Reaper Part 3, and the Surt Plinth Saga Ends

The resin pour looked absolutely shithouse.  It's all a good learning experience for me though, but I know exactly where I went wrong:

1. I place the plasticard in, painted, and then the envirotex stuck to the paint.
2. The shape I went for wasn't airtight, so I sealed the joins with Vallejo Water Effects, but then didn't wait for it to fully dry.
3. I am basically just a shitcunt

So here it is in all its pathetic glory:

Lol.  I pulled it off, spent a few minutes trimming things and seeing if I could save it, and then said FUCK IT IT LOOKS SHIT and pulled the envirotex and other stuff off, and sanded the plinth smooth, sprayed black and left it at that.  I did have my little plaque that I had painted, which I attached, added some seaweed and algae and now that is done!

I made it a bit darker than the model itself so it wouldn't draw more attention, but it still ties in.  I am very happy with the overall look of this finished product. :)  Hopefully someone will purchase it and enjoy it as much as I do!


So back onto the Reaper.  I had a concept for the model which I got from looking at it closer, the eyes are not well defined.  I like the shape of the sockets though, so bleeding eyes, either actual blood like this, or black stuff oozing out like Maya from Heroes.

One thing I have noticed about models now is I am really able to tell when a cast isn't as crisp.  I am struggling with smoothness on this model, but it isn't because of my painting, its the texture on the figure itself. It's slightly pitted, or rough, or just poorly cast or sculpted.  Not sure which, and I did try to rectify this prior to painting but it is still noticeable in some areas.  

So whilst I am enjoying the model, the volumes and the colour I chose for the skin, it hasn't been as enjoyable as Surt was to paint (Scale75 busts are easily the two best casts I've painted to date, perhaps the Crimson Priest from Nocturna was as good too actually).  Anyway, the first layer was done with airbrush, obviously went for a more tanned skin for an Egyptian, (interestingly I went pinker for Surt, as I figured he was living underwater and was getting old, so wouldn't be in the sun a lot), and once I got a smooth surface I just started adding highlights and shades.  After I did this for a bit, I did a few glazes with the airbrush, and this is the first stage:

The next stage was to add a bit of colour to the other areas so the actual values of the skin would be more apparent.  Sometimes you think you need to highlight/ shade a lot, but that is because it is sitting next to white or black.  

I then kept working on the skin, adding more deeper shades, and starting to soften the highlights as well.  Another airbrush glaze and this is where the Reaper is so far:

The purple was an idea I had, as I had actually used a purple on the mushrooms on the base, but then desaturated and toned it down a lot, to tie it together better.  I checked the model beside the base and it was clear the purple wasn't working at all, so I had to come up with a different idea.

And what I have decided on is, again, looking at the base, the same blue colour I've used on the base, only a much more saturated and intense version of it, with a lot more vibrancy.  I am excited now.  The colours are all coming together, the model is interesting to paint, if not the most enjoyable, and I think this is going to be a really nice little project when it is all finished.

Oh, and for my plaque for this model, I'll be doing a parchment type effect, a scroll of papyrus or similar.

Cheers

Trent

Egyptian Reaper Part 2, and bonus Surt Plinth

Today in the mail arrived a big pile of plinths from Dark Messiah, a base company from the UK. It is literally impossible to find a place that does plinths tailor made for miniatures in Australia!  Someone, fix this issue please!

Fantastic product, I am very pleased.  I picked out one of the large square plinths for Surt, because I have a few really cool ideas I want to put on there.  Basically, I am really enjoying this basing for busts thing I do, trying to add a little story into the bases, nothing massive, just subtle.  The issue with the last one was it was not subtle, it was overpowering.

So I had an idea, showing off a tiny section of Atlantis, the ruined city, and some aquatic vegetation, reflecting his ruined kingdom.  I also want to do a name plate, as per previous models I've done like Kraken, but hang a little seaweed from them too, and add some of the algae.


I created a plasticard frame, secured it blutac (not a strong choice, but let me finish), and then started airbrushing some blue colours.  Added a bit of quick brushwork, glued some bricks, and then added the vegatation, and algae.  That was pretty much it.  I then sealed it with Vallejo Gloss Gel, making sure I got into all the corners so I would have a 100% seal, so I would have no resin leakage.  I also glued in old mate...

I am going to wait for this to dry overnight before I eventually add the resin, and then add the plaque after that.  So it will take a few day for the finished product, but I am optimistic!


So back onto the Reapers base, I had a few issues with it, and I figured out what they were.  Scale, and losing the points of contrast.  At stages throughout the paint I was really excited for it, I felt like it was going to come out awesome, but when I finished it off yesterday, it looked a lot like my other bases.  I had no contrast between the colours, but they certainly were all the same sort of tone.  I needed to add some colour back in, the same hue, but a bit more contrast.  So I redid some pigments and added a few more colours to areas.

The next issue was scale. I had these roots in the base, but because they were all nice, solid pieces, they looked large, and without any smaller ones to contrast, it lacked realism.  So I glued in some smaller roots I had collected, and painted them with a mix of PVA, Matt Varnish and Strong Tone.  Hopefully that will seal them off, and give them a bit of strength.

Now here the pigment fixer is still drying so the pigment has lost a tiny bit of vibrancy, but once it fully dries and I hit it with a matt varnish, I think it will be quite a good little base.

It feels like my first proper base, like I've taken a step forward in my painting.  I really like it.  I now need to paint a model that both suits this base, retains the same tones of colour, and yet has more contrast and stands out a lot!  I should probably do things the other way around, paint the model first, then the base.  LOL


Today marked the day where I finalised all my entries for Crystal Dragon.  I realised today... it is only three weeks until I fly down to Canberra for the event (although that is Thursday, the day before, but its unlikely I will do much painting before submitting the models).  I figured it would be a good idea to have all of my entries presubmitted, and then give myself a bit of a challenge to finish a few more projects as well.

Here is the list:

Skulk, Ratcatchers Guild
Papa Jambo
The Reaper of Egypt
Surt, King of Atlantis
Crimson Priest
Zoraida, Moon Priestess
Luz New York
Morticians Unit
Gnomes for Hire
The Enchanted Pool


So, keen eyed followers of the blog or my Twitter will know most of those entries.  Zoraida is one that I want to do a small fix on.  The waves on her base were my first experience with the Vallejo gel, and it is a very shithouse attempt.  I feel like fixing that and maybe just a few little touchups will be a great improvement on the overall model.

I've challenged myself by putting down Luz, New York on the list, to finish in the next three weeks.  She is still in a box of course, but that is not going to stop me!  Bring it on motherfuckers, I am going to paint the shit out of her.


These are what I have left, left to right, Zoraida, basing stuff, Reaper, paint the Reaper, Luz New York, actually figure out a plan, and Surt, just resin pour and add the plaque.

Finally, to close out this blog post... today was a very satisfying day.  I have been working hard, improving, painting lots, etc, and watching my overall scores on Putty and Paint start to get incrementally higher.  It's not a surprise to most to say that Surt and the Enchanted Pool are probably my best painted works to date, aside from Jessica maybe, and it is reflected in the scores.  Today I got this:

That is my first Gold medal on Putty and Paint, for the Enchanted Pool!  While that may drop back below if I score a few lower votes, it has made me really happy to know that I can achieve this sort of result. And I will only get better from here!


Thanks for all the support, except for Knechty!

Cheers
Trent

New Project: Egyptian Reaper

I started a new project a few days ago, one I am tentatively calling the Egyptian Reaper.


As you would know, I started putting together a base for the Atlantis guy, but when I put him on it, I felt like it detracted, rather than improved the model.  It was too much detail, too much happening.  So I put the base aside and planned to use it for something else.

When I finished Surt so quickly, I had a bit of time to start mucking around with the base more, and I started gluing things down and eventually realised it was going to be an Egyptian style base, with some dungeon type stuff at the bottom instead of an aquatic base, like I planned. Once I decided that, I went and looked through the models I had purchased, and tried to find one that might suit.  I came across one that was quite interesting and felt like it suited that style of base.


It is a model from Roberto Chaudon, called the Seeker, a really interesting model with a very unusual shape.  I like his sculpting style, it is quite unique and recognisable.

He looks a little Egyptian to me, but more importantly he has a lot of really clean shapes and lines for me to paint, without an overabundance of detail, giving me an opportunity to focus my painting on smoothness, and quality of the work.



I sized him up, pinned his feet and drilled holes for them in the base, and set about adding some more detail in a way that was subtle and natural.

I am happy with it, I juist need to sand down the sides fully smooth and I will be ready to paint the base.  I gap filled the Seeker himself also, so he is ready to paint too.



Onwards and upwards into this new year!

Cheers
Trent

Reflections, and Resolutions

It is a new year, and with a new year comes new resolutions!  But first, some reflections.


I have had a fantastic year of painting, which started in January, entering my first real painting competition, the Crystal Dragon.  I entered a team of Fishermen from Guild Ball, and it was one of  my favourite things I had done to date.  One thing I learnt from that, was to not enter models if they are not up to standard. I had a couple of models I really didn't enjoy painting during the Fish team, and the quality of those dropped the overall level from a Bronze, down to no award.  It was a really good experience for me, firstly I was able to get good feedback on where I was missing out, and then also I was inspired to do better next year.  Honestly, competition drives me, not success. I want to put myself up against the best and see how I compare.

So I went away from that keen to paint and learn more, and the next thing that came along was Meg Maples class, in Brisbane. I was able to go in with no preconceptions, and took a lot of fantastic stuff from the two days. I learnt new techniques, like two brush blending, and different approaches to things, and it left me wanted to try some different sized and more complex models. I then began painting some Smog Riders, and that was the door opening into the realm of competition miniature painting.  There was no purpose in painting them, no game to play with them, outside of purely for experience, and to enter into things.

I painted four of them, and then as I was trawling online, I found a competition that was being held in Brisbane, called the Queensland Model Hobby Expo.  Only downside, it was a week away!  I figured, the worst that can happen is I enter some stuff and don't go that well.  I began putting together a model I had bought a few months before, an Andrea barbarian, called Verthandi.  For some reason, everything started to click with her.  The classes, the research, the practice, it all started to work and I felt ultra happy with her when I ended up finishing her, in four days, ready for the event that weekend.

Another example of a great learning experience, that event I received three bronzes and a silver for my entries, but surprisingly the one I felt was my best, Verthandi, received a Bronze.  It was a bit humbling, and reminded me of a few things: I still have a lot to learn, and I need to remember that not everyone judges things the same way.  And in fact, personal growth and experience is more important than what someone else says.

Literally on the weekend of QMHE, I bought a big pile of models to try painting, and I also received a Scale 75 bust in the mail, of Jessica Thunder.  I took my time with her, really trying to get things right, and was rewarded with what I consider my best model to date.  The smoothness of the blends, the nice textures I achieved on the cloth and leathers, and the hair all worked.  I was reaching a point where I felt like my skills were matching my expectations, and I was also able to isolate areas I needed to improve my skillsets on.  Metallics, eyes, and contrast.

I hit the ground running after her, trying out lots of different models, learning lots of different techniques, working with the airbrush more and in different ways, skilling up my various painting abilities and really approaching the painting in a way that was all about learning and improving.  I targeted specific colours, skin tones or textures, I tried different scenes, model types and really just painted as much as I could.  Eventually I was able to secure an invite onto Putty and Paint, and via that I was constantly seeing competition style "results" which was suddenly a driving force also.  Instead of waiting for an event, I could upload a model and see how it went, both vs other painters, but also vs myself.

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/sious69

Took MV painting class, painted more, had a blast.  I've cracked on and painted a really large number of projects.  Since August, which is when I started painting larger scale models for display, I have finished 18 projects, which is at a rate of one per week.  Pretty strong form I would say!  Not according to Fuckknecht, but I digress.  It's been a fantastic year.

So, with that, I move onto to resolutions for this year!

I've seen a number of those pictures floating around where you have a little bingo card of things you are trying to complete for the year.  I saw this one and I thought, I like the idea of setting yourself goals!

If you look at last year for this bingo, I actually completed 19 out of 24 of those.  LOL.

But I want to have some specific things to aim for this year.  So, here they are!

1.  I want to try to paint something for as long as it takes to be "perfect".

Each time I stop painting a model, I look back and see a lot of issues and problems with it.  I have the ability to go back and change them, but I never do.  I try to take a "finished is not perfect" attitude with most models I paint.  That is to say, I paint them, I reach a point where I consider them finished, and then I call it done and don't go back.  I could go back on models I finished six months ago and make them shit hot, but I haven't really gotten anything from it.  I prefer to take each of the models I've painted and learn from them, and look at them and see the evolution.  BUT, this year, at some point I want to sit down in front of a bust, or a model, and paint it until it's finished, and then keep working on it. Keep painting it until I hate it.  Tweak tiny little things, make each thing absolutely perfect.  I want to see if that makes a difference to how good a model I paint, and see if it helps me to paint the best thing I've ever done.  I am not sure if it will or not!

2. Paint the "best" thing I've painted.

Obviously I start every project intending it to be the best thing I've done, but issues come along and I eventually realise it isn't.  I don't think this one is one that I set out to do, but I am hoping that the fact that I have progressed as a painter and improved my skills means that eventually I will paint something that is the best thing I've done.  I think that currently its either Jessica or Surt that are the best models I've done.  So that is the bar!

3. Take more classes.

I really felt like I skilled up massively after the classes I took, from Meg and Raffa.  This year I am hoping to take another class with Meg, in March, and then somehow squeeze in another one, whether through someone else in Australia, or hopefully someone like Roman, Banshee or Romain will travel over.

4. Learn to sculpt, both digital and IRL.

Sculpting is this whole other world that I have dipped a toe in, and said, that is too cold for me.  Well, the water is warming the fuck up right now.  I have access to zBrush, the digital sculpting medium of choice of many sculptors, and I have a lot of tools now that are custom designed for sculpting. I have no more excuses, I have enough art grounding and knowledge that sculpting something good should not be out of my ability.  I dream of one day being able to sculpt and then paint a figure of my own.

5. Paint with more colours, and more vibrancy.

I've started the ball rolling with Surt, by painting over a white undercoat, and removing black from my palette.  However, I have fallen into a trap of using the same colours over and over, mostly because I feel confident and comfortable with them.  I know that is a trap that will not help me improve, and so I want to get outside that comfort zone and start using colours in a different way.  

6. Improve my basing. 

I have a lot of issues with my basing currently, if you go back and read my review of the Enchanted Pool and how I felt it went, some of the biggest issues were with the base.  It is less about creation and construction for basing, as I really feel I've improved a lot on that front, but I cannot get my painting right.  I seem to oversaturate, or go too heavy on highlights, or use too many washes and the bases all seem to look the same.  I then fall into the trap of using the same mininatur tufts to hide my shit work. So I want to take that to another level, really improve my basing and paint better, more holistcally, and with an eye towards improving the model.

7. Keep blogging!

This one is probably not going to be difficult. I always used to type up battle reports of my games when I was a competitive player, and the reason I did was to really dial down into my games and try to find the learnings from them, regardless of how they went, there is always areas to improve.  Blogging about painting is kind of the same thing, by reviewing and looking critically at how I am doing things, and understanding why in more detail, I can better focus on areas I want to improve.

So that is where I am at!  I am excited for a year of fantastic painting opportunities, I have some potential commission work coming up in the first quarter, and lots of exciting competitions to attend and learn from.  

Would love to hear about your own painting resolutions for the new year!

Dont forget my Models for Sale page, with Surt, King of Atlantis now available to purchase!

Cheers

trent

Surt, Scale 75, Finished

Well, I ended up having a fair amount of time over the last few days, thanks to a big New Years Eve party, and my partner spending most of the day after relaxing around the house.  I was not really planning on powering through Surt, I wanted to take my time and try to do a good job.  But I just found everything working exactly as I wanted it to, and my brush control and layering really just being on point for no good reason at all, just practice I guess.

So the last update showed off a base I made, planned for Surt himself.  I ended up deciding against using it, for a few reasons. I think the base is really good and will make for a quality product when I use it, I just think the detail in it would have detracted from the model itself.  I like the subtle bases and when I get my plinths from Dark Messiah hopefully soon, I am still considering just adding some really subtle touches to the base, like some seaweed or whatever to tie it together.

First, here is a fun little step by step that shows how the face evolved!

Anyway, back to painting. I just really found everything I tried worked a treat.  The tricky stuff was mostly done though, it was just going onto the metallics and making sure they all worked.  They were the intricate and difficult stage of the model, and I probably spent as much time on them as I did the entire rest of the model!  I also tweaked the grey hair a little, adding a few more strands to soften the effect of it.

Just worked up from Royal Purple for the gold areas, and Dark Sea Blue for the metallic areas.  I decided to add a bone coloured element as well, as all metallic I felt like might not quite work as well.  I wanted something matt to break up the surface area.

I reached this stage and was really really happy with the mode, but I felt like it was just a little bit lacking on his torso.  It wasn't that it wasn't nicely blended or had enough contrast, just that was a large surface and I thought it needed breaking up.

My beautiful fiance suggested barnacles which opened up a whole swathe of ideas, including seaweed, rust stains, and algae.  In the end, I didn't trust my sculpting skills enough to go for barnacles, so I opted for stuff I could do a little easier.

I mixed Matt Varnish, Inktense Chestnut and Inktense Green, fine flock, bicarb soda and a splash of water/pva into a mixture that I applied to lower torso areas of the model.  Once it dried, I put some Gloss varnish on there to make it look  a little wet.

The seaweed was done with thin strands of grass, from Secret Weapon I think, which I pulled a few strands through some pva, then twisted a little so they would look a little more natural. I then let them dry, attached with superglue, and then painted a bit of the algae mixture over them.

The rust stains were done with a pigment, and also with some of the GW Rust effect and Inktense Chestnut again, which finished him up:

You can find more pictures of the finished guy here: http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/11471

Overall, for a model I painted in a few days, it has just come together so well.  Fantastic sculpt and the detail of the model is just incredible, a real joy to paint.  I am super inspired now to paint more, that has reenergised me for painting (as has my New Years painting resolutions, which I'll detail in the next blog post).  I will definitely enter this guy into Crystal Dragon, taking my tally up to six entries (with probably like three or four more I could chuck in that are done, but not as good as I'd like) and three weeks away, leaving me time for probably two more entries, or one big one.


Thanks for following the blog and the comments!  Remember if you want to buy any of the models I paint, most are up for sale on my Models For Sale page.

Cheers
Trent