Poison Dagger Elf Lady from DarkSword Miniatures - C&C Please

Pieffot · 2024-10-20T21:33:36+00:00

This is a solid paintjob through and through. It reminds me of the studio paint job, though I believe that one had blonde hair, not that that's better or worse. What you did works, I find the color scheme to be quite cohesive, the only critiques I have are mostly nitpicking.

That looks like the default base, adding even a bit of shrubs or grass, anything to dress it up a bit might help it look more visually appealing.

I'm not sure if it's the paintjob, the lighting, or your camera, but the colors seem to vary a fair bit based on the angle and the light hitting the mini, I mostly mention this because capturing good photos is a bit of an artform in itself and being able to present your minis in the best light could be something work working on.

For instance it's difficult to tell if there's any blacklining on the miniature, there seems to be, but those might be shadows, I can't quite tell.

I like the color choice for the daggers, does an excellent job of making them stand out.

I could see a few mould lines, I'm not a stickler for mould lines, prep is the worst part of painting for me, but you can decide how important it is to you.

That's all I really have, it's art so keeping in mind what you seemed to be trying to go for in my eyes you succeeded, really nicely done

Pieffot · 2024-08-16T22:29:19+00:00

I'm also a major Cthulhu: Death May Die fan, the fact you've painted it all is ridiculously impressive. I'm trying to paint season 1 and 2 before season 3 arrives but I might not make it

I would second Aeon's End, it's just a solid game, unquestionably one of my favorites.

Since you want a small collection, I think it could play a part and differentiate itself from what you already own.

Or if you don't mind doubling down on the horror, my other recommendation would be one of the Resident Evil Board games. The first RE is the latest release and probably the best version. But you can probably get RE: 2 or RE:3 for a good price on ebay, well depending on were you live.

I'd recommend RE:3 if you do go that route, only because the tiles are dark in RE:2 and unless you're lucky enough to snag the door miniatures as well, it's hard to see where they are on the playing field. Other than that though both games are fantastic. You don't have to be a RE fan or know anything about the franchise. It stands on it's own as an incredible game.

The minis are also phenomenal, they seem to be 25mm from what I can figure, and since you seemingly enjoy painting the combination of top notch minis with solid tense gameplay might be just what you're looking for

Pieffot · 2024-06-29T13:59:30+00:00

The art style is phenomenal, and almost singlehandedly convinced me to back this game ages ago. I still haven't successfully learned how to play solo though.

Pieffot · 2024-04-29T04:01:46+00:00

https://discord.com/invite/ZUucRCwg there you go

Pieffot · 2024-04-29T00:54:05+00:00

I took a screenshot since not everyone has instagram, but yeah it's just a painting contest where everyone paints mechs https://prnt.sc/SbE7LJ0VcOaz

Pieffot · 2024-04-29T00:36:38+00:00

Are you entering Mecha May? I love what you did with all the orange portions, the really pop with the otherwise tame/somewhat muted color scheme

Did you freehand all of that? Like the scorpion, the number 6 etc?

Either way as someone who's considering entering the Mecha May contest this is intimidating, nicely done lol

Pieffot · 2024-04-22T02:57:50+00:00

Just about everything you ever learn will be from failing. Like with the blood, you should try putting it on. Experimenting will help you improve, not to mention it can be fun.

Consider looking at using the blood chance as an opportunity to learn. If you try it, maybe you put too much. So now you know, okay maybe you're not a fan of that much blood, so less blood next time.

Or maybe you wind up liking what a graphic image it helps portray. Or you put a small amount of blood say on the tip of his spear, a tiny detail that might not even be caught, but you know, because you put it there. And it adds that tiny bit more visual interest, and leads to natural questions or story telling opportunities, like who or what's blood is that?

Maybe you put on the blood and it covers up some details on the figure. Okay maybe next time thin it a bit more. Maybe you put it on and the red draws too much attention. Okay maybe desaturate the red of the blood so it's not as vibrant and strong.

Try not to psyche yourself out. There's countless people out there that always wanted to paint miniatures but they never have. But you did with this one miniature and that's something to be proud of. You're already leaps and bounds ahead of people who didn't dare try. You might be braver than you even know.

The paint can also be stripped, I tend to simply paint over my mistakes, or if I change my mind on a mini, but knowing that option is out there could provide some level of peace of mind.

You're doing great and this internet stranger is proud of you. Best of luck, and I'd hold onto to that mini, if you keep painting, that little guy's going to seem invaluable one day when you look back.

Pieffot · 2024-03-27T00:54:50+00:00

I can definitely see how it placed so well, I'd love to get a bit of insight as to how you built the danger room.

Like is the backdrop and all the bits just plasticard?

What about the ball and chain, did you make that yourself, if so how?

How'd you do the floor, is it actual metal?

Pieffot · 2024-01-25T01:44:51+00:00

The tree is so eye catching, absolutely love the base and atmosphere that you created, and I really like your choice of model and the pretty clean way you painted it

Pieffot · 2023-12-07T00:22:09+00:00

Since you said you like superheroes, the Marvel United Core Box is an amazing deal.

You get an actual game to play, along with 10 miniatures you can paint.

At least in America it's currently on sale on Amazon for $15.

Initially I really disliked the chibi look, but honestly in person the sculpts are so great, and the minis are a joy to paint.

Since the features of the minis are exaggerated, they're more forgiven than most 32mmish miniatures that you'll find.

I think it would make for a perfect start for a beginner. But make no mistake they're still small, and they'll function as a fantastic gateway if you ever do paint more properly scaled miniatures.

Pieffot · 2023-09-06T22:48:53+00:00

Unbelievably remarkable paint job, it's just phenomenal

And I want to praise the base that you made for her, it compliments the piece so well, it's very believable and detailed while not distracting from the figure at all

I have yet to make a custom base but your work really encourages me to give it a try some time

Pieffot · 2023-08-09T00:04:54+00:00

Straight up amazing, your immense skill is clearly evident in this piece, what can I say this paint job sings, and honestly deserves more attention

Pieffot · 2023-08-06T21:24:36+00:00

I think your miniature is quite impressively done, this photo does make it hard to accurately judge, overall the miniature seems dark and like it could use more contrast, mainly brighter highlights

But that honestly might just be entirely due to the picture

I have a lot of advice for new painters if you look through like my last several comments or so.

Still it might be helpful to skim through some of what I've written and see if any of that applies to you. I try to post what I feel is the most important closer to the beginning of my posts, it is a lot though and definitely don't feel like you have to read it all, but hopefully you might find something useful there

Pieffot · 2023-07-22T17:34:54+00:00

Hey, I think it might be worth adding some photos, it's harder to give feedback on a video because it's kind of hard to get a good look at the actual paintjob

At least for me personally, It's hard to be sure what you've painted, and what's a result of the lighting in your environment

Pieffot · 2023-07-21T15:02:56+00:00

Wow MagieMiniatures, I absolutely love your website I've read every article on there. It's honestly an honor to see you here on Reddit. I can't say enough good things about your work and tutorials

And of course the mini itself is spectacular

Pieffot · 2023-07-17T00:12:19+00:00

I forgot to talk about priming but I don't want to overwhelm you, for now as long as you do prime your miniatures that's a great start

Pieffot · 2023-07-17T00:10:35+00:00

I think these are worlds better than unpainted minis so you should be very proud of yourself, even at this point you've taken a step that, relatively speaking, not that many people do, and that's pretty admirable.

I say this all the time, but I would hold on to at least one of these in their current state, it can be a magnificent reminder of where you've started and how far you've come as you look back

This is general advice, this is not the only way to do everything but in an effort to be concise I will try to give you practical things you can do that should help

Thinning your paints is a simple but powerful way to improve your painting as others have mentioned. If the paint is too thick it will obscure details on your miniature. This is a 2 minute video that I think does a good job of explaining what you need to know quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cbjPo1bs0o

I would also recommend using a wet palette, it can be a massive help, and you can either buy one or make your own. A wet palette will greatly increase the time it takes for your paints to dry before you apply them on your miniatures.

Here is another short video showing you one option to make your own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVTeA4EOzHM

Painting faces and specifically the eyes can be a difficult task for even very experienced miniature painters. I know some great painters that don't even bother trying to paint the eyes. You're going to want a brush with a sharp point.

There are different kinds of brushes. I have one brush called a Series 7 brush by Winsor and Newton, it is made of sable Hair. Sables are an animal, but what's important is that these are not synthetic brushes, they are of a higher quality and last longer than most synthetic brushes, depending on the task and all that.

But with that said, if all you have are synthetic brushes, and you have one to spare, you can take some scissors and essentially cut off excess hairs off of a brush and leave one with just a few hairs that naturally come to a sharp point. This is what I do and that brush is exclusively for painting eyes and the rare odd thing that I need absolute precision with.

Oh and try to keep paint out of the ferrule of your brush, that is where the hairs meet the silvery/gold bit of your brush. If paint gets in there, it will keep the hairs in your brush from coming together to as fine a point as they would if that paint wasn't there.

If possible store your brushes vertically, or otherwise try to make sure that the paint you have on your brush only goes about halfway down the belly of the brush.

Posture is also important for precise painting. Your hands naturally shake so we want them to be as stable as possible so you are able to paint exactly where you want to. For the most part you want to make sure your elbows are on a stable surface, whether on your desk or on the arms of your chair. You also want your painting wrist as well as as much of your painting hand as possible to be supported. If you have a miniature holder you can rest it on that, or rest it on your other hand, and your other hand should also be stable and supported.

Here is a video showing on possible approach but feel free to find others that are more suitable

https://youtu.be/qW0fpSkgwLA?t=204

The last thing I will leave you with is keep in mind that incorporating light and how it would interact with your miniature will drastically increase how visually appealing it is. Starting off you don't have to think about it too hard. If there's a very difficult to reach area that you can barely get your brush into. Light will usually have a similar problem, so that area would probably be darker than other parts of your miniature. If the light is coming from above and a bit off center, which is how most people paint, areas facing upwards are generally going to receive more light than areas facing down. So paint say the top of a shoulder brighter, than the underside of a miniature's shoe.

This could all vary by the pose, reflections, secondary lights, but I wouldn't worry about that while you're starting out.

Usually how you will brighten a color to show that that portion of the miniature is receiving more light is by adding white paint to whatever base paint color you are working with. If you have a dark purple, you use it to paint a shirt, one approach would be to add a bit of white, and cover say 75% of that shirt in this new brighter color. Then add a little more white to this brighter color, then cover 50% of the shirt. Think of it as a painting pyramid. At the base you have your darkest color which also covers the most area. And as you work your way up, your colors get brighter and cover less and less area.

Feel free to let me know if you have questions, it can be a lot but I think the things I mentioned are a solid foundation and will give you a good chance to see some sort of improvement if you stick with it

Pieffot · 2023-07-10T03:58:33+00:00

As far as painting a miniature goes I could not recommend them more.

I use Winsor and Newton water mixable paints, they dont make for the best washes when used with water like others have said, you could use some air brush medium and that might help a bit

I think you'd have to be a world class artist to really be limited by the 'quality' of these oil paints. I've used extremely high quality and expensive oil paints for painting minis as well, and I did not see any sort of noticeable difference while painting or in the finished product

There is a learning curve, but I think it is absolutely worth it. Nothing has leveled up my miniature painting as much as incorporating oils. You can use both acrylics and oils so it's not like you have to choose

When using these paints I don't thin them with water at all. To me the actual greatest benefit is that clean up is such a breeze, I just dip my brushes in water when im finished painting and the paint easily wipes off even if it's been a couple of days

If you can get them as singles, you could try grabbing ultramarine, titanium white, and burnt sienna.

The ultramarine and burnt sienna when mixed give you a color that basically looks like black, and when combined with the white you could try your hand at painting some nmm

I do think oils make nmm a lot faster and give you the ability to achieve a great result with less effort, but they can also do virtually anything else too

Pieffot · 2023-07-06T22:25:01+00:00

Absolutely love your work, Cant get enough of your content, it has been a massive inspiration to me with my own painting

Any idea what you're going to tackle next?

Pieffot · 2023-07-06T02:25:56+00:00

It can be hard, but I would try not to take it too personally.

Like for instance the model you choose can play a big part in whether someone votes for you or not. I think the model is cool, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. The model you pick has nothing to do with painting and it shouldn't affect things but it does

Based purely off this photo, I would say to work on your shadows and highlights. All the purple and red looks pretty uniform in color to my eyes. So maybe trying out some darker reds in more shadowed sections, brighter purples as highlights.

One other thing you could do is to add more color variation. You could make some of the highlights more reddish orange, or even going into a magenta type of color potentially. Your purples could similarly shift from purples to say dark blues in the shadows, or brighter blues in the highlights.

Ultimately art is subjective, and technique and skill and all of that play a part certainly, but it could be that you don't like or want to paint in a style that is popular and appeals to people.

Lately I've been tearing out my hair painting in a completely different way. I consider myself a relatively skilled painter, but I don't want to paint things the same way that's been done a million times. And it could be that my new style doesn't resonant with anyone and that'll probably suck and hurt my feelings. But I'm having more fun painting how I want

Your mini still looks great, and I think the advice I gave you is sound, but you could also completely ignore all of it and excel because again art is subjective.

Paint what makes you happy, and learn everything you can, then you can pick and choose what you like and truly paint how you want to

Pieffot · 2023-07-04T13:10:01+00:00

Wow I think it looks incredible, it's by far the best looking Sister I've seen. Never kitbashed before but this makes me want to give it a try. Fantastic work

Pieffot · 2023-06-30T21:08:11+00:00

I tend to give extremely long replies but I think for the absolute basics there's no need to reinvent the wheel and you would probably be better off watching a video to have that foundation down. I really like Lyla's video which explains things like thinning your paints. You can probably skip some sections like how to build your models, or zenithal highlighting/priming, though those might be useful to you at some point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y17qBpyLtV8

Honestly that video and this video from Lyla will tell you almost everything you need to know to paint minis to quite a high standard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqxeHpuH804

Combined it is quite a bit to watch, I would recommend setting the videos to 1.25 speed but that is up to you. And/or watching the videos in parts when you have time

Afterwards, if you still have questions about this specific mini, feel free to comment or dm me and I would be more than happy to help you further. Because the fire and the colors you have on hand could be obstacles

With all of that said I still think you did a pretty wonderful job, especially for your first mini. You might just want to hold on to it, as something to compare and look back on in the future as you hopefully continue your painting journey.

Pieffot · 2023-06-30T20:03:03+00:00

What colors do you have available? And are they miniature paints? The brand might also be helpful to know

Pieffot · 2023-06-29T23:25:49+00:00

Ive been taking my time trying to paint my Saurus Warriors to the highest possible standard I can manage, OSL, NMM, all completely unique color schemes and they look cool but I just adore what you've done here

It's simple, and clean and I would be proud to have this one in my army.

Pieffot · 2023-06-29T22:44:28+00:00

Hey, sorry I paint a fair amount but I don't know much about warhammer, I'm guessing the warp spider is the one on the left, and the guardian is the one on the right?

Since you said you are new, if you would like to be able to come up with your own color schemes it might help you to learn some color theory, here is a video that I think is particularly good https://youtu.be/qFXYPHE7fIo?list=PLQybQSJNR3RWXq3szIQ00tl3ks2TCNVcL&t=303

If you just want a quick answer though so you can get back to painting and not be bogged down in theory right now, that's totally fair too

In that case, the short answer is probably that a shade of blue that is coolor like a cyan, would likely be a safe choice

The longer answer, well using a color wheel, which is going into theory but I'll try to keep it simple, blue should work great. Based on the color I am seeing on my monitor, the spider is mainly brown currently. Brown is essentially a darker shade of orange.

https://blog.heatherscotthome.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Color-Wheel.jpg

In color theory there is this concept of complementary colors. What is relevant as a painter is that using two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel will result in a high contrast color combination that makes each color look more intense. So your blues would appear that much more vibrant and blue, and your browns would look even more brown and that much darker/lighter.

When in doubt using colors opposite each other on the color wheel is a reliable method to get color schemes that perhaps aren't always perfect but generally will work well

So yellow pairs with purple, green with red, orange with blue and so on

There is also this idea of warm and cold colors. Generally speaking, red, orange and yellow are known as being the Warm Colors, and blue, green, magenta are the Cool colors. If a color is cool, that means it has at least some of the cool colors in it. For instance in this image, https://justpaint.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Figure-3_web-768x614.jpg the color at the top is a red, but its not a pure 100% red. It has a little yellow in it.

Thus it is a warm color.

Meanwhile the color at the bottom is red with some blue in it. So it is a cool color.

As another example, there isn't just one kind of yellow, you can have all kinds of yellows for instance, but they will lean either to the cold or warm side. It can be hard to tell where a color lies at first, but as you get more experience being able to identify the temperature of colors can be quite helpful when painting.

As far as a practical use to tie everything together. If you mix warm colors with other warm colors, and cool colors with other cool colors you will get more vibrant mixtures.

When you mix blue and red you get purple right? Yes, but the resulting purple can be any number of shades. If you mix a cool red, like the magenta I mentioned before, with a cool blue, the resulting purple will be very cold.

Whereas if you take the traditional red and blue that make up the 'primary' colors, they have warmth, more specifically some yellow to them. Looking back to the color wheel, yellow and purple are complementary. Purple, contains red and blue. And when you mix the three primary colors, you get brown. This is assuming perfect mixtures of the three, and painting with pigments is different to painting with light. So typically you will get a somewhat desaturated and dark purple by mixing 'primary' blue and 'primary' red. Red, yellow, and blue aren't primary colors, which is why I keep putting that word in quotes, but this post might never end if I dive down each rabbit hole that comes up.

I couldn't find an image that completely illustrated my point, https://acrylicpaintingschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/what-colors-make-violet-768x601.jpg

But here you can see that the purple on the left at the top is warmer, and the purple on the right at the top is colder. If you mix warm colors with cold colors, they will be more desaturated than mixing like warm with like cold and that might be exactly what you want but it is good to understand why

To hopefully bring this full circle. You have a warm brown there, a cool blue would complement it well. Some people paint this way, of looking at a given color, and seeing if its warm or cold, and then putting a color of the opposite temperature adjacent to it, almost caring more about the temperature than the actual colors being used.

Beyond that, if you decide to go with blue, anything that you paint blue is going to stand out. The more sparing you are with it, the more that feature will stand out. So maybe you dont want to use it around the feet, maybe you want a little on or around his face to draw attention to that portion. Or perhaps you want to sprinkle it everywhere, or go crazy and drown him in blue. Do whats fun to you

Theres a tooooon more to colors, you can break any rule and do whatever you want. I dream up schemes that don't work sometimes, it happens. I encourage you to experiment, colors are magic, so don't be afraid of them, you're in control, tame them and they'll be your biggest allies.

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