New for the Pro Palette in 2023!
Being added to the Pro Palette Members area is a new blog called “From the Desk”. This idea stemmed from a wonderful member @Argo Ridley(Instagram) that wanted a space for still images and other modes of reference from all the tutorials. What I found is keeping this blog as a sort of updating post that will commonly reference posted tutorials, as well as images and other updates to projects that I’m working on that I can’t fit into full-sized tutorials. Key screenshots from tutorials, notes extending to the work I’m sharing, as well as other learning links and references that I find valuable to you; extending what I learn right to you!
Model sculpted and designed by: Lux Thantor
To start kick off 2023, the first tutorial comes hot right off the heels of the White Scars Keshig and right into an important character of the legion - Targutai Yesugei, chief Stormseer and personal advisor to the Khagan himself.
This first tutorial covers how to paint the deep saturated green atmosphere that underlays the ivory-white armour, orange accents, and the rest of the miniature to come. I’m excited to share this process with the two previous White Scars commission paintings of Qin Xa and his Keshig, teaching you what techniques go into its creation and, most importantly, the process.
The tutorial focused on the lower leg and foot area with the surrounding orange accent details. Showing the placement and blending following the Primary (Key Light), illuminating the Ivory armour down the centre of the leg. As well as starting details of highlighting the green shadows (Ambient Light) including its initial highlights.
Pay particular focus to the zones of each valued area on the Mojave White armour itself. Look carefully, and you will start to see the blended boundaries where the colour is at its purest, then moving darker as it passes into the Rainy Grey and Boreal Green—noting the length of the gradient and the relative size to where its positioned. The Mojave White is considerably smaller, with a lot more green bleed illustrating darker values being created by a softer light falling down in intensity with the leg being in the lowest quadrant of the model relative to our Key Light being up higher. Take note of this as we move upwards as the white highlight starts to expand and get larger.
Remember this and give it a good watch when you give the blend a try. Take each stage carefully and do your very best to directly copy my hand and stroke direction etc. This is what I do when learning a new method, I copy everything. I make it so my stroke mirrored my reference, the paint diluted to match, the angle of the brush, how I lay the palette down. I find by doing this I come into a lesson completely empty and willing to try it all. Bringing none of my previous methods with me since one of the biggest things you can do to sabotage your learning is by accidently doing parts on auto pilot and most likely ruining the learning process. After I come completely familiar with the tools, I then compare and see how it marries with my previous techniques. What works and what doesn’t etc until I decide what to keep and what to disregard until further notice.