Painting JAM 01 - Skaven by verminkin

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Now it is Painting Jam time.
First i explain to you what Painting Jam brings into the jungle and to you.
I often answer questions about painting, Not often up here, most of the time behind the palm trees where you the usual reader of this blog doesn't see Kong typing Emails. Sometimes i can not manage to answer all in time as i am also busy like everyone else is on this planet.

This is why i choose do start Painting Jam.
Painting Jam means i pick one of those questions out and answer them from my point ov view right here on spot. Once a week, because typing and thinking about miniatures and forming those thoughts to words is some kind of work.
If you want to take part in this Jam, simply write an email to jarheadATmassivevoodooDOTcom. I can not promise to answer every question but i hope some. One is picked out to be answered on the blog with picture examples - once a week. Please put a link or a picture of your miniature to it. Please notice that by sending in an email with your question you allow me to use this picture in here for a better explanation. Please name your Email with "Painting Jam MV - question by *your name*".


THIS WEEK'S JAM:
Painting JAM, question per mail by verminkin (CMON) about his Skaven - he asks what i think of his gaming skaven (just my personal oppinion) and how he could improve them. We are talking about these 2 Miniatures now:

Skaven Chieftain by verminkin
Skaven Engineer by verminkin

I told verminkin that i really like their dirty and gritty look, he has achieved by his colour choices. They look really nice for the gaming table and sure a complete army of those will make big IIIEEEKKK!! on the table. Pretty cool! I especially like the metallic effects and the blood...

First, i guess your photos are  a bit to yellow, guess this comes from a yellow lamplight you are using to take the photos. It is best to use white light, called daylight lamps. This makes the photos more natural. Check out this article about it.

I now talk about the Chieftain, but what i'll say here you can for sure use on the engineer. I first have switched some buttons by using a image programm and changed the strong yellow in the photos, hope that is ok:

Now what would i improve here. Surely those look great for gaming, but i guess with a little more time effort you can do pretty cool things to this rat. I won't talk about the metals and the blood, those look pretty cool, like the orange/green in the metallic weathering, really fits this guy pretty nice.

The first thing i would add, would be a brighter colour for the eyes. Those can pop out ot bring focus to the face. You mainly did use warm colours here which fits the Skaven very well, i would change it to some kind of bright orange or bright green or bright touquise eyes to make them pop out - i did add this via a image program:

It's all about the details now what i am talking about and those are surely only suggestions from my point of view - don't take this as a must do please. Next i would add some more highlights into the skin areas with some kind of bleached bone in your last skin mix, really tiny to make it more clearer - here is an example:

Next i would strengtehn those highlights a bit more by adding a tip of white to the last mix of the skin. Also i would add a bit more contrast into the metallics by using glazes of black, also i would add a black nose the rats:

Next a bright point on the nose, but first you could add some grey to the black and bring a highlight to the nose. With some extra concentration you could do some dark lines to seperate the theeth. You did this in the upper teeth area, not at the lower ones. Also you could add a final highlight to the teeth. A little bit more highlight on the nose skin area. A white tiny point inside the eye...

As told before this is really my own suggestions. Sure you could do more, different things or whatever someone else says. But i hope this helps some of you or may inspire.

So far, read you next time with the Painting Jam!

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman