaged. Matte Varnish is as name suggests matte, and Gloss is shiny , used on metal element and glass parts like visors in takns and stuff

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My WiP thread

www.independent-painters.blogspot.com/

hey all,

My hobby has come to another low. I am trying my best to make my figures(Galadhrim) look the best as possible.

Have any of you guys experienced this before? I really need your guys support. I just feel like that there is something missing in my painting. When I look at specifically my armor under a lamp it looks pretty good, but when I look at it under normal lighting it doesn't look that good. I just don't know where to go. I have done a huge load of researching about the different techniques and have tried to apply them, but for some reason it just doesn't look good to my eyes. I'm trying to aim to get the armor to look really smooth and shiny.

What I'm trying to get at is that have any of you guys experienced this "phase" before? If you have and know some good remedies, then tell me, I'm open to anything.

I really look up to you guys, especially the really talented painters. Please anything help that can be said, say it, i really need it.

thanks everybody for your support

feanorthenoldor

Dont be too harsh on yourself, your figure looks fine.
If you want to improve it add a mithril silver highlight to edge of sword blade and crest of helm, maybe to topmost armour plates on arms & shoulders. I wouldnt worry too much on the mail. The cloak is fine, very nice. You might want an extra highlight on the hair to give it more contrast as hair is always richly textured so looks good with highlight. Perhaps a light highlight on the end of the shoes. Bestial brown should do for both.

Keep up the good work

As for varnishing I use a polyurethane gloss varnish (from DIY store) to protect paint. Once dry I use two coats (4 hours apart) of Vallejo Acrylic matte varnish. Both are brushed on. This gives a further level of protection and gets rid of the horrible gloss shine! I dont like sprays, they give uneven coverage and mixed results.

Scott

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www.scottswargaming.blogspot.com

The elf looks good overall.

I would give the rim of his base another layer of Chaos Black, it just looks messy with the brown spots you have right now.
For the hair, I would do another highlight, as it looks kind of dull right now. Just use whatever paint you used before mixed with some Skull White.
For the armour, I think it looks fine. Did you use GW washes? Maybe it just needs a highlight of Mithril SIlver.

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Started a new blog!
www.heroichighlights.blogspot.ca

thank you guys.

@Lord of Edoras, ya, i didn't do the base rim yet, I use Graveyard Earth.

THis figure, I used all of the GW metallic colors. Since then I have been told that a Chainmail base coat gives it a shinier look with a blended highlight of Mithril Silver. The main reason I am getting so frustrated is because of the very middle part of the armor, where all of the curves are vertical. For some reason I cannot get a smooth blend, it just looks scrappy and dull.

thanks again for your thoughts guys

thanks everyone

this is what I do for at least the beginning painting of the armor.

1. Experimenting on either base coat of mithril silver or chainmail.
2. Black-line between armor scales and sections of armor
I want to my armor(especially the scales on the Galadhrim) to have thin black lines between them so that you have a sense of depth. Because only doing a few thin washes after the base coat only tones the mithril silver down. I have tried this right after the base coat but it is very difficult.

3. then do a couple thin washes of Badab black after black-lining.
4. Then highlight, etc... (I have this process pretty much down).

So my main question is about the black-lining, do you guys have any tips about it that would make it less pain staking.

thanks

this is the picture that i'm talking about



i just fell in love with the look of the armor and I'm striving to make my armor equivalent to that.

did this to show you guys what I'm striving for.

I've been doing some work guys.

I really liked the idea of a red cape, since red is my favorite color.
I was just experimenting on this guy to see how the red turned out.
Anyway, the red is a little bit pinkish because I was doing white before I basecoated the cloak with mechrite red. Anyway I kind of went fast on the model to show you guys what I want my scheme to look like. I kind of messed up on the armor. Hopefully tonight I'll paint a really good looking guy since I know what I need to do now.


I think I'm getting really good at faces,


Anyway I'll be posting some more pics soon

Comments plz

thanks

That looks really cool! I love the red cape, it go's really nicely with the blue and the silver. And yes, you are getting really good at painting faces.

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My WIP thread: http://one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18247

He turned out well- nice job!

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goblin: "people associate me with boogers because i am green"

As promised here is a better version of my new scheme.



and the back


When I highlight with the metallics, how to I get them to be as smooth as possible??

Anything, PLZZZ, comments!!! If you guys want to tell me a new technique that might help me, PLZ TELL!

feanorthenoldor

The paint job and color choices are great. The only suggestion I'd give is to pay more attention to the contact point between the tab and the base. The unfinished swordsman has a big gap and the seam is visible on the spearman as well. A little green stuff is a very easy way to hide those joins, otherwise they draw the eye.

That looks great to me. The colours go very well together and I have to agree that your faces getting very good.
Keep up the good work

Cyndra the Grey

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{aD}??? wrote:

Procrastination. A favourite pastime of mine
Exaggeration. Also another pastime.

My General WIP

Hmm Just got to the piece of feanor in the simillarion and the elfs killing each other. Great book i am understanding the members names better , and better. Nice painting , will u do some teleri after those?:-D

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goblin: "people associate me with boogers because i am green"

When painting smooth metallics it's very important to get the paint to a nice creamy/milky consistence.

What I would do is start with a thin, flat coat of boltgun metal. Wash twice with badab black, then paint the plates chainmail, leaving the recesses dark. Then maybe do a fairly thin wash with black again, then fine edge highlighting with mithril silver.

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