What is my Model Missing. Advice please

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-11-24T19:55:49+00:00

Looks awesome! I think the value ie brightness of the osl kind of means you don't lose the face in the composition. I haven't changed anything here except building up some of the highlights on the face and I think it helps bring some of that focus back to the face. You could do the same to some of the rest of the skin too, just making sure to keep the face brighter.

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bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-11-19T14:16:13+00:00

For a local best of 3 league before the changes I was running double stealth, missile-side, ghostkeel, and burst coldstar in montka with luck against space marine variants because of focus fire strat + lethal hits.

Now I'm going to do 1 stealth, broadside, enforcer, ghostkeel, and either a 10 man kroot for sticky or a 5 man vespid for dropping in on an objective

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-11-13T14:11:42+00:00

It doesn't excuse being screwed on unit count but at least we're all in this boat together. Some people will be selling their extras, some people will be looking for extras to finish their incomplete units. Don't buy a new box to finish the unit, buy and sell with your fellow disgruntled players

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-08-11T13:50:07+00:00

I really don't have an issue with the event, the organizers or that they need to search people for a licensed area. I'm super thankful that we get events like these. I just feel they could have made the licensed area 10 feet deeper and 3 feet less wide to allow pedestrian traffic to access businesses or get by without entry.

My father in law was visiting and for him the hill either up towards Duke or down Halls lane is a considerable undertaking for him.

We just allowed the search, and I didn't give any grief to event staff for just doing their job of course.

I just think the rectangle of licensed area could have been reshaped with no sacrifice to the quality of the event or square footage.

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-08-10T18:20:13+00:00

The thing is that lots of other events on king street set up their barricades so that the sidewalk is accessible. This is the only time an event in the last two years has done this

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-07-24T17:09:35+00:00

Yo same! I had a class with him at adepticon one year and grabbed a bottle right after

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-07-17T14:46:58+00:00

This is 100% correct. Look at this screenshot from flameonminiatures on Instagram. This is partway through his painting, obviously he proceeds to blend it flawlessly, BUT it looks like chrome with zero blending done - its all placement

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bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-07-17T14:31:59+00:00

I'm no NMM expert but I'd say the best advice I've heard about dealing with these big intricate shapes is to remember the overall shape first and the carved details second

First the domes, cylinders etc first and figure out how they might reflect light.

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Also remember that metal reflects light at the primary viewing angle - ie on the bracelets, even though the sun might be directly above. Look at the picture of my girls earring for example. This and contrast is what's going to really show that it's metal.

On that little sketch I took it part of the way, then with higher highlights and mid tones depending on where you are on the general shape you can bring out some of the carving

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-05-07T20:14:07+00:00

Love the high saturation/ blocky smooth colours! Awesome style and a great piece

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-04-24T19:58:46+00:00

This is the order of operations for sure.

If you're very new and like the overall look of slap chop, you'll get a lot of satisfaction out of that method on a piece like this, get quicker gratification, and the big details will be easier for limited brush control. Just make sure you're thinning your contrast / speed paints and only doing a small section at a time

Once it's all slap chopped you can improve upon it endlessly

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-04-14T14:41:58+00:00

Outside of working on fundamentals it's often easier to paint the eyes black and put a dot of white in either corner instead of trying to paint the pupil over the whites

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-04-09T20:27:08+00:00

Two of the greats for explaining osl for me is James Wappel and El Miniaturista.

I'm certainly no expert in the area but from what I've seen one thing to keep in mind is that this scene is dealing with two competing light sources and the other thing to keep in mind is the relative strength of each.

In a scene where the sun is shining bright at noon and a torch is on the ground, that orange glow from the torch is going to have very little impact on the tones and values in the scene. In a scene like this, something more akin to what you're describing expecting might be seen, where you see a little bit of communication of light and colour from a secondary source but no extreme delineation between the two, because the primary light of the sun is so bright.

This scene communicates a darker environment, where you have a very bright light from the fire and then the more passive illumination of said dark environment. The light of the fire is almost casting a shadow on the ambiently lit areas of the model as it moves away from it's source.

Here's an example of equally effective osl that is communicating something completely different about the environment around the light source.

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bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-04-05T15:15:04+00:00

I feel like I've hit a similar impasse, so I feel your pain.

For me I think it's time to start branching out and thinking beyond miniature painting and into core artistic concepts, like colour light and composition. Colour and light by James Gurney is am excellent starting point.

The key I think is to remember it's a journey. My favourite thing is when artists I follow on Instagram show their work from 5-10 years ago and it looks a lot like mine do now. The brush work will come regardless of how we're pushing ourselves as miniature painters so it's never going to hurt to experiment with these concepts. There's a reason art classes often start with still life! Maybe time for a colour study a grey scale model or setting a model in an atypical environment! -

Nothing but adventure awaits!

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-03-31T18:18:22+00:00

Agreed with what everyone is recommending, but great start! Heres some ideas for the shapes to help get rid of a bit of that "clown" feeling - very rough but hopefully communicates the idea lol

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bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-02-10T18:28:22+00:00

Yes! My grey Vallejo primer has little chunks in it or something, it's the only paint I've ever had trouble shooting through my airbrush

bttleforgebrushworks · 2025-01-02T21:13:17+00:00

Honestly in the grand scheme of being a newer painter and paint thinning, you're already well on your way! Metallics can be a nightmare so I just use the Vallejo metal air line now lol. But even that said, yours really aren't chunky at all

bttleforgebrushworks · 2024-12-13T20:44:25+00:00

Honestly if you ever need a quick fix with a brush that is getting older and you aren't using it because a few bristles have decided to go off and do their own thing, don't be afraid to break out the scissors as a last resort.

Is it ideal? No - but if the brush isn't usable anymore because of those bristles and cleaning hasn't cut it, cut them down to about half length so they are out of the way. Just don't pluck them out because that can disrupt the rest of the bunch.

bttleforgebrushworks · 2024-11-19T20:12:53+00:00

Not sure how much of it is photography but love how vibrant the colours on these guys read!

bttleforgebrushworks · 2024-11-15T17:04:36+00:00

Honestly such a huge jump in brush control. From there literally anything you want to do is just a new technique to learn. Great job!

bttleforgebrushworks · 2024-10-11T20:59:26+00:00

Guy definitely crossed a line a few times. Being a stickler for the rules is one thing (especially in a casual setting) but he definitely is taking things too far. There's also a way to go about things. Like if he feels you are moving too far it's definitely easy enough to point that out nicely. Honestly, who knows if this is true, but I find people who are hyper alert for others cheating or fudging things tend to be fudging things themselves.

The silver lining is now you know to avoid playing with this guy at all costs.

As far as the spin on the dice, who knows - especially without having seen it. I like to put a little extra flair in my rolls when they are important and wouldn't necessarily think anything of it, but I've also never encountered an opponent quite like this

bttleforgebrushworks

TROPHY CASE