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Hi,

I'm having my first go a paiting a model for display and have decided that I want to try to paint the light source properly.

So I want to try to get the zenital highlight or look like the light is shining from one direction.

The bit that is confusing me is I don't how to approach the whole model from front to back.

when you look at the model from the front, the light source is shinning onto the top right o the model so that but is ok but i am confused about how to approach the back of the model. when I turn it round were should the light come from, top right again as if the light source is in the same place or lop left as if the light moves round with the model as you tern it?

any help with this will be much appreciated.

As if the light didn't move. Think of it this way, your perspective on it is changing not the model's position.

Cool that makes, thanks for the help.

Now does anyone have tips about how to acheive this effect, other then the airbrushing from an angle technique. Im looking into traditional painting at the moment.

I so far have been trying to attack the whole model roughly with shadows and highlights with a view to smooth out the blending at a later stage. Not sure if this is the best approch though so am interested about how others approach the global lighting of their figures.

cheers.

Yeah, you can do it by roughly putting on highlights from above, and switching it round so you check the underside is darker. Perfectly doable by hand, but you want to make sure your blending is good, as zenithal work is all about the gradient.

cool cheers

Here is a little tutorial I had bookmarked on how to paint black armor using zenith highlighting

http://saintedswords.blogspot.com/2008/11/ftw-how-to-paint-black-armour_23.html

WillyBRags wrote:Here is a little tutorial I had bookmarked on how to paint black armor using zenith highlighting

http://saintedswords.blogspot.com/2008/11/ftw-how-to-paint-black-armour_23.html

cool cheers for posting the tutorial. I think this meathod would be uselful. However at the minute I am more trying to learn how to get the lighting correct without cheating, for want of abetter word.

Thanks though.