HERE COMES THE SANDSTORM!

Your photoshop skills are sexy. Okay, the skin is good. That's pretty much what I'm after. For the scales, I used the Deadthclaw brown and drybrushed Gahenna's gold, which is what I really like.The spines will be white, like yours, same for claws.

For the shields, though, I want this really bright and shining gold. Like something that makes you think of STARRRSSS. STAR DRAGONS! Y'know. Or maybe I'll do it a shining silver? I kind of like that too. What do you think?

The parts you have green I'd like to make your more standard gold. Like they carved them out of gold bricks or whatever. Typical accents.

I like the club scheme sans the green hilt.

That's true. Its hard to remember that when you're this new, hahaha. So I did another experiment and instead of doing my silly original idea of putting the gold directly on the scales, I drybrushed them on top of the deathclaw brown. I also used seraphim sepia instead of agrax and I really, really like how that turned out.

So white primer -> thin coat of white -> deathclaw brown on the scale areas, avoiding skin -> seraphim wash -> very heavy drybrush of gahenna. I'll post pictures later on.

As I'm experimenting I'm slowing getting what I want and comparing it to what I did before. Its pretty neat. I really appreciate the help you guys are giving because I probably never would have learned without it, hahaha.

So the question is how do I get that light, sandy tan that N8 had in his model? My theory is to use one of the light shades instead of that dark brown.

 

You'll have to experiment a bit with ratios of the whites and tans you have.
I duno about all gold silver and tan, I think it might need a little something for contrast.

 

Better ?

 

Omg that's great n8. I love it. I think you're right. The picture isn't one of my new ones, but that's what the scales end up looking like. What would you suggest fr comtrast?

Thanks CF. I'm really having fun. It's exciting and takes a long time but still gives me enough satisfaction that I don't get bored or disinterested

 

So, I've done one saurus warrior in my theoretical colour scheme and I'm not at all happy with it. It seems bogged down by way too many heavy layers and just looks dirty and bad. I think it's a combination of bad technique and over complication; most table ready models have, as crow said, a prime, basecoat, shade, dry brush, highlight. My method was doing a lot of unnecessary steps. so! My next experiment is the white prime with white scar base, sepia wash, and then I'll figure out what next. The white really absorbs the sepia and gives it that brown colour I want. I'm going to dry brush the scales and see how that looks. I've also picked up Leadbelcher (base metallic grey), rune fang steal and liberator gold. I really like the contrast that the steal and Leadbelcher give to the Browns. It's not so much a bright silver as it is shining dark metal, which looks good against the browns. FYI I'll try any suggestions or thoughts you guys have on a desert theme. I'm absolutely NOT set in stone for this! Tell me qhat colours and techniques you would use personally!

 

The pile of failed experiments and the evolution of the desert scheme. Current winner is white primer, ushabti bone base, sepia shade and gahenna's gold OVERBRUSH technique instead of the the drybrush. Overbrushing gave the scales the solid, bright highlight I was looking for but without clogging up or covering the shade.

 

Mmm edging each scale? That will be fun! I'm going through some more colour schemes. I decided my test on the shields is a keeper: it's black base with over brushed runefang to make a really crush silver with black recesses. I love it.