Help me paint the Nothing Beast

[micahwc]

So, this will be my first Nightmare edition ever and I want to do a paint job worthy of the model. Secondly, the FLGS near where I live has no Malifaux presence, I figure if I can paint a high quality NB in the store, it may bring some interest. This being said, I am an okay painter. Some things have turned out really, really, well. Others have not. Please help me paint this thing right. This thread is for advice, critique, and showcase. I will update it as I make progress.

1: The eyes: I love the glowing eyes on the NB in the box art and I was thinking about trying to do something similar with flouresent pigment. Any suggestions for how to do this?

2: Tara's eyes: I love the dark around Tarah's eyes and would like to replicate this. Any tips?

3: How do I make the wretches stand out. Based on the pictures, they all kind of look the same.

4: Paint scheme: I like the box paint scheme a lot and may go for it; however, I already have a lot of dark blue based crews. (Rasputina, Lilith, Yan Lo, etc). Any suggestions?

5: How do I make the NB and VW look like they come from nothing? My first idea is to base coat in black, and highlight just the edges in whatever color scheme. I think this would make it look like they are appearing out of nowhere, but I don't think it would be visually impressive. Any thoughts?

---------- Post added at 10:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 AM ----------

So i've been looking at the art for the box a lot and I have a few ideas.

Tara: It looks as if the bullet hole is the same way all the way through. I am thinking of widening the exit wound a bit, as reallistically exit wounds are much larger than entry wounds. I am also thinking about basing her in front of a wall. The wall will have a lot of blood spatter and gore on it level with the hole in Tara's chest. I hope it will look like she just got shot, and now she is ****ed off.

Wretches: I think I am going to try to model one on top of a wall about to leap onto an unsuspecting guardsman (guardswoman?). The female guild guard model looks like she is looking out for suspected danger. Sword and pistol at ready. I would love to model her with her back to a ledge with the wretch on top of it about to pounce on the guard. Kind of similar to the new Wendigo model, but not actually attacked yet. Think stalking Lictor from 40k.

Karina: I think I want to try to model her with her gun aimed how her face is looking in the box art. Her face, to me anyway, looks like she is aiming a pistol but this doesn't match how she is holding it. Interesting that she appears to be a lefty. I would like to twist the right hand so it is in a more natural position for shooting. Right now it looks like she is trying to throw an imaginary hand grenade, or perhaps modeling a new car on the Malifaux version of the Price is Right.

Nothing Beast: I think it would be cool to base it in front of something and paint the NB in such a way as to suggest that you can see through it and see what you based behind it. Practically I don't think this would work out well, but I think it would look cool if you could find a way to pull it off.

Edited August 15, 2013 by micahwc

[Dracomax]

I'm honestly considering going with a dark red color scheme with glowing green eyes. it's almost certainly out of my skill range, but I have this image of basically all you see is the edges of the thing as it moves(it being made of nothing) and can't think of a better way to do it than to try and emulate something where the "edges" have a faint but noticable glow, and everything else is as dark as possible.

[micahwc]

I'm honestly considering going with a dark red color scheme with glowing green eyes. it's almost certainly out of my skill range, but I have this image of basically all you see is the edges of the thing as it moves(it being made of nothing) and can't think of a better way to do it than to try and emulate something where the "edges" have a faint but noticable glow, and everything else is as dark as possible.

I like it. Maybe paint it really dark but highlight some edges with paint that has Flourescent pigment added in small amounts?

[Fenton Crack]

In regards to some of you painting questions:

Glowing eyes can be difficult without an airbrush. With an airbrush you have to dial down the pressure really low (like 10 to 12 psi) and get right in the face to shoot the eyes white. The center of the eye socket will be bright white fading to a lighter white the further from the center with the skin tone showing through the fade. If you want glowing white, you are all set, if you want a different color you can then repeat the process with a candy clear (like Minitaire Ghost Tints from Badger for instance) and it will give you a great glowing effect. The faces and eyes are so small on the Wyrd as tics it may be much harder than doing the same thing on their metals. I would suggest clear coating the face with Future or a gloss first, so if you mess it up an alcohol dipped brush or swab can delete your mistake while leaving the face paint intact.

As to the edging effect, an airbrush is again an easier way to do similar effects. If you prime the model black or a very dark gray and then shoot white down on the model at 20 to thirty degree angle it will over emphasize the shadows and bunch of the dark undercoat will remain uncovered blocked by any of the overhanging contours. Then just shoot or paint a transparent or thinned color over the white.

---------- Post added at 11:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 AM ----------

Oh, and for dark ringed "hollow" eyes, it's the same process but you shoot the eye socket ad ark color instead of white for the sunken dark fade, then use a brush to go over the actual eyeball in an off white.

[micahwc]

I've never used an airbrush and I don't think I want the NB to be my first attempt.

[Fenton Crack]

It doesn't work as well, or at least not as easy, with a brush, but you can essentially use the sane technique with a brush, is just harder to get as smooth of fade. You still need to thin the paints down milk thin and build the white up in layers. You start in the center, and keep covering a small circular area that grows concentricly bigger with each pass so the center will reach opacity while the outer "rings" will fade progressively towards transparency. Even if the rings don't fade together perfectly, when you matte coat it will blend it and the candy clear you apply will also help the blend.

Doing the hollow eyes is the same, but with a thin black or gray ink, then add the white to the middle.

[Clement]

Look into a painting technique called OSL (Object source lighting) there are piles of demos on it out there on the net. That will solve your glowing problem.

As to the rest, I think the Nothing Beast is already bigger then his base, so your ability to "stage" him in front of something will be limited without some kind of display base involved.

[Fenton Crack]

Sitting here with the NB sprue and the 50 mm base (courtesy of my brother-in-law returning from Indy tonight, thanks again Joe), I can confirm that the NB is bigger than the base, and "oozes" over it by a 10 to 12 mm at its most extended tendril.

One might even need to rotate the NB when measuring to get a spot of exposed base lip. In any event, one will certainly not need to, nor even be able to, do any basing effect on the NB.

I am certain the non-Nightmare version will be smaller, like LCB was, and can open up basing possibilities for those looking for more intricacy on the base.

[Turelio]

Glowing eyes is possible using OSL as others have mentioned. However, you can use the same theory with pigments, and it is a bit easier to clean up if you make a mistake (wet brush, carefully pick up the pigment). Borzag has been using pigments on a lot of his models lately and is getting really nice results. The thing with the glowing eyes is that you will have to be patient and pay attention to where the light from the eyes would hit, and make the eyes a lot brighter than the glow effect (closer to white) while still retaining a trace of the glow colour. As long as you are patient and plan it, it should go fine.

Good luck with the nothing beast! I'm really keen to get mine so I can try out a few things.

[edonil]

The technique I picked up that might work is metallics and an ink wash. I'll paint silver in the eyes, then pick an ink and paint it over the silver. Depending on the ink, you'll get a few different reactions, but usually you got an intriguing effect where the center of the eye 'glowed' as the ink drifted to the recesses.

[theJudge]

I am probably going to try this technique but using dark blues and greens

[micahwc]

That's basically how I paint using a brush. I have used a black base coat in the past with a slight white spray paint dusting over it. Then I color with inks or very diluted paint.

[micahwc]

Got a badger airbrush and a compressor on the way. Any tips for someone new to airbrushing?

[tothric]

Dispite the BEAUTIFUL sculpt for the Nightmare version of the "Nothing Beast", I at one point just want to field a 50mm Base, and declare it my Nothing Beast, becuase according to lore, he is in fact Nothing but the Void.

[Webmonkey]

Shouldn't the Nothing Beast actually be just an empty/flocked base??

[nagash13]

remember than unless you buy paints pre-thinned for airbrush like the badger minitaire line, or the vallejo air line of paints, you will need to thin them yourself. you are aiming for milk like consistency.

play with your brush on some paper a bunch. get a feel for what effects you can get by holding the brush closer or further away when doing lines, different thickness based on how fa back you pull your lever, also an easy way to do fades is to no paint perpendicular to the surface, but angle it so the area tat you want the most paint is closest to the brush, and the fade area is ilted away from the brush.

also, silly putty is your new best friend. unlike tape which can only do a good job masking straight lines on a flat surface, silly putty can be pushed onto any shape model, and formed to make any kind of curve needed. it makes a great masking product and when you are done you just pull it off. it leaves no residue and i have never had any trouble lifting paint off the covered areas.

[Fenton Crack]

Got a badger airbrush and a compressor on the way. Any tips for someone new to airbrushing?

Agree with the comment about Silly Putty for masking, it works great. In terms of thinning acrylic paints, I would highly suggest looking up Les Bursley's recipe for thinner on Dakka Dakka. It is basically distilled water, flow enhancer, and acrylic matte medium. It works great and helps keep your mix homogenous without the pigments "falling out" on you.

Could not find it in "print," but here is the YouTube version:

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What brush or brushes did you order? I would recommend the Badger Patriot 105 for a starter from Badger. The thing is a tank and can do a lot, despite its large needle size. Even down the road when you pick up a high detail brush like the Sotar 2020 or a Krome, the Patriot 105 is still a brush you will be using it all the time for base coating, clear-coating, and even shading, effects, and the like.

I used to use only Iwata brand brushes, but have found the Badgers to be both less finicky, and also much cheaper replacement parts (like needles and nozzles and the stuff you always eventually need to replace).

[micahwc]

So my brush and compressor arrived yesterday and my tara crew is supposed to arrive today.

The compressor doesnt work at all. Huge disapointment. The hose supplied with the air brush doesn't fit on the compressor. The compressor's threads where the hose attaches where caked with what looked like dried mud. There were cobwebs inside the housing.

The airbrush itself is an old badger 350. It had layers of dried paint caked all inside it. They came off with a soak in nail polish remover. As far as I can tell it should work fine if I had a compressor.

I guess I will just paint the crew with a brush.

[Guardian]

Wow, that sucks man...

[Fenton Crack]

So my brush and compressor arrived yesterday and my tara crew is supposed to arrive today.

The compressor doesnt work at all. Huge disapointment. The hose supplied with the air brush doesn't fit on the compressor. The compressor's threads where the hose attaches where caked with what looked like dried mud. There were cobwebs inside the housing.

The airbrush itself is an old badger 350. It had layers of dried paint caked all inside it. They came off with a soak in nail polish remover. As far as I can tell it should work fine if I had a compressor.

I guess I will just paint the crew with a brush.

That is most unfortunate. If you have a nail gun compressor, or even a large shop compressor for that matter, that you can use or borrow, as long as it has a water trap and a regulator you can use it with your airbrush. The only real difference is that the at rush specific compressors are made to be less noisy. Hopefully you can get the money back from the seller for the compressor if it was a purchase. If you ultimately decide to buy another compressor that is airbrush specific, you might want to check out TCP global, as they have Chinese no-name compressors under 100 bucks that are basically clones of the Iwatas and they work great.

[micahwc]

Got the compressor sort of working. I need the fittings to get the airbrush to fit. I think I will just stick with the brush for the time being.

Just got confirmation that my package arrived today. Only 5 1/2 hours left til I get home from work. Not that I'm counting or anything.

[micahwc]

I'm trying to come up with an idea for color schemes. I want Tara to coordinate with Yan Lo, so they can play together. I want Yan Lo to coordinate with Misaki so they can play together. It would also be nice if Tara coordinates with Taelor, whom is painted in a manner similar to the original art. Brown pants, white top, etc.

Any ideas?

[Nicodem]

Hi, i know what colour i would like my nothing beast to be, the only problem is its the wash that i know which is the new gw aqua green i can't remember it's proper name. Any thoughts on what to do before using the wash? I'm thinking of ending up with a gostly watery green.

[Fenton Crack]

Hi, i know what colour i would like my nothing beast to be, the only problem is its the wash that i know which is the new gw aqua green i can't remember it's proper name. Any thoughts on what to do before using the wash? I'm thinking of ending up with a gostly watery green.

Maybe a pearlescent off white as the base, with the aqua washed over it for a "glowy" look?