11 replies to this topic

[zoroaster100]

I started painting the Scotia Grendel's Goblin Torturer's Chamber. Here are most of the pieces, with my initial work. There is one big piece, not shown here, that I haven't even started - the goblin gate. I've started on the other pieces but wanted to post them here at their current stage and see if I can get some advice before proceeding. I'm a novice painter (started painting minis after pledging the Reaper Kickstarter, about 4 weeks ago), so pretty much everything I'm trying, I'm doing for the first time.

I could use advice, especially with the following:

1) Any suggestions for improving the look of the stone surfaces?
2) Any suggestions for how to paint the ropes so they look more like rope, including a suggestion on any Reaper MSP color or color combo to use?
3) I used Reaper MSP Honed Silver for the metal parts, and I think they look too shiny and new. Any suggestions for making the chains and such look more like they would look in a goblin's torture chamber in a dungeon?
4) Am I headed in the right direction with the coal pit for the hot tongs, to try to represent the glowing heat? Suggestions for improving on this approach or for an alternate approach?
5) Any other suggestions for improvement of these pieces?

Any nugget of wisdom you can share is appreciated.

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[zoroaster100]

By the way, these have been the hardest thing so far for me to paint, because I really struggled to get the basecoats on. I washed these resin pieces with soapy warm water, but I think I didn't wash them enough, since there still seemed to be some chemical on them that seemed to repel the primer and the paint. After several coats of primer and paint I finally seem to be able to paint on these.

[Lastman]

The glowing coals look pretty good. Maybe a tiny touch of white on the tips of the tools to indicate white-hotness.

[smokingwreckage]

First up, you're doing well. This is an old model, with fairly scant detail and big flat surfaces, and so, difficult to dress up.

The shackles, being old iron or steel, are going to be mostly black with some brown tones. Realistically it will be shiny at wear points, where struggling victims or other contact polish the steel, but it might look best to highlight the highest points. Use a slightly darker metallic though.

I'd give the metal some washes with brown ink, reaper Brown Liner, and/or black. Maybe stipple with a little red-brown; this is where you get a tiny amount of paint on the end of an unwanted brush and stab little patchy, rough dots onto something.

Now, the stone doesn't have much texture of its own, and fixing that will be tricky. You could look online for a tutorial on painting stone, or get some very fine texture paste of some sort to give it a slightly gritty surface. I hope someone with more experience will chime in on this.

You could use controlled washes to add shadows around the chair, shackles, and firepit.


Consider blacking in a bit more of the tools, remember they disperse heat, being metal, so they are likely to be a little less glowing than the coals at the cool end, and quite bright at the hot end. If you could find an online pic or video of blacksmithing it would help. BUT! That glow effect is very good!

[Lastman]

Now, the stone doesn't have much texture of its own, and fixing that will be tricky. You could look online for a tutorial on painting stone, or get some very fine texture paste of some sort to give it a slightly gritty surface. I hope someone with more experience will chime in on this.

You could use controlled washes to add shadows around the chair, shackles, and firepit.

I agree. That smooth stone threw me. Definitely darkline the cracks but I wouldn't use black. Try a mix of dark blue with a little brown in it for a cool blackish depth.

All that stone (that's not near the fire pit) has to be cold to the touch, so add blue to the washes. You can always glaze over it with a lighter brownish-grey for definition. Since most of it is rather smooth, you would want to de-emphasize the areas that don't have bones etc. on them.

The key areas would be the seat and the floor where the victims feet would be. There'd be a bit of thrashing at the base of the chair, but the victim would probably be barefoot, so you could add some sort of localized dark sweat stain. And dried blood looks dark brown.

That strap for the victim's head would also be sweat-stained leather.

The main lighting in this hellish place might come from sconces on walls or braziers, but in the set as it is, it would be the fire pit. I'm no OSL master but that's what I'd try to do.

[dwarvenranger]

Bloodstains man! You gotta have some bloodstains and maybe other stains as well (if you know what I mean). Dirty it up! Goblins ain't clean.

[Nameless]

as for chains and other metal elements - some orange/brown washes would make them look old and rusty, as I suppose they should be considering it's goblins' stuff :)

[zoroaster100]

Thanks so much everyone, for the very helpful suggestions. I already tried the suggestions for improving the hot tongs with white tips and blackening the part away from the fire more, and it looks good. I will try many of these other suggestions as well and post pics after I get further along with these changes. This is site is such an awesome resource for someone like me learning to paint miniatures! What a great community of helpful and knowledgeable people! I'm really glad to have found this online community. I hope some day after much practice that I'll learn enough to be able provide helpful suggestions to others as well.

[zoroaster100]

I implemented some of the suggestions adding white tips to the tongs and darkening the rest of the metal, and adding some lighting effect from the hot coals reflected on the other objects, and shadows, and shadowing in the cracks between the stones, and painted the rat tails Tanned Skin. Also painted the metal parts on the chair over with black and then highlighted with Shadowed Steel. I think it looks better than before. Critique and suggestions welcome.

[zoroaster100]

Forgot to attach the photos!

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[zoroaster100]

Another photo.

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[smokingwreckage]

I like what you've done. The firepit is unlikely to be carved from the same piece of stone as the floor, so consider some darklining at the join. Apart from that I can't comment much, my laptop has terrible colour reproduction.