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So I'm wondering how to get that glowy Aleph effect without airbrushing. Do I just use a very small brush at the end in the cracks? Do I do a wash after priming? Pray to Zeus?

Can you provide an example?

The glowing recesses like these:

http://www.infinitythegame.com/infinity/en/2011/miniatures/nagas-2/

http://www.infinitythegame.com/infinity/en/2011/miniatures/dasyus/

Seems like of critical to the Aleph look, just not sure how its achieved.

Comparing these two photos on the site (and also because this model deserves to be shown whenever possible!), maybe a bit of photographic tomfoolery going on in the 2nd one with photoshop?




You can still make a nice glow effect though, which can highlight against a darker colour especially. Although I'm not very good at it, I've usually painted the recess first (so built up the light colour in the crack), then painted the outer armour after while being very careful not to paint in the recess. Then paint a bit of the glow-colour on the edge of the recess, to make it look as though the light is diffusing.

Maybe someone like Medusa or Sangarn might be a better person to comment though?

I would paint the cracks white, then hit with a light purple or pink wash, then when dry, hit the bottom of the crack with a weak white wash.

Should leave the sides a darker pink/purple with a whiter centre/bottom and give the illusion of glowing.

A white wash? Hell, didn't even know such a thing existed :-) Pretty much how I was planning, will look into this wash business. Thanks.

A white wash is just very watered down white paint

Fair enough :-) How would I apply it though? Even the smallest brush I've got would probably spilla wash around recesses that small.

Widdershinz wrote:
Fair enough :-) How would I apply it though? Even the smallest brush I've got would probably spilla wash around recesses that small.

Generally you paint the lighted bits first. You apply a heavier coat of the darkest color for the lights first, then gradually shade it up to the almost pure white look. Then from there you paint the armor bits around it.

Think of it as similar to painting OSL.

I'm thinking a wash of the glow colour over surrounding areas.

There are many ways to do this. If you feel comfortable with the wash approach, go ahead. It will work.

Depending on your painting skills I'd otherwise advise you to put in the lights with carefully painted layers, blending them into the surrounding areas.
That's the classic approach to smooth light effects. I used it on my Naga for example. No airbrush involved of course.

I'm a really bad painter, that looks lovely but a bit beyond me.

Just keep trying and learning, you'll get there one day.

Dude, Baiyuan, that is a very beautiful OSL. The Greyscale on the rest of the mini really makes it pop.

Yes it's, well beautiful I think is the only word I could use.. if I were playing against that, I wouldn't want to shoot at it because I'd feel guilty about removing it from the tabletop