WIP Critique Slaine

[Bailey]

I'm working on a 54mm barbarian figure from Olivier Bouchet. The sculpt is called Gokan, the Guardian, but it has a striking resemblance to the comic book character, Slaine. So that's how I decided to go about painting him. This whole project is part of a paint along over at CoolMiniOrNot
http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?58625-Gokan-group-painting-competition
The paint along just started so there's still plenty of time to join in. If you're interested in it or just like the figure you can find it at the sculptor's website
http://ob-sculptures.blogspot.se/2014/09/gokan-guardian.html

Here's the current state of the figure. I've done the skin and tartan. I'd like to do some Celtic style tattoos, but I haven't taken the plunge yet.

For the tartan pattern I used a tutorial I found on here a few years ago
http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/painting-tartans.15814/

Tartans seem really intimidating, but if you break the pattern down and take it one set of stripes at a time it really isn't that bad. I started with a base coat of the orange background color. Then I focused on the largest stripes, the brown ones. I laid down the horizontal ones, using the top of the kilt as a guide (since the bottom is jagged). Try to keep the thickness and spacing consistent, but follow the contours of the cloth. With those done I went back and painted the verticals stripes.

Next I added the dark brown squares wherever the two stripes crossed

With the major features done, I went in and did the shading and highlighting. This is also the stage to clean up the edges and lines as needed.

The pattern looks decent but now it's time to add more detail. Move on to the next most significant stripes. In this case it was the two thin stripes on either side of the thick ones. Use the first set of stripes as a guide to lay down the next set. And wherever they cross the other brown stripes I switch to the darker brown color.

And we keep going, adding each layer of stripes one at a time (from biggest to smallest). The last set here are the horizontal white stripes and the vertical yellow ones. I mix them with a bit of the orange or the brown, depending on which section of the pattern they are in.

And that's it. Just break down the pattern and take it one step at a time. If you can paint stripes then you can paint a tartan.

 

[Franco]

Ciao Bailey

Thanks for sharing. This is a really useful thread.

Two quick questions when you painted the two lightest lines did you paint a lighter point where these two lines intersect and at the end of the process did you give the piece an overall wash of tint. If yes what colour did you use.

I really like the colour choices and am keen to see how this one progresses. Well done.

Franco

 

[Bailey]

Thanks, Franco. I should have done an extra bright spot where the two light lines crossed, but it was so small I skipped that step. I'll take another look and maybe add it in, at least in the highlight spots. I used some small glazes of Blackened Brown to reinforce a few of the shadows, but no tint applied over the entire tartan. When I finish the painting I'll use some pigments to weather everything, so the tartan will get a light dusting and perhaps some mud splotches.

 

[lopee]

Thanks for sharing, this is really very useful.

Martin

 

[Franco]

Thanks for the additional information Bailey.

At 54mm it is looking great. Well done.

Ciao Franco

 

[Rich Sculpts]

A great start on this figure - the flesh tones are working really well.

-
rich

 

[arxo]

Great piece! And excellent choice to paint him like Slaine...

 

[ChaosCossack]

The fig looks awesome Bailey, as usual, the face is great. The sbs was very helpful... I'm trying to screw up my nerve to do a highlander, this will help.

Following this one

Colin

 

[Edorta]

Great work in the flesh tones and tartan so far. This figure is going to be top level.

Military miniatures painted by Eduardo Garcia

 

[Joe55]

That's some fine brushwork all around that you've got going. Thanks for providing the 'how to' on the tartan.

Joe

 

[Stephan]

second Joe, thanks.

 

[Bailey]

Thanks, everyone. The tartan was a fun project.

I did some work on his armor. It's kind of an odd texture so I wasn't sure what to do with it. Leather made the most sense to me. I tried to pick some brown shades for the leather that complimented the colors in the tartan.

 

[Bailey]

With the hair, fur, and shoulder pad finished I was able to add the other arm and do a bit of painting on it. I took a first pass at the sword before attaching it, easier without the head in the way. But I still want to do more work before I'm done with it. Also took my first attempt at painting tattoos on his other arm. I used a mix of blue and skin tone, then gave it a few glazes of skin after I was finished. Looking at the photos the arm band came out a bit lighter than I would have liked, so I may have to do in and darken it.

 

[ChaosCossack]

Really coming together Bailey!!! Armour is very cool as are the tattoos.

Your's are one of the works I use as a benchmark to aspire to... keep up the awesome work and sharing your techniques. Those I tried worked very well for me.

Cheers

Colin

 

[Diegor]

Work started very well, the skin is perfect and the skirts is gorgeous and well done!
Congratulations!

 

[FigureLover]

Wow!!!!!! Really liking this one
Ben

 

[Bailey]

Thanks, guys. Colin, I'm glad you find my descriptions helpful!

Just a minor update. The sculpt has a couple claw scratches on his shoulder. With the tattoo finished I went back in and used some Tamiya Clear Red to add a bit of blood. I like the layering of detail, blood over tattoo over skin, to give some history to the figure. Hopefully the creature, or at least what's left of the creature, will make an appearance on the base. I've got a piece I think will work but it will take a bit of converting.

 

[Stephan]

very nice.