Naughty Necromancer - A Reaper Figure

Since it was necessary to continue painting nearly naked figures today, I found another Reaper that is scantily clad.  <<chuckle>>  So, this nearly naked necromancer was narrowly knocked out before a headache left me knackered.  Oh, alliteration how I love thee.  While listening to a combination of Moby, Motley Crue, Alice In Chains, and Nine Inch Nails for inspiration I added her to my done list.

Let us talk about her a little before getting into the painting.  This is what I was thinking when I painted her.  I think that motivation for a figure is about as important as your actual painting skills.  You can be a lousy painter and still do a swell job if you've got the right motivation.  Likewise, you can be an excellent painter and make lousy choices when it comes to the direction that the figure is going to take. 

 

When I looked at her I knew I wanted her to be pale.  I wish I had another one of these to paint just so I could show you another color scheme, but I don't.

I wanted her to be like a ray of moonlight; although not undead looking.  Her skin is alabaster or marble in hue; like a grave stone.  Her hair white and blue, cold fire.

 Likewise, her cloak and thong needed to contrast her a bit.  I did contemplate doing them in white also but I didn't want to lose them in her skin.  They might appear simply black with gray highlights but no, they are a purplish gray; like mist rising from the grave or smoke from a chimney.

The bracers and shin plates are silver.  Gold would have been a nice alternative but again I was going for moonlight.  The accessories are supposed to be skeleton parts, but again if I had made them off-white bone they would have faded into her skin.

 Choosing the gem coloring for her staff.  I could have gone with blue and that would have worked well with her hair.  I also considered purple or red.  However, when I think necromancer I think nuclear green.  In this case, the blue and the green compliment each other.  They are both rather cold.

 I'm still considering giving her some eye makeup.  I would choose blue with a hint of metallic.  I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.  She does have lipstick in a deep red shade.

 These skeletons are a typical offwhite/white combination.  I added that nuclear green to their eyes, mouth, and ribs to tie in with the staff - as if they are animated by it.

That's always something to consider, tying a piece together.  Just because it is one figure doesn't mean that you can throw a bunch of colors together and it'll work out fine.  Choices need to be made and often staying focused on a few colors pays off.  The main focus is the female necromancer and she needs to stay that way.  If I added too much color to the bottom here with the skeletons, we would lose that focus.

Skin:

Fair Skin triad (Reaper), Ogryn Flesh wash.  Because she is so fleshy, dry brush on some gray over the skin, this helps to paint on a fair skin color without having to do a million layers.  Basecoat in Fair Skin Shadow.  Next, when fully dry, I went around the accessories and in her creases with Ogryn Flesh.  Then, wetblend in the Fair Skin, and finally wetblend in the Fair Highlight.  This takes some practice and a light hand.

Hair: 

Sky Blue (Model Color), Gray 5 (Cel-Vinyl) and White.

The tip of her hair is painted in Sky Blue and towards her face it is painted in Gray 5.  Then, white is mixed with the Sky Blue and dry brushed over the tip of blue.  Lastly, White is dry-brushed over the gray and faded into the blue.

Cloak:  

Dusky Skin triad (Reaper)

Paint on the Dusky Shadow.  Then, simply dry-brush on the other two colors of the triad.

Accessories: 

Mithril Silver w/ Badab Black wash.

Paint on the Mithril Silver and then wash with black.

Staff: 

Brown (CV) w/ Devlan Mud wash.

Paint on Brown then wash.

Gem: 

Green, Yellow Green, Lemon Yellow, White.

Paint on the green, hit the edges of the gem with yellow green, then again with lemon yellow, and finally dot with white for the gleam of the gem.

Skeletons: 

Stained Ivory, Creamy Ivory, White.

Heavy dry-brush of the the Stained Ivory.  Dry-brush of the creamy ivory.  Finally, a very light brush of white.
Then, hit the inside of eyes, mouth and ribs with the green and lemon yellow for that undead glow.

Grave Cloth: 

White w/ Sepia and Devlan Mud wash.

Paint on the white, then wash with sepia all over.  Finally, hit the edges that make contact with the dirt with the devlan mud.