The end of June can only mean two things... Summer has arrived in these parts and it's time for the first entry in the Helping Hand Challenge. (Be sure to check out the other participants at Duke of the Blood Keep and Deviant Designs Deeds.)
With his bronzed complexion, beach-blonde hair, and sun-worshiper tattoo, Otherworld's porter appears ready for a day down the shore. One can only speculate the chest he carries contains either beer or self-tanning products.
Appearances can be deceiving. This guy's more likely to spend his day hauling others' loot from the depths of the earth. Such is the lot of a hireling.
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| Leather, wood, & brass painted first |
Typically I paint skin, then clothing, then everything else. Here the presence of the chest and bracer right up against the face called for a different approach. I poked into the least accessible areas with black, painted the chest and bracer fully, and only then moved on to the skin. Had I followed my usual progression I'd likely still be doing touch-ups and cursing profusely.
The colors used for the principle skintone are pictured above. Reaper's Bloodless Skin was worked into the highlights. Previous attempts to paint undead with a mix of "zombie" and "normal" skintones taught me that sometimes a little green can actually make a mini look more alive.
Some additional glazing provided the five o'clock shadow and the reddish tones on the cheeks and nose.
The tattoo was painted with a mix of purple and Reaper's Bronzed Skin. I kept it simple... in general, my freehand technique needs some work and I didn't want to push my luck.
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| Colors used on the padded armor |
As the HH Challenge moves forward I hope to experiment with techniques that I have previously shied away from (freehand, object source lighting, and NMM to name three). On this mini I tried my hand a some NMM in particular. Hopefully the hardware on the chest looks like brass, the buckles on the armor and belt look like copper, and the axehead looks like steel.
Enough chatter. It's time for some pictures.
Very very nicely painted. Smooth transitions on the skin tone. Moreover, I am always a sucker for pastel-like colours so I am loving this painted piece very much. I was also impressed with the wood grain effect on the chest as it ramps up the realism. Nice!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, 4EM. I too seem to gravitate towards more subdued colors.
DeleteSublime work, top quality stuff my good man.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a dime for every time I've been associated with the word "sublime" I'd have ten cents. ;)
DeleteThank you, Michael.
Wow, so much better than my entry (my usual tabletop standard), so I will just have to up my game for the July submission
ReplyDeleteYour entry looked fine. I look forward to what you come up with next month.
DeleteNice work! The jerkin really pops and the NMM is top notch. Subtle enough that I didn't even realize it wasn't metallics till you mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteThe padded armor was a lot of fun to paint. All those diamond shapes, each with its own highlights and shadows.
DeleteSimply stunning. Love the tat, the scar, the stubble and the chest. All very well executed. Great work Finch, this challenge is shaping up nicely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris. The challenge is indeed shaping up nicely.
DeleteExcellent mate. Love the Tattoo work as well Despite being a luggage handler looks like he'll be able to protect it well to.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Simon. That bare shoulder seemed to demand something extra in the form of a tattoo.
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