New Eagle Eyes test mini for Vanguard Vets.

[JeffTibbetts]

Okay. I'm shaking up my Eagle Eyes based on a few things outlined in this thread. Have a look if you'd like some insight. In this thread, I'll be playing with recipes and test minis. I wanted a darker green, for starts. Less vibrant.

Here's my new green recipe for starts:

That's Waaagh! Flesh base. Wash with Agrax Earthshade. Layers of Warboss Green, Skarsnik Green and then a very small Krieg Khahi highlight. Glazed with Lamenter's Yellow. The 'oddest' bit is the Agrax Earthshade (which is reddish/brown). I'm going for contrast shading, and after testing it versus Seraphim Sepia showed great results. I was actually inspired by the GW Space Wolves studio to pull the trigger on this.

And here's the red recipe:

Khorne Red base. Coelia Greenshade. Wazdakka Red, Wild Rider Red, Lugganatm Orange and then Bloodletter. It's a bit much for a spot color, but it looks awesome.

Here's kind of what I was trying to replicate on the test mini, although I made this mockup with the brighter green.

Base down on both red and green.

Shaded. Red with green and green with brownish.

Black and metal down. I'm keeping the weapon casings black this time around.

Another experiment. I shaded the metal with Agrax as well. It gives the metal a metal a very simple initial weathering and ties it into the over scheme. I wasn't sure how well it would work but I think I like it better than black.

First red highlight. Fairly generous with this one around most edges.

Another, more sparing highlight. This could be final but I opted to go for a little more drama.

Just touched on the corners of armor plates, really. These edge paints are kind of cool. This is the first one I've used. Very opaque, unlike layer paints.

And then the final touch. When I was coming up with these recipes I knew I wanted to work in glazes again. I missed them, as they just pull all the highlights in so nicely.

And then onto the green. First highlight down.

Second, again just used more sparingly.

Final edge highlight, used very sparingly.

And the glaze. I think I must have moved the lamps a bit as well. It is brighter but that looks a lot warmer than the others. Anyway, again the glaze just unifies the transitions a bit and gives it a warmer tone. Note I used the old-school trick of glazing with yellow instead of green. I could have done that on the red as well, but I wanted that to be more like a blood red color.

I then filled in the details a bit. At some point I highlighted the metal with Runefang Steel and the black with Eshin Gray (I think I'll add another gray highlight later). I also did the bronze with a simple recipe (haven't fully decided on that) and did the eyes with the white stripe and then flood with Bloodletter glaze trick. I can't decide if I like that or the old crystal lens look better. I'm leaning towards this effect, like they glow internally. I will probably go through and add some tinted gloss to the lenses later. I just haven't gotten around to it.

Overall, I think the green highlights seem a bit much, but that's probably the camera and close lighting more than anything. In more natural light you can hardly tell. I love how the brown shading on the green looks. I'll actually be adding a bit of damage and weathering on them this time, too! It's a new thing for me, as I've always been a proponent of clean marines. I still need to add decals and paint the purity seal as well.

Thoughts? This is just a test, so C & C are very welcome.

[deathspectersgt7]

I like this one stay with it. How do you rate the Glazes ? I have not tryed them yet.

[Aspecti]

Looks very nice for a test model. What will the bases be like?

[JeffTibbetts]

I like this one stay with it. How do you rate the Glazes ? I have not tryed them yet.

 

Thanks! As for the glazes; you're old school I think, but I don't know if you used the old ones. They're the same as far as I can tell. Very high pigment, but also very transparent. They change the color of whatever they're painted over quite a bit. The eyes up there were stark white pre-glaze. Of course the whole eye was flooded with glaze, but still. Whereas a wash will build a gradient up from the recesses, a glaze just shifts the whole thing. I don't let it pool up at all when I do it over the armor. Sort of just dampen your brush and run it over everything. If you've ever done scale or military modeling they call them filters, so you can Google that to see more. 

 

Looks very nice for a test model. What will the bases be like?

 

They'll use the same ash bases that I've been doing. So, these ones here (link goes to a tutorial on my blog). And thanks for the kind words. I like to think they'll all be painted to roughly this or a better standard. I've given up on the idea of doing them fast... 

[Forté]

Looks really good though I feel the Bloodletter glaze needed to be thinner. Looks like you lost some of the highlights because of it.

[JeffTibbetts]

Looks really good though I feel the Bloodletter glaze needed to be thinner. Looks like you lost some of the highlights because of it.

 

That's sort of the idea. At least that's how I've always used them. I highlight a little more dramatically than I normally would, and the glaze pulls it back down. If I look at the final edge highlight pics, that's too much. The glaze sort of brings it back down. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Did a little more work on the test last night. I need your help deciding what to do about the battle damage.

I added the decal, which turned out very well and I think it looks great on the red. You can't see it in the pics well but the eyes are now glossed and they look pretty good as well. As for the weathering...?

This is the first time I've tried doing chips and scratches on power armor. I'm not totally sold on it. I first used a bit of Eshin gray with brush lines and also dabbled on. Then I tried to highlight the biggest chips and scratches with Skarsnik Green but it was too light. I went in and added metal chips with Runefang steel as well as brush scratches, and then highlighted with Warboss green which was okay-ish. Part of my problem is that I've already shaded the green and the unadulterated base paint is a touch brighter. You can actually see this on the decal better. The red is just a tiny bit off.

None of it as bad enough to really bother me, but the whole point of the test is to try out some different stuff and see what works best. I've seen lots of different tutorials and videos online. I think I just need to find the one that works best with my technique and colors.

[deathspectersgt7]

When I do damage I prefer to file and knife the victim.

[JeffTibbetts]

When I do damage I prefer to file and knife the victim.

 

Yeah, that may help sell it, but I can see it getting to be too much really fast. I would think anything much bigger than a scratch would be repaired fairly quickly, so it seems like larger damage would have to look like it had just been received to an extent. On scouts or something, maybe I could get away with more as they spend so much time in the field. Maybe I should do some dented shoulder pads or holes in stuff. :D 

[Kobrakei]

Looking good Jeff. I've started using Agrax on the Scions I'm painting at the moment and I find it gives a much more interesting finish over Nuln Oil, especially after highlighting.

 

Have you tried using Dryad Bark or Rhinox Hide for your damage? I think brown is a solid choice as it tends to work well with most colours when used sparingly. Looking forward to seeing more!

[JeffTibbetts]

Looking good Jeff. I've started using Agrax on the Scions I'm painting at the moment and I find it give a much more interesting finish over Nuln Oil, especially after highlighting.

 

Have you tried using Dryad Bark or Rhinox Hide for your damage? I think brown is a solid choice as it tends to work well with most colours when used sparingly. Looking forward to seeing more!

 

I haven't yet but I was thinking the same thing... Brown, I mean. It might actually make the Agrax shading pop.  

[chaplain mortis]

Hello there jeff..

First things first, nice model...good painting so thumbs up!

If I can offer advice on the weathering aspect...for your painting style you should be concentrating on the 3d chipping effect...with the edge highlighting you are doing this should work a treat..your problems will come if you try the more "military model" style, I:E realistic weathering to false highlights...this generally works better when using an airbrush for zenithal highlighting.

 

Hope that makes sense and good luck

[batu]

I  also think brown ships on your green armor would look better. Have you tried a sponge instead of a brush ? It is a wonderful effect if done right.

 

The decal looks amazing by the way.

[JeffTibbetts]

Hello there jeff..

First things first, nice model...good painting so thumbs up!

If I can offer advice on the weathering aspect...for your painting style you should be concentrating on the 3d chipping effect...with the edge highlighting you are doing this should work a treat..your problems will come if you try the more "military model" style, I:E realistic weathering to false highlights...this generally works better when using an airbrush for zenithal highlighting.

 

Hope that makes sense and good luck

 

Thanks! That's a legit great point that I hadn't even really considered. Thanks for that! I was trying to go for brushed on scratches and highlights in a couple areas but it wasn't really poppin'. I think that was my technique more than anything, but either way I'll concentrate on that moving forward. 

 

I  also think brown ships on your green armor would look better. Have you tried a sponge instead of a brush ? It is a wonderful effect if done right.

 

The decal looks amazing by the way.

 

I did use a sponge a bit, but I think it was too fine. I need to get something coarser, perhaps. I was using a piece of pluck foam. And thanks for another vote for brown. Now I need to decide how light. I want to stay on the reddish end to offer some contrast to the green, but not overtly rust-colored. 

[JeffTibbetts]

I'm necroing this thread because I'm working up another test. This is less a test and more a Vanguard. Of the Vanguard... Have a look.

Base colors down at this stage. My plan was to get everything ready for an overall wash of Agrax since I'll be using that on almost every color. That's Waaagh Flesh green, Rakarth Flesh for the bone, and Khorne Red. Plus Leadbelcher and Warplock Bronze.

And here it is with the shade. Everything is Agrax, except the red of the sash and the purity seals on the backpack. In keeping with my new red recipe I use Coelia Greenshade on those two items.

Here's where I'm at right now. I added another layer of Rakarth to the white areas in prep for the highlighting. I went ahead and did most of the face so I could glue this together. He's in one piece now. In fact, the recipe for the bone white and the flesh is pretty much the same. Rakarth Flesh, Agrax, Rakarth again, Pallid Wych Flesh, White Scar.

I have yet to highlight anything else, but it's starting to look decent, I think.

Thoughts? Suggestions before I get too much further?

[Doghouse]

Very nice stuff mate. I've still to get my hands on the new paints but they do seem to be interesting.

 

I think the marines look really nice, not really much I can suggest to be honest.

[Disruptor_fe404]

I totally missed the part where you were changing the scheme to a darker one instead. I'll miss the bright green!

 

But don't let my sentiments detract from how good this scheme is! It will look amazing with battle damage on.

[GhostMalone]

I love it Jeff

[JeffTibbetts]

@doghouse, you know I've really never tried other paints but I'm all but in love with the new range. Base paints are all phenomenal (Averland Sunset made Imperial Fists cool again) and Agrax Earthshade might be the finest argument for the existence of a higher power I've ever seen. Hyperbole, you say? Have you tried it?, I reply.

 

I totally missed the part where you were changing the scheme to a darker one instead. I'll miss the bright green!

 

But don't let my sentiments detract from how good this scheme is! It will look amazing with battle damage on.

I feel like a traitor to the clean marine club a little bit. Now it's you, GeekTom (awol lately), Kobrakai, etc. Keep the flame burning, brother. Honestly, working on weathering my knight was just so fun it knocked me a little closer to reality. "A bright green stealth-based chapter? Hmmmm... Let's get dirty."

 

I love it Jeff

Just need you to be locked away to paint

Thanks! And I know, right? With a wedding to plan the hours are few and far between, I'm afraid.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Holy crap, you actually made a good pose with dual lightning claws! I don't think people realize what a feat that is.

[Grizzly_bear]

That duel LC marine is brilliant

[JeffTibbetts]

Holy crap, you actually made a good pose with dual lightning claws! I don't think people realize what a feat that is.

 

 

You know what's funny? The GW studio did the exact same pose on their Raven Guard Vanguard squad. Different head, but same legs and arms. I didn't do it on purpose, but I'm sure subconsciously I knew... 

 

I dare say the new Vanguard kit has some amazing LC arms in it. But yes, I've seen the Shrike model and I have no desire to repeat that. ;) 

[sockwithaticket]

^
It also helps that you haven't paired the designs. If you try and make pairs using the same designs it becomes quite tricky to pull off a half decent pose without some cutting and repositioning. Good job so far. Very nice, delicately shaded white.

It's not a Knight, though!

[JeffTibbetts]

^

It also helps that you haven't paired the designs. If you try and make pairs using the same designs it becomes quite tricky to pull off a half decent pose without some cutting and repositioning. Good job so far. Very nice, delicately shaded white.

It's not a Knight, though!

Thanks! And yeah, I noticed they tried to help out by pairing them, but I didn't care for the poses that came out of that so I went on ahead.

And I know it's not a knight... I've hit something of a slump with the Queen. I can't get my decals to work and I can't go too much further without them. I may actually bite the bullet and try free handing. I've done decals a bunch, but these ones aren't working out. I think it's because I tried to use a lazer printer instead of an ink jet. I thought it'd look crisper but the ink is deteriorating under the microsol. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but until I get that sorted I'm keeping busy with other stuff. Believe me, you're not the first person to point out that I should get my priorities straight. ;)

Also, after some debate, I've decided to black out the eyes on my veterans. Seems there is no clear consensus on whether or not Raven Guard actually have fully black eyes, but... It does look striking and creepy. As stated in the linked thread, my concern is that people will think I'm lazy or can't paint eyes, but that's not it. I want to draw as many connections to the Raven Guard as I can, hence the white arms on vets, really pale skin, etc. I still want the Eagle Eyes to have their own personality, but the more I read about Raven Guard the more I like them.

[sockwithaticket]

Ha, GW trying to 'help out' by giving you bits that they think go together isn't entirely dissimilar to beloved family pets attempting to offer assistance...

Ooh, that's a much clearer shot of the head.Very good pallid skin tone indeed and the Blacked out eyes work very well indeed. I'd keep them, fluff be damned. Carcharodons have blacked out eyes to go with their almost alabaster skin IIRC, so there's a Raven Guard link there if you need it. As nods to a parent chapter go the ones you've adopted work well, if you think about it they make sense, but they don't instantly make you think the Eagle Eyes are Raven Guard successors.

Oh no, that's a shame about Queen Bee. As much as I might like you to get it sorted tout suite, take your time until your ready to do it. That Knight is too much a labour of love to continue when you're anything less than 100% about working on it.