need help with technique and colors

[horiharisu]

ok guys, i really need some help on this one. a customer came in and wanted a sick rib piece. i did a marine sword through the top of a skull. the skull is sitting on a mountain of skulls with one white rose at the base. i put death before up top by the hilt and dishonor at the bottom. its a nice clean outline, im especially thrilled because the side was a pain, from the armpit to the hip with the straight lines of a swords blade. we are going to be adding a finelined american flag waving in the background.

here is the dilemma, its all color and he wants the sword and skull as realistic as i can get it. i can handle the skull but i can not for the life of me figure out how to do a realistic sword blade. i know metal needs highlights with hard edges not blurry, but what colors? gunship grey seems to dark, light blue would leave too much skin tone, i dont see using greywash in a color piece. im freaking stuck.

[aivanne]

I m not the greatest artist out there so.......dont take my word for THE answer.

I would probably use some Periwinckle and break it down in a couple different values....And putting some tru gray in it.....

[sickradsean]

go back to yer mid 90's early 2000's flash. over accentuate the chrome. make it like a trapper keeper.

[Royuno]

Originally Posted by aivanne

I m not the greatest artist out there so.......dont take my word for THE answer.

I would probably use some Periwinckle and break it down in a couple different values....And putting some tru gray in it.....

That would work. I usually use starbrite's steel blue with some grey.

[FATSOS]

As realistic as possible? Pure black, light opaque gray, some light blue (or periwinkle is a good choice too) and white highlights. That's the simple answer. The "over done chrome look like a trapper keeper" is probable the best reply you'll get!! LMAO....trapper keeper....I forgot those ever existed! hahaaa!!! But its true though!

If you really want to take an extra-step towards realism, you have to remember that polished metal reflects everything around it. Maybe work it out in color pencil to get it where you want it before you tattoo it.

[horiharisu]

i honestly have to say i have no clue what a trapper keeper is. i have intenze silver and starbrite gunship grey on hand, anything else ill have to mix up. ill try and dig through some old stuff online, but i have to tell you in the mid 90s i was in school and thought tattoos were the devil. i do like the idea of reflecting maybe the flag or the top of the skull into the blade, this is definitely gonna take some thought. ill have everything else done before i get to the blade itself i think.

[horiharisu]

bah, why couldnt he have just asked for a light saber. im kinda liking this style, looks like the periwinkle and blue thing you mentioned earlier. http://siren2k4.deviantart.com/art/Sword-29479944

[aivanne]

Periwinkle is the weirdest color out there in my opinion. It's so versatile it's retarded. I mean, I dig it !

[FATSOS]

Here's a really good reference: http://www.javiersoto.com/chrome_skull_102.htm

It's a liquid chrome skull "how-to" that Javier Soto wrote for Airbrush Action magazine. The medium is different, but the concept is the same. Hope it helps. Just keep in mind that the blue/gray combo used here is based in the idea that the sky reflections should be blue and the ground reflections (pavement/concrete) should be gray. If this was part of a desert scene, the ground reflections may have been browns instead. I find that the blue/gray/black/white combo works pretty convincingly almost all of the time.

Be sure to post the end product! I wanna see it!!

if you wanna see more of Javier's work: http://www.javiersoto.com/

[horiharisu]

hey fatsos, ty for that one. its gonna take some studying before i move into this guys piece, im doing everything except the blade right now. that is a huge help though brother.