This is my first attempt at layering. Only the red tassel had been is inked. I’ve been holding off inking the rest, trying to think of a way to improve it or avoid inking all together. Don’t want to wash out the bright colors. I need some honest, real advise from you experts. Any wisdom?

Thanks,

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/123/123774/folders/289668/2325310Raptor.jpg
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/123/123774/folders/289668/2325436Raptor2.jpg

There are only - perhaps - three things I can find a fault in:
1. Some of the highlights on the wings look a bit rough. Nothing that cannot be fixed.
2. Color transitions to purple on the wings... could be smoother on the rear side of the model (the front-side ones are very good-looking, though)
3. From what I see, you were going for a Black Legion scheme? In that case, the armor looks a notch too grey. This could be solved with a wash, repainting the armor black and highlighting only the edges, or repainting it black and hand-painting a thin layer of Gloss Varnish on it (my fav trick for easy but good-looking black armor).

First, thank you.

2. I’m not sure how to blend colors on something that’s rough. If I dry brush only the high spots get paint, if I paint wet I get build up in the low spots (like on the wings). Maybe the paints are to wet or I should’ve made an intermediate color.

3. It’s not really Black Legion as much as I like the black and copper colors. I’ll try your black armor suggestions on the nest raptor.

Do you think I should try highlighting the copper?

First, thank you.

2. I’m not sure how to blend colors on something that’s rough. If I dry brush only the high spots get paint, if I paint wet I get build up in the low spots (like on the wings). Maybe the paints are to wet or I should’ve made an intermediate color.


Glazing is an option. I'm slowly learning how to do this myself. It's basically a VERY thinned down color painted on LIGHTLY, if it goes on like a wash you've used too much. Just enough to make the part you painted "glisten," kind of like you were, well, glazing it.

Yes, you'll need multiple glazes to go on and dry before you'll see a difference, but fortunately since glazes use so little when applied, they dry super-fast, making a multiple layer buildup possible in a single painting session.

Good luck!

I quite like that blue to purple transition; when I first saw it I wasn't so certain, but it really jumps out at you and its blended fairly well. I might advise as others suggested that you smooth the transition even more if you can, but even if you don't it still looks fantastic!

I'd also agree with the Fifth Horseman about the grey on his armour. If you're going for a more grey-ish legion by all means ignore this, but I think that it should be darkened down a little. Grey has always been somewhat of a problem for me as well; it always seems like it stands out like a sore thumb and looks more like a separate colour than a subtle highlight or it doesn't seem to show up at all!

Overall great job, and I look foward to seeing the rest of the squad should you decide to post them.

-Mike

There's nothing that's actually wrong with the paintjob, so that earns you some points.

From what i can tell, everything's in the right place, but the highlights could be a bit smoother. There's nothing wrong with the way you're pitching, but it's not perfect, so to speak.

You can kill some of the glare on teh highlights by applying a very very thin wash of the base colour over the raised areas - helps to unify the colours. However, one thing to note - it almost looks like you are using an artifical light source with those wings! It does look quite cool, and might inspire me to do a similar thing myself....

I think you've done, but the few things I can pick out are the area near the pistol hand with the gold that found its way onto his greave.

Just a personal thing but I prefer a blue color for plasma, as power weapons are normally blue, I make anything that strong such as power fists and plasma guns all blue, and the highlighting on the wings is a little rough and the transition from purple to blue could be blended a little better but all in time. otherwise I'd be proud to paint that half as well!

nice catch, duane. I think the model looks good, though for some reason, I have a strange aversion to topknots. They just don't look right to me:sidefrown:. Other than that, I think the model looks great. I love the coice in colors.

Looks good dood, probably benefit if you could turn the flash off. If people DL the pic and darken it, the transition is actually pretty good, but the flash takes away from it. Good job.

I think I have to agree with Backdraft. My first impression is that the blue is too bright, but that might just be an effect of the flash.

Just a personal thing but I prefer a blue color for plasma

Count me in the camp that thinks that Plasma should be green. Either looks great, I prefer green.

Painting suggestion - specifically for the wings - the areas that are the little lines in the membrane part, as well as the creases at the junction of all the muscle and bone to the membrane could be darker. perhaps almost black.

I would make a wash with black and purple (just a little purple) with some PVA glue in it - a dot of glue the size of a pin head or so mixed into the wash will make it gather into the cracks and creases really well. Then a bit of re-layering will make it look fantastic!


Oh, one other thing -- get the sand off the rim of the base. It never looks good.

.

I'ld shade the grooves in the wings a bit more, it looks rather like the pink has gotten in to some of them.
Then I'ld call it done and hit it up with a nice gloss varnish to keep the colours vibrant.