For this airbrushing article, I’m diving into something I don’t have much experience with… color theory. Check it out!
Let’s talk about color theory. Looking back at what I’ve painted in the past, I just gravitated towards a cooler color scheme with the brightest color probably being the reddish-brown I used on the black coach (see that one here). I am not pretending to know much about color theory, though I was in advanced drawing and painting back in high school, so watch out. However, I will do my best to bring you through my thought process on it.
It all starts with a color wheel!
The Color Wheel
My main color has always been a cooler color transition to a warmer tone and out to white. I was thinking to myself, what if I want to go with a warmer tone into the green transition. While looking at the color wheel and doing some digging, I came across color harmony which sounds familiar from 16 years ago when I was in high school. It’s basically the idea that you can paint three colors together that are side by side on the color wheel and it should look good.
In the example below, I used green and yellow. Then I thought I would bring out his hood and candles a little bit by using a cooler color tone to make them stand out from the rest of the model. Then I stayed with the antiqued armor theme for his armor (I think with the yellow looks a little muddy but its what I used on the rest of my army, so I kept it). I added in a lot of the neutral colors like the light browns for bones, the grey, and green-grey on the base, etc.
Those are all colors that help make things stand out without taking away from the rider on the mount. I did add in some small pops of color with the red roses, and the red flowers on the base. You can see my guardian of souls is over 50% neutral colors with the black clothing, but that red on his base just pops.
Mixing It Up
On my other rider, I wanted to mess with more warm colors but didn’t want to repeat with yellow again, so I decided to try a mix of yellow and red. (Orange for those keeping score.) Red is green’s complementary color, but I didn’t want him to be a pure red for some reason so I went halfway there and got orange. Again, I stuck with the blue theme for his trim.
Looking back at it I wish I had done a different color for it. It’s not that I don’t like blue and orange like that, but it seems lost between the orange and the green. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for it, but I’ll just write it down in my painting journal (seriously, keep notes on your painting) and move on. I then stuck with a similar scene of more neutral colors with the red roses on the base.
I am not 100% sold on the orange and green, but I’m not unhappy with it either. I am a big fan of the color harmony between the yellow and green. That is something I’m going to consider when deciding how to paint miniatures in the future. I also really like the little pops of color the red gives on the bases. The neutral colors surrounding it makes them stand out even more.
Nighthaunts Army Check In
Overall, I am happy with dipping my toes into the color wheel and my next pass will be red into green. I am worried it might make the unit look like Christmas threw up, but then again, I guess that’s why Christmas is red and green. Because they complement each other.
Current Painted Point Total: (using the new GHB 2019)
- 20 Chainrasp Horde: 160 Points
- 6 Spirit Hosts: 240 Points
- Reikenor the Grimhailer: 170 Points
- Guardian of Souls with Nightmare Lantern: 140 Points
- Guardian of Souls with Mortality Glass (doesn’t exist anymore “sad face”): 140 Points
- Knight of Shrouds on Ethereal Steed: 120 Points
- Lord Executioner: 80 Points
- Dreadblade Harrow: 90 Points
- Spirit Torment: 120 Points
- Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief: 220 Points
- Black Coach: 260 Points
- 12 Myrmourn Banshees: 210 Points
Total is 1950 Points, but I need that third battleline!
For my next unit, I’m going to leave the Nighthaunts for a while and go back into my Tzeentch army to try out the new contrast colors on some blue and brimstone horrors. After that, I’ll be painting my last 20 Chainrasp Horde to get to my 2000 points needed for my Michigan GT deadline!
12 Weeks to Michigan GT, left to do is battleline unit, 3 pieces of terrain for the convention, and my board!
More AoS How-To For Beginners!
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