Help Slann dilemma: hand colour and 'Ardcoat

[GuaDan]

Hi, I'm painting my Slann a last.I want the scheme on this bloated boy to be simple but effective. I did some concept sketches a few months ago and wanted him red, with black hands and an overall shiny surface.

The red is turning out quite good, it was somewhat difficult to get the proper proportion between purple and orange in the various areas but I like it so far.

Do you guys think I shoult paint his hands black as originally planned or leave them be?

Additionally, I wanted him to be quite 'shiny', like the wet skin of a frog. Do you think it is worth to apply some 'Ardcoat over the most protruding and well lighted areas?

 

[LizardWizard]

The reds you have used are all pretty dark. Going black with the hands could help to bring in some nice blends and color transitions allowing you to simply increase the darkness of the red until you achieve black. I would also think about going a lighter color on his hands. Maybe Transition into a light violet. This would let you keep some of the reds as you shift colors and allow you to add in a cool color to contrast with all the warmth currently on your Slann. Whatever color do you for his hands I would consider doing his eyes the same.

 

[GuaDan]

The reds you have used are all pretty dark. Going black with the hands could help to bring in some nice blends and color transitions allowing you to simply increase the darkness of the red until you achieve black. I would also think about going a lighter color on his hands. Maybe Transition into a light violet. This would let you keep some of the reds as you shift colors and allow you to add in a cool color to contrast with all the warmth currently on your Slann. Whatever color do you for his hands I would consider doing his eyes the same.

Yes it's quite dark, but I still have to do final higlights using kislev flesh. I'll post pics with natural light when I'm done.
Talking about the eyes, I was planning to paint them blue like the rounds on the side of his face and like some (still unpainted) detail on the gold pendants.

 

[LizardWizard]

You could transition his hands from dark purple, to violet, to blue, and then light-blue fingertips. It would certainly pop. Not sure if you are up for that much fettering and wetblends/glazes though. lol. Black would still look good either way.

 

[Crowsfoot]

Have a look at this I painted

He looked ok but there isn't any contrast so I painted his hands

Look at the first picture you naturally look at his head but by changing the colour of the hands in picture 2 it draws your eye into the middle of the model, painting the hands of your Slann black won't add contrast it will blend in.

I would go with what @LizardWizard has suggested it will add interest and contrast.

 

[GuaDan]

You could transition his hands from dark purple, to violet, to blue, and then light-blue fingertips. It would certainly pop. Not sure if you are up for that much fettering and wetblends/glazes though. lol. Black would still look good either way.

Yeah I would be ok with the technique, sure it seems challenging but the results you pictured seem worth it. It's just that I would like him to look more 'hieratic', so still looking for a simple-but-effective scheme. By simple I mean to the eye, not to the hand that paints, because the reds were a pain but look really simple.


(actually more recently I was thinking about some sort of green-turquoise for the eyes)

 

[Crowsfoot]

(actually more recently I was thinking about some sort of green-turquoise for the eyes)

Green will work, make sure you get a clean white base before then go bright green something like moot green from GW it will pop like Rice Krispies

 

[GuaDan]

Green will work, make sure you get a clean white base before then go bright green something like moot green from GW it will pop like Rice Krispies

I was thinking more about something like Sybarite with Gauss blaster and white highlights. However eyes will be the very last detail, need to finish highlighting red, then painting hte infamous hands.

 

[Crowsfoot]

I was thinking more about something like Sybarite with Gauss blaster and white highlights. However eyes will be the very last detail, need to finish highlighting red, then painting hte infamous hands.

That will work a treat.

 

[Aginor]

I agree, that will look nice.

As for the gloss:
I did that for mine and I think it worked quite well.

http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/slann-mage-priest-slann-starmaster.12673/page-5#post-206760

 

[GuaDan]

The slime effect looks good. Maybe I'll give it a try.

So, green eyes it is, and most likely blak hands it will be. Not sure if i want them to gradate to the same green.
Considering I have access to many GW paints and regular artists' acrylyc/cynil paint, and that I have no problem with colour mixing, do you guys have any suggestion on how to paint them? At first I was thinking at some sort of 'glove' look with clear demarcation from the red skin, but I'm open to suggestions on paints and methods.

 

[LizardWizard]

I would just used a fettered or layered blend. The wonderful thing about acrylic is that they are so translucent. You could also really take your time with some glaze techniques, that would probably result in the more attractive result. However, if you are just going to ardcoat over the hands then I don't think glazing is worth the time.

 

[GuaDan]

Ardcoat is an option but I'm not 100% sure.
Maybe I'l sharpen the highlights on the hands with kislev flesh and screaming skull and then glaze my way to black (something likepurple->blue->black?).