Painting reflections?

[Dirtbag]

I need some help with how to paint reflections.
At the moment I'm working on the Dreadstone Blight from GW. Since I didn't want to paint the runes at the bottom of the ruin in gold (as everybody does), I decided to try a different approach: metallic red runes on obsidian stones.

However, I'm pretty slow (not a real problem) and not really skilled (a real problem). Actually the problem turns out to be two problems:
First: how do I get that obsidian stone look like obsidian?
I used Chaos Black as base, then setting strong highlights on the edges with a mix of Chaos Black and Fortress Grey, finalizing with pure Fortress Grey. And then covering all with a layer of Gloss Varnish. On the one hand I like how it looks, on the other hand I'm to too sure of it...
Second: I want the red runes (blood red/dwarve bronze mix) to be reflected in the glossy surface of the obsidian floor. So I used a watered down mix of red gore/dwarve bronze to paint a line, following the outlines of the rune on the floor. But it does not look like a reflection, it looks like - well, a red line on the floor...

See the picture for actual status. I didn't highlight the rune yet, that's why it is simply red.

 

[Garshnak]

Well here's the kicker: reflections look differently when viewed from a different direction. And since you'll be able to view the mini from multiple angles and effectively able to paint only ONE, you'll need a different approach. Which is making the surface actually reflective by smoothing it out and giving it a smooth gloss varnish (the smoother a surface, the more reflective).

You could theoretically paint realistic reflections in minis, but only vague ones from far distance blurry objects (SENMM) or make a diorama where you can only really view it from one direction.

 

[Telvin_3d]

Use a very thinned down red to add just a hint of tone on top of the stone piece. Almost more of a thin red wash along the edge of the rune. Part of the problem is that the runes themselves are not very raised from the stone. Realistically there would be minimal reflection, if any, so you are forcing the effect against expectations which is hard. If any other part of the interior is going to have a strong colour or shape giving a faint reflection of that (also tricky) will sell the effect more than the runes will. The most important part is deciding on your lighting source and making sure the 'reflection' of the interior vs the exterior of the tower on the obsidian matches.

But all of that is tricky stuff. Reflections are hard and even harder for a large scale environment. They take really tight judgment calls and very thin layers of paint. That obsidian effect as it stands is fairly solid, especially if this is intended for the tabletop. If you ignore the reflections, stick with what you did for #1 and make sure to use a matte varnish for everything (including the runes) except the obsidian I think the result should be pleasing. It's amazing how many surfaces and effects using a contrast between matte and glossy varnish can sell.

 

[Garshnak]

Use a very thinned down red to add just a hint of tone on top of the stone piece. Almost more of a thin red wash along the edge of the rune. Part of the problem is that the runes themselves are not very raised from the stone. Realistically there would be minimal reflection, if any, so you are forcing the effect against expectations which is hard.

Hey look, I made an example picture! This is roughly how the surface would reflect the rune if it were completely reflective, working only from the angle the picture is taken. As you can see, not a most powerful effect.

And a reflection like this would only appear on a very smooth, glossy surface.

 

[Chrome]

Hmm, I must say, that base does remind me of this...

 

[Dirtbag]

Thanks for the help.
In the end I decided to not use any reflections of the runes, just paint them metallic red. The Dreadstone Blight is finished by now and I think it will be a nice addition to my battlescape.
I uploaded the pics here on CMON, if you want to check the result, here's the link.