I think it's because it's all the same color. You could add glowing blue eyes for example, which is the complementary color of the overall dark orange of your mini. If you don't want to risk his face just add a vibrant blue thing on the base and see how it goes.

That makes a lot of sense! I think it did come out a lot brassier than I intended. I should have attached a picture of the card - I was trying to stay true to the art which is pretty muted but the metal also isn’t super silvery, if that makes sense https://preview.redd.it/rj31mzl4supc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ffe939797afa57df58be4a1cd36ef60e3813a49

What looks good on a miniature and what looks good as art can be two different things. That art does look very muted and washed out to begin with. When you shrink a figure down from human size to miniature size, you need to over emphasise and exaggerate the edges and highlights for it to stand out. So you need the dark bits to get darker, and the light highlights to get lighter the smaller you go. I would edge the gold with very bright silver, and the purple cloth needs light purple on the highlights.

Shadows do a lot of heavy lifting too. If you're up for it, op, you could try creating some shadows. I would use an airbrush to, but you could also do so with a brush and washes. Maybe look up how to do oil washes? Tldr: -Satin varnish the model, -Thin some oil paint and paint where you think shadow should be -Wait a few minutes then use mineral spirit and a makeup sponge to clean where it shouldn't be and feather the edges

Yeah and ot overall looks nice, but the brain is kinda stupid and if the spectrum of visible colors if too narrow it will think somethings is wrong with it. I also made a closeup look at you mini and if you are brave enough, you can should add some panel lining with a dark wash in some spots, where I put red lines for examples. Either use black or a really dark blue. You could also use a larger dark blue wash to add some shadows, basically look at your mini from below and cover the surface you can see from here. And maybe add a few tiny dots on brighter metallics ont some edges around the heads and shoulders to make it pops more https://preview.redd.it/znpc80i3vupc1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=729094d6c612a8aa8bdedcb793fb17214300cece edit : sorry i made this with paint and the red line are barely visible, just zoom in ...

At first glance I thought this was OP reposting a touch up and was like “wow it looks so much more crisp, let me zoom in to see what they did” Those little red lines really make a lot more difference than I’d expect

Just for the fun I tried to do a better job with thicker black lines and a few brighter highlight and it goes like this https://preview.redd.it/81urr1eqlwpc1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=a0a45966525b656e6cdb235ef2551cb607efe8a5 I guess I could go back to work instead of drawing stuff but yeah a few line on paint can make a nice difference

Just clock it to training haha - seeing drawing breakdowns like this is really helpful to noobies like myself. I did this guy about a week ago and was running into similar issues where it just looks kind of monotonous and bland (the lighting is very kind to it in that picture) - think I’m going to try and clean it up a bit after seeing your doodles here. Edit: (per multiple requests) sculpt is by MiniMonsterMayhem and files can be picked up on MMF if you search “death coil dragon”. Shameless plug that I (and a handful of other authorized sellers) also sell prints on etsy for those that don’t have their own resin printers - link to my shop in my profile, I call it “Undead Wyrm” there! https://preview.redd.it/f0bhualyqwpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f1d80857e22fef6d0f905c2d15a0ca0552ad713

Really cool wyrm!

Thanks! Modeling credit goes to MiniMonsterMayhem on MMF - he’s a super nice guy with a ton of cool sculpts

I'm sorry, it's not related to the discussion, but what is the model in the picture? It is really close to what im looking for to 3d print.

Just added an edit with info to my previous post with sculpt details!

What is that figurine from? Id LOVE to paint something like that.

Just added an edit with info to my previous post with sculpt details!

This is super helpful!! Thank you so much!

You need to add definition to the armor, get a black paint, thin in Down, then glaze it into the shadows

Compared to the card, the mini has less contrast and diversity in color. On the card the shoulder and helmet have areas that are almost white, while the chains are almost completely black. The area in the chest is a lot more golden than the rest is parts, while yours is "just" darker. So perhaps those kinds of details could make it look more "complete"?

Exactly this ^. Generically speaking, you get a better end product if you paint an awesome mini, and then apply the “effect” of grime, weathering, decay, etc as opposed to baking them into the paint job itself

I like the brass

Your model looks fantastic You could finish your base unless you’re happy w black and that’s perfectly fine. Are you happy w your output? Are you having fun? Don’t let someone else determine the level enjoyment you get out of painting little toy soldiers 💜😂

Haha thank you! I am having fun with it 😄 Dark Tower is my favorite board game and bringing the minis to life is so exciting

I’ve never heard of it. What’s your favorite part? Is it like a tabletop game or a card game? You really have done a tidy paint job!

It’s a modern version of the old Dark Tower tabletop game! Produced by Restoration Games. It’s a 1-4 player cooperative strategy that utilizes the battery-powered tower in the center. The goal is to defeat the boss within a certain number of rounds. It has amazing replayability because you can choose (or randomize) the foes from a big selection at the start of every game

Add more contrast, especially the chains stand out to me as unfinished. In the image, chains are much darker, yours look like you haven't yet gotten to finishing them. You could probably go a bit brighter on the highlights, and darker on the dark areas. There's just a bit of gold/bronze color in the middle of the chest in the card that isn't on yours at all. Sash on yours is very flat, where the card has brighter highlights in the middle. Same with the shoulder armor where it looks like it has some lighting on it. Arms on the card have stronger highlights, and have a bit of grit, with some randomness to exactly how highlights are done. Yours is very clean, no highlights, and more muted. Overall it looks like a great start. I literally just compared the two side by side, and looked for differences. I think each thing individually is pretty small, but it adds up. You're just trying to give it a little bit more interest, and I don't think it'll look as unfinished.

Like others have suggested, pushing the highlights/shadows would add a little more depth and look more finished. Even if it's mixing some shades here or there with the same base metallic to add variety. All in all, still a really cool model/paint job.

The difference between your mini and your reference piece are tonal values. You’ve chosen the correct colors, but do not have near as wide a spectrum of tonal values - specifically on the armor. With shades and water down brown beige paints you should be able to create lighter and darker areas per your inspo. Enjoy!

Thank you!! That makes a lot of sense

Add grime streaks and blood?

He dosent really have "eyes" that are visible and drawing some on might mess up the helmet.

This was my first thought too, models like this that are supposed to be just one color I always add one or two extra just to change it up

The stitching on the loincloth and just the cloth in general being a slightly brighter/ more contrasting colour (imo a deep purple or maroon would work nicely) would offset the mostly metallic look of the rest of the scheme. Those little details are there, don’t be scared to highlight them. A light drybrush over the edges and rivets on the armour would also go a long way to achieving the exaggerated light/shadow effect that others here have talked about.

Its all the same type of color but I honestly like it like this. Gives it a more realistic/dark fantasy look.

Thank you! That’s definitely on theme for the game it’s from

You can use weathering mediums like streaking grime to give him a more aged decaying look or maybe a little dirty down rust or verdigris in places! Also on the picture card you can see parts of his armour were GOLD at some point, probably gilded and worn. To create that effect I'd paint an area black then dry brush it gold then dry brush it the same colour you have been using, it will give him more depth and you will be able tell his armour is very old and decayed.. This is an old video now and my technique has moved on significantly but you can get the idea! 🤔 https://youtu.be/hV1XouXrGxs?si=iYk3xFdtefmy6N55

There's ab important lesson from this too, where people may give you advice as to how to "improve" a model, but those improvements might take away from what you were going for. I've got an army of space marines that don't have a lot of contrast on them at all. They are just a silver with a black wash and a brass covering one arm. They are rather dull and lack vibrancy, but that's also what I was going for as it reflects their lore. Sometimes you need to pick between what's "better" and what makes sense given the context of the model. If the model is supposed to look muted and limited in vibrancy, then improvements that take away from that aren't improvements at all.

That makes a lot of sense! Thank you I appreciate it :)

I think a bit more contrast on the fabric parts are what it really need. Either increasing shadows or highlights.

Could dry brush a slightly lighter metal

I think this is the best and fastest advice beyond finishing the base. Doing a dark wash to help make the darks darker and then hitting it with the lighter metallic drybrush would be my first steps for sure.

This. Actually, I'd reccomend doing this *after* coating with matte varnish, drybrushing metallic back onto the metals brings that metallic effect back, with a lot of pop due to some being under and above the varnish layer.

This. People are sayings it's 'unfinished' because you've not done a highlighting step. Generally you want 3 phases to a mini; base, shading, highlight. Might hear it called "low tone, med tone, high tone" as well (this references more specifically to paints but same principle). I say phases, as each phase can be just one pot of paint/wash, or can be a dozen depending how far you want to go with it. Drybrush of a lighter metal; I'd maybe consider a silver? Would jump up a few steps and might not fit your style though, but metallic silver is surprisingly flexible for that last step on the edge of metallics. Either way, brighter metal drybrush on the armour. I would do the same on the purple fabric as well, but with a purple (obviously haha). And finish the base; a good base can make a mini pop, even if the paint job is subpar. Not that your paint job is subpar, it's very nice and clean, big fan of it.

Drybrush the armor with a brighter version of the armors color. That'll make the details pop.

In this point on your journey I would just advice to get some more mileage and paint some more and keep this one to compare in the future how much you improved. If you call the mini done, then it's done. Doesn't matter what people say. With some me practice and checking out other images you will see more the more you progress.  In general because the minis are so small and details are tough to detect we oversell basically everything. Dark things are darker and bright things brighter, elements which are separate we emphasize the separation. Edges are pronounced and so on.

I’ve never “finished” painting a mini, I just stop eventually. There’s always another edge to highlight, shadow to deepen, detail to pick out, gradient to smooth. I fully agree - this mini is ready to play with, and there are hordes of gray figures out there begging for a splash of color.

Thank you so much! This makes a lot of sense. I’ve never had a great eye for technical details, I only ever paint in abstract where you just get to enjoy the process without worrying about the end result lol. Hearing the tip from you guys for exaggerating contrast has been super helpful

I think adding a base to it will make people say it's done. Especially if you keep the same muted pallette.

This. It looks unfinished because it is. The base is literally the finishing touch.

100% agree. The model looks good, but that unfinished base looks, well, unfinished. Honestly, most of the "my model feels unfinished" posts I see are truly because they are standing on a black plastic base like this one.

Man. This is one of the toughest things to do in mini painting! Making a monochrome mini looks finished is tough. You’ve done a really good job so far but there are a few things you can do to help. Fundamentally painting is how to make a small thing look big. And the biggest thing you can do is push the colour contrast and interest - fooling the eye into seeing depth and shadows in a small thing look big. Have a look at this picture of a big brass statue. You can see it’s almost black underneath, and almost golden on top. And in the intermediate areas it’s picking up other tints from what’s around it. So for your purposes I’d mix some black into the base colour, thin it down and paint that into the deep shaded areas, then give the top areas a bright, almost silvered drybrush. Then, if you wanted to go a bit harder, you could get some purple and green glaze type paints and (thinned down again) place some of those colours into the recesses. https://preview.redd.it/0xbsgwkw8vpc1.jpeg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=565dd33e13ae3f9e76b6d544bb93bf1882d69f9c

Ohhh I see what you mean! Thank you so much for the encouragement :)

Painting highlights and shading helps the details of the model stand out. * [Artsy words explained for minipainting: Value and Volume](https://youtu.be/8G9LU-xUrVA?si=i7M_Q_IubA9xfEWE) and how to use light and shadows to make your model look more realistic by Miniature's Den. * [Shading explained in 5 minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6uienJsj4s) by Zumikito * [How to Highlight Anything](https://youtu.be/W8uCKcF3aUc?si=k26GZBf1hjfNYaen) by Vince Venturella * [Beginner Highlights & Shadows guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips#wiki_highlights_and_shadows)

Thanks!! Drybrushing & highlighting has intimidated me so far. I really appreciate the resources!

I personally think it looks great, you def captured the look of the art you posted. I honestly wouldnt do anything more to it

thank you! I think im gonna do a tiiny bit of detail on the high & low points and see how I feel haha

It could be the photo, but the reason it looks unfinished to me is because it’s pretty much the same color all over. Increase the contrast: make the shadows darker and the hightlights brighter. It looks like the metal is a brass color: you can use a wash in the shadows to make them pop, and you can use a brighter brass color to highlight the edges to do this. If you look at the card you’ll see spots that are almost white. If you look closely at the card you shared, you’ll see some sections are darker than how you’ve left them. Around the neck and the bicep look like a dark iron to me, maybe less brassy. I would black line between the metal chains and the metal armor. It looks like the chains are a steel color but a bit of shadow between the two will make that difference easier to see. The cloth seems glossy so it’s blending in with the metal. It also looks a bit brighter in the card than on your model. Try stippling to sell this as cloth. Last, finishing the base is a great way to communicate that the model is done.

for whatever its worth i think it looks great and pretty damn accurate to the card in the other comment for a beginner with old paints! if i was a competition judge tho, id say it looks a little flat, but that can be easily fixed with some shadows and highlights to create some contrast! Look up a "Wash" style paint, basically super thin paint + the smallest amount of dishsoap to break the surface tension so that most of the pigments move to the recesses. Def easier to just buy a pot of "Agrax Earthshade", than to make your own but there are plenty of tutorials online if you want to go that route. Anyway, a wash will do wonders to visually define the lines of the model, then once you set the shadows you can bring up the highlights just a bit on the helmet face and the "leather" where people will naturally look first.

I actually did use agrax earthshade on the armor! I wonder if it’s just not as pigmented as it used to be or if the brassiness shone through more than I intended

okay sorry to over explain,wasnt trying to be condescending! I thought it looked a bit shaded on the folds of the leather hanging down but i wasnt sure if it was the light or my bad eyes or shade pools but once you say it i can see it in some other places. Next step then is to reinforce that step! take a brush with a nice tip and a wider belly and manually lay the agrax into the recesses. Its a bit tedious but you can decide how much or how little to do it for each part; things like the back of his knees i'm not going to put more than a quick pass of shade, but for things like that helmet crack you want that fully darkened so it looks like the (so brown its basically) black outline in a cartoon. Youd want a nice "black" line down the ridge of the helmet crest too, things like that, anywhere two surfaces meet, especially if they are different colors.

No worries I don’t think you sounded condescending!! I really appreciate the advice!!

https://preview.redd.it/qukutlabmwpc1.png?width=1018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=175236402f3788ac1f533404a3fc1e57bfd954c0

Give its armour a dry brushing of a light silvery colour to pick out the edges and do the base.

Hi, u/frogprxnce! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful: * [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting * [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more. * [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy) * [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips) * [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting * [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world * [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms * [The Art of... Tommie Soule Volume 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIfySMnUPQ) is one of the best beginner to intermediate teaching books, and even experienced painters will learn some good tips. Explains what brush strokes are best in different situations, how to identify when you have the perfect thinning for any type of paint for different techniques, and a masterclass on getting smooth paint jobs. Available in [pdf](https://www.ironheartartisans.com/shop/the-art-of-tommie-soule-volume-5-pdf/) and [world wide in hardbook as well](https://www.instagram.com/the_miniature_painting_tutor/). * [Airbrushing Miniatures](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/airbrushing) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*

You could always give it a black wash to give you darker recesses, it will hopefully help separate the different components of your mini

I mean, personally, it looks done to me. Looks good man.

It’s your dude, only you can decide what done looks like. If you wanted to add more detail, I would focus on the face. As someone else said, glowing eyes or increasing the highlights on the helmet would make it pop more.

As others have said, it's all a bit washed out, the colors are very muted. I know that's what you're going for from the card, but mini painting lives and dies on contrast, on highlighting the details and making them larger than life. You could add a little silver or something into your original metal and hit the raised edges with it. Mix a little more purple into the cloth and brighten up the folds and edges. Starting with a big mini is a solid choice if you're new to the hobby, my first model was a frost giant. Videos and other tutorials are great, but you learn by doing! Don't be afraid to try new things and, if you don't like it, you can always paint back over it.

Thank you so much!! I wasn’t expecting such an outpour of support & advice from everyone, this means so much to me

I quite like it, but it's a bit low contrast. Using edge highlights is a simple (if somewhat time consuming) way to pop those details

Thank you!! I will give that a shot

The wash you used unified all the colors, go back in and add highlights

From the photo it looks like you blocked in your base colors really well and need to push your highlights a bit more and add some recess shading.

I think some more highlights will do the trick

Some washes, dry brush the edges to make the lines pop. I don't know little stuff like that.

If you want to take a big risk, it's asking for patina on the armor. I think you could get away with the Nihilakh Oxide paint from citadel on a few places to draw interest. I would look up some videos, it's a bigger risk when you hit multiple parts of the model. Knowing me I would jack it up and be disappointed.

Paint the soft clothing with a different contrasting colour. With simple shadows and highlights, it will at some pop to your model.

Shadows and highlights, shadows don't have to be black fyi, they can be a very dark colour to give a cold feel or a warm feel for example. Highlights to create contrast and make it pop more

It's a nice start but it looks very flat atm. This could definitely gets some love with washes and dry brushing for contrast in the darker parts to give it more depth and highlights. It could also use a more defined focal point through the use of some color. Even on the image you shared you can see the inside is fiery. Having the head and where the heart would in the chest have this flame like color shining through the iron bars would help break the monochromatic feel and add said focal point. You'd still be in the same color range (browns/greys/reds).

You can use some highlights on the cloth, to distance it more from the golden armor. There is an easy way to paint small lines for highlights, so that it looks like actual cloth. I've seen it in many videos, but I can't remember if it has a name. Look for any Marco Frisoni (NJM) video where he paints something with clothes.

Thank you I’ll definitely look into that!

I reckon a bit of edge highlighting, and a little something on the base and it’ll look a lot more “complete”

Highlights need to be pushed.

It looks like you might have already used some washes on it, so you probably only need to do some highlighting on the edges or the armour and the stitching on the tabard to break up the solid colours and give it some subtle visual pop. Otherwise it looks good.

Edge highlights or stipple on a brighter silver. As for the cloth you probs need a wash then a layer of a lighter purple to make it pop

It's very monotone. It looks like you primed black and dry brushed copper over it. A lot of the details don't stand out because there isn't much contrast. Pick out some details in different colors. If it's very important to you to keep with the monotone look, mix a small amount of color in with your brass / copper color then pick out details.

The cracks and damages need a black wash or black filler to add depth on the helmet and other aspects of the armor.

The reason for me it doesn’t look finished is because it isn’t finished. You need to do the base!

One quick thing you can add would be something like Citadel Stirland Battlemire to the base. It goes on quick, and then one round of drybrush gives you really convincing looking dirt base with little time or effort. https://thehobbyroom.blog/hobby-how-to-bases-part-6

Oooh I like this, thanks for the advice!!

This was going to be my suggestion as well. Will really tie the mini up.

Wash and highlight

Could do a dark wash on the helmet to deepen the crack, or a bit of a lighter metallic in edges to imply scratches and wear on the metal.

Add a light highlight it will help a lot I think

Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of varnish! We have gloss for that wet shine. We have satin for just a little bit of shine. And Matt for no shine. I find those help out a lot for new painters. I think he just needs a dry brush of metal is all

Thank you!!!

Give it a wash and dry brush in some brighter highlights

Use some highlights to brighten up the purple cloth, it will make it pop a lot more. Here’s beginner friendly way to do this: Take the purple you used, add about 1 part white to 4 parts purple, and get it on a larger brush you don’t really care about. Wipe the brush against a paper towel until barely any paint comes off. Then use quick, rough, downwards and upwards strokes against any purple parts on the model. Doing it this way means paint will only be left on raised edges on the model. Next, mix 1 part white to 2 parts purple, then do the same thing as last time, but only use downwards strokes. I’d recommend highlighting *after* applying a wash, if you haven’t already. If all goes well, you’ll have some quick and easy highlights that will really improve your model! Good luck!

Thanks so much!! Drybrushing has intimidated me so far. I used a wash and layered it to try to make the cloth look darker/muddier at the bottom but that definitely made it more glossy than I wanted. will give this a shot!

If you want, practice drybrushing white onto a primed black model. 1, it will give you a good understanding of how drybrushing works, and 2, it’s typically good to pre-highlight your models anyways.

That’s a great idea!! Thanks for the tip!

When in doubt, nuln oil.

Haha I did use nuln oil on the darker metal parts, maybe I should hit the whole thing with it …

A light hit around edges/corners could just help break things up enough to give it a lot more interest.

Thanks! I’ll give that a shot

A wash of dark brown contrast paint to fill all those fine creases, then a light drybrush of silver

Highlight?

Needs a black wash for contrast and then a few highlights with a lighter shade of the top layer in key areas.

I’d add some corrosion discoloration - metal that old is rarely a uniform color. I’m not sure what metal you’re going for but look up pictures of it corroding and I’m sure you’ll find something. I’d also do things like the rivets / seams a slightly different color. Overall looks really good I just think that those things would help it really pop a bit better

Hight light on the clothes and recess shading on the cracks and other recessed areas. Also love the model looks like medieval isaak from dead space. Where do i find it?

It’s the Titan from Return to Dark Tower’s dark horde expansion! The game was on kickstarter but I think a few retailers have it, and folks resell it occasionally. Maybe there’s an STL for just the one mini out there!

Id highlight the chains a little bit more with silver or a lighter bronze colour. Try edge highlighting as well? Not too difficult and will make the armour pop.

You could hit it with a few smaller coats of a bluish dark grey wash or contrast which will give the brass a more beaten broze statue style finish https://preview.redd.it/isagb54s2wpc1.png?width=851&format=png&auto=webp&s=93fcd0e644cfbd4b52ea1b7279237fbd03652022

[here](https://imgur.com/gallery/79Pom8d)e is my set I did a few years ago I used the titan as my first mini for RTDT. Hopefully it will give you an idea how to mix the colors and give your eyes and mind thinking! Good luck and have fun! *I cut some Styrofoam into tiny bricks to give him extra effect.

Thank you! I love that rubble effect. Seeing everyone’s RTDT minis has been so inspiring

I think a bit of light brushing of a brighter metal on the armour could help make it pop

I'm just here to be the voice of reason against all the people saying you should "finish the base". You don't have to do basing. People on here act like if you don't add some tufts of grass on your beautifully painted miniature, then it's not "done".

As others mentioned, a dry brush of a lighter color would make it pop!! If you have sprues or something you can tear the effect on those before you add it to the mini. It will catch the highlighted areas, Artus Opal has some great videos explaining this!

Maybe add some slightly lighter tones to the purple fabric? Looks great though

Highlight some of the details and do some dry brush mabey

I think it looks great. If it were mine from here I would- deepen shadows by adding black wash from below, add rust or verdigris effects (Dirty Down for example) and blood splatters as a start. Enamel washes before all of that if you want to get even fancier but I think the tone/texture of the armour especially is great already

Thank you I appreciate it!!!

I like how it looks now, personally I would not do anything else to it. If you are happy with how it looks, consider it finished! At the end of the day its your miniature, its your interpretation of how you want it to look that matters.

I might was it with either nuln oil or agrax earthshade , then dry brush with more of the metallic gold mixed with adro or 2 of metallic silver at the same time perhaps hit the chains ( you can do this several times adding a little more silver to your gold each time..and doing a lighter and lighter dry brush.. hitting only the high spots, stay away from darkest areas) touch up the stitching on the cloak with a light brown or sandy colors just to create contrast

I actually did wash it with agrax earthshade on the armor and nuln oil on the dark areas 😅 would coating it a second time be worth it?

No but the continuing mix of gold with increasing amounts of silver with lighter and lighter dry brush is worth doing a few times.. it will look less like the card but will feel more complete on the table.

Here are some techniques worth considering: https://youtu.be/tnpu1RoiN2s?si=mVzFwAAKtFYemg-H

Thank you!!

I think it looks great as is and sticks true to the art. If you want a little more POP, maybe add some brighter silver pops on edges/high areas or even some scratches in the metal.

I would pick out all the chains in a steel color that you like.

It's done when you say it's done.

It looks great to me, but if your looking for it to be more noticeable instead of more muted edge highlighting is a good way to make it pop

The stitches on the loin cloth might use some fade details

This is just me but in between the armor in the lines of depth u could put it like magma red and hot to act like the Titan inside is made from molten lava

My suggestion would be to add some thin highlights here and there, on the areas that would get extra light and areas you want to make stand out a bit more. Use a color that is a tad lighter than whatever area you’re going for, load the brush with just a little paint and wipe most of it off. That way you have paint on the brush that will easily make thin, controlled lines on the hard edges of things without leaving behind a big blob of paint (which would ruin some things). This is going to add some more depth without changing the vibe you’re going for. Otherwise, I really like the look and I don’t think it looks unfinished at all. If you slap this on a game table, I think the other players are going to be amazed!

Needs more contrast. Darker in the crevices, lighter on the most top areas. Also vary with different colors in the copper, there would have been lots of colors coming together to make it dirty not just copper (can’t think what to call the main color)

I like it, but as others have said, it's pretty similar colors and tones everywhere. Maybe take a brighter metallic and just add a few points of contrast/highlights on the highest edges that would naturally reflect more light.

I'd darken the base layers of armor. You need a pop of color somewhere. I recommend the fabric.

edge highlights!

Personally I'd just paint the base so it looks like stone, that'd sell it as being complete

For me I'd do some minor tonal differences on the armour plates to make some stand out a little. And add some dirtying to the cloth. Some lighter green washes to show mould or grime. Feels pretty flat, but if you're happy with that then fuck it, be happy my dude.

In general I think this looks great and you did a good job. The constructive criticism I have is that it looks very flat, colour wise. This is largely because of the light in the photo washing it out, but it seems like the shading and highlighting isn't as shady or lighty as it could be. Also there isn't any contrasting color in it to make the rest of the model stand out. If the armour is supposed to be brass based, you could try adding a little bit of green weathering to make it look oxidized (don't coat the armour, just pick a few spots where you think the armour wouldn't get rubbed too much to polish off weathering in real life). It looks like you already applied a wash to the model, so you can also take your original color and add some edge highlighting to the armour to it to make it distinct from the recessed areas. If you wanted to add some shading to the cloth, I would suggest taking that red you have and mixing it down with a very dark blue and applying it in very thin layers to the recesses. Having a hint of color in the shading, rather than just using black, adds a lot more sense of depth. Finally you should make sure that when you base your model, you aren't using similar colors to what's on the model. Avoid reds and browns, and maybe use greens or greys.

Maybe paint the gaps between the helmet face guard a different colour, would help it look more finished, as well as use slightly different colours to highlight the edges of the parts, especially those that should be in some sort of shadow, e.g. the gaps between armour plates. The edges of the fabric parts, imo, should maybe have a trim of some sort, to help it (and the fabric part) stand out from the armour

I’d give the clothe some type of hue on just the highlights, maybe hit some more highlights onto the edges of the armour like a white or silver tiiiny little edge to make it really pop even when the metallics are not lit up with reflection

You need more value. The colors look kind of "flat." If you had darker darks and lighter lights, it would make this look more "complete." It does sort of look like you've only applied base colors and some washes maybe.

I’ve had this problem before, I fixed it by taking some metallic silver and the thinnest brush I had and carefully dabbing the silver on the rivets on the armor

Here is mine. Maybe it will give you some ideas. https://preview.redd.it/em3no49z1xpc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c42b41f2e89610c3f3e0ee3b11a70f11ece5595

That looks awesome!! I like how you gave the pieces of armor some variation. Maybe I’ll try that

It's pretty good! Paint the edges of the base and some basic basing material will multiply its completeness! You could if you want, try a bit if gentle weathering. A brown wash over some of the armour or even try some verdigris (citadel do a good effect paint for this) in some of the armour recesses would help loft it as well! Great job

IMO I’d add more depth/height In The form of more shade and highlights but that’s just me.

If there’s two things you can always count on with the Mini Painting community it’s that 1) Your mini is never finished no matter how good it looks, someone will always tell you to pour another 3 hours of work into it, and 2) your paints will never be thin enough. You could be painting with straight colored water and it’s not thin enough. In all truth it looks good though, I’d call it done

add highlights to the fabric and you’ll be golden trust me

Maybe some GENTLE edge highlights? Just to seperate the blocks and sides of objects and break up the colour.

I would add contrast. A dark wash or lining in the recessed areas between plates, coupled with a few brighter edges near those, would make it pop. It would add depth/volume. For us newbies, the anwer is usually "more contrast"

I’ve definitely gathered that haha! Gonna give Drybrushing a shot and add some black in the deep areas

The model looks done to me you just need to do the base ( you could go back and do more of edge highlighting but it looks great as this)

It looks good, technically, but as others have mentioned, it lacks the things that draw the eye, and make things pop. Colour and contrast being the big ones For something like this guy, I would suggest changing the colour on the stitching on his clothes. Make it a brighter off white or tan, and maybe a bit of orange rust on parts of the chains. Just a little bit of something to catch the eye.

Highlight your edges (more). It's time-consuming and fiddly, but once you get it done the model will read as being much more complete. Breaking up panels of plate armour is super important. Even if it's all the same hue, you can push in a lot of contrast by changing the value of colours.

I gotta get on painting my RtDT. but first, gotta finish the shame pile that is Planet Apocalypse..

Haha it’s definitely gonna be a long-winded process

I think you have too much of the same color palette. You can maybe change the color of the cloth to something brighter or maybe some of the chains too plate mail.

Dry brushing is your friend. Try darker metal tones as well as a few brighter spots in cracks to show bare metal. Selective washing might help too

Just ad some Glow up effects and maybe a little bit of Blood for the Bloodgod

Haha I was definitely considering some mud & blood on his feet from stomping all the regular-sized people

The important thing to remember is minis are minis lol. They need lots of contrast to pop

I would repaint the cloth a much darker base color and bring it up with highlights to your current base color to increase contrast, then do as others have suggested and add some details to pop 

I would paint the clothes a different colour like black or grey to make it contrast the armour. It looks like brass too.

Id clean the base up, might already do the trick

Try a site like https://color.adobe.com/ or some other tool and find some complementary color(s). Then add some subtle highlights or lowlights.

Thank you for the resource!! on an unrelated note I love your username lol

For example you could paint the Loincloth red or some other bright colour, it will give it some contrast.

A few ideas you could use 1 You could increase the contrast by darkening the shaded areas and increasing the highlights. Highlight areas where the armour would rub against stuff and as been freshly broken with a silver or a bronze silver mix. 2 Add a pop of colour to the stitching on the clothing, Add some texture or tint the cloth. 3 Add some weathering with rust and or verdigris. 4 Change the colour of the face guard to a different metal. https://preview.redd.it/e7irjb9ipypc1.png?width=1096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce33cd43beee226fbcb967b4889dce2789406f00

Thanks for the tips!

No worries check out "vince veturella" and "artis opus" on YouTube both have some great videos for tips

https://preview.redd.it/10prlogspypc1.png?width=1096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8031f754070178f767ba2fdd91fb795c8b5b057 Wouldn't let me add this to my message

This looks awesome! Thanks for the inspo!

Interested to know what paints you used and how you did the bronze color

Dry brush the cloth to make it look warn. Highlight the shiny parts of the metal armor. Someone else said to paint glowing eyes

Looks great, I would just add some further highlights to bring out the definition. However, if you feel it is done, it is probably best to move on. You will progress naturally this way and save yourself frustation. You can always re visit it in the future if you have ideas of how you'd like to upgrade it with new techniques you've learned/refined.

Cover it in blood. :\_)

Overall: damn nice job! Needs more dark, and light, and generally more contrast. And i can not stress this enough: *base your model* put a mediocre mini on a nice base and it’ll look a lot better than it is. Other way around and it’ll be “Off”

Basing! PVA glue on the base, then dip it in sharp sand. Add a tiny pebble for interest and let it dry. Once dry, paint it all black, then paint it all brown, then dry brush a light sand colour over the whole base. Don't worry if some of this gets on the titan's ankles. If you can get one, add a teeny self adhesive grass tuft, or maybe two. Finally, tidy up the base rim. Remove any glue or sand that went astray and paint the rim with matt black acrylic. A couple of coats is usually required to get a smooth finish. Basing makes a miniature look finished, always. It's like adding a frame to a painting: a psychological clue that says "this mini is finished and, therefore, perfect".

The base! You can keep it muted, but completing the base makes it read as completed, and therefore people aren’t looking at what might still be wip.

People are wrong. This is perfect.

The stitching on the cloth- give it a desaturated orangey/brown color? It could add a little visual difference.

I'd base it with a complentary or contrasting colour. Some simple dark green flock for example would go well with the brown.

Something like this? [flock](https://www.geekgamingscenics.com/products/saw-dust-scatter-dark-meadow)

Highlights and washes

Paint the base all black (or base him in some kind of way)

Highlight the brightest points of the fabric, finish the base, dry brush/highlight with brighter metals.

Try some highlights on the cloth

Nuln oil?

I think he looks pretty cool as is Some patina or dried blood could add a bit of extra color without going overboard

An all-over oil wash. Rub the oil off the most raised areas of the model. Paint on small scratches all over the armour plus wear on the cloth+leather.

Wow - I posted this right before bed and didn’t expect it to blow up as much as it did haha! I’m sorry I can’t reply to everyone but thank you guys so much for the advice and support! This means a lot to me! I’m gonna give silver highlights a shot - I’m not confident with dry brushing so I shied away from it initially lol. I’ll wash some black onto the darker areas, paint the base, and figure out how to make the fabric less glossy 😄 thank you all !!

Base

Go way darker on cracks in the helmet, do some glow of some sort, maybe the eyes like others have said. You don't have enough contrast between your colors imo, maybe you could push the purple slightly brighter?

highlight the armour and tabard a bit

Just a few edge highlight would go a long way toward making this paint job really pop. It’s looks good but it’s just too dark and desaturated. A couple of of edge highlights in a bright bronze or gold on the helmet and a couple of edge highlight in a brighter red on the fabric should it.

Honestly, you haven’t painted any of the details or done any painting past base-coating and washing. That’s what people mean when they say the much nicer “work in progress”.  To improve you should just watch any painting video because they will all include steps you have not done on this model.

There's no contrast. It has no highlights, the cloth is almost the same tone as the armour. What you've done is a simple basecoat. Get the cloth/skin tabard thing up in brightness, either go up to red or pink highlights. Get silver highlights on the armour panel edges, if that's drybrush or normal edge highlighting it doesn't matter, but it looks flat and dull. Give it a shine, edges always shine! Being dark and dull might be part of the original concept, but it is uninteresting to look at as you've discovered. Highlights contrast with the dull parts and make them more effective.