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Thoughts?

Is it done, or are you looking for feedback before continuing?

I for one like it. Im a beginner BA painter and this is a inspiration for me!

I like it. It looks great. My only feedback is, I'm a little OCD and would have to paint the lettering on the shoulder pad.

AustonT wrote:Is it done, or are you looking for feedback before continuing?

Its done insofar as anything I do is done I guess. I'm just looking for ways to improve. Thinking about jumping back into the commissions boat so trying to get as much advice so my best is that much better.

Jumpin Jesus wrote:I for one like it. Im a beginner BA painter and this is a inspiration for me!

I'm honored that you have said this about something I painted. *insert overly excited smiley here*

Celticwelsh wrote:I like it. It looks great. My only feedback is, I'm a little OCD and would have to paint the lettering on the shoulder pad.

Gotcha, I'll see if I can fix that.

OK, I didn't want to jump to conclusions. It looks very 2D especially the yellow and white. Before actually doing anything try taking a picture against a black background. As far as the yellow and white are concerned I think it's probably not just photography; they need more shade and highlights. The parchment could probably do to be lighter, and the sword looks unfinished. Overall it's of good quality.

Black Background




How about now? How would one go about adding shading to the blood drops? Edge highlights? The skulls I could add a touch of gray in the little dimple things in the forehead. Any other suggestions?

If I might: Try a different color than yellow for the blood drops, I usally paint them as gems. If you like the yellow effect try going from black to orange to yellow. Easier to jump to blue or purple. If that doesn't fit your fancy painting them mithril silver and inking or glazing over the top has a good effect too.

Black to orange to yellow, I think I see what you mean. Thank you for the critique. Gems are a technique I need to learn. Any advice off the top for that? If I recall its just like shading going dark to light, but at an angle? Yellow is what my friend wanted, they're technically his, so I'll fiddle give that a go.

Mostly intuition. GWs various gem painting tuts are workable too. This is close to the color I suspect you want.

Neat. Thanks the pic helps a lot.



Something like this...


Not sure about how I feel about it on the large symbol, tried it again on a small one and like it little.


Now the white, the main thing are the skulls and wings, skulls I think I can handle, wings though?

I agree with you on the large one. The small ones look fine, but the bigger one looks like a candy corn. Try moving your white spot from the very top to anywhere else. I would add a few streaks of brown to the hair, as well, just so it doesn't look like cheese. (I must be hungry, I keep seeing your model as food)

rofl it does! Candy Corn Marines! XD
Streaks in the hair, gotcha.

AustonT wrote:It looks very 2D especially the yellow and white...As far as the yellow and white are concerned I think it's probably not just photography; they need more shade and highlights.

Agreed. The red on the armor looks great, but the sword and such needs some shading/depth.

This is shaping up really nicely, you're doing a good job of following peoples' critiques...for my part, the only thing I'd add is some highlights on the hair and a few highlights on the model itself that are a bit more stark in contrast to really make the hardest edges that catch the most light stand out.

Nicely done so far.

Too me the scroll work needs a layer of off-white to help it look like "parchment".

Just my opinion.

Ooo. I didn't quite meant the shoulder pad one. That should probably stay yellow oops.
I dug up some examples from my case to help (I hope). They represent some different ideas on how to layer in a yellow on a flat space. I won't represent them as the best, they are not, the images are a little choppy because I just dragged some models out to the living room and snapped pictures.
Here's a bright yellow like Sunburst Yellow.

I do it by layering the bright yellow over a yellow brown like snakebite leather.
Here is more of a golden yellow.

I did these by layering the golden yellow (bad moons yellow? I dont use GW colors for yellow) over bestial brown and washing with gryphonne sepia.
For that particular pad I searched through my whole army, turns out I've only used it once on a completed model, and didn't paint the drop at all (usally right side drops are green for me)
[
I dug out some old DCs to give you an idea what I meant for jewels on a blood drop. This was the best one without glare. Yours are good...I personally would trend towards a darker effect.

Try using multiple watered-down layers from dark to light. This is to prevent thick, grainy surfaces like on the yellow helmet. Also, don't forget to paint the sword handle. You could paint the gems green (contrasting the red), or purple if you'd like to do something else then yellow. (that's your choise, in the end) Concerning the white wings, layer from gray to white in multiple steps, only highlighting with pure white in a thin layer on the extreme edges. You're doing a great job, adapting to the comments you're receiving.

Cheers, MC

One more thing, try to drill the barrels right in the middle. I know it's difficult, but marking the centre of the barrel with an x-acto knife before drilling usually helps alot.

for the wings and the skulls if you wanna paint them up to skull white, start with a dark grey.

if you wanna work to a more bony color on the skulls, start with a brown.

for the wings, basecoat in codes grey, then glaze in some fortress grey, then glaze in white at the tips. you will love the result but you will hate the work

Wow, thanks for all the advice! Much appreciated. Going to get working on him again soon so pics should be up before too long.

1) Turn the big drop back to yellow instead of a candy corn
2) Highlights and shadows in the hair
3) Lighten the scrolls a bit (going to try to add a bit of script as well.)
4) More detail on the skulls
5) More detail on the wings.

Mad4Minis wrote:

AustonT wrote:It looks very 2D especially the yellow and white...As far as the yellow and white are concerned I think it's probably not just photography; they need more shade and highlights.

Agreed. The red on the armor looks great, but the sword and such needs some shading/depth.

Thank you. Which picture for the sword? I did some basic lightning work on it in one of the pics, but not the others.

BrotherVord wrote:This is shaping up really nicely, you're doing a good job of following peoples' critiques...for my part, the only thing I'd add is some highlights on the hair and a few highlights on the model itself that are a bit more stark in contrast to really make the hardest edges that catch the most light stand out.

Thank you ^_^ What color would you suggest for the second highlight (or is the first highlight not visible?) Will definitely work on the hair some more

latch66 wrote:Nicely done so far.

Too me the scroll work needs a layer of off-white to help it look like "parchment".

Just my opinion.

Lighter color, prolly going to go with the old Bleached Bone color and see how it looks.

Mister Chaos wrote:Try using multiple watered-down layers from dark to light. This is to prevent thick, grainy surfaces like on the yellow helmet. Also, don't forget to paint the sword handle. You could paint the gems green (contrasting the red), or purple if you'd like to do something else then yellow. (that's your choise, in the end) Concerning the white wings, layer from gray to white in multiple steps, only highlighting with pure white in a thin layer on the extreme edges. You're doing a great job, adapting to the comments you're receiving.

Cheers, MC

One more thing, try to drill the barrels right in the middle. I know it's difficult, but marking the centre of the barrel with an x-acto knife before drilling usually helps alot.

Sword handle, right... heheh. Yellow is what my friend wanted so that's what I'm running with, I think I'm going to try something different for a moment with the big drop before bringing it back to yellow, more of a 'one on top of the other' type look instead of stacked. Will try on the wings. Thank you.

The barrels I knew about, but do not have a drill bit small enough to do it and no longer have an xacto knife. Is there another way to do it? Otherwise I think I'm out of luck. No monies at the current to buy anything with so I'll have to shuffle through a toolbox to find an alternate method. No pin drill/vice/whatever its called either unfortunately.

DijnsK wrote:for the wings and the skulls if you wanna paint them up to skull white, start with a dark grey.

if you wanna work to a more bony color on the skulls, start with a brown.

for the wings, basecoat in codes grey, then glaze in some fortress grey, then glaze in white at the tips. you will love the result but you will hate the work

Gray to white, got it. I might go with a bone color for the skulls sure enough, thank you.

@Austin
I see what you mean, will get on it.

Alright, thanks everyone





OK so, some highlights on his hair, though I think it still looks like cheese I am uncertain where else to put anything for fear it will look like random streaks, blood drop is yellow again with a bit of shading on the sides, my... er attempt at the gray on the wings and you can kinda see the skulls.

Feedback appreciated.

Pic is up, dakka just put it into my last post. Thoughts?

We don't need or want comments like this on Dakka.

Reds8n

So no new critiques then?

Eeeek Yo, You really need to shave down those mold lines man, its almost like you wanted the sprue still attached.

Nice work, first coat was too plain, but the Gems made a nice improvement and some highlights will do the same.

A fresh base fully painted would finish it off,

I would also recommend a good wash, specially on the white paint.

The wings...

I think you start with black and work up to a white... Either that or shadow grey. Right now there is zero contrast.

Below is what a progression of shadow grey looks like. It is really easy to do btw

As a fellow blood angel player I have to say that I like them.

Adrian Fue Fue wrote:Eeeek Yo, You really need to shave down those mold lines man, its almost like you wanted the sprue still attached.

Nice work, first coat was too plain, but the Gems made a nice improvement and some highlights will do the same.

A fresh base fully painted would finish it off,

I would also recommend a good wash, specially on the white paint.

Yeah... mold lines are my great weakness, I always forget about them (see: moldlinehammerofdoom)
So another layer of highlights, gotcha. Or am I not putting highlights where they are supposed to be? Would you go to yellow after orange? I used the old Blazing Orange for what highlights are there.

What kind of wash would you recommend for white? I've used both a sepia and a black wash and all that really happened was it looked dirty.

dereksatkinson wrote:The wings...

I think you start with black and work up to a white... Either that or shadow grey. Right now there is zero contrast.

Below is what a progression of shadow grey looks like. It is really easy to do btw

I think that's a bit easier than what I was actually attempting that came out poorly. Thank you for the clarification ^_^

Enzephalon wrote:As a fellow blood angel player I have to say that I like them.

Thank you

Thank you once again for all the critique and helping me get better! I really appreciate it. I'll likely get to working on him tomorrow or the day after as I've got about 10k words to catch up on for Camp Nanowrimo and studies to keep up with. Will update as soon as I can with progress!