Making a Birthday Wish with a Marid - A Reaper Figure

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it being lazy, I painted this marid from Reaper and only worked on four other figures.  My father had a case of beer delivered to my house; no, I didn't spend the rest of the day drinking it, although I did contemplate it.  I did, however, feel that I deserved to let my mind wander instead of getting work done.
The last post was about making sure that you have a clear focus before painting.  I liken it to making the model tell a story for you; finding out who they really are.  On the other hand, nothing beats cheating.  When in doubt, follow someone else's  painting strategy. 

Case in point: this marid by Reaper.  I'm not altogether sure how I would have painted her...I think I was leaning more toward a regular skin tone with blue wash; kinda human but not.  Seeing as how she's a water genie, I knew I needed some blue in there or some greenish color.  I also found some really neat images of marid that look like fish, and that was intriguing.  However, the customer seemed to like the model already painted by Reaper so, I will do as asked. 

I very much like the paint job done on the Reaper site and so it is not difficult for me to borrow the idea.  Of course, I don't know how it was painted or with what but I can manage on my own and do what works best for me to get a reasonable fascimile.  That's my suggestion here, don't try to do exactly what is done by another artist unless you're sure you can pull it off.  Just do what is comfortable for you.  In the end you will have a painted model that pleases you in record time. 

Yes, the paint job on the Reaper site appears to be wet-blended.  That's all well and good but I don't have all the time in the world to wet-blend and make this model an expensive afternoon.  I have limited time as a "professional painter" as do you as an amateur painter (you have spouses, kids, jobs, a life). 

 There is nothing more frustrating than picking up this sweet mini, seeing a paint job that you love, trying to paint exactly like that and epically failing.  You spend all this time trying so hard to do something that you aren't yet capable of or that will take you a million hours.  Hey, don't get me wrong, if you've got no life and all the time in the world then go for it.  Think, however, of the other things you might be doing, think of that time as money...(oh, I know, this is a hobby), and then wonder if the backache, hand cramp and annoyance were worth it. 

But I will say this, practice.  Practice on simpler figures, ones that you don't have your heart dead set on; ones that you may not need to strip because what you attempted didn't work out; ones that you didn't see "professionally painted" which took days to do and has corrupted your mind.  If you haven't guessed, I'm trained to be a teacher.  I will give you the, "You can do it!" speech a million times, even when you say you can't.

Skin: Cel-Vinyl Middle Blue, Middle Blue 10, Deep Sky Blue, Sky Blue.

Base-coat in Middle Blue.  Then, pick out the muscles in Mid Blue 10.  Then, do it again with the Deep Sky Blue but only smaller this time.  Finally, do it again with the Sky Blue, but only hints like the glistening of the skin; little slivers of light.

 Hair: Gray 5, White, Sky Blue.

Base-coat in gray 5.  Then water down the Sky Blue and let it run in some of the creases (not all).  Finally, dry-brush with white all over.

Sandals: Ocher 11.

Accessories: Burnished Gold, Ogryn Flesh wash, New Gold. 
Paint on Burnished Gold.  Wash with Ogryn Flesh.  Dab on New Gold to high spots.

Clothing: Gray 5, White, Middle Blue 10.

This is the complicated part and takes a feel.  Lots of practice on my part and even then I have my bad days where things just won't work.  Where her body touches the cloth, coat that in Middle Blue.  Where the cloth moves away from the body and where there are creases (which would mean thicker cloth) coat in Gray 5. 
Next, highlight the creases and high points of the cloth by using a 10/0 brush and painting on white.  Wait for all of this to dry thoroughly. 
Finally, dilute down the white until it is a watercolor.  Wash over the cloth with the watered-down white (even over the blue parts).  Let that dry.  if you need to blend the blue to the white where the skin is no longer showing through, just dilute the blue very thinly and blend it into the white.  Vice-versa you can do it with the white too. 
NOTE: don't be too heavy handed.  If the white isn't white enough, wait until dry and do it again.  You can always add more but you can't really take away.