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Dear Dakka!

Ok, I've made some progress on my first couple of minis, and feel like I'm started to get to grips with it. I got some citadel washes and I can see how these can be used to produce some quite simple goodlooking finishes.

A Malifaux fig below, and a couple of questions:





1. What's the basic order of doing something - basecoat -> wash -> highlight? Or do you basecoat --> build up highlight -> final wash?
2. When I do my first highlight over the wash, so I go back and block out againt the majority of the surface? On this figure I did basecoat snakebite leather, then washed with devlan mud liberally, and then tried some highlights. I think the highlights are far too bright and 'finelined'.
3... Once you've done some highlighting, would you wash again?
4. I reckon I put far too much wash on this, on the picture of his back it makes it look really muddy and patchey. Would you agree?
5. I think the face is a bit crappy, and the arms and gun. I'm tempted to put a highlight on these, and wash the guns? Any thoughts?

I tend to stick to this ..
soft material eg. clothing do a base coat then a mid highlight and a edge highlight then a couple of coats of thined wash as it stops it being patchey and blends better.

for hard material eg armour etc then i base coat then wash then highlight as it gives a better feeling of shadows.
if your highlighting over a wash on a large area where you want a smooth finish then mix the wash and the highlight colour for the first ones.

for the face try a 2nd wash then block out the main bits with your flesh colour then start highlighting ..

That's a good idea re. mixing the wash.

The coat was snakebite leather, the *heavy* wash was devlan mud - and then the highlight which I just tried on the edge was snakebit mixed with a light fleshy tone... not surprising that it doesn't look very natural. I think I will go over the majority of it with snakebit tonight, just leave the really obvious shadows in, and then do a mid-highlight as you suggest.

I also think I need to get a decent lamp, this stuff looks ok at night then when I wake up I notice all the faults.

You need a craft/daylight build or 2

Ok, thanks for the advice, am much happier with this next stage.





I might do another layer with better light to tidy it up, then maybe a highlight which is a touch lighter than the snakebite leater... then another wash but a bit more controlled this time.

Does that sound right, any thoughts on what next?

As its leather try dry brushing some highlights on to give it a grain effect then a couple ot waterd down washes it will give it that nice shinney leather texture..

I personally think a final wash of either brown or black (depending on the model and scheme) is good to smooth out the "sharp" lines of highlights etc.