'Warrior Monk' - critique please

[DaveCox]

As I'm only recently getting into figures in a serious way, I'd like your opinions on my latest completed piece. It's the 54mm Knight Hospitaller by Soldiers, painted almost entirely in Vallejo acryilcs. I've tried to vary the tone between the black tunic and the painted shield, and also to build up the shading by using washes rather than solid colours (thanks for the tips Costas!)

 

[Guy]

Excellent work Dave. You did a splendid job with the blacks and keeping the shield slightly different shade that the Tunic. Whats next on your work bench?

 

[DaveCox]

Thanks Guy, next up is Pegaso's 'Holy Land Knight' in 54mm, then I start my Christmas pressies - PiliPili 120mm Saxon Theign and a 130mm Napoleonc Lancer by SolModels.

 

[Einion]

Hi Dave, welcome to pF. General comments first: overall impression is good from what I can see in a single photo; I like that the shaft of the spear/lance is not painted dark brown or black; the black fabric areas seem to be handled okay (the colour's fine too - brownish blacks would have been very common) but you'll probably want to work on increasing the amount of highlighting overall, paying attention to where you place them too (upper surfaces, not outer surfaces); the red-violet on the leggings is a very unlikely colour for this subject as it would only be possible using the most expensive dye available during this period.

About the photo itself, this is fairly well taken and it's good to see you've cropped the photo down but depending on the program that you saved it in you might want to not compress pics quite as much in future to avoid the 'jiggles' (compression artefacts) around edges.

Originally posted by DaveCox+Dec 24 2005, 06:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DaveCox @ Dec 24 2005, 06:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I've tried to vary the tone between the black tunic and the painted shield...[/b]

Also remember there would typically be a difference in finish too - relatively glossy for the paint and fairly matt for the fabric.

<!--QuoteBegin-DaveCox@Dec 24 2005, 06:04 PM
...and also to build up the shading by using washes rather than solid colours (thanks for the tips Costas!)[/quote]
Use 'glazes' instead of washes as a rule - the paint is equally diluted but there is very little of it on the brush.

Einion

 

[DaveCox]

Thanks Einion,
I'll remember the tips on the photo. I wondered what the difference was between 'glazes' and 'washes' and now I know! The highlighting is something I always seem to have a problem with - on 1/35 ww2 diorama figures I'd drybrush the highlight rather than paint it in, but that wouldn't work on single peices.

 

[Roc]

Dave, from what I can see from the pictures it look nice.

As you can see in the Planet there are always members such Einion willing to help and offer advice, I think it is a great thing.

Merry Christmas and keep them coming.


Roc.

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by DaveCox@Dec 24 2005, 06:38 PM
Thanks Einion,
The highlighting is something I always seem to have a problem with...

That's quite common, not to worry. Most of us have trouble painting higher contrast on models, highlights in particular it would seem, especially when we're starting out (and some of us don't get over it :lol. This is partly because you just need to get used to just how much of a difference there is between the highlight and shadow colours and partly because it takes more effort to transition smoothly between colours this far apart in value.

Bill Horan mentioned something to me about some advice of Shep Paine's - if it's a choice between being too subtle and too bold, be too bold - which there's a lot to be said for when working in the smaller scales.

Einion