Rob's viking raider
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- NOT the sheep
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Re: Rob's viking raider
It's the flesh and the eyes I find difficult, Rob. Particularly the eyes. I've had figures looking like they've sniffed a whole lot of illicit white powder!!
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Oh yes, flesh tones are a real so-and-so, and eyes can be challenging. In the smaller scales you can get a way with just a pair of black dots, but from 1/32 up, that doesn't cut it anymore. Can be 'interesting', especially when the sculpting isn't that great. I tend to start with an oversized blob of white, and then a black line down the centre of the eye. Then, depending on media in use, wipe off everything outside the actual eye, or paint over the excess. I'll try to remember taking snaps of these steps, but no promises..ShaunW wrote:It's the flesh and the eyes I find difficult, Rob. Particularly the eyes. I've had figures looking like they've sniffed a whole lot of illicit white powder!!
Don't leave white showing above and below the pupil, or the white powder comes into play (may not be bad, for one of the chaps here it would have been appropriate, but the sculpt didn't include extremely wide open eyes).
With skin, the key is to realise that there's half a gazillion subtly different colours in a human face, and to avoid making it a single colour. Two or three tones with little contrast and a faded transition between them, even if the colours themselves aren't all that good, will make a world of difference.
Still, eyes and skin I've just about covered. Mouths, on the other hand.. The risk of distorted grimaces is still large..
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Ha! I rememberedrob_van_riel wrote:I tend to start with an oversized blob of white, and then a black line down the centre of the eye. Then, depending on media in use, wipe off everything outside the actual eye, or paint over the excess. I'll try to remember taking snaps of these steps, but no promises..
The left eye seems to continue onto the side of the face in the picture, but in real life, that extension is merely a hint paler than the rest of the surrounding skin (as in, I can't see any problem with reading glasses and practically nose-to-nose with the figure - good enough..).
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- NOT the sheep
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Re: Rob's viking raider
That looks much better than the dot in the middle technique that results in the much maligned "popeye" look.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
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Re: Rob's viking raider
hi Rob nice start to the painting and thanks for the extra pics showing your techniques
cheers craig
cheers craig
- Spaceowl
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Re: Rob's viking raider
That is coming along nicely. Not long finished a book about the Vikings that said blue and black were avoided as colours, unless you were a revenger when they welcomed (as a warning, I suppose). Oddly enough, the Vikings seemed to have loved colourful clothing.
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
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Re: Rob's viking raider
I persuaded him to put his tunic on properly.
Pale blue basecoat, then washed with blue-ish medium grey.
Please ignore the other two; they live on the same bench, and sometimes in the same photo
Interesting how the savage barbarian is rather cool and composed, while the sophisticated French gentlemen look like they're about to blow a fuse
Just equipment and hair left to paint now; a few more sessions of work at most.
Pale blue basecoat, then washed with blue-ish medium grey.
Please ignore the other two; they live on the same bench, and sometimes in the same photo
Interesting how the savage barbarian is rather cool and composed, while the sophisticated French gentlemen look like they're about to blow a fuse
Just equipment and hair left to paint now; a few more sessions of work at most.
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Very nicely done, Rob. Yes, the French duo do look rather less composed than their "barbarian" counterpart!
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
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- The Great Auk
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Wow did that ever finish up a treat rob!
You have enviable talent and patience I can only dream of.
Looks every bit the fearsome raider set to plunder!
Bravo!
Th Great Auk
You have enviable talent and patience I can only dream of.
Looks every bit the fearsome raider set to plunder!
Bravo!
Th Great Auk
- Spaceowl
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Magnificent work, Rob.
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Excellent result, Rob, that is a great piece of figure painting.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm just happy I managed to squeeze a nice result out of acrylics. I never had much of a working relationship with those, but I'm beginning to think there might be hope yet
I realised I haven't rambled on as much about technical details as I'd promised (I ramble when I promise not to and vice-versa ), so I'll try to fill in some gaps from memory.
The rock base was done with the traditional base coat/wash/drybrush technique, specific colours determined by whatever paints were around mixed up to please the Mk1 eyeball. The trousers were given a base coat of Vallejo Dark Yellow with some white thrown in, over which I slapped (doesn't really deserve any other word) very watery Vallejo Khaki. I was surprised at how well this worked out; Initially I thought I'd messed it up and would have to re-paint, but once the first coat had dried I saw potential and gave it another helping. The rest, as they say, is history. The shoes followed the same pattern with Vallejo Medium Flesh base, and Vallejo Leather Brown wash (I can take hints). The windings were more traditional in approach: a fine brush, optical compensation for ageing eyes, and undiluted Gunze Aircraft Grey.
The flesh tone didn't work as I'd planned. The cunning plan was to paint the visible veins on his arm blue, and then put multiple coats of translucent skin colour over it. It was a mess. The blue paint started running when I started work with the thinned down flesh, and even in the resulting washed out state, was impossible to cover up to a good looking degree. I ended up wiping most of the mess off, and putting on several coats of Vallejo Basic flesh, followed by some washing with Vallejo Medium Flesh.
Note that Medium Flesh is both my wash (dark) colour for skin, and my base (light) colour for leatherwork. This is not the first time I've used this overlap; ages past I was so frustrated with Humbrol Flesh that I used Leather for hands and faces. Perhaps just a bit too tanned, but without some sort of blending techniques and no access to anything but Humbrol, it actually works quite well. I have dozens of figures in the case with Humbrol 62 or 63 (sand) skin, small dark dots for eyes, and maybe some brick red on the lips. Certainly no masterpieces of portrait painting, but OK for 1/32 or smaller.
The tunic was a repeat of the know familiar light base coat with darker wash technique, this time with custom mixture Vallejo base and Gunze Intermediate Blue wash, and the belt and pouches were a repeat of the shoes (albeit with Red Leather wash on the pouches for some variation).
The shield was fundamentally different; here, I used a base coat of Humbrol 110 Wood. Once thoroughly dry, this was coated with dark brown oils (either straight Burnt Sienna, or the Burnt Sienna/Raw Umber/Ochre mixture I also use when painting faces in the medium), left to dry for a few hours, and then wiped with a make-up sponge. Metal bits were dark metal with a quick dry-brushing of lighter metal.
The hair was base coated with Humbrol 63 Sand, and then heavily dry-brushed with a mixture of Humbrol Sand, White and 24 Yellow, to simulate that colour that can't really make up it's mind whether it wants to be blonde or red (I think it's called 'strawberry blonde', but I don't think I should risk calling a tough ol' viking one of those...)
Note that I'm not being even remotely particular about colours in all this. With historically more recent subjects, especially machinery, there's usually a (sometimes hotly debated) 'right' colour, and I can get as obsessive about this as the next guy, but here, it's more a case of 'looks sort of OK, slap it on', sometimes of custom mixtures I couldn't possibly hope to re-create later. There is a danger in the last bit; I can't afford any slip-ups, since there simply is no paint available for touch up. I had to cheat a few times on the tunic, and touch up with straight-from-the-bottle Intermediate Blue. I only got away with this because it's in hard to see/reach spots.
So talent? One reproduced happy accident for the basic technique, a semi-panicked recovery for the skin, and some fairly basic stuff for the rest. I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm just lucky
I realised I haven't rambled on as much about technical details as I'd promised (I ramble when I promise not to and vice-versa ), so I'll try to fill in some gaps from memory.
The rock base was done with the traditional base coat/wash/drybrush technique, specific colours determined by whatever paints were around mixed up to please the Mk1 eyeball. The trousers were given a base coat of Vallejo Dark Yellow with some white thrown in, over which I slapped (doesn't really deserve any other word) very watery Vallejo Khaki. I was surprised at how well this worked out; Initially I thought I'd messed it up and would have to re-paint, but once the first coat had dried I saw potential and gave it another helping. The rest, as they say, is history. The shoes followed the same pattern with Vallejo Medium Flesh base, and Vallejo Leather Brown wash (I can take hints). The windings were more traditional in approach: a fine brush, optical compensation for ageing eyes, and undiluted Gunze Aircraft Grey.
The flesh tone didn't work as I'd planned. The cunning plan was to paint the visible veins on his arm blue, and then put multiple coats of translucent skin colour over it. It was a mess. The blue paint started running when I started work with the thinned down flesh, and even in the resulting washed out state, was impossible to cover up to a good looking degree. I ended up wiping most of the mess off, and putting on several coats of Vallejo Basic flesh, followed by some washing with Vallejo Medium Flesh.
Note that Medium Flesh is both my wash (dark) colour for skin, and my base (light) colour for leatherwork. This is not the first time I've used this overlap; ages past I was so frustrated with Humbrol Flesh that I used Leather for hands and faces. Perhaps just a bit too tanned, but without some sort of blending techniques and no access to anything but Humbrol, it actually works quite well. I have dozens of figures in the case with Humbrol 62 or 63 (sand) skin, small dark dots for eyes, and maybe some brick red on the lips. Certainly no masterpieces of portrait painting, but OK for 1/32 or smaller.
The tunic was a repeat of the know familiar light base coat with darker wash technique, this time with custom mixture Vallejo base and Gunze Intermediate Blue wash, and the belt and pouches were a repeat of the shoes (albeit with Red Leather wash on the pouches for some variation).
The shield was fundamentally different; here, I used a base coat of Humbrol 110 Wood. Once thoroughly dry, this was coated with dark brown oils (either straight Burnt Sienna, or the Burnt Sienna/Raw Umber/Ochre mixture I also use when painting faces in the medium), left to dry for a few hours, and then wiped with a make-up sponge. Metal bits were dark metal with a quick dry-brushing of lighter metal.
The hair was base coated with Humbrol 63 Sand, and then heavily dry-brushed with a mixture of Humbrol Sand, White and 24 Yellow, to simulate that colour that can't really make up it's mind whether it wants to be blonde or red (I think it's called 'strawberry blonde', but I don't think I should risk calling a tough ol' viking one of those...)
Note that I'm not being even remotely particular about colours in all this. With historically more recent subjects, especially machinery, there's usually a (sometimes hotly debated) 'right' colour, and I can get as obsessive about this as the next guy, but here, it's more a case of 'looks sort of OK, slap it on', sometimes of custom mixtures I couldn't possibly hope to re-create later. There is a danger in the last bit; I can't afford any slip-ups, since there simply is no paint available for touch up. I had to cheat a few times on the tunic, and touch up with straight-from-the-bottle Intermediate Blue. I only got away with this because it's in hard to see/reach spots.
So talent? One reproduced happy accident for the basic technique, a semi-panicked recovery for the skin, and some fairly basic stuff for the rest. I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm just lucky
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- Modelling Gent and Scholar
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Re: Rob's viking raider
rob i think your viking raider looks superb it was nice that you took the time to explain your techniques for painting this will be helpful for me in any figure painting
thanks craig
thanks craig
- TimJ
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Re: Rob's viking raider
Excellent work Rob.
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