The Setup
My initial concept was simple; to take a model and paint it in a light scheme that didn't invoke a cloudless day at noon in the middle of an empty field.So many times we as painters can be drawn in by the 'norm' or standards of a game system. I'm a GW guy by default, so my painting career has been based on the 'Eavy Metal method. Like any fledgling artist, my first inclination was simply to replicate what had already been done, mainly through the photos in my codexes.
There's nothing wrong with this. All the great masters of art started off as copy cats. It's just part of the process, and it should be regarded as one of the necessary steps to proficiency. But as time wears on and the hand that guides the brush becomes more experienced, the mind begins to wander and to wonder. What else is out there? Is this really the best way to paint this mini? What if I have a different idea?
When those thoughts begin to crop up, it is critical that you act on them. It's only by breaking away from copying that you begin creating. Sticking with the same dictated color schemes and painting methods will, at best, result in a perfect copy.
Remember: everything in moderation.
Stay by the side of your favorite artist(s), but don't dwell too long, you are too important to spend your whole life treading in the footsteps of others.
Boss Snikrot
This sculpt, while well executed, hasn't won any popularity contests among the ork player base. I wasn't crazy about it, but I liked it enough to give it a shot. Given his nature, Snikrot wouldn't be caught dead (or rather he would) out in the open on a bright day. He'd be much more likely to be sneaking around in the shadows, or even better yet, at night…
Let's get this out of the way now, Splinter Cell was an enormous reference for this guy.
Painting
I started as I would any model; defining the basic areas with foundation colors. I preferred grey over true metallics, which gave me tighter control over the highlights and shadows. To push the night time color scheme, I painted his skin with Necron Abyss.I am accustomed to starting at a medium hue and working a little bit in both directions for shades and highlights, but in this case I found myself on opposite ends of the spectrum. The skin was almost black after having been washed andI only needed to highlight, where the rest of his gear required several shades of progressively darker paint. It was a very new and very interesting experience for me.
One of the coolest parts of this project had to be studying the actual way things look in bright moonlight.
One night I realized the moon was so bright that I could clearly see my shadow on the ground. I went into the back yard with my wife, away from artificial lights, and walked around her, watching the way the moonlight hit her, and where the shadows fell. It was fascinating to be walking around at night and yet seeing clearly, something I wanted to bring to the model.
Pushing the Paint Further
I worked in very thin layers of paint, which allowed me to apply many times over without losing detail or control. This was time consuming, but rewarding. It allowed me to push the shadows and highlights to the extremes, giving the model a great sense of depth.The big breakthrough was the base. I realized the neutral browns of the initial base color where completely throwing off my perception with such a dark model on top of it. I painted the base the same Necron Abyss color as Snikrot's skin.
No pun intended, it was the difference between night and day.
My advice from this project: experiment like crazy. You only stand to lose if you don't learn from your experience.
