A question for advanced painters:

[Bexley]

Yep, I saw that one, and another there.

[paintminion]

My tips for you...quick tips if you aren't comfortable with OSL:

1. Put your mini under a bright light, turn til it shines in the direction of whatever your light source direction will be. Look at it carefully and see where the light shines brightest AND where it doesn't. Do it as frequently as you need to. Start painting or mark the brightest areas first and you'll always be able to find the right direction again easily.

2. As you get further from the source it fades and gets darker, so make sure that all objects at a certain distance are uniformly done, as you get further from the source.

3. Choose a color, any color, and determine your brightest poiunt color and your darkest point colors before you even start. Make sure the rest of the mini will support and show those colors. For example, a blue vloak with a blue source light will be difficult to show off that sourcelight. Make sure your paint job beneath the lighting effect supports the colors of your lighting effect.

4. Your shadows must be darker than most people to think to enhance the effect. Make sure you've marked the darkest shadows and really done them dark enough.

5. Light travels in a straight line, therefore, if there is something between an object and the source, there will be shadow effects. What the bright lamp can't show you, you'll have to work out in your head.

6. In the end, it's all about making it look good. A minor error in the name of aesthetics can be called for, but do it because you think it looks better, not justify the mistake because you're lazy.

7. Not sure if the effect is coming across well? Turn your mini upside down and look at it...can you still clearly see there is OSL and it still looks correct? Then you're on the right track. Sometimes our lighting can fool us, but flipping it upside down can show the light/shaodws you've done more clearly.

8. Remember that different textures react to light differently...shiny objects, armor or swords will have a bright point (and higher than surrounding rougher fabrics), a sharper highlight. Rougher fabrics will have a more diffuse highlight. Remember textures when you're highlighting.

9. Does it need to be said that you should have a plausible light source? That it should be used to tell a story, or enhance a mini, not just used because you have to do it for Iron painter? Know where your light is coming from and why, and you'll do a better job of the whole thing.

10. Glazes are your friend for tweaking something brighter or darker.

Go get 'em now!

[mahon]

Wow, excellent tips, Sue!
I am impressed by this brief and resourceful compilation of the most important facts about OSL.

Thanks a lot, this may be useful... for me

[Nameless]

Mahon, could you ask Sue for permission to put it on CoC in articles'tuts sections?

[mahon]

Sure I can

Sue, can we use these tips in the tutorials section? Giving full credits to you, of course... :rose:

[Skrit]

Weee, ten commandment of OSL!^^

[Bexley]

So, for actually painting the light- would you use many many glazes to build up the highlights over a fully painted figure (I think a lot of glowing eyes effects are done this way) or do you incorporate the light color into your base coat colors, and then smooth the transitions later?

I would suppose it depends on the situation or light intensity.

[mahon]

I think it's all about your preferred technique of blending...

[Bexley]

Yeah, after thinking about it a bit, I realized that it's really going to depend on the subject and light intensity. A bright yellow light on a dark surface would be really difficult to do by building up glazes. At least, not without about ten billion layers.

I guess I'm just uncertain about how to go about the actual paint applictaion for this. I suppose once I get stuck in and start it'll work itself out. Or it'll look terrible. EIther way, I think maybe I'm just overplanning because it's something I'm unsure of.

[paintminion]

Sure, Mahon, I give you permission to do so. Can you tell Nameless thank you for wanting it in there? And also tell him for me that I expect to see some OSL from him very soon then?