Looking for advice on highlighting

[benfm]

Hi there,

I need help with highlighting and need some serious constructive criticism.

Here are two recent examples of models I have painted up that look great on the table top but when I take photos the colors just look flat and unexciting.

I really want to take my painting to the next level and I'm sure this is currently the main thing holding me back...

I have two key questions...

Where and what exactly should I be highlighting to really bring out the details of the model.

And what colors should I highlight on top these...?
Painting a another lighter brown on top of the Varghulf fur doesn't seem exciting - maybe it is I don't know but I'm terrible with colors so I have no idea...


Any help would be appreciated!

thanks!

 

[Blutsauger]

A good way to learn is to look at the pictures you've taken.

See where the light is hitting the models? The parts that have the light glaring/reflecting off them? That's where you want to highlight. As a rule, you simply take the base colour that you're using and mix in a lighter colour. You can use white, but that doesn't always work. For instance, if you add white to red you get pink, and what you really want is an orange so you need to add yellow. I often use more muted or natural colours to highlight, like light greys or bone or light browns or greens.

So you can get a general idea of where to put your highlights by looking at the pictures you've taken. You can get a better idea by setting up the lightsource where you want it (in my experience, overhead and to the front works best) and taking more photos. Use these as a guide until you get used to highlighting.

Finally, you'll find you want to take some artistic licence and highlight some things that the light doesn't really hit, but that are nearly impossible to see otherwise. Often these are things like belts or boots. It's up to you how you want to do that. Oh, and one last thing: Use thin paints. It's better to do two or three thin layers rather than one thick one. You can even use the thinner paint to your advantage, if you don't want harsh transitions between your base colour and your highlight, you can give an area a thin 'glaze' of the highlight colour, adding multiple layers to build up the colour until you're happy with it.

 

[benfm]

Actually that's a really good idea. I didn't think of using the camera to deliberately spot the flat colors. Will start doing that...thanks for the tip!

I guess I will just have a go with the lighter colors and see what happens...

 

[untitled_musketeer]

I am currently in Finland until Saturday but I want to give you some advice. Bear with me, I'll get back to you properly on Saturday!

u_m

 

[SotF]

On top of highlighting, for some details you want to make pop, consider outlining...either with a sharpie or the paint pens,