[PLOG] The Muster of House Khaenagh

[Sarathalu]

Just a general warning to all that, in spite of my best attempts, I can rarely get non-blurry photos. I generally consider myself a decent photographer but when it comes to taking pictures of the models it's a whole different story. So not only am I constantly trying to improve my painting, I'm usually working on improving the quality of my WH photos.

Having said that, here is what I have for you.

Front shot of some Corsairs. For those who are curious, the model who got partially cut out of the photo (on the far right) happens to be the same sculpt as the 2nd one in from the left (just on a different slotted base). So I guess it was the right model to lose.

Corsairs - front: http://postimg.org/image/5v99fwoub/full/

After this I changed locations

Corsairs - behind: http://postimg.org/image/c6exfp709/full/

Crossbowmen - front: http://postimg.org/image/q88ixv7q9/

Crossbowmen - behind: http://postimg.org/image/t8vce0uvb/

The following unit was being drilled thoroughly, and so was seen in a couple different formations. At some point I will try to have an actual "military formations/drills" series of photos (hahaha...that'll happen in this lifetime).

Spearmen - 5x3 - front: http://postimg.org/image/w3fuwx8zn/

Spearmen - 5x3 - behind: http://postimg.org/image/thn97bb9p/

Spearmen - 8x2 - front: http://postimg.org/image/45lrkl95j/

Spearmen - 8x2 - behind: http://postimg.org/image/rw5xi3mkb/

Black Guard - front: http://postimg.org/image/6647fc3bh/

Black Guard - behind: http://postimg.org/image/ozq0cc1jh/

[Kheel]

My thought is that you're too close with your camera lense. Stay at least one meter away, optimal two meters. And use zoom functions to optimize. Your pictures should be much clearer when the lense can focus properly. When you're too close, pictures become blurry because the lense can not focus on one point.
Not to rain on your parade, but a decent photographer would know this.

[faeli-n]

To take good photographs of models is surprisingly easy, but it does take a couple of things (that I have found very helpful):

Getting white LED lamps (you can pick these up from B&Q) helps when painting, but also if you aim two at a model when taking the photo, put the model on a white piece of paper, and use the macro setting on your camera (looks like a small tulip) then as long as you focus the camera on the model you can't go wrong.

Using two lamp and shining them through a white sheet (you'll see this referred to as a light tent) is better still.

[Daeron]

I think the color scheme works well. Especially on the black guard's armor, your style worked wonders.

In terms of painting quality I think you lack some highlights and shadows. Perhaps they are more subtle, and the blurry picture didn't capture them. Anyhow, the painting on the models looks a bit flat. I think that some highlights would really "liven up" the models considerably. Look at the black guards, for example, where you worked with lines of silver across the dark armor and how it makes the whole model stand out. You can do the same on the other models.

The degrees of shadow and highlights you want to use... well.. there's practically an unlimited amount of ways to do it, but if you want a simple and quick way to do it, then try this:
- Pick the base color you used, say... the red which you applied to the cloth for the corsairs. Put some on a plastic pallet.
- Pick a light color to make it brighter. You can use "Ushabti Bone" if you want it to have a warm accent, or "Scar white" if you want a cooler, more faded accent. Put it close to the red, but not "in it".
- Mingle a -tiny- bit of the bright color into the red to make your first highlight color
- Trace a line cross the clothes or armor that stand out. A thin line should be enough
- Mingle some more of the bright color into the red and highlight the tips of the cloth/armor which you want to highlight.

In a manner of minutes you could highlight a lot of models in this way... And it would really do your models justice.

[Sarathalu]

I appreciate the camera tips, especially the distance. I don't know if I will end up getting two lamps due to a general lack of space, but I will see if using some of the other tips helps at all.

Daeron, thanks for the ideas. There probably were a few spots where the paint ran a little thin and I just stopped caring about trying to fix it (yes, bad attitude...) but generally I prefer to keep my painting as simple as possible (aside from occasional elite units, commanders, etc).

[Daeron]

Well... You do have a point. I care too much about details and thus I only have few models painted in an army I have for a long time :S

[Sarathalu]

Unfortunately it took me the better part of 10 ish years to realize that I didn't want to spend my life painting a single army just to get it up to a respectably playable standard. So after thumbing through several White Dwarf painting articles on various occasions, I decided to try a reverse engineering approach - namely to look at the overall end result that I wanted and figure out the simplest way to achieve a similar result. Do in 3 steps what 'Eavy Metal would have done in 14. It's still taking a while (especially on the first few pieces of a given unit) but it's going much faster than the old way.

[Sarathalu]

After a bit of playing around with the camera I managed to get better quality images.

Here are today's images.

Corsairs - front:http://postimg.org/image/iv9wm11kr/full/
Corsairs - behind:http://postimg.org/image/cacu8hcpp/

Crossbowmen - front:http://postimg.org/image/o7i4brfob/
Crossbowmen - behind:http://postimg.org/image/s1lv1fl5d/

Spearmen 5x4 - front:http://postimg.org/image/4hyompbm7/
Spearmen 5x4 - behind:http://postimg.org/image/tqpucim59/

Spearmen 10x2 - front:http://postimg.org/image/914rs92sn/
Spearmen 10x2 - behind:http://postimg.org/image/a28b20w5b/

Lordling - front:http://postimg.org/image/qa6uxyhaf/
Lordling - behind:http://postimg.org/image/hg7gcc5s3/

[Amboadine]

Thanks for the update.
Possibly you might like to look at some basing techniques, I know you have painted them grey, however you might fine just a little sand and a brown base could look dramatically better and takes very little effort.

Everyone needs to find the standard they are happy with. If you have found a good way to paint them at speed to meet your, more power to you.

Keep the updates coming.

[Sarathalu]

Hey all.

Just finished these in anticipation of the game that I was supposed to have this past weekend (currently scheduled for Sat. 4/12).

Dark Riders - front: http://postimg.org/image/5uf02rceb/

[Amboadine]

Thanks for the update. Still think you need to get some proper bases on them though. Good luck with the upcoming game.

[Sarathalu]

Thanks for wishing me well.

As far as basing goes....the jury is still out on that. My original idea was to do them white with that grid design (see crossbowmen and spearmen) to give the effect of snow covered roads in Naggaroth. Then I said to myself, "There's no way that there would so much snow on the roads as to practically obscure them - Malekith would have someone skinned alive for it." So then I decided I could still use the look for stone streets in other parts of the world - most likely candidate being Ulthuan, but possibly also in the lands of Men and Dwarves.

Once I finally decide *where* this army is supposed to be, I will decide if and how I want to add any texture.