Pingo paints 02551: Monique Denoir

[Pingo]

This is the classic Reaper 02551, Monique Denoir. There are some gorgeously painted examples of her out there.

 

Some of this post is quoted from an earlier post, since I find that giving information in each thread is useful, even if in the big picture it's redundant.

 

All paints used are Golden Matte Fluid Acrylics. Color mixes are (usually) noted, but not exact ratios.

 

Questions are welcomed and I will try to answer them. Critiques are appreciated.

 

Monique Denoir is a Werner Klocke scupt. Her face is classical and lovely. She's certainly popular, and there are many beautifully painted versions out there.

 

This is the way I usually start miniature figures: Lightly primed with Titanium White, then when that is dry, washing it over with Burnt Umber. Burnt Umber is a dark, transparent pigment that settles into crannies when thinned down and shows the details very well. (I seem to be having a little trouble with it crackling just a bit in some areas, though.) It also gives a nice warm undertone to later paint layers (even though, as I've said before, with a vampire you don't necessarily want "warmth".)

 

 

I like to paint skin first as something of the undermost layer. After I have the skin more or less smooth and correct I paint the features.

 

I have been painting up vampires with stark white skin because I don't seem to have the knack to make them look undead if there is even a little flesh tone in their skin.

 

This is almost the only time I ever mix grey from pure black and white (rather than a complex mix of brighter colors). The flatness of tone conveys that something is wrong with the individual, and the simplicity of color mix is very easy to shade.

 

I started with a thin wash of pure Titanium White on her face, bust, and hands (I got her right hand wrong, I see in the photos. I missed her right thumb and painted up part of the sword instead. Be assured Werner Klocke's sculpt is much less clumsy than that. I will correct it later.).

 

 

The first approximation of shadows are added, mixed from simple Titanium White and Carbon Black.

 

 

And some darker and lighter greys. At the moment the shading is very stylized.

 

 

[Glitterwolf]

Cool!

I got another version waiting to be painted..

 

I will follow this to steal ideas see how you do this!

[Pingo]

11 minutes ago, Glitterwolf said:

Cool!

I got another version waiting to be painted..

 

I will follow this to steal ideas see how you do this!

 

Yes! Watch and learn from my mistakes.

[LittleBluberry]

31 minutes ago, Pingo said:

 

Yes! Watch and learn from my mistakes.

 

I always find it helpful to look at another's painting as a way to identify which bits are what.  Also helpful for finding where the mold line like to hide.  With your painting there is the added advantage of getting hints on where to place shadows and highlights and how to blend colors.  Thank you. 

[SisterMaryNapalm]

Oh, I am looking forward to seeing this one making progress.

[Pingo]

Fixed her hand. I think she has some sort of articulated armor over her fingers except for the last joints.

 

 

 

So I spent, whew, all afternoon fiddling with tiny, tiny faces. This is where I got her to when I had finished with all the greys and black and white.

 

Her eye sockets are black. I haven't painted the eyes!

 

 

 

 

Her mouth is pure Red Oxide. I painted her fingernails with it too, because why not. Next is a wash of transparent purple mixed from Quinacridone Magenta and Phthalocyanine Blue to shade the upper lip and emphasize the line of the mouth. Then a pink highlight on the lower lip mixed from Quinacridone Magenta, Titanium White, and Yellow Ochre.

 

There's a stray bit of purple to clean up later.

 

 

[malefactus]

She has a deliciously evil & quite lovely face. This is a potentially WONDROUS creation.

[Sanael]

Monique was one of the first minis I painted, I think I was still "cheating" hair by painting it with metallics then coating it in ink. She's a very fun mini, indeed.

 

I really like the expression you're giving your version. Lovely smirk!

[Pingo]

Today was a day for painting eyes. I fiddled with them so much! and they are hidden behind the visor anyway.

 

I meant the yellow to be her sclerae and the red her irises, but I noticed from this angle the yellow looks a little iris-like:

 

This is the angle no one will ever see, looking up under her visor:

 

Paints used: Titanium White, Carbon Black, Hansa Yellow Opaque, Red Oxide.

[Pingo]

I painted her hair and base.

 

 

 

 

Her base is my standard grey mix of Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, mixed and then lightened with Titanium White and blotted around. I did not bother painting a shadow because she's a vampire.

 

Her hair's foundation color is a rather more intense blue-black of mixed Phthalocyanine Blue and Burnt Umber. Highlights are the same grey I used for the base color.

[Pingo]

I think I would like her armor to look lacquered red, but sinister.

 

I put two thin layers of a sort of transparent grape-black mixed from Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna on her armor, sword, and shield.

 

One layer:

 

Two layers:

 

 

Then I brushed on pure Red Iron Oxide. This is an opaque brick red, normally considered dull, but over black and dark colors it really pops.

 

 

 

I lightened the edges with an orange mixed from red Iron Oxide, Yellow Ochre, and Hansa Yellow Opaque. I plan to glaze over this with a transparent cherry red color later.

 

Meanwhile I also painted her skirtlet-thingie with pure Hansa Yellow Opaque. Not sure why yet, but we'll see where it goes.

 

 

 

 

[Glitterwolf]

That looks great!

[Pingo]

I painted metallics on her, gold on her necklace and silver on her sword blade and sheath, the rivets on her shield, and two buckles.

 

The sword is painted shaded, more metallic on the top part than the bottom.

 

 

 

Now I am going to glaze her armor with Quinacridone Magenta, a transparent brilliant cherry red. By itself it looks pretty eye-watering, but over oranges and browns like those on her armor it turns to deep crimson.

 

 

This is the result:

 

 

[Glitterwolf]

Very cool armor!

[WhiteWulfe]

Awesome looking armor, and very menacing at that!