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Lao Hu: Going for the Effect


Lao Hu
Product #
20-957
Manufacturer
Suggested Retail Price
$9.50 USD


Back to LPS2 ROUND 3 - REPORT FROM ADRIAN GIDEON

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Revision Log
13 August 2006page first published

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2,849 hits since 13 Aug 2006
©1994-2024 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

Adrian Gideon writes:

Next I wanted to test out the effects I had planned, so I fully completed the left-arm weapon pod. I painted on lines, using the miniature's details as a guide, but not restricting or limiting myself to them.

I used Vallejo Vermillion. I normally don't use this paint, as I find it rather unreliable. In each stroke the pigment varies from a bright GW-ish blood red all the way to a dull pink. However, I wanted red lines that would vary in just such a fashion – randomly bright here, dull there – so it was perfect for this application.

After applying the lines, I randomly dotted and lined over that with Games Workshop Fiery Orange. After that, I noticed the dark areas (Red-Black basecoat) were too red, so I mixed up 2-parts Red-Black to 1-part Black and shaded the empty areas further, leaving 1-2mm of Red-Black showing around the Vermillion.

Red added to arm

After that, I repeated the process on the legs. Everything seemed fine, but I decided to remove the right arm for now, as it was getting in the way of painting the rest of the figure.

Red added to legs

I completed the torso and left arm, and did the inside of the right arm so that I could reattach it.

More red added

After I completed the right arm, I washed the mini with Games Workshop red ink, to unify all the shades of the mini.

This is the first time I used Games Workshop-brand red ink, and I've got mixed feelings with the result. While it did a great job of blending the colors together, it may have done too good of a job with the Fiery Orange – it's still visible, but it's a touch more subtle than I was going for. Also, even after 2 Dullcote's, the ink seems to still give off a sheen. Inks that I've used in the past have taken to Dullcote just fine.

I did not want the cockpit to stand out too much, so - mimicking the palid faces of the Tron soldiers - I mixed 1-part Vallejo Cold Gray with 2-parts Red-Black, and filled in the cockpit panes.

Washed and detailed

I was pleased with the effect on the miniature, so at this point I decided to do a blue grid on the base, following the same process. I used Vallejo Night Blue as a base. Night Blue is a good blue-black. It paints on a fairly bright blue, but dries very black. I used Games Workshop Enchanted Blue for the lines, with Vallejo Electric Blue to enhance them.

Base work

Last but not least, 2 coats of Testors Dullcote.

This was an enjoyable exercise, and quite different than anything I've done before. There was quite a bit of freedom in not being wholly tied to the details of the miniatures, as I could choose to follow lines, or create lines, or ignore existing details.

Thanks again!

See the Finished Pictures