Elfboy - 1st March ~ Converted War Walker

[Elfboy]

Rather than me clutter up the place with a dozen different posts, I'll follow a trend and make a single thread for it all.

A while ago I applied to a miniature company for a painting position but was turned down for reasons undisclosed. I got some free stuff, but it wasn't very good so I gave it away. Anyway, when I was hunting for miniatures to paint for the application I found this Undead Cowled Necrarch who didn't make the cut and so remained unpainted... until now!

I wanted to give him a good old fashioned Undead look which meant learning how to paint undead skin and undead eyes convincingly.

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I used a base coat of 4:1 black and Games Workshop Bronzed Flesh. Several layers of Anita's Antique White (pale version of GW Bleached Bone) followed and the whole is finished off with a careful highlight of Daler-Rowney System 3 Titanium White.

To add a little more undead-ness to his face I decided to paint his eyelids Lefranc & Bourgeois Bilberry (similar to GW Warlock Purple) before doing the eyes with black, then a very pale grey and finally Titanium White for the pupil and iris.

The bottom lip still looked too alive at this point so I got the Bilberry purple again and gave it a basecoat of that. Followed up with Lefranc & Bourgeois Mother-of-pearl Blue (it's a pale sky blue, very pretty) and a final thin highlight of Titanium White.

The teeth I decided not to paint pure white. The Necrarch looks like a Nosferatu to me so I wanted to give him old yellowy teeth. I started with a basecoat of pure black, detail in Anita's Antique White and a glaze of Games Workshop Leprous Brown to finish.

I think I'm going with some old school goth for his colour scheme and may even attempt dusty black brocade for his robes...

[Cyberpaddy66]

Interesting piece, not sure how I'd even try to paint it but I look forward to seeing your progress.

[Demi_morgana]

I think you definitely need to work on face's smoothness - at least on presented pic the paint looks very grainy

[Skrit]

What Demi said and maybe more layers to make the transition smoother.

[Elfboy]

I think you definitely need to work on face's smoothness - at least on presented pic the paint looks very grainy

It's something I'm annoyed about with the photograph. In person, the paint looks nice and smooth with a good sharp transition between pale and dark but in photographs it looks sort of grainy and rough. I don't know why this is and do get rather annoyed with it.

[Demi_morgana]

maybe any GIMP / photoshop manipulations?
I know GIMP has option to make pics sharper but if you overdo it - pics gets grainy

[Elfboy]

I'm working on some Harlequins, just as a head's up. I might have a couple to show later tonight, if I can get the camera working...

[Skrit]

Long time no see mate, welcome back!

[Elfboy]

Life's been a little hectic, but a bad back means all I can do is sit and paint miniatures. How terrible for me XD

[Elfboy]

As promised, some Harlequins. I've recently done my back in so I have to take time off work, but this means I do at least get to do some painting, since my painting chair is the most comfortable in the house for me... silver lining I suppose.

Anyways, I went a different route with the colour scheme, choosing black, white and scarlet with purple-blue crystal for interest.

First of all, a Fire Prism I'm partway through repainting (which is why the turret isn't shown). This grille shows the finished crystal work, something a bit different to metal.
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This grille isn't finished, but those two dark red bits of detail are. The white cartouch I think needs a bit of detail work adding to it, but I don't know what, ideas?
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A top view and a side view of the crazy chequerboard and spirals pattern.
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Female trouper, not quite finished. The powersword will be blue-purple crystal to match the Fire Prism.
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Male trouper, started this one today, not quite finished him off yet.
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I'm not after in depth critique since I'm still working on these two, but if you've any suggestions, feel free to throw them at me.