Selene from Underworld WIP advice....

[Neldoreth]

Hey guys,

So, I have been trying to get the skin tone on this fig to match that of the movie, but it doesn't seem to work...  I think I almost matched it, but for some reason the fig looks like a rotting zombie and not the attractive vampire adventurer that it should. Check out the pics here (note that only the skin tone and the trench coat are done):



Anyone have any suggestions on how I can get this right? Or does it look fine as is?

thanks
n.

[Poliorketes]

Hey, you did a good job with the mini (especially as I don't really like it).

The blueish effekt in the film is just the light, so try to give the highlights a less blue and more flesh colour, although a very light one.

[revford]

The blue looks good, I think I'll try it out on one of my vampires.

In my simple painting brain blue=vampire and green=zombie now.  Cheers.

[Plynkes]

Put a touch of colour on her lips she might look a little more healthy. You'd be surprised how something small like that will radically alter the look of a figure.

Doesn't have to be a full red. Just a touch of pink would do it.

[Westfalia Chris]

I agree with Senor Plynkes, a little colour for the lips, whereas the overall skin tone could be a bit paler, IMHO - the blue is quite strong and dominates the overall effect, maybe some smoother blending towards the highlights might help?

Awesome work, apart from that.

[Neldoreth]

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback, it is great! Thanks for the positive feedback as well as the suggestions. I think I will reduce the darkness (and blueness) of the darker parts of the face. The movie images show her face as relatively shade-free, so I should do a little of that. In the process, I will blend the highlights better.

I will also add lip colour and eyes, both of which I haven't done yet. Thanks again for the advice!

n.

[ambassador]

From the picture you've got here, it looks like a little more of the blue showing up on the jacket might help. If the light itself is blue, it would be blue everywhere. Since we don't see much of that on the trench coat, it leads the eye to believing that her skin is blue.

But the other comments here are from people far more talented and wiser than I am when it comes to painting minis, so I'd take there advice first.

[white knight]

From the picture you've got here, it looks like a little more of the blue showing up on the jacket might help. If the light itself is blue, it would be blue everywhere. Since we don't see much of that on the trench coat, it leads the eye to believing that her skin is blue.

That is actually a *very* good point.

[audrey]

It is a nice paint job. But it does come across rather bluish. But I know a photo of a miniature and seeing it in person can be very different.

Perhaps some highlights that use a fleshtone with some blue mixed in. I am not sure what paints you are using. So I would use something like pale flesh mixed with with a blueish grey, not just straight blue.

You could also use a straight pale flesh color and just thin it down with water so you can use it as a glaze.

[Fortescue-Smythe]

I had a similar problem with my dark elves and Cryx chicas, who had just about the same skintone as your fig there (luverly job, by the way). I found that a very, VERY light glaze of magenta ink does a lot to raise the skin colour from the undead. Thinned down and applied sparingly, so it adds no more than a faint sheen of magenta.

[Neldoreth]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I decided to tone down the blue using a little white +elf flesh wash, and then some white+elf flesh+blue highlights on the highest spots. I also added the pinkish-purple lips that match the movie colour as well as eyes.

As for the blue highlights on the clothes, I decided to do the trench coat all black and the jumpsuit with a slight blue, just to differentiate between the two different fabrics and effects. Now she is finished, except for her scenic base, which should be done tomorrow! I will post pics of it then



Here is a pic of the movie Selene for reference:



Thanks again everyone!
n.