Sithious W.I.P. Apr-14-2014 Cirith update

Gene Parmesan · **Posted:** Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:57 pm

No need to remove it, its easily of OR competition standard.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:49 am

Couldn't agree with you more mate, you have progressed nicely with this and as I'm sure you know, the points I've highlighted are for future development to make your great work look even better.
I am also at the stage of trying to bring my painting forward and my photography along the way. My latest troll took an age to do and in the end it wasn't too bad.
It's a case of persevering and like you say doing a little unwinding at the end of the day with a few brush strokes.
Good luck.

CraigHallums · **Joined:** Tue Feb 04, 2014 3:48 pm **Posts:** 32

I say you should keep it in the competition mate, that is a great standard of painting. I agree with Gene Parmesan that a little extra shading on the face would lift it to that next level but this is a result you should be very proud of as is.

I have to ask, how did you paint the eyes? They are incredible realistic.

Sithious · **Posted:** Tue Mar 18, 2014 4:08 pm

The eyes, you have to wet the paint so that it comes off the brush easy, then you have to rub off excess onto your thumb so that you control the paint. Then on the off white eye, dot of ultramarines blue, then a dot of ultra marines blue lightened with white, then smallest dot you can manage with black. I think I do eyes fairly well, I did not add any gloss varnish to Legolas eyes as I didn't want him to look weepy, so I did make the slightest catch light dot on there. Paint eyes early on the model, while you are still able to fix shadows and stuff (like when painting the face). If you wait for last, you will be nervous and have to repair more work if you mess up. Better to get this out of the way and work around it.

The other issue with the flesh of this face is that the sculpt is plastic and the curve is outward on the cheek, not inward. As you can see on the GW site, when you shade this it looks like make up blush on a fat cheek. Paint cannot make a recess where none exists. Add to this that the model is looking up (so OSL would put the shadow?) and thus more of the face gets light, right? So, I do agree with many of you about shading to bring out the cheek bones and shade the eyes and brow (when the sculpt and pose have that requirement), in this case I would not be able to do the cheeks, thus the shade would not be complete. The other issue is the colors, I don't want a conflict between and warm shade and the yellow on the hair, as both are contrast to the green and blue, I think from an artistic sense and not a model painting sense, the colors are working well together. I am hopingto see some other people do this sculpt so I can see how they solved these issues, perhaps then I can try and work it out on my model next month or so.

I appreciate the feedback though. I will endeavor on future models to keep all of this in mind. At the moment I have a few wargs/hunters to do so I have to maintain my 'cartoony' look on those for a bit longer so that they don't lose cohesion. But next hero model I do I will push a bit harder to tighten it up.

I still need to get another one of these cave drakes, then I can compare the finecast version to this one. Still one of my favorites.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:01 am

VERY NICE!

Captain Andruil · **Joined:** Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:19 am **Posts:** 44

I love the snake skin pattern you've given the drake. Very realistic and well painted.

Gene Parmesan · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:48 am

Great job, looks very natural

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:04 am

That skin is simply immense, love it.

Crucium Giger · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:10 pm

Hells Bells that's a magnificent paint job.

JamesR · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:45 pm

That Drake is great! Congrats

Sithious · **Posted:** Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:39 pm

It (cave drake) is a couple years old now (2012 I painted it). but thanks, again, it is one of my favorites of my collection. I was/am looking for another one to make a mated pair, but I doubt I will find one reasonable priced.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:42 am

Cave Drake is amazing! Really like the paint scheme and the base. I appreciate the opportunity to see an alternate angle to the typical one GW shows us. I never realized it had those spikes on its legs.

Bandobras Took · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:26 am

Wow! That is such a clever skin design idea and colour scheme for a large model and it has been executed so perfectly! Well done! :yay:

Sithious · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:26 am

I have a lot of brick scoring to do, and making a lot of crenellations, I have the outerwall and two towers to make, gatehouse, the Cliffside path...blah blah blah... Have to let some glue set before going farther.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:05 am

Outstanding!

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:37 am

Sithious - I have always liked your work but this is on a scale that's hard to comprehend. This is already looking draw dropping.

Rognarr · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:30 am

Couldn't agree more with what Gandlaf said!

Constantine · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:18 am

Your Legolas is indeed very good, and the transition between layers appropriately smooth. Yet I agree that the receded areas need to be more pronounced to create contrast. It will be a very challenging competition this month.

One of the best Cave Drakes I've seen mate

. And your Cirith Ungol looks majestic (once you painted black this adjective won't befit it anymore haha).

Crucium Giger · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 12:25 pm

Wowza, I've turned a shade of envious green looking at your Cirith Ungol.
Outstanding work, it'll look beltin' once it's been completed (just wish I could play on it).

Gene Parmesan · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2014 12:29 pm

Beast! This is gonna be great

Sithious W.I.P. Apr-14-2014 Cirith update

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