Gotrek and My First Attempt at OSL

I have been a fan of Gotrek Gurnisson since I was 12 years old. I always wanted the old Gotrek and Felix models, even if the sculpts were squishy and plain. When I saw that Gotrek was back, I was a little perturbed that he didn't have his trademark star-metal axe. I then read the final book in the Slayer series and all my concerns have since evaporated.

I wanted to try a bunch of new techniques on this model, some worked well and others were a learning experience. I tried glazing for the first time and am totally satisfied with the results, but my first OSL (object source lighting) attempt wasn't at the same level. These first 3 photos show the model finished and fully based, but the lighting wasn't quite right. Further down there are some pictures without the snow, but with better lighting, so the details (and flaws) are a bit more visible.

On this properly lit Gotrek, you can see a bit of the OSL work, as the dim red light glows on his right boot and a bit of debris. The problem is, the source is way too over the top for the amount of light on the ground. I found myself doing too much too fast, and the axe now looks less like it is glowing, but still an interesting effect. You can see in the following pictures how much orange and red ended up on the blade.

Vince Venturella has a video on OSL, and he explained in it that most OSL should be very subtle, because objects in normal light don't glow very much. If the model was painted much darker, as if it was in a cave or a tunnel, the bright orange and red would have suited the lighting, but now they just look a bit silly. By contrast, I think the glazing on the hair and beard turned out quite well. The effect doesn't fully translate to the pictures, but there is a nice range of colours and depths, and some good contrast. I also did a bit of glazing on the skin to create redder, shadowy areas, and they turned out fine. Overall, I think the piece is a pretty good result for me, but I can see areas that need definite improvement.

I will post a few progress photos down below, and please feel free to leave a comment with tips, suggestions or any feedback for how I could have approached the OSL or the model differently.

Progress Pictures

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