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FREEHAND DETAIL

Complex Designs

More intricate patterns are approached in the same way as the simple ones. Start with positioning simple shapes, and elaborate upon them with highlights and definition.









Here I’ll demonstrate the steps used to paint the angel on the Emperor’s Champion shoulder pad. First I decide on the design, sketching out a few possibilities, near the size of the actual shoulder pad.


On the basecoated shoulder pad, I lightly trace some guides, in a pale color thinned to wash consistency (a). Next I begin to block in the body and wings (b), using a midtone color for each area (RMS Tanned Skin, VMC US Blue Grey Pale).







































In the third step (c), I add some shading to define muscle groups (RMS Tanned Shadow) and wing sections (VMC Field Blue). I also touch up outlines with the background dark grey. Highlights come next (d) (RMS Golden Highlight and RMS Ghost White). For the final step, I add some white highlights to the wing tips and loincloth, and touch up some shadows and darkline on the body with RMS Dark Highlight (e).