Need help for painting guard x))

[Azarians]

Hello ! :)

I posted a topic about my imperial guard in the section "Work in Progress" but nobody answer :(

 

So if a moderator can delete the first topic, it would be great please ;)

 

So i show pictures of my work here, Can you say me what can i do and give me some advices please ? ;)

 

 

Thanks you guardsmen ;)

[CommissarZac]

The real question is what are you going for?  what design did you have in mind?

[Frater Cornelius]

Lighting is sub-optimal. It has that yellow-ish reflection, making it hard to judge the real colours.

As for the mini, I dislike the pose simply because he looks like he is unsure what he is supposed to be doing. Not sure, how familiar you are with reposing miniatures. Not hard. You can pose in front of the mirror to get the poses you like, which is what I am doing.

As for the colouring, that is the positive part. It seems clean (hard to tell), the shading is decent and the lighting looks convincing. I like the bayonet as well.

Skin is pretty well done from what I can see. The juxtaposition of light clothing and dark armour looks pretty solid as well.

But then again, we can not really judge it unless we get a 100% clear image with neutral light. Still, not bad

[elmo]

Firstly it is a good idea to read up on how to take a good photo - see links here

This makes it far easier for people to feel confident about offering advice and will mean that you will get more help.

After a quick play around with your photo I have come up with this - assuming your backing paper is white...

It looks like you have got the hang of washes (Agrax earthshade?) but you need to go back and tidy it up along with highlighting. The general colour choice is quite dull (not a bad thing) and you have tried to add a little colour with the red but I don't think that the red chinstrap really works.

I can't really offer much more without better photos...

[Azarians]

Ok thanks you for your answer, i will try to take better pictures, and yes the paper is white, but my light is yellow :/

 

I want to progress in my level of painting, but i don't know where i must start, i see some tutorials but  don't really how i must do :(

[UltraRich]

Evening 

The paint looks tidy and as previously said you seem to be using washes ok. 

The next thing is blending to transition from the crease in the fabric to the top of the fold in the uniform. At the moment it looks like you are drybrushing which is great for cracking out good looking minis but when you get up close you can see the picture. 

 

Its the same on the gun. You can see the wash pooling on the flat surface but if you make a wash using medium and your choice of highlight you can blend that out to the sharp edge highlight on the top of the gun. 

 

Hope that helps 

[Azarians]

So now here is the new photos, sorry for the precedent photos :(

 

 

I think it's better x)

 

Thanks you for watching ;)

[UltraRich]

They look better

Are you painting straight from the pot as the paint looks quite thick. 

If you are you need to thin them with water, medium or get some artists acrylic flow enhancer. 

Have a look on line on how to make a wet pallet (plastic box, kitchen roll, baking paper, water) as it really helps when painting. That will help with getting the paint on the mini with a smooth finish

[Azarians]

Thanks you ! So as soon as possible, i go test the wet pallet, i think my paint will be better, but it's strange, i don't paint straight from the pot :/

[march10k]

I'm loving the leggings.  Very WWII, in fact the original photos turn everything brown, making it all look like the US Army's M1942 uniform...

 

The body armor and gun both being super dark (black, even?) is kind of meh...they kind of disappear into one another in a dark mess...which is unfortunate because the close-ups show that your paintwork is better than that.   And the seeminly random bits of red are odd when everything else that isn't skin is grey/black.  I would get rid of the red..maybe painting the red stuff with a metal instead? And make the body armor the same color as the pants, but much cleaner, since it's smooth surfaces, maybe just some light gray highlights.  But definitely not the same color as the weapon, which looks great in black.

 

/edit/  Oh, and paint the whole base, not just the top...or at least, if you're leaving the sides black, clean it up, the color from on top slopping over onto the unpainted sides looks bad!

[Frater Cornelius]

So now here is the new photos, sorry for the precedent photos

[...]

I think it's better x)

Thanks you for watching

Still a bit dark, but much better now.

Yes, now I can see it too. It definitely needs a clean-up after you applied the wash.

[WarriorFish]

I like the colour scheme, it makes them distinctive but I agree that the red doesn't do much and would make them easier to paint without.

[+DAN+]

Looking pretty good to me mate,yet I agree with march10k about all the black. Would you consider adding say maybe white squad markings on his shoulder pads or if you're feeling adventurous a stripe from front to back on his helmet?

As for the quality of the pics I can't say anything because my photography skills are terrible.

[tomsev]

Looking pretty good to me mate,yet I agree with march10k about all the black. Would you consider adding say maybe white squad markings on his shoulder pads or if you're feeling adventurous a stripe from front to back on his helmet?

As for the quality of the pics I can't say anything because my photography skills are terrible.

This ...

[elmo]

Nice colour scheme and can't add anything more than has already been mentioned...

[Azarians]

And if i paint the weapons in grey like the leggings ? Because i think the black on the armor is better than grey no ?

And for the red, there is red on the armor plates on the torso

EDIT: Can i highlight the black parts with ironbreaker or runefang steal ?

For help you, there is the original scheme :)

http://gtazz.com/kataan/igdesigner/index.php?skin=1&_skin=cccccc&feet=2&_uppers=000000&_gaiters=999999&legs=2&_trousers=666666&_legtrim=666666&torso=2&_abs=990000&_arms=999999&_belt=333333&_body=000000&_buckle=333333&_chest=990000&_cuffs=000000&_eagle=cccccc&_mid=999999&_neck=990000&_shoulders=000000&head=2&_skull=cccccc&_skidlid=000000&_cheeks=000000&_chinstrap=333333

Thanks you

[Azarians]

I have paint an another guards test with the wet palet, and its... Very useful XD

So i paint the lasgun in dark grey, and i think is quite good ;)

And thanks you for all your advices :D

Thanks you for watching ;)

[WarriorFish]

I like this scheme :tu:

[Azarians]

Thanks you WarriorFish ;)

 

It seems better thant the other ? It isn't a dark mess  like the other ? The lasgun look better for me than the other, have you got some commentary please ? ;)

 

Thanks you ;)

[WarriorFish]

The complement of colours is better, less black is good with the lasgun. As I said before I like the scheme so this is an improvement upon it. Will you be adding transfers/regimental markings? I think you should also settle on a basing scheme too as that's a pretty important part of the appearance of an army.

[Azarians]

I think i wiil keep this scheme, but for the regiment and squad marking i don't know really how to do, maybe with marks in white on the shoulder...

 

And for the paint ? Is it better ? Or can i improve it ? :)

Thanks you ;)

[UltraRich]

I think i wiil keep this scheme, but for the regiment and squad marking i don't know really how to do, maybe with marks in white on the shoulder...

And for the paint ? Is it better ? Or can i improve it ?

Thanks you

The paint is neat but to move it up to the next level is to get a blend from dark to light. If you zoom on the pics the difference between the shade from the wash to the highlight to the peak of the uniform is a big difference. This will look good to table top standard from a distance but when you get up close its too much of a transition. It really depends what you are doing for.

If you want a softer blend from dark to highlight try mixing the dark colour with the light colour in a 50/50 ratio and paint that on before painting the final highlight. This way the highlight wont be as stark on the uniform. Its the same on the face. Try using a mix of dark and light before hitting it with your final highlight.

On the gun or any hard surface where you have a right angle then its fine to use a stark highlight right on the edge.

I hope that helps. The only issue with this is that it will take way longer to paint each mini.

[Azarians]

Hmm ok, can you say me which paint i must mix please ?

 

I use: mechanicus standard grey for leggings, i use nuln oil for shade and administratum grey for highlight, 

for the jacket, i use in base celestra grey, nuln oil and ulthuan grey for the highlight...

 

So if i understand, for example, for the leggings i must:

basecoat with mechanicus

shade with nuln oil

clean with 50/50 mechanicus/black

re-clean with mechanicus only

and final highlight with administratum grey ?

or it's more :

basecoat with mechanicus

shade with nuln oil

clean with mechanicus only

re-clean with 50/50 mechanicus/administratum grey

highlight with administratum grey ?

[UltraRich]

basecoat with mechanicus

shade with nuln oil

clean with mechanicus only

re-clean with 50/50 mechanicus/administratum grey

highlight with administratum grey ?

 

This is it. 

 

basecoat with mechanicus

shade with nuln oil

clean with mechanicus only

narrower highlight with 50/50 mechanicus/administratum grey

highlight with administratum grey

If you are feeling really brave final highlight with administratum grey/white

[Azarians]

Ok thanks you, so mecanicus, nuln oil, then i clean with mechanicus and after i reduce the painting area with 50/50 mechanicus/administratum and i finish on the peak with administratum :D