MATT LEWANDOWSKI'S VARGHULF
The claws and bone started out with a basecoat of Scorched Brown, followed by a coat of Bestial Brown (while moving slightly away from the base of the claw). Once this basecoat was established, I worked with four colors: Bleached Bone, Vomit Brown, Bubonic Brown, and Brown Ink. I started by painting the majority of the surface Bubonic Brown, then I used a combination of Brown Ink and water (3:7) and coated the entire surface. This allowed me to see where the recesses in the model were because the wash mix collected accordingly. After it dried, I was left with a natural highlight and it was just a matter of intensifying the highlight. To accomplish this, I mixed Bubonic Brown with Vomit Brown at 3:1 and then 1:1. The final highlight was done with the same even mix of Bubonic Brown and Vomit Brow with just a hint of Bleached Bone. The area was finished off by washing it with Brown Ink and water (1:4). This wash mixture was also used in between each highlight of paint. This kept the surface smooth while I was working with many layers of paint. I also opted to use Gloss Varnish on the base of the claws. This provided a grime or dirty effect. The most important part of the process is to keep the paint extremely watered down (usually a ratio of about 3:7). This allowed for subtle highlights as opposed to hard lines and paint build up.
Blood can be tricky. On this mode,l I followed a friend's advice and took the "less is more" approach. Therefore, I only used a little around the mouth, a few drops on the arm, and some trickles on the base. Normally I would make a paint wash for this project, but I was facing two issues. One, a red wash over a white surface would not produce a deep red, instead I would be stuck with pink or something not quite as deep or rich as real blood. The second issue was control -- washes are messy at best and I needed to apply it in certain areas and very deliberately. I started Scab Red and used a dabbing or stippling technique. The idea was lots of small dots that join at times, this created a blotchy effect in certain areas. After my basecoat I merely mixed scab with Red Gore (1:1) and applied an even smaller blotch. The final highlight was Red Gore with Blood Red (4:1) and was used very sparingly. To finish it off, I applied a Liche Purple and Scab Red (1:1) paint wash (20% paint, 80% water) around the gums in the mouth and then went over all of the blood with Gloss Varnish to create a sheen.
The fur was the first section of the model I tackled. It started with a basecoat of Scorched Brown, then a basecoat of Bestial Brown and finally a basecoat of Vomit Brown. Once I had a solid base, I started by slowly mixing up Vomit Brown with Skull White. I find with drybrushing, the more shades you can produce, the better the result. This project was in the neighborhood of 6-8 layers/colors finished with a very selective/subtle addition of Skull White (mainly around the head and chest. The end result is a warm white which I felt contrasted the white of the wings and flesh nicely. I was really trying to produce an entirely white model by using different undertones to create contrast.
The base was constructed mostly of slate (both gravel and pieces) and two-part epoxy putty. I started out with a basecoat of Scorched Brown and Codex Grey (4:1). This created a rather unusual purple hue for the gaps in between the rock. I then drybrushed up with Codex Grey, followed by Codex Grey/Fortress Grey mix (1:1), Fortress Grey, and lastly used a mix of Fortress Grey and Skull White (4:1). The last highlight was only used on a few selected areas to prevent the base from being entirely white. The skeleton accessories and pieces were worked up with Scorched Brown, Bestial Brown and Bleached Bone. The idea was to create some sort of contrast on the base. I finished it out with some pale green static grass and a snow mix (2 snow : 1 water : 1 white PVA glue). I then used a few heavy coats of matte sealer to create a frosted feel on the static grass.
The flesh was a bit unusual for me. I really wanted it to have a white feel, like the fur, but I definitely was trying to have some contrast between the two. To accomplish this, I decided to go with a cold white as opposed to the warm white exhibited by the fur. My basecoat was two solid layers of Fortress Grey. This was by far the most important step of the process, because I've found that the look of white is determined by its base color. Next, I painted on a basecoat of Fortress Grey and Vomit Brown (7:3). To create the white highlights and shading, I went ahead and slowly added Skull White to this mix along with plenty of water. The key to shading this color is a very slow progression. I've found that if the highlight is getting too bright too quickly, the best approach is to water down (paint wash) the original basecoat (Fortress Grey/Vomit Brown) and use it to control your highlighted lines. This area of the model (the flesh) was by far the most difficult and rewarding part. It really is just a matter of pacing yourself and being patient. Three sessions later, the skin was finished.
Like the skin and fur, I wanted the wings to look white without blending in with the rest of the model. In my head I had a picture of this bestial albino monster, so pink had to be in the equation. The interesting part is that I never used "pink"for the wings. It started with a basecoats of Scorched Brown, Bestial Brown and a Dark Flesh/Vomit Brown mix (4:1). The highlights were created by making various paint washes. The highlight colors were made with Dark Flesh/Vomit Brown mix and adding Skull White a little at a time. I left the edges of the different sections darker and built up my highlights so that the middle of the wing was the brightest. Finally, I went back with the original Dark Flesh/Vomit Brown mix and made a paint wash to smooth out the highlight progression and make the edges even darker.
The flesh was a bit unusual for me. I really wanted it to have a white feel, like the fur, but I definitely was trying to have some contrast between the two. To accomplish this, I decided to go with a cold white as opposed to the warm white exhibited by the fur. My basecoat was two solid layers of Fortress Grey. This was by far the most important step of the process, because I've found that the look of white is determined by its base color. Next, I painted on a basecoat of Fortress Grey and Vomit Brown (7:3). To create the white highlights and shading, I went ahead and slowly added Skull White to this mix along with plenty of water. The key to shading this color is a very slow progression. I've found that if the highlight is getting too bright too quickly, the best approach is to water down (paint wash) the original basecoat (Fortress Grey/Vomit Brown) and use it to control your highlighted lines. This area of the model (the flesh) was by far the most difficult and rewarding part. It really is just a matter of pacing yourself and being patient. Three sessions later, the skin was finished.
The sores were painted much like the blood spots. Since I was going for a deeper blood look, I tried to stay away from the bright reds. Instead, I used a Scab Red and Scorched Brown mix as my basecoat (1:1). I then brought the highlights up by adding Bleached Bone (very small amounts to keep the color from going towards pink). After I worked up the highlights, I used a paint wash with the original basecoat to make the highlights more subtle. The blood on the fur was doing using the same process. I also used an even mix of Scab Red and Liche Purple and added it to the deepest cracks and crevasses of the wounds. Gloss Varnish was added at the end to make a nice sheen to resemble wet blood.
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