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Hey everyone,
So I am doing some test models for my grey knights to practice the OSL from their force weapons using my airbrush, but at the moment it doesn't look very natural at all and was wondering if anyone had any good tips on how to improve this (by the way the blue on the helmet was a mistake I meant to leave that silver)

I just painted the weapons a straight blue and the armour as I just mainly wanted to work on the lighting.
Thanks

Honestly the blue on the phase is fine. Because the sword infront of him would be illuminating it.

Try going back in with a lighter blue and dry brush up, then with an even lighter blue, and edge highlight with white.

ok thanks, also for when I paint the other colours on should I try to make them darker so the lighting looks brighter?

Here is all you need to know for good OSL. Firstly the object that is shining must be brighter than the objects that are illuminated. Second is that you must have a smooth transition between colours. Third is that light catches on the edges. And finally you must consider what objects the light can illuminate. Make sure to double check if you can draw a line between the shining object and the illuminated object.

Thanks for both your advice, tried again on the same model
do you think I'm going a bit overboard on the amount of lighting and what else could I do to improve it?

I think that the swords themselves look good, but the light on the model could use some work. Specifically smoother transitions and better placements of the light. But all in all it looks pretty good for a first try. I think you will master it in no time.

Power Elephant wrote:
I think that the swords themselves look good, but the light on the model could use some work. Specifically smoother transitions and better placements of the light. But all in all it looks pretty good for a first try. I think you will master it in no time.

Thanks, ill try again tomorrow I think, would you say id be worth off trying it without the airbrush aswell or stick to the airbrush?

Personaly I do OSL without the airbrush and I think it looks much more natural that way. I use glazes for OSL. However that takes much more time. You should master doing it with an airbrush first since it's so much simpler.

Power Elephant wrote:
Personaly I do OSL without the airbrush and I think it looks much more natural that way. I use glazes for OSL. However that takes much more time. You should master doing it with an airbrush first since it's so much simpler.

Ah ok cool,
Had another go today, much happier with the light on this one than the last 2 though still not perfect by any means obviously, by the way the lighter swords is just because I forgot to add the darker colour before I put in the rest they should have been like before

If you want to try it using brushes (which lends itself to a more subtle effect) then the latter half of this video is pretty good, and focuses on 'preparing' the model for OSL with stronger highlights around the light source, then tinting them with successive glazes to build up a subtle glow:

 Paradigm wrote:
If you want to try it using brushes (which lends itself to a more subtle effect) then the latter half of this video is pretty good, and focuses on 'preparing' the model for OSL with stronger highlights around the light source, then tinting them with successive glazes to build up a subtle glow:

Spoiler:

Thanks I like that effect though I think ill probably stick to the airbrush for the majority of the troops and things just for speed