Last night I put down the base layer for the tattoos on the ettin. The large arm seems to be the natural home for them. I did consider adding some elsewhere, but thought against it in the end as it would start to draw attention away from the arm. Rather than painting one of two massive tattoos, I wanted to use the large space to apply a sleeve of sorts. I mixed the blue with the base flesh tone for the first layer, I'll add more blue once the glazes are on.
With a model of this size, I have to change my techniques a bit to account for scale. A wash and layer isn't going to work for this lad. The texture on the skin is incredible, and to make the most of it I think a series of washes and glazes is the way to go. I've been reading up on some techniques using only a light base colour (even white) and shading entirely with washes/glazes, especially on models with lots of detail or heavy texture like this fellow. When using the glazes, I won't simply wash the entire model. I'll probably mix medium into them for the more general glazes, and then apply the heavier glazes to recesses. Adding purple, yellow or darker browns to feet, hands, eyes and the mouth. I'll do a couple of tests and then onto the ettin.
I'm liking that tattoo quite a bit. Yeah, I don't think the techniques we use for a 25-32mm sculpt would work with this guy.
ReplyDeleteI find painting large areas of bare Caucasian flesh daunting and I think that you are right about a glaze approach getting better results here. I find it very hard to get anything but a cartoony and over exaggerated effect with the base/wash/highlight effort that I use for most 28mms and quadruply so with a guy like the Ettin. I find that I can get away with that sort of painting on exotic, fantasy skin tones, but not normal and familiar reasl-life tones.
ReplyDeleteI will be keeping a close eye on progress. Good luck :)
It's quite nice taking on a model that I don't have a familiar approach for. With the larger scale, I have to dilute the washes to avoid too much contrast. It reminds me of painting with watercolours, one bad wash and it's all over. It's very much softly does it. I'm terrified of making a balls of it.
DeleteIm terrified of you making a balls of it too :)
DeleteI never got the knack of painting miniatures entirely (or in the majority) with washes. I tried a couple of times and each time it ended in gnashing and wailing. But you are a more patient sort then I am. You can do it.
So far so good.
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