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Trying to work on my highlighting/blending/shading. More pics at my blogsite listed in my sig.

Comments and critiques are encouraged.

Looks really good. The washes look good. Nice job.

What you have right there is a nice, solid paintjob. Just a few areas that could be improved a tad.

The gold could use a brighter edge highlight. You could go extreme and use Mithril Silver, or use a mix of Mithril Silver and Shining Gold.

The armour could also use a brighter edge highlight to help it pop more.

But overall, not a bad job at all! The skin in particular is nice, and you actually painted the eye without making it a blob, something I still struggle with.

It's rock solid, but doesn't quite "pop." The problem with a model like Calgar is that he has so much bling, subtle effects (especially dark ones) get lost in the shuffle. I can see some nice shading on the forward foot, but not much in the way of highlights - the armor around his head has the same issue. Both, I think, could benefit from some slightly starker edge work to really define those shapes. Same with some of his trim - you've got a lovely, deep burgundy going on, but the texture of the roping gets muddied without something a little brighter to make each turn stand out.

The only thing that really looks flat is the lining of the cape. I'd suggest working in both directions on that part, not just adding further highlights (the outside looks like it's gotten a bit more love, which it probably should, but not to the point of neglecting other parts that still show).

I definitely think you've got the shading down, though. Nothing is too stark, nothing looks out of place, and all your transitions are smooth. The line work and finish is all smooth and clean. Adjusting the contrast to work better on a busy model at this scale, I think, is what will bump you up the next level (let me know how things look from up there, when you arrive - I've still got some way to go before I can join you ).

Thanks for the feedback.
I'll take the highlight up another notch on the next mini. Transitioning and contrast will be worked on as well.
I hit that eye on the first try. Lucky me!