54mm Dogs, cats and boxes

Woof woof

This week I worked on the second dog for the violinist diorama.  This dog was painted like a Border Collie in black and white.  For the black parts I started with a base of black + VMC Charred Brown and highlighted up by adding VMA Light Brown.  For the white I started with a base of VGC Bonewhite and shaded down with VMA Light Brown (again, harmonizing the colours like I did with the German Shepherd by using the same colour across both areas) and some VGC Beastly Brown in the very dark areas.

meow

For the cat I was thinking of a black and white cat but that makes it too close to the Border Collie.  So instead I will got for a black cat with perhaps white feet.  I glued the cat onto a scrap for balsa wood for ease of handling.

I did some more brick wall trials.  I’m still undecided on which red to use.  The left side is use a base of VMC Red (which over the black undercoat looks plum) or VMC Flat Red which is more a vibrant “red brick” red.  Almost too much so.

Fences, boxes and bread roll

I puttied up the brick posts on the iron fence section I am going to use.  These brick posts have a slot cut in them so the various types of fences can slide into place.  I had to putty all of these up to get them above a wargaming terrain standard.

Finally I have been making boxes (for the violinist to stand on) out of balsa wood.  I scored some lines in the balsa wood using a metal scribe tool and the tip of a small round file.  I made some deep grooves for between the planks and smaller ones for wood splits/general damage.  To paint the boxes my steps were

1) Coat the entire piece in PVA glue.  Adds both strength and means you don’t get uneven paint absorption into the balsa wood
2) base coat of VGC Leather Brown
3) coat of AP Strong Tone
4) paint the grooves first by adding VGC Charred Brown and the black to the base coat
5) Using very diluted paint highlight with the base plus VMA Light Brown
6) keep adding more light brown
7) edge highlights in light brown + white.

Now a montage

Step by step box painting

Finally I have been making the wood support for the brick wall.  Lots of chopping and sanding in the shed for that.

So next week I’ll be working on the cat, back to the pots and maybe the fence.  Really need to work out the colours for the violinist :)