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Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Sardoo on 13 November 2015, 04:49:06 PM

Title: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 13 November 2015, 04:49:06 PM
I'm very tempted by the Crooked Dice transit van and the new Spectre Miniatures 4x4. The vehicles are resin castings and so the windows are solid (hope that made sense) and the problem is that I have no idea as to how to paint them to mimic glass. Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance. 
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: grant on 13 November 2015, 04:50:17 PM
Mask them off, airbrush, or paint by hand - use a bunch of blues. Gloss after. Gloss again. And then gloss once more. Should look glassy.

Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Momotaro on 13 November 2015, 05:21:54 PM
Like bodies of water, you generally want the windows to reflect something, and the sky is the best bet.  Recognisable and relatively simple.  Actual car windows are often quite complicated with crazy reflections off buildings and clouds.

Generally open sky is quite a rich, deep blue high up and gets lighter towards the horizon.  I always brush, and blend the colours - I've had success with both two-brush blending and using a retarding gel.  It's a good way to practice blending too, as shading from top to bottom is pretty simple and it's a large area to work on.  Blues are richly pigmented colours and mistakes are easily corrected. Shading to a corner rather than horizontally across the window also looks good.

There are lots of variations you can try.  Corner highlights look good, sharp corner lines in a very light blue over the basic blue shading, or "slashes" across the window.

In summary - blue, like Grant said :)  And glossy!

I make no claim to being the best painter out there, or the smoothest blender, but here are some of my efforts:

Four layers - probably not enough.  Corner highlights help
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/momotaro119/20140606_185221_zpscgttgfl5.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/momotaro119/media/20140606_185221_zpscgttgfl5.jpg.html)

Painted edge highlights - quite cartoony
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/momotaro119/20140606_185131_zpsmpubgacv.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/momotaro119/media/20140606_185131_zpsmpubgacv.jpg.html)

Smoother blend using retarder gel  - all colours wet
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/momotaro119/small_ainsty_1.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/momotaro119/media/small_ainsty_1.jpg.html)

Two-brush blend (wet highlights over dry base colour)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/momotaro119/AnvilIndustries/20150513_143627_zpsbsg1f0zp.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/momotaro119/media/AnvilIndustries/20150513_143627_zpsbsg1f0zp.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: von Lucky on 13 November 2015, 09:14:25 PM
+1

I usually just paint dark blue transitions. Sometimes with a white accent. Not as many transitions as Momotaro though (nice miniatures btw).

If you're feeling inspired (i.e. crazy) try this:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=73288.msg945602#msg945602
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 13 November 2015, 10:33:14 PM
Excellent stuff, folks! Thanks for the advice!
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: axiom on 14 November 2015, 05:30:42 PM
Momotaro - where's your red balloon tyred truck from?
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 14 November 2015, 06:11:30 PM
Thanks, Momotaro, The pictures are great! Really helpful, cheers!
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Cubs on 14 November 2015, 08:26:47 PM
It's not a vehicle, but there is glass!

(http://myalbum.com/photo/84RzfxXwdv3W/540.jpg)

I did that by painting a very dark and shadowy, rough shape of what was inside (in this case a face of course) and then putting some random bits of light in with white paint diluted with glaze medium - one wobbly streak across the top and then another streak down the middle (rubbed a bit off with my finger because it was too stark to begin with).

I think as long as it looks a bit wobbly and 'organic' without being too straight and uniform, it'll look like a good bit of shine.

Grant's gloss technique is also a good one - I did that on a Saruman 'seeing stone' a while back and it was very effective.
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 14 November 2015, 10:51:07 PM
That is very realistic indeed!  :o
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Michi on 14 November 2015, 11:09:04 PM
If you don“t want to go down the blue glass road...
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVDBNZ036io/VEVdZn3-IJI/AAAAAAAAHww/w4LaHWbMMnY/s1600/Kinderbilder%2B013.JPG)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Momotaro on 14 November 2015, 11:33:43 PM
See - Cubs and Michi are much better!

Axiom - it's by Ainsty Castings, from their Spy Fi range.  They offer a choice of tracked or balloon-tyred versions and several different loads.
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: axiom on 15 November 2015, 11:32:00 AM
Perfect! Thanks Momotaro :)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 15 November 2015, 02:19:42 PM
This has been really helpful - thanks!
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Mr Tough Guy on 15 November 2015, 02:55:42 PM
if you're up to it you could also paint a cityscape reflection like Dwartist has shown here:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=64549.45
(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p97/dwartist/Russian%20suit%20and%20Sturmtruppen/2013/2013%20number%202/thegreenone010_zpsac772c90.jpg) (http://s126.photobucket.com/user/dwartist/media/Russian%20suit%20and%20Sturmtruppen/2013/2013%20number%202/thegreenone010_zpsac772c90.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Cubs on 15 November 2015, 03:34:12 PM
Jebus!
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: grant on 15 November 2015, 03:39:12 PM
Jebus!

 8)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: Sardoo on 15 November 2015, 06:19:37 PM
Astonishing skills - none of which, sadly, I possess . . . .
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: FramFramson on 15 November 2015, 06:29:10 PM
There's also the ones AndyM did for his ghostbusters project:

(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-03-18%2017.11.13_zpsvwheseps.jpg) (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/andymac2105/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-03-18%2017.11.13_zpsvwheseps.jpg.html)

(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04-05%2010.24.20_zpsv72bhlra.jpg) (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/andymac2105/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04-05%2010.24.20_zpsv72bhlra.jpg.html)

(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04-05%2010.22.36_zpsxfjbyioy.jpg) (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/andymac2105/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04-05%2010.22.36_zpsxfjbyioy.jpg.html)

Many more pics in the thread: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=73288.0 (about pg 13 onwards, including a post on pg 14 where Andy answered some questions about how it was done)

There's also another where Dwartist painted an interior of sorts rather than reflections:

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p97/dwartist/Russian%20suit%20and%20Sturmtruppen/2013/2013%20number%202/2015/City20Hopper20finished20027_zpsr8ecyxsl.jpg)
Title: Re: Vehicle Advice Sought
Post by: tin shed gamer on 16 November 2015, 12:24:14 AM
Andy's  ghostbusters project has to be one of my favourite builds on the forum.I'd be the first to admit if I were to paint Windows like this. Then I'd be chanting nothing but profanities from undercoat to varnish.
I tend to go for simple and quick,because when it comes to painting for myself I just don't have enough time or the inclination to go to town.(Nor do I claim to know anything more than which end of a brush to hold)
I'd point out that there is a down side to painting reflected images on a vehicle (apart from possibly having to sell your soul) it's context once your remove it from the reflected landscape it sticks out like a sore thumb no matter how well painted.(a reflection of a skyscraper in windscreen will not sit well on a village green )
It's  a great tool for emoting the feeling/story in a model.Cub's figure ,and Dwartist car.Being great examples They work on a plan background because the scenery/story is reflected with in the figures.Put them on a table full of trees and there buggered ,because there stories emote a fixed environment .Where as Dwartist's red and black looks a little lost (beautiful though it is) because it's portrays the interior ,not its environment which means it's taking it que from its placement .in short it's going to rock on any board,or in any game with out being out of place,
Sound a little preachy now it's on the screen ;D
But I'll put my money where my mouth is and show some of the Windows I've done sticking with the less is more and I'm not getting anymore paints out method.
Mark.