minus_t's WIP projects thread (Goblins and Robots and Lightning Rods, p28)

[minus_t]

...
The sculpting looks good, though the mask is a bit... off.

Well, for a start, it's the start of his face... =P

At the moment it is still very WIP. I think it's the lack of dept to the sides that makes it look especially weird, and he will be having a hood added, which will hide that.
The nose does needs cutting down, and I need to add some features to his eyes.

At the end of the day though, it is going to be 60-80% hidden by hood, so it's the bottom of the nose and the beard that have to stand up, and I think they will.

I may have some more pics of the Woldwatcher (who is in the BG of the above pic) tomorrow, depending on how tonight goes.

DJ, thanks a lot buddy, you are lovely and generous, and it's not true what they say...
I shall make sure I bring these guys along to the Meet for you to have a look-see =)

-t.

[minus_t]

Hahaha, it's only 3 days later and pics are here!

My Woldwatcher is complete, he's like a baby Woldwarden really, so is pretty much exactly the same scheme etc.
I didn't do any cracks on this li'l fella, 'cos I figured that as a smaller, easier to assemble wold he had quite possibly been created relatively recently, as opposed to being more of an ancient relic (as I imagine the larger wolds are), brought out whenever they are needed.
Anyway, enough gumpf.

Here he is:






Thoughts?

I've also started work on the Blackclad Wayfarer, who makes up the other half of my ToP Hordes project this month, and have his skin completed. I love this model. So much.

-t.

[Canew]

Fabulous as usual, T!

In case you haven't said so before, could you enlighten us as to how you do the glowing runes? I like the look of them, and can totally see this adapted to use with any energy/heat/light escaping through cracks, etc. Good stuff!

[danjones87]

As that the running hug pose?

Nice to see you getting models completed unlike dwarfy/orky guy.

Dan

[Inquisitor Blackadder]

'Giveusacuddle'

I like the colours used for the stone and especially like the glowy runes.

Very shiny. Or if you don't watch Firefly, very cool

[minus_t]

Fabulous as usual, T!

In case you haven't said so before, could you enlighten us as to how you do the glowing runes? I like the look of them, and can totally see this adapted to use with any energy/heat/light escaping through cracks, etc. Good stuff!

Thanks fellas, he does kinda look like he's wanting a hug, but as he normally ends up slamming something (shoulder-barging or rugby-tackling), it's probably fairly apropriate.

The glowy runes are simplicity itself.
You need to use two slightly different techniques, for tiny cracks and for larger cracks/areas.

The small ones work like this:
Mix up a dark base colour, and thin it down a little, so it sits in recesses, but still covers nicely.
Then do a middle colour, and thin it down a little more, adding some glaze medium so it has more transparency. Run that over the runes, so that it sinks down into the center of the rune/crack, leaving a little of the darker colour showing.
Then a brighter colour, thinner and more transparent, and do a final coat.
This should end you up with a nice glowy rune.

For the larger areas, you need to basically reverse the process, but without the transparency.
This is because the washes cling to the corners, so if you do it the way you do for little cracks you end up with weird glowy corners, and it looks plain strange.

-t.

[Inquisitor Blackadder]

Awesomesauce. I shall try it out on my secret santa project methinks...

Seeing as you're a wonderful painter and the like, and all should bow before you etc etc, Do you know how to translate that technique onto a smooth surface? Say, the surface of a shield.

Can't wait to see more cuddlyness!

[minus_t]

I'm confused, you want a glowing shield?

If you want a large surface glowing, the best way to do it is probably to paint it a brightish colour, blended up to white at the 'brightest' points (the center, or the deepest recesses, normally), then highlight the surrounding areas as if they were lit from the shield, then give them a glaze of whatever colour the shield light is...

That probably sounds vague. My advice would be to wait and see how well this works, as I'm working on something glowy at the minute...

-t.

[Inquisitor Blackadder]

Sorry, curse of tiredness is growing...

What I'm trying to say is, how do you paint runes like yours on a 2-D surface, for example a shield. I apologise if I sound vague myself. Probably best I go lie down now and shut my eyes until snoring commences.

[minus_t]

Aaah, I see.

Basically, you're down to freehanding the rune inside itself several times.

My suggestion would be to sketch out the rune at 'actual size' on some paper a few times before you go near the shield.
Then, block it out with a dark base, almost black-blue.
Then, with a brighter blue, go back over the center of the rune, leaving a little of the darker colour showing the whole way round.
Repeat with a fairly bright blue, then a very bright blue, then pure white.

It will be tricky, but the effect will be suitably impressive, so give it a go!

-t.