Slann
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Ninth Spawning
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The issue is that the starkness of contrast needed to make the slann pop is quite big.I guess this is one of the points we differ on; neither of those two Slanns look blobish to me, even at a distance. If such is the case for you though, heightening the contrast between the shadows and the highlights would alleviate the issue. Also, keep in mind that these are only pictures of the models and not the models themselves. Unless we're talking about professional photography, there is always going to be a bit of lost quality as compared to the physical miniature in real life (especially with older pictures taken on older cameras).
As a double check, I took a look at my Slann (which is purposely painted with more muted contrast) and it doesn't look blobish to me either, even at a distance. My palanquin could definitely use some work, but that was merely a painting (and time) deficient on my part. Today, I believe I could do a much better job. Additionally, if I wanted to, I could easily paint it with much more stark contrasts, which would further differentiate the details at a distance. As a general rule, I think muted/subtle contrast works better up close and stark contrast looks better from afar, unless we're talking about a painter of exceptional skill (especially at blending) who can make stark contrast look better both up close and from a distance. I am not one of these painters though!
I mean, you could paint the slann in neon green & the chair in bright pink, and it would definitly pop. But I don't think it'd be very nice to look at
Which is due to the complete lack of motion, and details that pop, on this sculpt.
Honestly it doesn't need much to fix this. Just add a few details that pop, like Kroak's decorations of his throne. Or make the skink attendant actually do something. Or even just moving the skink attendent to sit at the top of one of the bones so the silhoutte is broken up by it. All of these options would already go a long way to make it a more interesting sculpt.
Hell, even the old sculpt of Kroak is already more interesting, at least some of the throne-bones are broken & he has his funeral mask. Which is already more interesting details than the slann has. Same with the starseer, at least he has a staf, a hat & is using a seerstone.
All that's needed is something like that.
It might help, especially stuff like contrast paints. But the current slann model still fundamentally lacks bits that "pop".
Screwing up the fiddly bits is generally less noticeable though, that's the advantage of tiny fiddly bits
But yes, there's a middle ground, which is what I'd like to see for the slann. More ornamentation that "pops" easily compared to the current slann, thus providing some interesting details (and hopefully also some dynamics), and less fiddly bits than Kroak has (after all, Kroak still needs to remain the fancy one)
Katakros is definitly quite busy, I definitly wouldn't go quite that far with a Slann. I'm purely talking about the basic concept of "regal lord + attendants" which it depicts and I think would be suitable for a Slann. Which can be done with a less busy model.
For example Katakros is also depicted as if he's modelling for a painting, wearing an appropriatly fancy cloak, which I wouldn't do with the slann.
Similarly, Katakros is surrouned by relativly tall, and fancy attendants, a Slann would maybe only have some smaller, less fancy skink attendants. Or maybe only 1 fancy temple guard and 2 diminutive skinks Etc. There's ways to execute that concept while not making the model as busy.
Again, there's some older slanns I linked earlier that do essentially that but aren't anywhere near as busy as Katakros.
Maybe the next Slann will be better, or maybe it will not. And such a determination may vary between us. You really seem to like the new Kroak model, and while I think it is fine, it's the only GW Slann model that I haven't purchased for my collection (I have a 5th edition Slann, two 6th edition Slanns, 6th edition Kroak, Forge World limited edition Slann and both Warmaster Slann variants). Different strokes for different folks.
