Would like some feedback if anyone has done this before. This is the first test model where I'm like "yea ok this is working" but I'd love any tips people have for selling this effect, I feel like I'm struggling.
Hm, I'd say at the moment the model looks mostly unfinished. Anyone not knowing what you're going for is gonna assume it's just the basecoat with a drybrush to highlight the details. Perhaps apply some thin coats of color to the main parts? Just a light glaze or a very thin wash to each of the major areas (coat, armor, pants, boots) to show that this is meant to be a holo version of a real trooper. And the "tactical rock" and the base wouldn't be holos, right? So paint them normally to set off the hologram from the real world around it.
I was about to to the same comment. I'm not really sure about what you are trying to achieve here. I have an idea, but with so little info I may be completely irrelevant here. Still, I will give a try just in case. You're trying to represent the model as if it was not present on the table but only an holographic projection as in a lot of scifi movie for communication (ie: Star Wars). I had the same idea for some extra minis which are not required in the game they are from. The game is about giant mecha sport where you can choose the pilot or special skills so the pilots' minis are just cosmeticand I wanted them to be holo projections during the tv show broadcast. My first attempt was pretty close to what you get here. Mostly several drybrush with more and more highlight. Several lessons here : - bad choice of color - I couldn't achieve something to my idea with drybrush (maybe now I could) - too much black remaining to achieve the proper effect So next attempt was with the airbrush and a different color set. The one in the middle was another test. I went too heavy on the last highlight so I tried to tone it down with a wash and get better definition. But I found that it loose the holo aspect even with extra highlight. In the end I re-did everything with extra care to let a minimum of dark area which are really missing here. Here is the final result Still not as good as I expected but I settle with a "good enough" result. I hope it is of any help or at least can be a base to bring more relevant advices.
@Koin-Koin You guessed the attempted results correctly. I want an army themed like you're running against a training simulation. I like your colors, very Reboot. The goal was to go more Star Wars than solid object. I did see that you seemed to arrive at the same conclusion I did, which is that the base is best done as a "holo-lite" in the center. I think there's three things that are stand-out visual indicators of holograms: 1. Generally monochromatic 2. Some level of translucence 3. Some level of graininess (whether that's static, the image being made of individual light points, whatever). First point is EZ, second I think is almost impossible to replicate on a solid metal mini, so I thought the graininess would be the effect to really go for. Hence why I tried stippling most of the larger, flatter areas that were brighter after I dry-brushed. How well that worked is debatable for sure. It @Uthoroc Is your suggestion to put a thin glaze of a holo-color over an otherwise normal paint scheme or to glaze over what I have shown? Is it your opinion that the effect is more believable if it's more solidified? One thought I did have looking at pictures is painting in horizontal lines like this image: However if they can't extend beyond the miniature I think it may just look weird.
Nice to be on the same page. Thanks to your elaborate reply there's a few things that come to my mind. What seems to lack your test mini is a colour. As suggested a glaze can help to get a better idea of what you want represent (combat simulation). At least it's a small work that go a long way even you choose to restart from scratch. The second point imho is the balance between dark areas and lite ones. Holo is lighting per essence so less dark recesses than usual. You test is better than mine in that aspect but I think you should aim between that (too much dark) and my final result (not enough).
From scratch, I'll try this way: - base coat: dark grey - all over heavy dry brush (or even wet brush) : medium grey - almost all over (less on the underside of the mini) dry brush : pale sand - even dryer brush : pure white on higher part - glaze(s) : Holo colour of your choice something desaturated If you have access to an airbrush I'll try this: Aim for the same result I get but with a lower light level. Then use something like a cardboard or sheet of paper with parallel stripes cut in it and spread your Holo colour on back and front only as having aligned mask everywhere may not be achievable. Honestly I should try it myself because it's pure speculation so far. Maybe some talented members will have tested method to share.
The idea was just to glaze over what you got there to give it a bit of color over the grey graininess you were going for.
Today i seen this diorama by GJsailor: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjH6CE7t0Va/ This is in the spirit of the koin koin example.