For the last five years, at Christmas, I paint something for my wife...specifically a dragon (she is a Dragon per the Chinese calendar). Since my wife does not peruse my blog it is safe for me to post an early sneak peak at this years creation: A Reaper Miniatures Silver Dragon.
 |
| Reaper Miniatures Silver Dragon |
This gentle giant was painted with various Vallejo Shifters metallic paints (which must be done over a black gloss primer), layered on top of each other with my twin Iwata airbrushes (mainly golds, with some silvers & blues). The hues change depending on the angle the light hits him. Sadly, you cannot see them all in the photos. The colors range from gold, to a greenish copper, to a brownish gold to a red. The transitions are subtle.
I used a few MIG Filters on the wings, but that is about it. Horns were of course hand painted. To generate shadows you need to airbrush at 45 degree angles, leaving black in the recesses. The Shifters take multiple coats to generate the effects. Patience is key.
You can brush on the Shifters as well. But the effect is very different, and IMO less pleasing. This product needs to be airbrushed on for the best results possible.
When finished coats of Alcad Clear and then Matte varnish were airbrushed on to seal the model. The Matte really tones down the sheen of the metallics, without removing it, creating the illusion of dragon scales. Alcad makes a Flat varnish as well, which is similar to Testors dullcote.
He will join the brood which appears to be expanding nicely.
No comments:
Post a Comment