Help How would you highlight Bloodletter horns?

[Caprasauridae]

Hello all,

I have been struggling for a while with the horns of my Bloodletters, but this question applies to all parts that combine different elements and/or forms.

The biggest problem I have is their shape. They are round but also have edges and recesses . If I only highlight the edges, there won't be many highlights and it would look weird. I'm not good enough to paint smooth transitions into an object as irregularly shaped as the horns. And I don't think the usual way Stegadon horns are painted, i.e. lines going along the length of the horn and connecting at the tip, would work here.

Any suggestions?

Here's a picture of one of my test models

More pictures, if you are interested, can be found from here:
http://imgur.com/gallery/xFyUo

Thanks!

 

[Crowsfoot]

Do them like deer antlers but don't use brown use red.

Base Mephiston, wash Carroburg crimson then redo the mephiston but only go down to were the small horn is, then evil sunz red but paint it thin and from the tip, trollslayer orange from the tips in lines down then do the tip in yellow, glaze with yellow.

 

[Caprasauridae]

Thanks, @Crowsfoot, but I need more advice on how to paint the highlights, not so much with what colours to use. I'll try to clarify what I mean:


Parts 1 and 2 are pretty easy. 2 is an example of the deepest recess. 1 is the highest point (although I have left the tips of the horns unhighlighted). Number 3 is a sharp edge, so pretty good for an edge-highlight. Number 4 is the problem area for me, and as you can see, it's almost the whole horn. This is just from front, but the same is repeated on other angles. The problem is the variable shape of the horns and the way they contain so many round shapes. I guess the only way to paint these is layering?

 

[n810]

Ok here's my thoughts...
(highlights are crude so they are obvious)
I would start with area (4) an use a lighter and lighter layers until you work your way to the pointy bits.

 

[Crowsfoot]

Thanks, @Crowsfoot, but I need more advice on how to paint the highlights, not so much with what colours to use. I'll try to clarify what I mean:

View attachment 19101
Parts 1 and 2 are pretty easy. 2 is an example of the deepest recess. 1 is the highest point (although I have left the tips of the horns unhighlighted). Number 3 is a sharp edge, so pretty good for an edge-highlight. Number 4 is the problem area for me, and as you can see, it's almost the whole horn. This is just from front, but the same is repeated on other angles. The problem is the variable shape of the horns and the way they contain so many round shapes. I guess the only way to paint these is layering?

It didn't come across like I wanted.

First decide were the light is coming from then work your highlights to represent the light reflection.

Shine a light onto the model torch maybe to see were it lands other than that start at 4 and work backwards.

 

[Caprasauridae]

Thanks guys, this is what I wanted to know. And as always, great pic, @n810! What do you think is an appropriate amount of layers? These are troops, so I'm trying to keep them easy/quick to paint. 3 or 4?

 

[n810]

4 would probably work, it will even blend together a bit if you work quickly while the paint is still damp.

 

[neveroddoreven]

Not sure if I'm too late here, but I'd thought I'd share anyway.
My suggestion would be a simple line of white along the length of the horn, using the side of your brush like you would if edge highlighting. This would give it a shiny look a bit like ivory. I did a similar thing with mine (yeah, I know mine have black horns but the same principal applies), then I added a dot of white in the middle for an extra glossy effect.
Hope that helps.

 

[Caprasauridae]

Not too late at all! And a great tip, thanks! I'll definitely try that, it's simple enough and looks great on black. If it looks even half as good in "ivory", I'm sold!