I Want to Improve My Painting

[huitzilopochtli]

Thanks for the replies guys!

@p1per
Her face is going to need more work. Lots of her will. I'm planning to leave that until I'm working on eyes/mouth. Her skin is also not quite as white - camera did that I'm afraid. Pic below is better idea of how it looks (taken with phone, so quality still sucks, but had better lighting so you can see the colour in the shadows). It was taken before the last one, so the skirt isn't finished and the gold isn't started. It's just started in the other photos, with the bit above her skirt thing receiving the most attention.

@Maru
I'm planning to freehand a "normal" design on this girl. Hope to do a design like Ana's, but I believe she achieves that by painting the model in white (blending grey/black shadows), painting the detail and then glazing with colour. I've got a harlequin I want to try that on, but you're right - this witch is not quite buttery smooth enough.

Thanks for the encouragement, too. Really helps get the painting juices flowing. I realize I haven't commented on either of your works - I don't really feel qualified to. Suffice to say you're both awesome painters I'm learning a lot from. Particularly like p1per's seamus tutorial and Maru's infinity models. If I can get half as good as either of you (at painting or helping beginners like myself) it'll be a big achievement. Cheers guys!

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[Maru]

what a huge fingers you have .. e no w8 thats just perspective

about photo - you do i t right but from bad distance - your celphone dont focus so close - look atthous eldars donw ther - they are perfectly focused ..
unlackly i wil not tell you what distance is minimal - you need to try this your selfe (propably 40 cm )

about patern - yup Ana evil painting Nun made that first grey scale then glazed in colors

Maru's infinity models

lol i wondwr when i will get comission for somthig else

If I can get half as good as either of you (at painting or helping beginners like myself) it'll be a big achievement. Cheers guys!

wich half you got in mind ?? lower one or upper one or meybe lefr or right or back end front ??
never try to be as good as half of sombody - try to be as good as they or better or just be your selfe

[huitzilopochtli]

More photos - when it rains it pours. Tried to keep camera distance in mind, and I think they're better than they were last time (still missing my good camera though ). Anyway, worked on the gold. Couple of areas I've noticed I want to touch up, but that'll happen later. Now it's onto the hair - black with blue/purple colour (so it's not boring).

What you think?
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Strange... I cropped these photos but it seems it didn't work. Ah well. Just imagine you can't see the excessive background or my hands.

@Maru - Half as good as you is the first achievement, but not the only one. Getting as good as you is a task that needs to be broken up into smaller ones to make it seem more manageable.

[Maru]

ok photos better - not to sharp but not so out of focus
about gold : smouth - yes
shini - not much
only some parts look as gold rest is not so gold like
nmm Gold is all about reflections end proper placment of such

o end about skin - it lacks some intresting niuances in mid tones

[huitzilopochtli]

Any suggestions of where the gold could use more reflective points? Have some ideas but could use some advice. Also, any thoughts on how to highlight the face? Again, some ideas based on the 'eavy metal face redux, but any advice would be appreciated.

[Maru]

problem with EM style is simple im no master at EM style ..
im rather messy end random
but i got some tutorials for you
https://thebrushbrothers.blogspot.fr/201 ... -face.html
mind that this face is man face not woman - but look at colors used

https://www.paintrix-miniatures.com/arti ... t=7&page=1
a frmale face by Jen Haley - thats clean end awesome painting thing for you this Tutorial is actualy "simple way" in terms of How good Haley is
end last but not lest somthing that should be your goal
https://studiomcvey.blogspot.com/2009/10 ... orial.html
Mc Vey tutorial about face end :
https://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1 ... g-the-base
Automaton wey to skin end actualy whole mini - "sculpt with light" i would sey end i would actualy propouse this way
but decision is yours
eny way - increse contrast end add colors saturations in mod tones end bliks to create the glossy efect on skin (mcVey tutorial)

about gold .. ow thats nasty part as ther is actualy no way how to explain without video - just get shini spoon end look how light work on it - teake photo of it end paint same just in "gold"
point isthat just after brightrst blick apear darkest area end then is global reflection that pops up again end make rest bright but darkest point is realy near brightest
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c - brighterst endthen darkest end then global reflection in mid tones (a golden 1 as brightest part refledt color of actual light , enddarkest is brown near black )

[huitzilopochtli]

Question: Vallejo Matte Medium and Winsor and Newton Acrylic Matte Medium - is there any difference?

[Maru]

ye one is like 12ml end other 250 ml
actualy Winsor and Newton is more profesional end much more concentrated so it reqire much more cwrful aplaing end mixing

[huitzilopochtli]

Argh... Starting something new is so much more difficult than continuing something. Anyone else have this problem?

Anyway, while my model prep is off to a few false starts I have another question: Sanding Needles; are they any good? Specifically, would these be suitable for prepping metal models? https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Albion-Alloys-PL ... 1008wt_956 Would be very handy for some models...

[Maru]

wow havent c thous ... but ther is nerer enught of new better nidler ... i got like 5 difrent end i think i cand of need 2 more