I have a gripe about a "universal truth" I keep hearing about.

[Slendertroll]

Like others have said, miniatures are little works of art. They can be representative of shabby, mismatched people, but there should still be some eye towards what actually looks good as a composition.

[Doug Sundseth]

To my mind the important thing is less that you pick coordinating colors and more that you actively think about which colors to use together. There are valid reasons for most combinations, but if you're trying for "Harlequin" and you're doing it all in grays and desaturated browns, you might have a problem.

[Slendertroll]

Also, most adventurers have access to minor magics, like those used to change the colors of things. Some systems even work with enough abstraction that they basically just say "magic armor magically refits itself to whoever wants to put it on." Seems reasonable that anyone but the lowest levels of adventurer would be able to easily customize their outfit to their tastes.

[YronimosW]

Also, most adventurers have access to minor magics, like those used to change the colors of things. Some systems even work with enough abstraction that they basically just say "magic armor magically refits itself to whoever wants to put it on." Seems reasonable that anyone but the lowest levels of adventurer would be able to easily customize their outfit to their tastes.

 

Bravo! Basically, "A Wizard Did It" - which is, I would say, a perfectly valid reason/excuse in the fantasy genre :)

 

I tend to lean toward muted, grimy colours with maybe one highlight colour for most of the minis I paint, but most of the minis I paint have been things like Orcs, Goblins, Skeletons, Zombies, and so on, for tabletop RPGs. This works great for NPCs: I don't want them to stand out too much compared to the PCs.

 

For PCs, I guess it's up to the character concept, but PC figures are, I think, there to be the stars of the show, and I guess dressing the part is all part of the fun. It's anything but a rule to paint by, but especially for Bards, Paladins, and Spellcasters, I think that getting just the right colours to fit a nice theme or character concept just feels right. Fighters, sneakier Rogues, Barbarians, Rangers, Druids, and that sort of thing probably do better in earth tones or the always-fashionable basic black, and metallics for armor. So, for some heroic types, I'll sometimes go with whatever bright colours I know of by memory or experience that seem to work well together: golden yellow with purple, blue with white, red and gold, green and yellow, and that sort of thing.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, I was struck with one of the first detailed descriptions I'd ever read about Orcs, I believe originally from Tolkein, and borrowed by D&D: "Orcs prefer to wear colors that most humans think unpleasant: blood red, rust red, mustard yellow, yellow green, moss green, greenish purple, and blackish brown. Their armor is unattractive besides—dirty and often a bit rusty." So, I think I've always kept that in mind for certain monsters, and looked for unpleasant or clashing colours for things like Orcish outfits. That colour wheel can, in this case, provide a nice set of rules to break in order to achieve an unpleasant Orcish fashion statement. For other monsters, I'm a bit more likely to go with colours in nature for ideas than to a colour wheel.

 

In any case, for heroic characters in magic armor and clothing, why not go with something idealized, and use a colour wheel?

 

(edited for clarity)

Edited September 27, 2013 by YronimosW

[Heisler]

As a judge I would not have a problem with colors that clash as long as its done deliberately for effect.

[Caffiene]

 

In another thing unrelated, what is the meaning of the word "gripe".

 

In australian it means a small purple or green vinefruit used to make wine.

 

But we pronounce it "beer".

[Willen]

I will be honest, I don't understand... one thing is about painting tidy figures with purple (royal) colors, I can't see how that is an "universal truth". If the thing is about color theory and how it can help us paint better even from before picking up the brush by understand how to mix shades, highlights, contrast, etc... then I do believe it is truly an universal truth that you can make better models by paying attention to it. For display, or for tabletop, it doesn't really matter.

 

 

This is a gritty, grimmy mini painted perfectly and paying attention to color theory.

 

This is a tabletop mini that works great because it pays attention to color theory.

 

And it will surely look even better at 30cm, on the tabletop.

[YronimosW]

I was just thinking earlier today about red and green as a colour combination - theoretically they go well together, but I could't picture anything but Christmas wrapping paper.

 

But, that green and red space marine looks great, and now I can see how it would work.

 

Also, I really wish my vision and coordination were still good enough to make a stab at doing things like the way his goggles are painted and highlighted and all!

Edited September 27, 2013 by YronimosW

[Wren]

Other elements that often come through in more advanced discussions of colour theory boil down to ideas for unifying/harmonizing the highlights and shadows as opposed to the main colours. (So using blues or purples in all of the shading mixes, and/or a pinch of yellow in the highlight mixes.) There you start to make all the surfaces of the figure appear as if lit by the same light source, which they would be, regardless of what the character is wearing.

[Wren]

For red and green, often the trick is to use different reds and greens - khaki with brick, pale green with blood red, stuff like that. Or when you use a forest green a bright red as in the above figure, don't use gold or silver as accents, don't put it on a snow base or next to a pine tree, don't give the figure white hair, just avoid anything that is remotely likely to make the viewer think of Christmas.

[Cassu]

Like others have said, miniatures are little works of art. They can be representative of shabby, mismatched people, but there should still be some eye towards what actually looks good as a composition.

Pretty much this. ^

Plus when-ever I'm playing a game like World of Warcraft, or Old Republic, or Skyrim or Neverwinter - I cannot stand it when my character has cruddy or mis-matched armour. I pretty much refuse to take screenshots of my character until I'm happy with the way I look (and this usually involves gold and a few more levels) so there's no way I'd spent hours painting a mini whose outfit I wasn't happy with either.

To me role playing is escapism, I want to escape the imperfections of my real life, not create more.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Cassu

[TGP]

After pondering this a bit...

Mostly we're dealing with fantasy minis here. Why does every outfit have to look like they came out of a fashion mag, perfectly coordinated with a color wheel?

Simple. Most of the people posting pics of their minis here are practicing their skills and aiming at pieces of art, contest entries, or just trying to 'up their game' to that level or something approaching it..

Adventurers use the gear they find or buy, and stuff doesn't come in every color. Why does everything have to be so color coordinated and look perfect together? I can understand this approach for a noble, royal, or fashionista. But not monsters and adventurers.

Some people assume that adventurers spend much $gp$ on fancy gear/clothing/when they are back in town and flush with cash. But it would also be reasonable to assume thieves had outfits that were all black, rangers had outfits that were Green, on green, on a GREEN base layer. But it is entirely appropriate for a higher level character to outfit his henchmen and retainers with matching and consistent livery. Livery means colors.

 

In the Italian city states rival clans and political factions wore colors (rather like contemporary street gangs). Look up Geulphs and Ghibillenes (I am sure I spelled those a bit wrong...)

People maybe washed once a week and wore the same thing most of the time.

But in a fantasy world some of them might have access to public baths like the Romans had, or even better arrangements. There is not a "Scourgify" cantrip in any edition of D&D? Really?

 

I envision most everything and everything looking dirty, tattered and ragamuffin, like peasants from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
[ ... ]
Maybe I should just make dirty, grungy, and mismatched minis my personal "style", LOL.

If you want to carry out that threat, the RMSP color you want is: Brown Liner.

 

You would probably like my Reven Army, I'll have to look for a picture and link it to this thread.

 

You want the most recent (6th edition I think) Bretonnian Army book for inspiration. It is replete with, filthy, squalid, gap-toothed, grungy, rumpled, grimey, smelly, repressed, down-trodden and otherwise revolting peasantry.

 

Nothing wrong with going for that look, particularly for gaming pieces that are not meant to be art pieces. But the middle ages were more color filled than you think. Knights had heraldry, their retainers in the Lance they led wore the same colors. (Lance in this context is a unit of men but not the silly formation from GW's army book.) There was a fourteenth century fad of 'parti-colored' garb.

[vulture]

Other elements that often come through in more advanced discussions of colour theory boil down to ideas for unifying/harmonizing the highlights and shadows as opposed to the main colours. (So using blues or purples in all of the shading mixes, and/or a pinch of yellow in the highlight mixes.) There you start to make all the surfaces of the figure appear as if lit by the same light source, which they would be, regardless of what the character is wearing.

 

I believe Wrens comments represent color theory as it is used by the best among us. Take note; i did.

Edited September 27, 2013 by vulture

[cthulhudarren]

Other elements that often come through in more advanced discussions of colour theory boil down to ideas for unifying/harmonizing the highlights and shadows as opposed to the main colours. (So using blues or purples in all of the shading mixes, and/or a pinch of yellow in the highlight mixes.) There you start to make all the surfaces of the figure appear as if lit by the same light source, which they would be, regardless of what the character is wearing.

Now this makes sense. Your clothes could be a total mismatch but in a warm light all of it would be bathed in a warm glow.

Edited September 27, 2013 by cthulhudarren

[buglips*the*goblin]

Knowing colour theory is very handy. It's worth at least some thought. I tend to make it up as I go, which mostly turns out okay, but when it fails I don't know why. It's better to know the rules and break them on purpose than to plod ahead without knowing. It's just another thing to fill out your tool belt. But knowing them doesn't mean being a slave to them.

 

It's like the difference between driving like a lunatic and being a race driver. Theoretically it's the same, the latter just knows enough of what they're doing to control the chaos.