Next we will start shading the miniature to add some depth. Usually at this stage I would start jumping all over the miniature, working on the green, working on the red, painting the cockpit when I feel like it, ... But as I mentioned earlier this approach doesn't translate well into a step-by-step. To structure everything a bit we will concentrate on the red (maroon) parts first.
For
shading I thin my paint down to an almost wash like consistency, working with thin paint to slowly build up color and intensity. I usually use (a combination of) two techniques: shading with glazes/controlled washes ('pushing' paint) and feathering.
- Glazes/controlled washes: the paint is really thin and transparent, I don't have much paint on the brush (unload on a paper towel before hitting the miniature!), paint with the side of the brush rather then the tip, start the brushstroke where you want the least paint to be and end it where you want the most paint to be. We are painting from light to dark, literally pushing the paint into the shadows. This techniques is some sort of layering technique, building up smooth gradients by layering transparent layers of paint on top of each other (letting every layer dry before painting the next). The thinner the paint is, the longer it takes, but the smoother the result will be.
- Feathering: for this technique the paint is not quite as thin as for the previous technique and you need a second brush. Here I put down some paint in the shadow area and then quickly use the second (damp) brush to blur the edge of the still wet paint, feathering the paint to create a smooth gradient.
Most of the time I use a combination of both techniques, pushing paint into the shadows and feathering the edges when necessary. A method I developed over time and by now is really hard to describe and intuitive for me (as is when to 'feather' and when not). I realize this may sound strange/more complicated than it actually is and have tried to film myself while painting the green. The results where not very good as I haven't found a setup which let me comfortably work on the miniature while showing what I do. I am still trying to get something useful out of the few minutes I have and will post the video not when we get to the green as I initially planned, but as soon as possible.
The shading techniques described above work best for miniatures which aren't covered with small panel and a plethora of panel lines. Looking at your miniature choices I see some minis with a huge amount of small panel and many panel lines (Enforcer III, I am looking at you). For the Enforcer III I would do a few things differently: the first shades would probably be applied as a targeted wash to certain areas (very controlled and local, pushing paint into the panel lines), then use the feathering technique to get some global light to dark gradient (not individually on each panel). I'd also darkline the panel lines a couple of times (whenever I have a dark color on the palette or feel like it ... sorry for being vague again :-[). Here are a few pictures of miniatures (or rather areas) I have painted using this approach. The arm of the Blade probably shows it best, with the global dark-light gradient supplemented by individual work on each panel. I have also started to work on an Enforcer III only to take another shot at doing some video of what I am doing. It will take a couple of days (and the scheme is different), but I will hopefully have something to better show what I mean.
When
highlighting I follow a similar approach.
- Glazes: same as above, but this time pulling the paint from dark to light.
- Feathering: works here too, but I use it less frequently.
- Edge highlights: another technique I use for the final lights are edge highlights where I only paint sharp edges and the most prominent parts in a very light color to really push the contrast and make the mini stand out. For this the paint is slightly less thinned than for the other techniques, but still enough so it easily flows off the brush. The easiest and most controlled way is to apply the paint using the side of the brush rather than the tip whenever possible.
When highlighting, especially when doing the edge highlights, I don't treat every panel and edge the same. While I don't truly follow a fixed lightsource approach (one of my bigger flaws, I very roughly use a 'light from above' approach, but some more focus definitely couldn't hurt...) I try to pay more attention to the torso/head area than to the legs and feet.
Step 5: Let's start shading the red. I use a mix of Vallejo Panzer Aces Periscopes (a dark and unsaturated blue) and a dab Games Workshop Scab Red to slowly build up the first shadow using both thin glazes and feathering. You can see how the color starts to become more and more opaque after the first few layers (of the same mix).
Step 6: I continue to shade the miniature using neat Periscopes and finally Periscopes with just a dab of black. I haven't snapped pictures of every step, but the next set shows where I stopped shading - for now. For now, because I don't consider the deepest shadows dark enough yet and we will come back to them later (after painting on scratches and the like). Transitions aren't really smooth yet and the miniature still looks like poo, but we are getting there. Trust me ... ;)
I thought about posting the red highlighting as well, but maybe it is a better idea to wait and see how the shading works for you. Or maybe give me a short feedback if you'd like to see the highlights now or want to finish shading your miniatures (and get feedback) first. Thanks :)