Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Help! Critique needed--NMM you are an elusive bitch.

How many generations of GW paint-pots can you spot? Funny how the older generations don't dry out your paints. They don't make 'em like they used to!

My desktop these days is looking rather schitzo lately. Not only am I am working on a double-model model, the Su Jian, but I am also assembling Dark Eldar and repainting Tau models. Might seem crazy but it actually isn't. I switch off a project when I get bored and on to another, and so the cycle continues. I end up working on 3-4 projects at once but I like it. It's never too much. I love it. I just need more hours in the day and I'm set. 

My Tau are getting a look-at. The entire army needs lots of work. They simply don't measure up to the work I am doing nowadays. Everytime I look at one of my "finished" models I notice things I want to change, imperfections to be stamped out, colors to be changed, etc. This is partly because a lot of the models I painted for it, were done in a rush because I had some tournament I was going to or something. After doing this over a course of a year or so, you end up lots of models that you've cut corners on. Not good. 

Starting my Forgeworld battlesuits. They were pretty expensive and I want them to look a lot better. The bases need work. They are kind of dull. I was going for a desert look but I don't know if I like that. I think deserts might have more going than just sand and rocks. I'm going to add some flare, some more color, and maybe I'll be more satisfied. Could do some dried up, crusty old  pieces of wood.

Hopefully by the time the new Tau codex is out, it'll feel like I have new army without buying any new models, just by re-painting my old ones. 

I'm thinking of calling them my Kamakaze Kabal. Not expecting them to have  a long lifespan on the tabletop...

What the heck are Dark Eldar doing on my table? I think I posted several months ago about a counts-as Saim Hann Army that I was about to start building. It's now underway, may take a couple years or so, but hopefully I'll have a neat jetbike army to zip around with which can later be built out to a full on Dark Eldar force and back again. Gotta keep the gaming varied to keep it interesting.

The Su Jian is nearing completion. I'm looking for some freehand ideas. I really want to do Chinese text on this thing but I want Chinese Military stenciling and I can't find any on-line. Does anyone out there know where I could find some examples? I've even checked googling Chinese tanks and such...nothing actually shows any Chinese military markings. Wouldn't that be so cool on those leg armor plates and such? Identical on both versions of the model. I am picture it I just need reference material... 



NMM is an elusive bitch. I need help. Anyone out there wanna give me some pointers on this? Critique would be great too. It just doesn't look like metal to me. Help!

Is that stone or metal? 

I don't want to sound like a queer or nothing but sometimes I like to look at other people's wet pallets. Check mine out. Neat colors, eh?




12 comments:

Karitas said...

looks to me like you're doing oaky with the nmm..

the key is contrast.. push your highlights to pure white and keep your darks dark, and where you have "lower edge" darks, put a pinline highlight on the edge under them.

i have an article somewhere, but it talks more about colour than application i think..

the key is to treat each sub surface area as a thing that needs highlights in it's own right.

on the guy you have there, its those edge highlights that will complete it i think. have a look at a few more images of nmm and see if you can see what i mean

this http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics11/img45dadaae86485.jpg

shows it quite well. each area is shaded and edge highlighted in it's own right, the colour transition is very contrasty.

Unknown said...

Most chinese tanks seem to simply have an identification number (and the same numbering system that we use) however, by googling different historical events, I was able to come across this image

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/china/Chi-M4Sherman.jpg

I think that the symbols are just simply hand painted customisation, since there was very little standardisation in chinese tanks during ww2.

I also remeber visiting a museum in china, which had just a huge pile of old tanks and airplanes on display. I can't remember any details and searching on the web didn't give me an answer to you question.

Great painting, keep it up!

DimmyK said...

I did a similar kind of colour for metal but mine seems to have turned out ok - karitas is very good at it so I would take his advice

http://40kbattlereports.blogspot.com/2011/08/sanguard-wip.html

http://40kbattlereports.blogspot.com/2011/10/double-post-sanguard-update-sm.html

http://40kbattlereports.blogspot.com/2011/09/sanguard-wip-2.html

Tim said...

To be clear, the NMM is only on the internal workings, not the main armor plates.

Karitas, that picture is really helpful...Thanks!

Aleksi, thanks for the tip. I'm just going to google tank pics for now and see what happens.

Valk said...

I collect Dark Eldar as my second army, a great experience so far.

Have to look forward to assault phase at some point in our gaming hobbies.

Cobalt Cannon said...

Your Sun Jian looks slick so far. For some comparison, I suggest that you go out and buy a motor cycle magazine. One of those custom chopper mags or something. Find one that has photos of motorcycles with lots of chrome and plated frames and parts. The lighting for these photos usually helps to make them a great aid for painting metal using non-metallics. I think you'll be able to easily figure out which colors to use when you have some photos to see how light plays off of the reflections.

For markings, most chinese military vehicles use few markings. Markings only draw unwanted attention to a military unit. However, for that cool infinity look that you are after, I would search for chinese robot and military toys, and cross reference what you find with Gundam FIX (japanese will work too as long as you are using Kanji). I'll do some searching and see what I can find, and email it to you.

Tim said...

Cobalt, That is great advice. I'm doing it. Also, good advice on looking at mecha stuff. I couldnt wait and just put regular infinity markings on it...what a pain! Pics or it didn't happen, right? will post soon.

Karitas said...

Thanks for the vote of confidence Dimmyk, but I wouldnt say i was "very good" heh,

what I have been doing is speding time trying to understand the effect, and looking at other good examples like the one I posted.

the technique is actually the same technique you'd use in a painting on 2D paper of digitally. and the rule as always with minis is, if you want impact, you have to really push the contrast, near black to white for silver tones, no matter what greys or blue greys you transition through, and black-brown to white for gold, again moving through browns and yellows.

the sui jan is a really nice pant job so far, and I look forward to seeing it finished :)

Marshal Wilhelm said...

You've changed the colour of the background and headers....?

G Red said...

Use something metal as your exemplar and paint from that. Much of the miniature's metal parts are cylindrical so something as simple as a screwdriver shaft would work. Heck, you could even use the ferrule of one of your brushes as an exemplar for chrome. Paint from a real 3d source before going to photos. And don't forget the reflections of the yellow plates on the metal.

Sebastian said...

G'damn there are some old pots there. I even see a red print on white pot there. Only have two of those myself. In my interstate move, lost nearly all my citadel colours, except my 20yr old Citadels from when I was a kid. They're still going strong.

The painting is great, if this is the 'start' can't wait to see you three or four models down the line :D

- Seb

Scrap Square said...

Your NMM looks spot on, almost shiny IMO. I too have been experimenting with it and its tricky, especially SENMM.

Trick is to over do it like cartoony.
That looks good in my opinion.