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| Background: http://boros-szikszai.com/picture/436/ |
Unfortunately, I don't have a photo pre-priming, but for this project, I've taken the Kithkar miniature's body, glued on a Trollkin Sorceror head and arms, then green-stuffed it all to look like things mesh. And mesh they did!
Follow along to see this Ogre-Sorcerer come to life and join the ranks of the Hordebloods.
I started with some really rough skin. I'm showing it large here so that you can see what I've done.
In the left side of the top photo, you can see where I started - a yellowish / khaki kind of colour with some browns in the shadows.
On the right side (with a close-up below) you can see where I've brought that to orange/yellow skin, throwing in some orange and shading with browns.
Wet Blending
Basically, I experimented with Liquitex "Slo-Dri Blending Medium" to "wet blend" my colours on the surface of the miniature. This stuff increases the drying time of paint and adds some volume to it. Thanks to the medium, the paints naturally blend together.
To use, I basically put a little on my palette and mix in a little paint. That way, as I'm painting, the paint blends into other wet paints.
Two things to note: First, it's still rough because this is just a base coat. Second, It looks pretty shiny, which ended up being a side effect of the medium. It varnishes out in the end, but made the painting surface not as nice.
Adding Detail to the Skin
To continue on, I deepened the oranges in the shadows, naturally blending into the brown shadows by tinting. (Basically using thinner orange paints that don't cover dark colours well, it helps with the blending process to paint over, into the brown.) I also used some reds and purples in the deepest shadows.
I highlighted using lighter beiges but not quite going as bright as white. As with the style I've been using for my Hordebloods, I have some fun and allow my brush strokes to be visible when highlighting. I like the look and texture it gives.
I've also used some purples to paint facial tattoos. Nothing fancy this time, I've got another troll who'll get the full tattoo work.
Painting Hair, Stones and Runes
The colours were similar, but I painted the hair with more purple tones and the stones / runes with more magenta. This gave the hair a strong flat but purple appearance while the magenta had a more mystical appearance from its strong colouring.
Painting ArmourStill wet-blending, I've used a range of blue-greys to greys, blending with white for highlights.
Still allowing brush strokes to come through, it has some streaking and patchy textures.
Like painting the skin above, his armour gets a shiny appearance which can be tricky to paint on
He's got all sorts of knick nacks on his back which belong to the Sorcerer model. Like everything else with this conversion, it all seems to fit so well.
Glued the ax at his hip and the scroll cases vertically down his back.
I decided to use colours from his skin to paint the scroll cases, then a contrasting green for the ax hilt.
Painted Runes, Basing and Pigments
In the below photo, I've painted all the runes, added rocks and seeds to the base and given a rubbing of weathering powder. The neon powder helps the runes look like they're glowing and the orange/brown powder makes it look like the dirty base has rubbed off on his armour.
Creating the Magical Scroll
I've used a range of beige and brown (Pictured below the scrolls.) and applied all the paints while wet.
This is different than wet-blending. I wet each of the paints as I use them, just with water instead of medium. (Like a thick wash.) Then, I apply it all while wet.
This has the effect of naturally blending. (As the washes mix and dry.)
From here I just add some lighter highlights on the edges and randomly across it.
I used a geometric stencil to trace out the starting point for the magic symbol on his scroll. Anything to help with symmetry.
When painting symbols, it's nice to start with a really light colour. That makes adjustments not too hard.
In the below photo, the 4 scrolls are:
- Based symbol
- Darkened
- Neon Pigment
- Matte Varnished
The neon pigment is a beautiful magical effect, but it's a powder that will rub off. The varnish really kills the magical look unfortunately.
Creating the Magic Effect
Using heavy sculpting gel, I've created the illusion that the scroll is glowing with magical power. I mixed a tiny amount of neon pigment in with the gel to create the basic effects at the top of the scroll. Using more pigment created a dark purple gel, which I used on the runes of the scroll. (Kinda wish I had let the runes be, but oh well.)
For the sides of the scroll, I started with a layer of the gel, just clear. I followed this up with multiple layers of gel with different amounts of the neon powder to create a shifting look. I also used some pouring medium along the clear gel to smooth it out.
If you're wondering why the clear gel first, it's to make the purple magic look like it's glowing around the scroll, not directly attached to it.
Final Photos
Below, you can see the finished product. The only different is I've also glued some Swarovski crystals to his left shoulder.
 | Take a look at my Step by Step page for the entire Hordebloods project. Here you will find each model broken down into links showing each step: Concept, Works in Progress, (for both modelling and painting) and Final Shots |