Orphan 9 kickstarter figure

So this week was more of the Orphan 9 base and figure.

Base getting near done

On the base I added some weathering.  First up was some rust and stains on the wall plate and beam.  I went from dark orange/brown to light orange with paint and then added some rust coloured pigments (from Vallejo).  I then wet down the wall and streaked/stained the pigments down the wall.  Still might try using the enamel AK rust wash I have too.

On the green door I added scuff marks, some rust spots and some glazes (dark to the bottom, lighter yellow to the top) to add some variation.  Might need some more contrast there.

I superglued in the electric wire around the top and added in some wire stands from the light.  They aren't really visible so I need to do something extra there to show that the light isn't working.  Maybe a hanging down glass cover?

Ugg, panda eyes.  Try again

Then it was onto the figure.  I started with the head as it was going to the hardest part being so small.  I spent 2-3 hours trying to get it right.  I was being super careful as if I did too many layers of paint it was start to show.  The eyes especially were hard.  I got the left eye on the first go.  The right eye (always harder) took 4 goes.  I had to drop down to a 000 brush and use the next step up magnification on the head lens set to see what I was doing.

Looking like a face

Still not 100% but I'm stopping before I break it again.  On the zoom it looks pretty good (much better than panda eyes on the earlier go.  The white stripe in the hair was a bit of an accident.  I was painting the hair black going around the head and left a white stripe.  I think it added a nice accent/highlight so I left it.

Base colours blocked in

Rather than go for the traditional black stealth suit I the wife suggested a more army camouflage option.  Didn't really want that but went for a military jumpsuit style.  The purple doesn't go with the boots so need to change that up.  However against the base she really stands out.

Back after a break

So been a few weeks.  A few reasons behind that.  Got rather sick for the better part of a month, did a lot of machining work, added a gas struct to my milling machine, worked on some robot stuff for the kids and generally just ran out of steam for painting.  So gave up for a bit and had a painting break.

Terminator Genisys figure

So getting back I started with a gentle start and did a few more Terminator Genisys figures.  Another 8 to go and then I'm onto LotR figures as my "other" painting project.  Nothing special here just some quick tabletop level painting.

..and another one

Second up was a Ral Partha figure that I think I got from the bring-and-buy at MOAB one year.  It's been in the box for awhile.  Really liked the almost Gary Chalk feel to this figure.  I had another go on painting wood texture on the spear shaft and I'm getting happier with the result.  I used four main colours

Ral Partha how I love thee

- Blue tint on the armour
- red on the cloak
- green on the clothing
- light brown on the horns/gloves

Reasonably happy with him.

Next was getting back to the Orphan 9 figure and base.  I worked on the base as I was still warming up and wanted to get the background colours sorted before moving onto the figure.  The two holes are the mounting point for the figure.

Starting to look like a base

The wall was undercoated a red/brown.  I then picked out individual bricks and painted them lighter/darker to add some variation to the wall and then painted in the mortar.  The mortar impressions in the foam are very slight so I couldn't go for a 'cover everything and wipe off' paint trick to do the mortar.

The posts around the top will have some wire on the so I started with the off white to pretend the ends are porcelain insulators.  The large door I went of green to give some contrast to the wall to and make it obvious that the second point of interest in the diorama after the figure is the door.  Just got the base colour down for it.

I used some Vallejo stone paste on the ground to add some texture to the plastic card.  Then I painted it grey and did some dust glazes followed by some dark brown/black glazes.  It was still not looking like much so I added the pavement lines.  There was still a bit of moisture from the previous glaze with allowed the dark brown/black paint I used for the lines to bleed a bit.  This resulted in a great effect of making the pavement lines look much more natural.  I then added in some extra cracks.  Need to add a few highlights next, but more as splotches/stains of colour.

Orphan 9 kickstarter figure and base

So I've mainly been making fidget spinners this last week or so.  Resin casing up some and making and casting an additional bar spinner for the kids.  That is now into the final spray painting stage so almost done there.

I finished up the 28mm barbarian I was working on.  Putting him in the cupboard with the other (and much older) figures it's pretty much chalk and cheese between the old and new.  Even with figures from a year or so ago there is a huge difference.

I am still not sure on how to get started with the 54mm knight.  Not sure what is going on there.  Didn't stop me from buying some more 54mm figures from eBay however.

Orphan 9 kickstarter figure

The figure from the Orphan 9 kickstarter arrived a few weeks back and I got a really strong idea for a diorama base for her.  She is very much a true 25mm (think old school Ral Partha) figure with super fine detail.  I seriously am doubting if I have the brush control to paint her face it's that small and fine.

Start of the base

For the base I got the idea of her waiting around the corner in a cyberpunk environment.  Using pine as the base material I used some pre-printed brick styrene sheet for the walls.

The bits..

The railing that is a great source for odd shapes

Then with some card I made up a door.  I have a Victorian era railing that I cut up for various details.  I used the rails for electric wire holders around the top of the building, the round rail decoration bit for wall bolts (to show age in the building) and some of the circle detail bits for the door handle.  Max level repurposing.  To attach the figure to the base her legs are almost too thin for drilling and adding pins so I am thinking of cutting down the support tab to make small pins under each foot.  Going to have to be rather careful there.

all together

For colours I need to trial some ideas.  Currently black boots (of course), red jump suit and dark blue padding/armour areas.  Really going to need the optivisor for this figure.

Now for the paint

Adokul the Monk part 6 - more base, books and scrolls

First up was doing the marble flooring for the new base.  I started with a base colour of JS Indian Red Oxide and VMC Red.  I needed three coats to get an even coverage of the plastic card.  Doing it again I would have airbrushed on the base coat.

Marble flooring

For the marble streaks I used white, grey and red in thin lines across the base all travelling in the same direction.  After I did some lines I would do a thin glaze of the base coat again (usually with more red) and then a layer of satin gloss.  Then I would repeat and do more lines, etc.  I also added in a layer of yellow flecks by flicking paint off the end of a wide brush.  Crucial was using flow aid to keep the paint thin.  I was using approx 50/50 water flow aid added to the paint.

Template used for drilling in the pin holes, much easier this way

I made two darks areas by first painting on VMC Smoke and then cleaning the bush and putting a line of the flow aid mixture on each side of the paint line.  This way the flow aid trapped the paint but softened all the edges.  The result was a dark patch with no hard transition line so I was pretty happy with that.  Once done this was glued onto the base with two part epoxy.

Book of burning spells, toothpick for scale

I painted up a number of books to be used.  Two of them will be the support for the raised foot.  I had made a couple of different thicknesses to I could get the height right.  While doing this I found the other foot to be very uneven.  I filed down the foot a bit, but then found because of the books it was in the air.  I used some green stuff to make a new sole of the boot to fill in the space and that worked well.

Starting work on the scrolls

To hide some of the gaps around the base of the books I made up some scrolls out of thin paper.  I used a small piece of green stuff as the core and then soaked the paper in PVA glue and water and rolled up the paper.  This was then painted with a warm white (Citadel Bleached Bone) and washed with VMC Smoke and VMA Burnt Umber.

Figure with books added and new pin for support

On the figure I redid the eyes again.  Twice.  Lots of deep breathing.  They were looking in the wrong direction so had to be corrected.  I really should have left glueing on the head until the last step.  The figure is quite heavy to hold which made working on the eyes harder than it had to be.  I’m still not sure about the left shoulder pad.  May rework that again.

So up next is gluing the figure onto the base and adding in the scatter books and scrolls.  Then the final touch ups and I’ll call him done.

54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan) banner and base work

Started a new job this week so not much time/energy for other things.  I redid the eyes on the figure at least 3 times trying to get it right.  The first time the eyes were a bit small (i.e. too much white), second time too bug eyed, third time better with a couple of retries.  I need to go back and do some more eye practice.  Still need to put on the light spot (if I can) on the pupil.  Usually my hands aren’t steady enough for 54mm eyes.  Then he will be done I think.

I also finished off the loin cloth and add some more highlights using VMC Iraqi Sand and white.

Battle banner

I finished off the banner.  I changed the red ribbon (?) on the centre of the banner to yellow to add some more colour and so that it didn’t clash with the red of the shield.  I’m pretty much call it done.

Barren hillock

The base was painted and grass/etc was added.  It’s pretty barren and uniform so I decided to add in a fallen banner (i.e. a defeated opponents banner) to lay in the dirt at the foot of the hillock that the figure is on.  I made this out of green stuff by rolling it very thin and then shaping it in place on the base.  I put some cling wrap under the green stuff so it wouldn’t stick to the base while it dried.  With lots of water the thin green stuff is almost like tissue paper so you can shape it quite well, and once dry it hold the shape even though it is very thin.  Thinking about painting on the ‘two snakes, like this’ design on the banner :)

Fallen banner (undercoated)

I might need to add some green/colour (maybe flowers?) in addition once I’ve done the banner.  When everything is glued together I’ll do some pigment work on the the base/figure.

Dungeon Saga Zombie

Also started doing the next set of Dungeon Saga figures, some of the zombies.  A quick base coat of necrotic flesh and then brown flesh washes, nothing fancy.

New flesh, bases and finishing Dungeon Saga figure

A page of flesh mixture failures

I’m still not happy with any of the flesh colours I’ve managed to make so spent some time going back to a few 28mm test figures and trying out new flesh colours.  I want the figure to be very dark (he gets a lot of sun) and weathered.  So not the standard ruddy red/orange that you get from the usual flesh colours.  That said making a flesh colour is something I’m finding rather hard to do.  I keep ending up with these odd grey/purples with flat chalk highlights and overly crimson shadows.  Too much yellow and blues make things green.

In the end I’ve mixed up a colour that I think may work.  Even if it doesn’t I need to force myself forwards as I keep dithering and wasting time.  By this stage I wanted the figure well underway and I still haven’t started.  Seven weekends until Cancon so not sure if this figure is going to make it.

My current dark flesh attempt is..(which ends up light a lighter VMC Brown Sand).

From many parents, a new paint is born

Base

VGC Beasty Brown
VMA Yellow Ochre
VMC Violet Red
VMC Iraqi sand
VMC Light sand
VMC Red

Shades

Base + more brown and violet red
VGC Dark Flesh
VMA Mahgony
VMC Dark Sea Blue

Highlights

Base + more yellow ochre and light sand
VMC Iraqi Sand
VMA White

I’m keeping the base light as its always easier to go darker.

The base is all undercoated.  I did the finish coat (in black) of the base and varnished it in satin varnish.  So it’s all ready to go.

Base all undercoated

I finished off the Dungeon Saga figure from last week.  Very happy with him/it.  I made a point of using a mix colour for all parts.  I used VMA Intermediate Blue in with most of the mixes do harmonize the colours.

Dungeon Saga character

Some of the colours used were

1 - VMA Intermediate Blue
2 - VMC Green Brown
3 - VMC German Med. Brown
4 - VMC Smoke

Skin - 1+2
Hard skin/bark - 3+1 (and some 2)
Cloak - 1 + VGC Night Blue
Staff - Smoke + Black

This week - flesh must be painted.  Lets hope it doesn’t end in tears and paint stripper.

More base work and some Dungeon Saga

Base work looking better

Slacked off this week.  I cut down the resin rock and glued it (with pins) onto the base.  I then made some ground work with some DAS clay and then covered the clay in PVA glue and added my normal rock scatter mix (made up of sand, small pebbles and slightly large rocks).  Since the photo this has been undercoated in black.

Nothing but rock

Dungeon Saga figure

Since it’s been two plus weeks since painting anything I’ve lost the mojo on painting flesh.  However I need to get back on the horse so started on one of the Dungeon Saga characters I have.  A tree spirit/being so lots of good wood textures to play with.  It’s one of the best sculpts in the game I think.

So more of him/her/it tonight hopefully.

54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan) base

Figure on rock base

The shed life continued this week but by Sunday morning I had finished the large outside bench (3.6m x 0.6m) attached to the back wall and also painted up and finished my new mobile shed bench.  Now finally back to painting (and making foam weapons for the kids).

On the figure I undercoated all the components.  I did a little presiding on the banner too.

Nope, just doesn't look right

With the rock that I want to use it is 7cm at its widest.  My normal wooden lounge leg that I use as a base is too small so I found I had a nice piece of 7x7cm pine in the shed (no idea what it was originally purchased for).  So I cut a 5cm long chunk and tried that out as a base.  The wood looks fine, but the rock (in order to fit) is off centre, and thus the figure is off centre.  Not what you want for a single figure.  After trying a few options I decided that perhaps a round base would be better.  Rather than find a large chair leg to cut down I tried to make one out of resin.

Mould and new base size

Finding a nice sized circle from the inside of a masking tape roll I then used the same tape roll as the resin mould.  I covered the inside with PVA glue and then hot glued the roll to some foam card.  In order to save resin I put a piece of wood at the bottom which was 2/3 the height of the base.  I also put some nails in the wood so the resin would have some good attachment points.

New base

The resin (I use Easycast brand) bubbled a bit probably because the PVA glue wasn’t fully dry.  Or I mixed it too long?  Either way I had a lot of little bubbles in the side of the base.  I sanded down the outside (starting at 180 grit and ending at 400) but as I sanded more bubbles would be exposed and result in pock marks.  To get a smooth finished I used wood putty (watered down so runny) and filled in all the small holes this way.  I finished off with more sanding switching to wet and dry and going up to 800 grit.

Wood bottom to save on resin

Next thing to do is trim down the rock a little to fit better.  But now the figure is in the centre of the base and having no straight edges means the hard edges of the rock are easier to work with.  On the square base I found that it was hard not to have one rock edge parallel with the base edge which doesn’t look very good.

Much better

54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan) base work

Well the only painting this weekend was in the shed and so far I’ve gone through about 3.5L of exterior paint on some new benches.  But on the miniature side not so much.

I did however try some different base ideas out.  The ship idea with the figure sitting on some barrels was ok, but not great.  I also tried the figure sitting on top of some ruins/broken up columns, etc but that didn’t work either.  The columns resulting in to much of the overall composition being down at the bottom and made the figure look smaller.  That was no good as Conan should be larger than life.

The original tree has a very nice line that matches the figures outstretched leg.  Ie the leg and the top of the tree make one long diagonal for a nice composition.  All those painting and diorama books have sunk in a bit so I’m thinking more about composition than I use to.

A new base

I then tried the figure on top of my resin rock as it has a nice long slope that would draw the viewers eye up to the figure.  Also with the figure on top of the rock the two slopes of the rock result in the head of the figure forming a triangle.  Again another good composition shape.

My resin rock needed some bulk cut out so I used the Dremel for that and then sanding down the area to make it smooth again.  I pinned the figure in the bum to secure it to the rock.

At this point, I was still at a simple figure, no diorama.  However I couldn’t help myself and decided the figure needed a banner in the background.  Kind of a captured flag/war trophy.

Banner and shield.

I had a bag of 28mm banners and this was the largest so it fitted quite well for a 54mm figure.  I had to cut off a few heads as the were out of scale for 54mm.  The shield is off the original tree base.  I just cut off the shield and hollowed out the back.  Again I will pin this to the rock.

So a new setup and I think I like it.  Once the shed life settles down back to painting.

Violinist finished

The Violinist

It is done.  I missed last week’s post due to house issues and needing to do some roof repairs (something I hate doing).  So the final stage of the piece was a little dragged out.   So lots of pictures to make up for that :)

This stage was everything come together.  Gluing on the fence and the cat; adding a new broken pillar in the back corner as the single bush looked a little barren; painting up and gluing on some fallen leaves; gluing on the pots and bowl and lots of pigments over the ground.

I also needed to putty up the base of the fence as there were a few gaps there.  I also added in a vine to add some extra colour to the piece.

Black cat

The vine

The vine trunk is a piece of coconut fibre.  On that I superglued some paper leaves (the laser cut kind).

Paper leaves

Once they were dry I used some PVA glue on the trunk and dipped the whole thing in some loose leaf mixtures (light green, dark green and olive).  Then I added some yellow paint to the tips of the vine and some dark green into the leave bases and trunk.  I really should have painted the trunk first.

Scenic leaves

I don’t really know if I like the end result of the piece.  I think it’s just been too much time on one project so the grind got to me.  To early yet to enjoy it.  Doing the wall twice wasn’t fun.  I also learnt I need to spend more time planning layouts.  I changed the layout a few times and that did cost me time.  I ended up painted a dog I didn’t use and four wooden boxes that I didn’t use.

I’m really glad I tried new things like the water effects.  Much like the snow effects I used on the Prince of Novograd I learnt a whole new set of skills and which products are good (and not so good).  Next time water and snow :)

Go water!

Unfortunately this weekend the rain came in so I don’t have any decent light for real photos.  So I’ll need to get those later.  For now here are some bench photos.

Bone?

While in the shed fixing other things I also made up a prototype figure holder.

Figure holder, made for 54mm figures but will work with 28mm figures .

I’ve seen these around previously.  The idea is the metal bar allows you to rest your fingers on the bar to be more steady with your painting.  The bar also spins so you can access all of the figure.  Rather than pay $40+ for one I made my from a coat hanger and wood scraps and the spring from a peg.  Shed life!