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Hobby Workbench => Painting, Converting & Sculpting => Topic started by: Keeper on November 20, 2007, 12:03:54 PM

Title: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 20, 2007, 12:03:54 PM
OK, I've got another painting dilemma, and since you guys were all so helpful with my Blood Angels Block, I thought I'd pose it here.

So, as well as the BA Captain, I'm currently painting an old RAFM Dryder (half drow/half giant spider for those that don't know).  I've got a nice dark skintone that I'm happy with, from 50:50 Chaos Black:Tamiya IJN Gray (I know, but that's how they spell it on the pot!!) up to a 2:1 Tamiya IJN Gray:Skull White.

And then I thought - I'll do the eyes next - followed by - how exactly does one paint a dryder's eyes?

My gut instict is red eyeballs with a black kermit-type pupil, but I can't decide if that is a good idea or not.  So any advice anyone has is welcome.

Thoughts anyone?

@gi6ers, yes I'll take pics as soon as I can! ;)
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Balgin Stondraeg on November 20, 2007, 12:33:28 PM
Quote from: keeper40k on November 20, 2007, 12:03:54 PM
And then I thought - I'll do the eyes next - followed by - how exactly does one paint a dryder's eyes?

My gut instict is red eyeballs with a black kermit-type pupil, but I can't decide if that is a good idea or not.  So any advice anyone has is welcome.

Red eyeballs with no pupils. I think all drow eyes are supposed to be like that.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: gi6ers on November 20, 2007, 01:18:50 PM
Personally I'd just paint the socket white (a thick wash of white if the eye is well sculpted) then just wash in TCR or Red paint. A dot of white for a highlight or a touch of gloss if you are feeling brave and that's it.  IMO a black pupil won't stand out enough to make it worth the effort/stress.  I'm going to do this on Liralith (HF) when I do a new version.

Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Balgin Stondraeg on November 20, 2007, 01:23:07 PM
Yeah, white with red ink. I did purple eyes the same way (but with purple ink) and they looked really good:

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/Balgin/Miniatures/Warmachine/Purple.jpg)



That's an old indoor photo with really bad lighting but maybe I'll take a new one someday soonish.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: dargrin on November 20, 2007, 02:30:21 PM
Back in the day, I won't say how long but our Drows had either red glowing eyes or had black eyes with red pupils.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Squigface on November 20, 2007, 04:20:08 PM
Weeeel, if you qant to do things the complicated way you could do them the way I paint Goblin/orc eyes on display minis;

Paint eye black

Paint eye yellow so you can see a thin black outline

Highlight the yellow wih a lighter yellow

Paint a dark red pupil

Highlight the pupil with orange

Do a black iris

Do a White(ish) Reflection dot

Done correctly this looks really good, but I can understand if you didn't want the hassle.

Squig
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Baldemyr on November 20, 2007, 05:27:05 PM
Didnt Drizzt have Violet eyes? I thought within the Forgotten Realms Drow had normal eyes<in daylight> with slightly off colour pupils.  Or was that just Drizzt?
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Balgin Stondraeg on November 20, 2007, 06:03:00 PM
I like the 1st edition Monster Manual Drow entry (not the Fiend Folio Entry which blatantly contradicted it).

MM1: The drow do not exist. There is no drow subrace of elves. They are just wicked stories told to frighten children.

And then Fiend Folio came out and someone wanted to create drow stats :(.

And then loads of really bad GM's ignored the "frequency: very rare" bit of the stat block (and since very rare meant encountered 2% of the time, and there were lots of other very rare creatures, the chances of ever meeting any drow should've been minimal but loads of crud* "the drow army is attacking your crud*py Forgotten Realms village" computer games made people think they were cool even if they look like a Pint of Guiness).
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Dr.Evil on November 20, 2007, 06:08:08 PM
Since it's fantasy and unless your painting to set rules, you can paint them however you want.

I might try blue myself with just the white spot for reflection.  :icon_wink:
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Custom_Hobby on November 20, 2007, 10:28:30 PM
Quote from: Baldemyr on November 20, 2007, 05:27:05 PM
Didnt Drizzt have Violet eyes?

In a word: YES :bludrgn2:
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 21, 2007, 06:19:41 AM
Thanks for all the ideas, chaps - I didn't think it would produce this many responses - I guess Drow really are as cool as they are rare! ;)

@Balgin: I really dig those violet eyes
@Squigface: I might consider that method, as the Dryder mini is bigger than a usual heroic 28 size torso - Its closer to ogre size and the head and eyes are bigger, too.

Images as promised.  Click to link to Cheddarmongers:

(http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/gallery2/d/10230-1/Torso.jpg)  (http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/pic/keeper40k/wip/Torso.jpg.html)  (http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/gallery2/d/10233-1/Dryder1.jpg) (http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/pic/keeper40k/wip/Dryder1.jpg.html)  (http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/gallery2/d/10236-1/Dryder2.jpg) (http://www.cheddarmongers.org/prod/pic/keeper40k/wip/Dryder2.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: gi6ers on November 21, 2007, 07:57:12 AM
Nice work so far mate.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Bruenor Odinson on November 21, 2007, 08:18:06 AM
Looks cool already, I'd go with red eyes tho.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 21, 2007, 08:22:57 AM
Actually, looking at the photos, I think I'll give the skin a couple of really thin washes of Dark grey and perhaps re-highlight a little, but I think I'll go with the red eyeball - which with a couple of TCR washes.

Then I need to sort out all of those damn little spots of white in the spider fur, before I can drybrush it!

Thanks, chaps.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: gi6ers on November 21, 2007, 08:51:15 AM
Not sure you need the washes but another highlight on the eyebrows, nose, bottom lip and cheekbones would be good.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Balgin Stondraeg on November 21, 2007, 08:54:25 AM
Quote from: Custom_Hobby on November 20, 2007, 10:28:30 PM
Quote from: Baldemyr on November 20, 2007, 05:27:05 PM
Didnt Drizzt have Violet eyes?

In a word: YES :bludrgn2:

And an unpronouncable name.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 21, 2007, 09:09:03 AM
Quote from: gi6ers on November 21, 2007, 08:51:15 AM
Not sure you need the washes but another highlight on the eyebrows, nose, bottom lip and cheekbones would be good.

I don't want my highest highlight really any lighter than the current highest highlight, but I've not made the highest highlight small enough, so I want to use the washes to darken the whole skin, so I can highlight again, butdo it better this time! :)  Ok, that's kinda difficult to read, but I think you kow what I mean.

Quote from: Balgin Stondraeg on November 21, 2007, 08:54:25 AM
And an unpronouncable name.

Don't be silly - it's easy: Drizzt Do'Urden.

See - that wasn't hard was it? ;)

OK, wiki has the IPA if you really can't work it out for yourself ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drizzt
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Balgin Stondraeg on November 21, 2007, 01:16:17 PM
Zt isn't pronouncable (exept maybe in one of those crazy african click languages where the different clicks are phoneticaly spelled TZ and stuff like that hence Tzench actualy starts with a kind of cluck, ironicaly apropriate for the chaos bird chicken god).
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Bruenor Odinson on November 22, 2007, 03:20:59 AM
I always took it that it was pronounced Drisst, and wikipedia was proved me right, yay!!
It's some of the other names in Homeland that are unpronouncable!!
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 22, 2007, 05:02:36 AM
Quote from: Balgin Stondraeg on November 21, 2007, 01:16:17 PM
Zt isn't pronouncable (exept maybe in one of those crazy african click languages where the different clicks are phoneticaly spelled TZ and stuff like that hence Tzench actualy starts with a kind of cluck, ironicaly apropriate for the chaos bird chicken god).

If you check the IPA on the wiki link, you'll see that the T on the end is pronouced in a gutteral way - the same gutteral way of strongly accented Yorkshireman (like me) will pronounce "the", most of the time.  No need to assume exotic consononts, Balgin - just read the IPA and learn, since IPA tells you exactly how to pronounce stuff :)

I like the clicks that many of the Bantu (and Khoisan) languages of southern african use - once you get the trick of them, they're no harder to use than the German ch, or the Welsh ll.

On the subject of the god of change, I think the Greenwich is perhaps the best (or at least funniest) way of pronounching it :)


Back on topic ...


I used the TCR method last night on the eyes.  I'm not totally sure about the look, but I've left the TCR to dry overnight and I'll have a look this evening.

On a more positive note, I also painted my HNF 40mm resin Tiriel as a drow last night, and I'm pleased with the result, even though I used the same technique for her eyes, so I'll get photos in a new topic as soon as she is varnished and dullcoated.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Fabian on November 26, 2007, 03:42:10 PM
That's a great sculpt!

I think the person you have a beef with is a certain Gary Gygax, Balgy who first created the drow in the Against the Giants series, before the Fiend Folio was published.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Custom_Hobby on November 26, 2007, 10:55:53 PM
Keeper do you have pictures of it yet? Do you like the way it looks after drying?

Fabian is right, Gygax did shape a lot of what D&D is.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 27, 2007, 06:08:31 AM
Been sick over the weekend, and I've not even looked at any miniatures!

But I'll have a look at it and get a photo taken as soon as I can :)  And I'll finish Tiriel's base!
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Custom_Hobby on November 27, 2007, 12:12:58 PM
I hope you feel better soom mate. I had a stomach flu recently that was horrible. what are you doing with Tiriel's base?
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Keeper on November 28, 2007, 05:17:15 AM
Its the resin one with the tiles, so I was going to use my standard Tamiya IJN Gray/Sky Grey receipe, but add a little purple to (try) and make it look like Welsh Slate.
Title: Re: Dryder Eyes
Post by: Custom_Hobby on November 28, 2007, 08:58:17 AM
Sounds cool (and yes I had to google it to see what you meant)