Zenithal Highlight (part 2)

I've made some progress with the zenithal painting of my next three wee Scots.

I thought I'd start with the flesh. One of the videos I'd watched on painting over zenithal highlights (from Vince Venturelli's excellent "Hobby Cheating" video series) mentioned that it doesn't work well for skin, so you're better off putting down two light coats of flesh tone over the highlight:

I also worked up some of the "volumes" of the tunics with a white glaze over the zenithal highlight. This seems a bit fiddly to me (isn't this what the zenithal highlight should be accomplishing?), but the same YouTuber pointed out that all the time you put into "value sketching" at this stage will pay off at the end.

Getting the consistency of the glazes correct was a bit of a challenge and will take some practice. I'm sure it was only made worse by the fact that my paints have been sitting unused for years. So I followed the advice of another YouTuber and added a 5/16" ball bearing to each dropper bottle:

A messy proposition, but I feel like the paints are much easier to mix now.

After watching another one of the "Hobby Cheating" video series, I decided I might want to give dry brushing the hair a go. This means putting the flesh on hold for now (since dry brushing can be a bit of a messy proposition as well!). Here are the figs after an initial glaze or two of various Army Painter paints diluted with Vallejo Thinner Medium on their heads:

As usual - very slow progress as I muck about, but for me - that's mostly what this hobby is all about!

Trying a new technique

Long time no post! Long time no hobby, actually. With the COVIDs, I've been on furlough and have been inspired by several painter's on YouTube. So I figured, might as well break out the brushes again!

Up to this point, I've tried three different techniques for my wee Scotsmen:

• Base coat and Army Painter Dip (cheap and not so chipper)
• Three Color Technique (a la Kev Dallimore, et al)
• Saxon Dog's Technique (blocking colors, washes, and highlights over a dark washed, white primer

Most of the video's I've seen on YouTube lately have started from a zenithal prime and then used inks, glazes, or "contrasts" paints to build up from there.

Here is my first attempt at zenithal priming with auto store rattle cans (that's what I had):

I see what people mean about the auto primer nozzles: the fan shape makes the spray tough to control. I had to hold the can sideways for the zenithal white coat.

Not sure how far I'll take this. Some people seem to go wild with adding more highlights on the primer layer before color blocking. And then some go wild with more washes and highlights after color blocking. I guess we'll see how the spirit moves me - and if it moves me to post again in the next *five* years!  =]

Priming woes

Now that it's settled and I've decided to avoid washes and inks and just go with the three-color method from here on out, I was eager to prime some more figures and get to it.

I decided to try some brush on primer since spraying can be something of a mess. I had bad luck with the Humbrol #33 enamel paint I used previously: it was so old I couldn't get it to mix. So I decided to try to a flat black enamel paint from the hardware store.

It mixed up easily but stunk to high heaven. I wore a mask and opened the sliding glass door, but I still got tremendous headache that lasted about 24 hours. At first the enamel paint went on too thickly. So I cut it with the Gamsol thinner I had. For some reason the thinned paint dried shiny!

Oh, well. Into the paint stripper. Sadly, my old stripper of choice Dawn Power Dissolver has been discontinued. I ended up buying some industrial strength Simple Green. Soon they are going to know me on a first name basis down at the local hardware store.

After that fail, I decided to go back to spray primer so I bought another can of Duplicolor primer. My first go with it I had difficulty getting it to spray into the harder to reach areas. I had done the obvious thing and placed my figures on a cardboard box outside to spray them. Upon further research I found this interesting video tutorial on priming. So I decided to give it a go - with a mask, unlike that yahoo.

I bought a 36" piece of 5/8" square poplar and cut it into 12" sections. Now I can blue-tac my figures onto the end and spray away at them from almost any odd angle.

I've made one modification since I took these photos. The blue-tac didn't stick so well to the porous, rough-cut wood at the ends of the sticks. So I've nailed on some polycarbonate furniture disks to give the blue-tac something to stick to. Last thing I need is a freshly primed figure taking a dive into the dirt...

Finally at it again!

Well, it's been a long time.The family moved across country again and I started a new job. With all that going on I've only just now dug my hobby box out of the garage and gotten back to painting my poor neglected band of wee Scotsmen.

One of my motivations was that now that I'm back in Los Angeles, I've found some SAGA gamers much closer to me. The shop is only bout 15 minutes away - as opposed to the 2.5 hour drive I had back in Florida.

So I decided to take another crack at getting my 4 point Scot's warband completed. Since I'm still new to this hobby, I do fancy a bit of an experiment now and again. For my next batch of three figures, I decided to try the painting method described in Saxon Dog's Painting Guide (available as a .pdf if you ask him nicely).

I'll summarize the approach for those not curious enough to request the doc:

1. Prime with white spray paint
2. Wash the figure with black wash 
3. Paint your base color
4. Apply a highlight
5. Wash with brown wash
6. Re-highlight (with the same color as the first highlight)

I guess I'd consider this a Hybrid method. Not as point and shoot as the Army Painter dip method. Not quite as elaborate as the Three Colour method. Somewhere in between.

The idea is that you can get the "black line" look without it being as hard to see the details with a black-primed figure. But I found the black lining to be inconsistent. In some spots it wasn't very dark at all. In some spots the wash dried almost white.

Unlike Saxon Dog who used GW washes, I used the Army Painter inks. Lots of blogs have tested the various washes and inks. Like this one here.

The results:

Yes, I still need to do the bases and the javelins.

What I learned:

I really don't like washes. They always makes things look to dirty or muddy for my taste. I think the washes were helpful on the hair though and might use them again for that.

Keep paint thin (but not too thin). Initially I was too lazy to clean and use my wet palette. I found my paints got goopy on me while I painted (slowly). The wet palette really is your friend.

I really like the da Vinci Restauro 3/0 brush I got. I may have to get more of them.

So, I guess it's back to the Three Colour Method for me. Unless I decide to dabble with VeronaKid’s Shaded Undercoats Tutorial.

Head-to-Head (rematch!)

When I finished the first three-color figure, some of you asked to see a comparison on the table. So I figured with a few more levy done I should have a rematch. This time the odds are even! Sorry the focus is a little soft on some of the photos:

Now that I have a whopping six (6) figures completed, I figured it's time to take a well deserved break and work on something different. Below is a hint. Any guesses?

Finally, I'd just like to point out that this is post number fifty! Thanks to all those along for the ride...

Three Color method (2 & 3 finished)

It's been a long time since my last update. We had a creeping funk around here and every single one of us got sick in sequence. That ate up the better part of three weeks. At least we didn't all get sick at once...

Pretty much the same technique as last time. The main difference is that I've given up on the Testor's Dullcote - it's just too humid here in Florida for anything save a skunk to spray outdoors. I've opted instead for a soluble acrylic matte varnish.

Without further ado, here are the second and third Scots levy painted with the three color method:

As you may have noticed, I've plussed up the basing vegetation a bit. I was inspired by Christopher of Bunker Hill's amazingly bushy grassy bases.

The other benefit of the bushy basing is that it covered up the "cankle" on my one-footed javelin hurler that needed repair.

Said repair proved problematic. I pulled his base off again while painting him and had to redo the repair. I think I didn't sink the pin far enough into the foot the first go around.

I'm very happy with the new brush on matte varnish. I only had one issue: it pooled in Old Footy's armpit and I didn't notice it until the next day. I probably should have just left it be, but I decided to try to poke it out with a wooden toothpick.

I managed to get the bit of varnish out, but cracked his foot repair again. This time I choose not to re-repair as the painting was nearly finished. I just dabbed on some super glue and then matte varnished over the crack when the glue was dry. All the more reason for more bushes!

I also toned down the wood grain on the spears. My first three color levy looked like he was toting a piece of zebrawood. Hope you like them!

Three Colour Method (attempt 2 & 3)

Here are a few shots of my next two levy painted with the three colour method. Just gotta stick some spears on 'em and get them based up. Once that's done they can have a proper 3-on-3 battle with those plebeian, dipped levy.

Funny, I accidentally left the spear off of the first figure I painted. Now I like not having to work around the weapon when painting faces, so it's become a habit.

Mock Battle

After some discussion that followed a previous post, I decided to take some snaps of the dipped and highlighted levies at a distance.

With all the extra time devoted to him, our three color method levy seems to have gotten a big head. He rather fancies himself a hearthguard now and has taken on all three of the plebeian dipped levies!

As you can see, they all look pretty good at this distance. Up close I really can't stand the dirty look of the dipped figures though. So unless an actual game of SAGA appears on the horizon, I'll be slowly plugging along with the three color method.

Head-to-Head

My three color method test levy is finally finished and based so I could take some head-to-head shots with my Army Painter dipped levy. I chose to use the two that had the same color tunic. Hard to believe they are the same color. That dip really muddies things up!

If you ask me there is no comparison. Well, perhaps the three color method spear looks too much like zebrawood. But other than that the difference is night and day. I guess the question now is, do I have the patience to paint the other forty guys this way...

Finally back at it!

It's been a while since I posted anything. We had a week vacation out in California and on our return we all got sick. One of the hazards of air travel, I suppose. I started a new job last week as well, so things have been a bit hectic around here.

I glued my test levy's spear on and painted it before I left. I think I might have left too much of the black basecoat exposed. Next time I will try to make that more subtle.

Upon return, I hit the spear with gloss coat and then when it dried, sprayed it with Dullcote. It may have bit a tad bit too humid though. His mustache seems to have a strange white, shiny bit on it (see below). I feel like it's in the matte finish as I can only see it from certain angles. I think Florida is just too humid for sprays and I've ordered some brush on acrylic matte.

I tried re-glossing and re-matting that part of his mustache but the white spot still seems to be there. I may left it as is or try to black it out with a very fine felt tip. Next up, basing! 

                

Touching-up done (x2)

I busted out my 10/0 and touched up the black edges that I tried to leave at the edges found on my Scots test levy. Naturally that meant touching up my touch-up as well! Here are some shots. Maybe you can tell, but I busted out the proper light box-thingy I got from Amazon for $40. I think it makes a big difference.

 

I used my Humbrol Matt Black. It worked better with a little Gamsol to thin it. In a couple of spots my brush strayed and I had to go back and hit it with the tunic and cape base colors again. That said, I'm pretty happy with the outcome overall. My brushwork is a little wobbly and I'm slow as molasses, but that will come in time. I'm going to work on basing him tonight and then I'll post up some comparisons with the "dipped" levy I did previously.

Hair Doo

Here's my three color method test levy with his hair freshly done:

The base color was going to be the same as his cloak, but I figured that would never do: he'd look like Crystal Gail. So I added in some red and a wee bit of yellow to try to give it slightly more orange hue.

Other than basing, I think he's pretty much done. The only thing I'm tempted to do still is touch up some of the black borders that I accidentally painted over. Not sure I can do this without messing up all the work I've put in already though. We'll see how daring I feel tomorrow night!