Mertaal's Wip: Barrow Wights and Tom Bombadil p17

Thermo · **Posted:** Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:16 pm

You have my sword

That would be pretty epic. Army is looking good

Just need to get bothered basing mine to a decent standard and mine will be respectable too!

mertaal · **Posted:** Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:37 am

Couple of Rohan WIP shots.

I have no idea why I'm painting Eowyn and Theoden on foot instead of Erkenbrand and Eomer on foot, considering those are the heroes I'm currently playing at 500 points, but there we go! It's the completionist in me!

You'll notice I've put Eomer on an armoured horse. Controversially, I don't much care for the Knight of the Pelenor fields model (it's the fivehead), but obviously I like the profile.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Tue Nov 26, 2013 4:49 pm

Nice work on the very detailed Rohan armour. It's not easy to pick out on the sculpts but you have done it well.
Is Eowyns face as dark as the photo suggests ? My only thought was it could do with being lighter, but I know photos don't always give an exact idea.

mertaal · **Posted:** Tue Nov 26, 2013 10:55 pm

Hey Gandlaf. Yeah, her face is a bit darker than I am happy with, but she's still not finished. I was loosing definition so slapped a darker wash on her, particularly around her hair. I have trouble with female faces in balancing light and dark. Go too far and they end up looking like a man in drag, but if you make them too subtle they just look… unfinished!

I'm happy with Theoden though. The harsh light makes the shadows look a bit more pronounced than they really are- in fact, the way I want them to be! But he needs a bit of extra contrast in the face.

Superb likeness that one. I'm amazed at how well some of the sculptors captured the actor's faces.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:21 am

Try this link. It has a nice bit on female faces.
http://chestofcolors.com/how-to-paint-faces/

mertaal · **Posted:** Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:38 am

Thanks Gandlaf. In fact, I read that tutorial more than a year ago, but never paid much attention to the part about female faces. Incredible work there, and great to read over it again, paying more attention to the last part!

I long for the day I can blend so smoothly and reliably over such a small and awkward area as that cheekbone. Trompe L'oil at its finest!

Last night I was working on a piece of difficult terrain- a frozen pond.

Poor picture, but I've also finished Dwalin and Gloin.

mertaal · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:26 pm

So I missed the deadline for submitting the Sons of Eorl to the November painting challenge. I've had them 80% done for a couple of weeks, but honestly I got frustrated with them, and it was stopping me from painting at all, so I decided to shelve them and move on to other things. Firstly, I found the greenstuff difficult to paint. Secondly, the more I painted them the more unhappy I was with the conversion job I did. There's not much work to do on them really. a bit of work on the faces and hair, and some edge highlights on the leather.
As much as I like the look of the Wargames Factory viking Huscarls, there's not much depth in the hair detail, so if you paint too thickly you'll be in trouble. Best to paint them with a wash and a dry brush than try to dry brush over a solid layer of colour I think.
However, for the moment they're on the shelf, so it'll have to wait for another time.

Some fellowship progress:

and Frodo of the smushed face. What's with this sculpt? All the other Hobbit faces are amazingly good likenesses. Frodo looks like a deformed goblin!:

And a finished Kili and (sort of finished) Thorin:

Had problems with Thorin's tunic. I was using Necron Abyss- a very sticky blue colour i have from years ago, that looks very much like biro ink. anyway, had enormous trouble blending it, so will probably go back with a different blue later and try to resolve. For now though, all there is to do is paint the sword a bit better. Was trying to get some sort of funky blackened effect on the tip, but it didn't work out the way I was hoping.

Bartelomeus · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:37 pm

Great natural colours on the hobbits and nice Kili!, love his clock especially.
As for Thorin, yeah the blue's a bit too... blue

mertaal · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2013 8:41 pm

Thanks man. Yeah, I'm trying to go for a much more muted/desaturated scheme for my fellowship. Thorin's company, I want to be reasonably vivid, although yeah, the blue is a bit much!

Really weird paint to work with.

Harfoot · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:28 pm

Nice to see some of the older LOTR releases being painted, painted the Frodo And Sam years ago, brilliant sculpts.

Is the frozen pond for a game? It looks really good

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:51 pm

You have done a wonderful job on these. The Hobbit faces are so small yet you have picked out the detail brilliantly with some nice OSL. Kili and Thorin are also exceptional.

mertaal · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:12 pm

Not any progress lately, as first my GF was ill, then I was. Pretty much 2 weeks off work, self employed at Xmas = not very good!

So I have a christmas tradition of making a Lord of the Rings themed diorama for my mum, who is a huge Tolkien fan. Last year it was gollum, and this year is Sam and Frodo at Cirith Ungol.

Sam will actually be positioned further forward- I've just balanced him to show the general idea. (I paint him glued to a paint pot)
Need to do more work on the skin and hair, as well as the base of course. Metal too. Also not quite happy with Frodo's face. Needs a bit more contrast.
I think I generally need to work a bit more on the shadows- they look really dark here, but that's the lighting rather than painting. Anyway, here it is:

mertaal · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:21 pm

Harfoot wrote:

Is the frozen pond for a game? It looks really good

Thanks matey- I have made a winter themed board, and so the frozen pond is "difficult terrain" for that. There'll probably be some more scenery updates in this thread in the New Year, as I have a few forests and perhaps another frozen pond planned.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:49 pm

The conversions and paint look very nice. Take some photos of your snow table please.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 2:17 pm

Great work again Mertaal, very nice little diorama

Gilcris · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 2:43 pm

Love the diorama scenery and Sam's face looks quite good.

mertaal · **Posted:** Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:20 pm

OMW: I certainly shall. I'll get it all out again some time between Xmas and NYE probably.

Thanks guys. Made a bit of progress tonight. Got the base done, with some foliage also, and finished Sam. I might tweak the face a bit before I call it properly finished. Then I have to make a title plaque.

This is what I did for her last year, and which it is supposed to match in style:

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

Amazing! How did you do the label?

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:26 am

That's a fantastic Gollum piece, very original and executed to perfection.

mertaal · **Posted:** Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:30 am

Thanks guys- it's a bit of coke can, cut up and shaped with pliers and airbrushed

.

Mertaal's Wip: Barrow Wights and Tom Bombadil p17

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