Another D&D model today – one of the Nolzur’s figures I picked up to use as Player Characters in the D&D board games. This figure was painted after the Naga-Salamander I posted yesterday, and shows a bit of progression on using the same blue-teal contrast paint, though in this case doing some normal hihlighting over the top of it, as well as the use of “normal” model paints on the “ear crests” and “beard” for a different tone.
I quite like a lot of the Nolzur’s models, really. Some of them (the older ones?) suffer pretty badly from mold lines in spots as well as somewhat bendy weapons, but this guy is chunky enough to come across nicely as a model with a bit of presence.
Simple, by-the-numbers kind of “paladin” scheme here, fairly bright armour with gold accoutrements.
One of the cooler things about this figure is the fact that it comes with this alternate head, spewing flame-breath.
I used a mixture of various transparent paints and Contrast paints to paint the flames as that section of the alternate head comes with the flame-breath cast in a transparent plastic. Some of it wasn’t so great to paint, but it all turned out alright in the end. Another hero done. Of course, by now, we’re well past the game where Marouda was actually using the Dragonborn hero….
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Great work mate, really like the alternative head, and an excellent job on the translucent flames, they look very convincing
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Thanks Dave – just lucky in a way that the transparebnt paints worked out okay on them. 🙂
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Very nice
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Thanks!
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Yeah, nicely done, those flames turned out well dude!
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Cheers, Alex. Very haopy they turned out ok.
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I was even more impressed once I got to the alternative head pics! 🙂 Very nice!
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Thanks, John!
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These sculpts are definitely of a higher quality than some of the D&D to my eyes anyway. The flame effect was a cool idea and you painted it up well. That mace he is carrying is sneaky cool-looking too I’d say 🙂
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Yeah, these are much more recent. I know some of the most recent Adventure System games also use (some of) the same models as are sold now under the Nolzur’s/Wizkids lines.
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Makes sense. I may have to give their line a second look! 🙂
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Ah, I haven’t looked closely at them. Maybe I should finally pick up Tomb of Annihilation? It’s the last on my list I think.
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I haven’t played ToA (we stalled out after a full play/replay of Ravenloft and Ashardalon + all the “DLC” missions we could find, but I’m actually reasonably keen to get the room cleaned up again and get back into some of those board games again.
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That’s great mate; the blue-teal certainly contrasts with the armour – nice.
Mmm, I wonder which head is going to see the most use?
Spare head 2 for me!
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Ha! That second head seems like the one that you keep with your dice and tokens and such on the table, then plug it in for the heroic blast!
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Oooh I like the spewing flame breath head. That’s cool. Nice work Azazel.
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Thanks, IRO!
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Nice work once again, I love the skin tone contrast with the armour
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Cheers, Dave. I’ve ended up with a fair few Dragonborn models, so they’ll probably end up looking like a collection of skittles in the end…
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Brilliant- love the flame breath.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete! 🙂
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Really cool looking. Dragonborns are after my time, so I have no idea what they should look like. Your colors make it look super cool though and I’d be more inclined to play one looking like that, than just red.
I also really love your painting of the flame effect. What “transparent paints” are you using? I have a few transparent pieces, and I really need to build up the courage to start painting those.
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Thanks! I’ve just gone with a somewhat GW-ish “they’re lizardmans, so paint them however looks good” approach, since I’m far from a D&D purist as you’ll ahve noticed. 😉
Apologies for not seeing your post here – and you’ve obviously Ghost-tinted your way through. I think this was done with the lighter of the two Contrast Yellows (Iyanden Yellow?) and then a bit of the (Griff-Hound?) Orange, and then the GW Gemstone Red over the top – and a bit of Gemstone Red plus Blood for the Blood God to finish.
Your Cube looks great! 😀
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Thanks man! Oh, that’s interesting that I ended up using Ghost Tints and you had gone with Contrasts. Honestly, I really like how the flame turned out using Contrasts. he Ghost Tints are really really transparent, which would be great for a light effect but the Contrasts you used give it a tad more translucent effect. I’ll have to remember to try that next time I tackle a transparent flame bit.
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The key was really the gemstone and BFTBG paints – since they’re quite thick gels, they were able to sit on the raised areas of the flames, and so the inner was able to be a bit more orange/yellow, as in real fire. I could have done a very light and careful drybrush of panzer grey on the extreme outer edges as well, but decided to skip it on this one.
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Two heads are of course better than one! And to echo Faust, what are transparent paints?
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Washes, glazes and inks are what to use guy’s as they contain less pigment and give the translucent feel
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Ok just did not know if there was a new line of paint called that
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Not that I know of Mark, but with new lines coming out every day, there well could be ! LOL
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As well as what Dave is (was) talking about, there’s also the GW Contrast line, their Gemstone paints, the Blood for the Dead Horse God – which is their version of the old standby Tamiya Clear Red.
Then there’s these – I have a couple, but I’m clearly now going to need to pick up the set as “just in case” paints:
https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/product/hobby/sets/basic-en/transparent-colors-70136/
These (which I do have, but had forgotten about (!) )
And these (which I also have, in the “just in case I need them” category)
https://www.warcolours.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=73
https://www.warcolours.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=194
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Thanks Az, very helpful.
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very welcome, Mark. I ordered those Vallejo transparents right after replying as well. 😀
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Great job. The colours on the head are superb.
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Thanks mate! 🙂
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Nice dragonborn and well painted. That is pretty neat it comes with the alternate head.
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Thanks Ann – I’m not sure how practical it is in an average game, but it certainly opens up possibilities for dioramas and was a fun little add-on to paint. 🙂
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