Commission Work- Press Gangers

[Erik Lindley]

So if you listened to ep002 you know that I took on a commission job. It is my first so definitely a learning experience. So far I have spent about 10-11 hours on these models. I think I have about 4-ish hours more to finish them up.

Here are WIP picts, the models are basecoated and washed. I just have the high lights to do. Oh, also the client is going to base them. They are on temp bases to paint.

I really enjoyed painting these models. Makes me want to do a piratey force!













-Erik

[geitmeise]

Those models are looking great! I've never seen them before but I assume they belong to Warmachine or Hordes, right? Otherwise they might make some cool pirate free poeples militia for the Empire.

[spanky100]

Great work Erik. I like the skin tones. They are boss. Mmmmm boss tones.

[Erik Lindley]

Mighty Mighty Boss Skin Tones maybe? :> Thanks for the compliment Andrew. It is nice to paint something up to a nice standard sometiems. Lately, I have been rushing stuff out the door for tourney deadlines and such.

On the other hand, I spent much longer on these than I thought I would. I have 15 hours in these 10 models. I had to basically stop pouring time into them because of it. You could take these guys sooo much further! Don't get me wrong, they are very nice "as is", but if you wanted to take these to the next "display" level, well, the ground work is laid is all I am saying

Here are the final picts I sent the client today. I think he is going to be very happy!

[Chris M.]

Wow man looking good!

[jormiboced]

I really like the flesh and the cloth, but the eyes seem a bit anime.

[Erik Lindley]

I hear ya' about the eyes. I prefer a black lined "cartoon/comic" look to my faces, but that isn't everybodies bag (Denise doesn't like that style much either). Hopefully the client will like it though :>

Keep in mind that the pic is about 8 times larger than the mini so while it looks like the dude is wearing black eyeliner in the pic (Johnny Depp Pirate! ), from the table top it just makes the eye pop.

[spanky100]

Nice work amigo. I think I saw of these guys at the Brawler bash last year. Or that might have been the bar you took me to...

Again, love the skin. Tell us plebs more about what you did there...which paints, mixes, washes...

[Erik Lindley]

Ok Andrew, I thought we agreed not to talk about that "experience" Haha

So I actually used a few new products this time around.

I started with priming the models white. I almost always start with a white undercoat unless the model will be mostly black/dark.

I then try to paint from the inside to outside. So skin first, then layers of clothing next to skin.... as so on. So the skin is first. I base coated these dwarf flesh. If you start with a white undercoat and you have your basecoat thin enough, then it creates natural highlights from the get go.

The skin was then washed with ogre flesh wash from GW **On an aside, I won a citadel wash set earlier this year. This is the first time I have used them. I am impressed. I actually painted with washes very similar to these, but I made my own "to order" so to speak. These work pretty well right out of the pot!**

After that I went back and washed the eyes with a black wash. The skin was finished off with 2 highlights of dwarf flesh and a bit of ivory mixed in.

The same system with most of the other colors. For the blue I painted sky blue, which on it own looks rather light and puffy. A wash of Asurman blue tones it down perfectly though and gives the shade I was looking for. After the wash I go back over with sky blue and a tiny bit of ivory for 2 highlights.

All the other colors were washed with Devlon Mud. Since I used earth tones and reds it worked to pull them together. I even washed the metal (base coated with bolt gun metal-EXCELLENT GW color!) with Devlon Mud. It gave it a coppery or antique metal feel. Not rusty really, just kinda old. I usually wash the metal with black wash, btu this worked on these models.

The key in all steps is thinning the paint to the point where it is as thin as possible while still able to maintain control. This is the part that takes practice and patience, patience, patience. Did I mention it takes patience? To really get blending to look good then your paint has to be thin. You have to use multiple layers of color and sometimes, you won't even see the result/change of the layer you are painting while you are paiting it! You just have to go by the shine on the model where it looks "wet."

One thing I would like to mention about the washes. Using them well requires a single coat at a time. Loading your brush so that you only go over a single spot once is critical. If you keep hitting the same spot over and over it will stain the entire area that wash color. You are trying to make lowlights and shadow. That means wait until it is dry to go over an area if it isn't dark enough for you the first go around. If you try to go over an area more than once before the wash is completely dry it will start to pick up brush strokes and look generally bad.

So GW washes for the win! Also, I have never found the equal of GW Boltgun Metal. That is saying a lot because I generally prefer Valejo paints, reaper, then GW in that order.

-Erik

-Erik

[retroalias]

I concur, GW washes are ace. Devlan Mud is some amazing stuff, especially over earth tones.

[heychadwick]

I love the saucy woman. I wish GW had more of that.