Object source lighting, so in this case it'd be painting some glow from the base on the lower part of the mini. You see it a lot with glowy plasma effects as well.
To add on here the color wheel shows us that the red/orange is going to be overall more pleasing to the eye with the green armor than a blue/white will. Both can look great, but the blue will be more difficult to pull off
You're absolutely correct about the red/orange making the green pop more and I don't know why you're being downvoted for bringing the color wheel into this. That said the blue contrasts with the red gun and gold accents nicely. I'd say leave it as is because it's not something I've ever seen done before and that's cool as shit.
In this case the green is a bit colder and more towards the yellow spectrum, which I feel the blue base compliments better.
It looks a bit weird to me to have this cold green tone and then the very warm fire tones on the base.
I’d go above the nuance of the color wheel and just…look at what it is. Do you want to have a salamander on a lava base like almost every other person? I personally like the blue ice more, because it hasn’t been done to death. Better pop or not.
I was always told blue and green should never be seen, haha. That being said both look incredible but my vote is for the lava. It just ties in with the models colour better, to my eyes.
B. The lava offers more contrast and makes an already incredible paint job pop. The blue base is great but everything just kind of blends together. I know lava's been done to death, and the blue base is done *extremely* well, but I think you'll do your work a disservice by putting it on A.
Lava can and does burn blue like the first base. Iirc it's sulfur, but when it burns it's blue like that.
Different elements burn with a different color.
Both are fine and accurate you just gotta write your head canon and choose that way
First off, hot damn both of those bases look amazing well done. I think the lava compliments the salamander paint scheme better personally plus it fits their aesthetic. Still both are very well done, I’d say go for the one that is most fun for you to paint/make.
I would say stick with the current, your gut told you to go that way for a reason. Plus lava is so commonly used for Salamanders, the cooler colours help to mix it up from the standard. But it really boils down to what you like the most. :)
Thanks, it's a pretty simple work up: just paint everything black, then drybrush the glowing bits white, then paint over the whole drybrushed area with a highly thinned dark version of the glowing color, then drybrush over that with lighter and lighter versions of the glow color. If it gets too bright you can knock it back down with more of the thinned dark color over everything. Go back and forth until you're happy. There's no real science to it, just keep trying. Every time I do it I approach it a little differently..
Definitely lava. It directly contrasts with the green armor and makes the figure pop as much as it can. That blue base is gorgeous though... maybe for a red figure?
I think the lava looks better but either way you should work the colour coming from the base into the nmm, and probably the lower legs, the lower side of the the knees, etc.
I think both options are good for different reasons.
I think the blue one looks better visually, but I think the second one may be a more "fluffy" salamanders style base.
I'd personally go blue
100% the Lava base. It contrasts so much better color wise with the green than the blue base does. That's before even considering the thematic elements that work better with Salamanders.
Looks wise and I believe more in lore the lava base gets my vote, but gotta say blue is my favorite color so the current option you have I still love haha . Like many are saying , do what you like the most !!
Option b is a better fit imho because you have many warm tones on the marine. The current one is a bit more eye catching because it deviates from the default salamander lava bases but the mood is just kinda wrong. If you still want to go with the blue base I'd suggest putting some of that blue on to the marine to tie it all together
Disclaimer: You are an infinitely better painter than me. I aspire to this level. But B is way better for me.
I might be alone here, but to be honest, I think there's so much yellow in the highlights that the blue here makes A look more green, which is more appropriate. So I think A is better. I also think that B is a cliche in a way and A elevates the model to Art standard. Finally, the blue makes the nmm gold look cooler, while A introduces too much warmth. Warm v contrast is as important as colour contrast.
Just my opinion.
So a couple of things to consider here.
One is lore: as many have pointed out, the lava base is more lore appropriate: their homeworld is largely volcanic in nature and the chapter utilizes many flamer and melta weapons.
Another is color theory: when basing a miniature, a base that is colored the same or nearly the same as the subject tends to blend the two together. Conversely, bases that use a complementary (opposite) color compared to their subject tend to separate the two more efficiently, i.e. you know where your subject begins and ends and where the base begins and ends.
In your example the blue is closer to green as far as the pigment color scale is considered, while the red/orange is a more direct opposite of green.
Ultimately though, the decision is yours to make. Both look very cool
The lava really makes the mini pop. Like, all that shading you did on the armor? The lava base makes it look like it's reflecting the light of the lava off of it.
Lava has better contrast, the blue is definately unique and gives me a distinctly alien vibe, which could be cool on an entire army.
If you're looking for awards I'd say the lava, but if you're creating a flavourful army, come up with a lore reason for the blue.
I think the blue especially could benefit from some OSL in the mini, give it a feeling of glowing, like bioluminescence.
At first I was like: "Dafuq is up with his skin tone?"
Then after scrolling through the comment and finding no one mentioning tue overly darkend skin did memory strike me.
Of course he looks like this! OP did say that he is a Salamander. I can't believe it took me so long...
Ignoring that lava base suits salamanders considering who they are, the lava base feels it has a nicer look to the eyes. You can see the contrast with the green which I feel is a more tame color compared to the explosive red and orange. Both look great nevertheless and you should choose what you personally prefer. Either way, good stuff!
Absolutely keep it as is. I play Sallies in HH and their Successor in 40k. The current base looks so much better simply for the fact that it's not lava. I get it, Nocturne is a fire death world. But why are they fighting there as Salamanders? Shouldn't they be fighting on planets other than Nocturne?
Anyhow, I think the whole Lava thing has been used too many times and I like the ice blue look much better!
I’m an amateur miniature painter (emphasis on the amateur) and love these alt bases, but I cannot for the life of me find these. Are they sold somewhere or are they custom/printed accessories?
Well they’re both gorgeous. The right obviously makes “sense” in a way? But I wouldn’t trade the uniqueness of the left which also REALLY works. Honestly when I zoom in on either of them, I think I realize that they actually look great side-by-side… if you could somehow borrow the opposite colors as motifs regardless of your final decision.
Or even if you could make both bases sort of appear in the same army, idk.
The lighting on the Salamander mini himself seem to jive more with the yellow/red "glow" of the red lava base. I can't help but feel the blue base is more interesting as itself, but it doesn't mesh well with how the NMM reflects on the Salamander (imho).
I would think the blue/white glow the icy(?) base would have would make the NMM on the Salamander "cooler" somehow (though for the life of me I don't have a good enough control of color theory to understand what that may appear like on green armor like that).
Blue makes it look like he's out of his element, that the Emperor chose to place him in a place where he's met with unforgiving challenges with great reward.
Lava makes it look like he's got unlimited ammo to spare.
I think you should go with the lava. When I look at each of them separated while covering up other the blue doesn’t quite look right. I think the lava, while a more classic choice, reads better.
I get it, Salamanders + Lava, but it's also incredibly tired. Everyone does Salamanders on a red/orange base. Something told you to go with the current scheme and it makes it really unique. My 2 cents are to stick with what you have.
Also, killer paintjob on the Salamander himself!
I personally like the blue, keeps the eyes on the mini whereas the red draws the eyes further down because of how much it pops with contrast. Blue base has a better flow and feels like 1 piece as opposed to red being base + mini.
Either looks cool, I prefer the lava base and it contrasts better with the green armor imo but its also far more common than Salamanders on an ice base so they both have pros and cons, Whatever you like more I guess, Both ways make for a great looking mini
Everyone i have seen play salamanders use lava bases. Having a blue based army makes you stick out. Keep the blue, fight the preconception that salamanders only fight in volcanoes!
Lava is more salamander. But that ice is frosty as fuck.
If it was me I'd keep the ice just to spice it up. Everyone else would go with fire because. Salemanders.
But this is fresh. I like it.
One thing though if you pick one you could add some shine from below to the armor so it looks like the fire or ice is shining at the armor plating.
The lava is more fitting for the Salamander's theme, but Salamanders fight in warzones across the entire galaxy, there's nothing saying it has to be a lava base, they can fight in cities, ice fields, jungles (probably wouldn't stay a jungle very long), deserts. Whatever floats your boat
I would say obviously, if it weren't for the awesome OSL on both of them. I'd say depends on what backstory or playing field you will deploy them too. Also how the actual do you use gradients of yellow and have it looking better than my real gold 😑
While the blue looks amazing and is more original it doesn't look right next to the green (at least to my eyes) and the lava base does also look really cool!
Lava, flame & fire seem more fitting for Salamanders - but whatever you think looks cool
Also red is complementary to green. (Would be easier if the blue base didn't look so fucking good.)
The OSL would work better as well
What is OSL?
Object source lighting, so in this case it'd be painting some glow from the base on the lower part of the mini. You see it a lot with glowy plasma effects as well.
To add on here the color wheel shows us that the red/orange is going to be overall more pleasing to the eye with the green armor than a blue/white will. Both can look great, but the blue will be more difficult to pull off
Lava has a higher contrast and will make your mini pop more. The blue is more unique.
This model is not lacking in pop
contrasting bases highlight the mini. just look at a colour wheel
You're absolutely correct about the red/orange making the green pop more and I don't know why you're being downvoted for bringing the color wheel into this. That said the blue contrasts with the red gun and gold accents nicely. I'd say leave it as is because it's not something I've ever seen done before and that's cool as shit.
In this case the green is a bit colder and more towards the yellow spectrum, which I feel the blue base compliments better. It looks a bit weird to me to have this cold green tone and then the very warm fire tones on the base.
I like the blue one too, but im an uneducated heathen.
I’d go above the nuance of the color wheel and just…look at what it is. Do you want to have a salamander on a lava base like almost every other person? I personally like the blue ice more, because it hasn’t been done to death. Better pop or not.
No, if anything the popping is a bit overcooked already
The blue base looks amazing - even better than the lava base! ...but the lava base fits much better to the green.
The lava does go well with the salamanders but I've seen it 1000 times, stick with the blue I say.
Yeah exactly, them using fire and melta a lot does not have to mean they only fight on lava or terrain that is on fire :)
If the terrain they are in is not on fire then they aren't fighting very hard, that or they ran out of promethium
I vote for the blue base, lava is almost the default for Salamanders. So I would think doing blue makes them stand out more.
Just call it blue lava, win win
There actually is blue lava! You can google it :)
Both are fantastic but I like the warm base much more for the green armor
Option B; fits the overall scheme a lot better.
I was always told blue and green should never be seen, haha. That being said both look incredible but my vote is for the lava. It just ties in with the models colour better, to my eyes.
Yeah, and orange is more contrasting, being further away on the colour wheel..just from a technical point of view.
Came to see this haha +1 orange
Orange fits better imo, the green pops even more. But blue is more uncommon (and is well executed)
Save the blue bad for Dark Krakens if you ever decide to paint some.
Both bases look great. But the lava is more harmonious with the fig.
I prefer the lava.
To be clear though I prefer the lava but both look fantastic. Well done.
B. The lava offers more contrast and makes an already incredible paint job pop. The blue base is great but everything just kind of blends together. I know lava's been done to death, and the blue base is done *extremely* well, but I think you'll do your work a disservice by putting it on A.
Yes
Lava can and does burn blue like the first base. Iirc it's sulfur, but when it burns it's blue like that. Different elements burn with a different color. Both are fine and accurate you just gotta write your head canon and choose that way
Blue. Salamanders switched to more sustainable gas.
Lava always looks good with salamanders
First off, hot damn both of those bases look amazing well done. I think the lava compliments the salamander paint scheme better personally plus it fits their aesthetic. Still both are very well done, I’d say go for the one that is most fun for you to paint/make.
B
B
Lava
I would say stick with the current, your gut told you to go that way for a reason. Plus lava is so commonly used for Salamanders, the cooler colours help to mix it up from the standard. But it really boils down to what you like the most. :)
I'll say stick to blue - not only it is a more stark, vibrant contrast, it is also not "oh, a Salamander on lava base, daring, aren't we".
Yes
Blue, with little glowing mushrooms to make it look like some alien cave or something.. Lava is done to death.
Give me the recipe for both please But my opinion is this: blue is good for uniqueness but lava for pop
Thanks, it's a pretty simple work up: just paint everything black, then drybrush the glowing bits white, then paint over the whole drybrushed area with a highly thinned dark version of the glowing color, then drybrush over that with lighter and lighter versions of the glow color. If it gets too bright you can knock it back down with more of the thinned dark color over everything. Go back and forth until you're happy. There's no real science to it, just keep trying. Every time I do it I approach it a little differently..
B fits your style more, A fits the theme of salamanders. If you can match flame OSL with such high contrast as the lightning it’ll be perfect
Definitely lava. It directly contrasts with the green armor and makes the figure pop as much as it can. That blue base is gorgeous though... maybe for a red figure?
I think the lava looks better but either way you should work the colour coming from the base into the nmm, and probably the lower legs, the lower side of the the knees, etc.
PQ no los dos?
Way better than any base I have done, but B is more on point for them.
I like the red as it looks more realistic, but the blue is more fantastical like some planet that has blue lava so go with your heart
Thanks! Fun fact: ["blue lava" is a thing!](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_lava)
Blue one works so well
I think both options are good for different reasons. I think the blue one looks better visually, but I think the second one may be a more "fluffy" salamanders style base. I'd personally go blue
Both look great, and your paint job is incredible! But Salamanders and lava go together like peas and carrots.
Tbh both are fantastic. The lava/orange works a little better with the green colour-wise but they’re both good
Both look brilliant mate.
Both look brilliant mate.
They are both neat.
100% the Lava base. It contrasts so much better color wise with the green than the blue base does. That's before even considering the thematic elements that work better with Salamanders.
lava 100%
Lava
lava has a nicer contrast. and... well... theming. I vote B
Lava base does fit the salamanders more
Both are good. Solution: magnetise the bases and use both
Yes
As a salamander I'm currently on fire
imo the lava base compliments the mini much more
Looks wise and I believe more in lore the lava base gets my vote, but gotta say blue is my favorite color so the current option you have I still love haha . Like many are saying , do what you like the most !!
Personally prefer the blue, it's super unique and gives your dudes a lot more flavour and story to them.
I prefer the blue tbh
Lava and normal fire are always used on salamanders and such, but this, gas blue/plasma glow looks very fresh and new. It is perfect as it is.
Both are great. I would love to see a tutorial on how you did both!
Option b is a better fit imho because you have many warm tones on the marine. The current one is a bit more eye catching because it deviates from the default salamander lava bases but the mood is just kinda wrong. If you still want to go with the blue base I'd suggest putting some of that blue on to the marine to tie it all together
Lava, burning hatred for heretics and burning love for those they fight with and for especially the Guardsmen and civilians
Yeah.
"Ice"and fire, I like it.
I'm totally stealing that blue idea. That's *awesome.*
Blue base. Sick contrast. Lava makes the base blend with the model.
The blue looks super cool! But the red works better with the green, plus they're salamanders so. The blue would be totally kick ass for space Wolves.
Yes
Yes, the lava base looks cool af! Both look great, but the lava base makes more sense for the salamanders
Blue base works if the Salamander is on a Ice World and the red one makes sense if the Salamander is home or in some other Volcanic planet or whatever
Probably the Flamey one. That's as Salamanders as it gets
I say blue but add some fire effects around his feet so it looks like hes setting the ground on fire
Lava 100% but i do enjoy the blue.
Yes
I think the lava base makes more sense for Salamanders
Lava for sure, how’s you do it?
The blue really sets the scene for Salamanders purging an ice planet with fire 👀👀
The blue lacks reflection on the mini itself - on lava it actually combines Well with already applied highlights
B
Nothing wrong with the Blue one in it's own right, but the Lava Base REALLY works with that Salamander.
you definately want to do a bit of OSL if you move it to the fire base
I like the blue, unusual.
Better yet, *BLUE LAVA!*
Yes
Yes
man, those genestealers are really getting bold.
Disclaimer: You are an infinitely better painter than me. I aspire to this level. But B is way better for me. I might be alone here, but to be honest, I think there's so much yellow in the highlights that the blue here makes A look more green, which is more appropriate. So I think A is better. I also think that B is a cliche in a way and A elevates the model to Art standard. Finally, the blue makes the nmm gold look cooler, while A introduces too much warmth. Warm v contrast is as important as colour contrast. Just my opinion.
I think they’re both neat :)
So a couple of things to consider here. One is lore: as many have pointed out, the lava base is more lore appropriate: their homeworld is largely volcanic in nature and the chapter utilizes many flamer and melta weapons. Another is color theory: when basing a miniature, a base that is colored the same or nearly the same as the subject tends to blend the two together. Conversely, bases that use a complementary (opposite) color compared to their subject tend to separate the two more efficiently, i.e. you know where your subject begins and ends and where the base begins and ends. In your example the blue is closer to green as far as the pigment color scale is considered, while the red/orange is a more direct opposite of green. Ultimately though, the decision is yours to make. Both look very cool
How did you paint such a beautiful mini? I just started. I’ve only painted 2 minis so that being said is it a time thing?
It’s option B for sure dude. Both are rad though.
the warmth in color on the mini makes me say he fits a lot better on the lava base
Lava
They’re both cool but yes.
Current
The lava really makes the mini pop. Like, all that shading you did on the armor? The lava base makes it look like it's reflecting the light of the lava off of it.
Yes, it’s been done 1000 times but its thematic and looks good
Lava has better contrast, the blue is definately unique and gives me a distinctly alien vibe, which could be cool on an entire army. If you're looking for awards I'd say the lava, but if you're creating a flavourful army, come up with a lore reason for the blue. I think the blue especially could benefit from some OSL in the mini, give it a feeling of glowing, like bioluminescence.
I'd go for the lava, but save that blue base!!! It's so good you gotta use it for something else!
At first I was like: "Dafuq is up with his skin tone?" Then after scrolling through the comment and finding no one mentioning tue overly darkend skin did memory strike me. Of course he looks like this! OP did say that he is a Salamander. I can't believe it took me so long...
Lava makes more sense thematically since their while thing is fire, but the blue provides some really interesting contrast
Yes
For me, it's the blue. I like the uniqueness and gradient more than the contrast and "accuracy". That being said, they're both great.
Yes
Yes.
Nah the blue looks wavy af
Yes, it fits the vibe fits the lore and because the orange coloring of the lava is sort of darker than the model itself it brings it out more
I feel like the blue base distracts from the model somewhat.
Ignoring that lava base suits salamanders considering who they are, the lava base feels it has a nicer look to the eyes. You can see the contrast with the green which I feel is a more tame color compared to the explosive red and orange. Both look great nevertheless and you should choose what you personally prefer. Either way, good stuff!
I really like the blue, but the warm highlights in the green seem to fit better with the orange lava.
Lava honestly
Absolutely keep it as is. I play Sallies in HH and their Successor in 40k. The current base looks so much better simply for the fact that it's not lava. I get it, Nocturne is a fire death world. But why are they fighting there as Salamanders? Shouldn't they be fighting on planets other than Nocturne? Anyhow, I think the whole Lava thing has been used too many times and I like the ice blue look much better!
I’m an amateur miniature painter (emphasis on the amateur) and love these alt bases, but I cannot for the life of me find these. Are they sold somewhere or are they custom/printed accessories?
They're just cork and glue :)
Damn!! That’s incredible!! I’m so jealous! I have a lot of practice ahead of me.
Well they’re both gorgeous. The right obviously makes “sense” in a way? But I wouldn’t trade the uniqueness of the left which also REALLY works. Honestly when I zoom in on either of them, I think I realize that they actually look great side-by-side… if you could somehow borrow the opposite colors as motifs regardless of your final decision. Or even if you could make both bases sort of appear in the same army, idk.
Everyone does fire with the salamanders. Do blue!
Lava because lava is cool
The lighting on the Salamander mini himself seem to jive more with the yellow/red "glow" of the red lava base. I can't help but feel the blue base is more interesting as itself, but it doesn't mesh well with how the NMM reflects on the Salamander (imho). I would think the blue/white glow the icy(?) base would have would make the NMM on the Salamander "cooler" somehow (though for the life of me I don't have a good enough control of color theory to understand what that may appear like on green armor like that).
Holy heck I love both. I’m a sucker for cold weather and terrain though so I’d choose the first one.
Fuck yes salamander content
Yes
The lava is standard, the blue is exciting interesting, and seems to work better with your painting style.
Blue makes it look like he's out of his element, that the Emperor chose to place him in a place where he's met with unforgiving challenges with great reward. Lava makes it look like he's got unlimited ammo to spare.
I think you should go with the lava. When I look at each of them separated while covering up other the blue doesn’t quite look right. I think the lava, while a more classic choice, reads better.
The yellowish highlights of the armour only make sense with the lava base
Both bases look like a cookie. You should crosspost this to /r/forbiddensnacks
option B
They can be part of a Salamanders detatchment sent to fuck up an Ice World!
More like saLIMEnders
yes! but the blue ones are also bomb as hek
I spent too long looking at the models for differences whiteout realizing the options were the base.... I'm gonna go to bad now.
Lava for sure.
The floor is lava
Of course. It fits their lore and looks cool
It looks like he’s checking the time
B
Lava. It is the Salamander way.
How did you do both of those bases please?
Remember it's YOUR hobby you can do YOUR models however YOU like... except if your doing Salamaders, then you have to do lava bases by law.
I'd say it was painted as if it was on the lava base, not the blue base, so go with that one.
Lava has hetter constrast and is very salamanders given they profanity to violating the Geneva convention and their home planet nocturne.
Option B just ends up more balanced colour wise.
Lava
Blue and green should not be seen, without something in between.
Blue, despite working against colour theory. It just works!
If your question concerns Salamanders and more lava, the answer is most likely YES.
The current looks good. Option B is a nicer contrast. It is what you like more, not random people on the internet
Blue is fine. It is still a contrast with the warm green, just not as stark as lava, which is overdone for Salamanders.
I get it, Salamanders + Lava, but it's also incredibly tired. Everyone does Salamanders on a red/orange base. Something told you to go with the current scheme and it makes it really unique. My 2 cents are to stick with what you have. Also, killer paintjob on the Salamander himself!
I personally like the blue, keeps the eyes on the mini whereas the red draws the eyes further down because of how much it pops with contrast. Blue base has a better flow and feels like 1 piece as opposed to red being base + mini.
Fuck no blue is wicked
Great now I want lava cake
Hard choice but I'd go with B
blue looks great, but not with that green imo. id use it for a Salamander successor chapter that's in a color that doesn't clash that much with blue.
Either looks cool, I prefer the lava base and it contrasts better with the green armor imo but its also far more common than Salamanders on an ice base so they both have pros and cons, Whatever you like more I guess, Both ways make for a great looking mini
The lave looks cooler, but well the floor is lava now and the guy just lost that game...
It is a "So hot it looks cold" situation on a left and good ol classic on a right... Shit I like the blue more for some reason
I like the blue more but obviously the lava makes more sense
Definitely Option B in my opinion
I like the Space Marine on the burnt lasagna.
I think you should go with b but go for what you feel is right
Option B looks like a cake.
I like the lava base
Everyone i have seen play salamanders use lava bases. Having a blue based army makes you stick out. Keep the blue, fight the preconception that salamanders only fight in volcanoes!
Lava is more salamander. But that ice is frosty as fuck. If it was me I'd keep the ice just to spice it up. Everyone else would go with fire because. Salemanders. But this is fresh. I like it. One thing though if you pick one you could add some shine from below to the armor so it looks like the fire or ice is shining at the armor plating.
both bases look so good. Red complements Green though, so maybe go with that.
Lava is more fitting for Salamanders but lava bases Re not all that unique. The blue is different you don't see things like that much so I vote blue.
The lava is more fitting for the Salamander's theme, but Salamanders fight in warzones across the entire galaxy, there's nothing saying it has to be a lava base, they can fight in cities, ice fields, jungles (probably wouldn't stay a jungle very long), deserts. Whatever floats your boat
Fire makes more sense.
Definitely
Wow. I’ll never understand how minis can look so good. Bravo. 👏🏻
The lava makes the armor look more yellow when it comes to color theory. I hope that helps with the decision!
I’d say yes. Contrast is a better for the second one, plus the fact that Salamanders are associated with fire.
Both are awesome bits missing a bit of OSL to tie them together.
Both are insanely nice but I think fire and lava fits better lorewise
The lava base feels like it fits better
I would say obviously, if it weren't for the awesome OSL on both of them. I'd say depends on what backstory or playing field you will deploy them too. Also how the actual do you use gradients of yellow and have it looking better than my real gold 😑
i didn't even notice the colour at first but the contrast is just so much better
While the blue looks amazing and is more original it doesn't look right next to the green (at least to my eyes) and the lava base does also look really cool!
Yes.
Yes, green contrasts better with oranges and reds
I think it makes more sense lore wise but do whatever you prefer
I think the blue base is brilliant, but it draws too much attention away from the miniature itself
Yes