Let there be light!

This just came in the mail today in a huge box from Woodcraft.com. Quickly got it out and installed it on my table and voila!

Looks cool, if only it’d work better. Well, maybe I was expecting something really cool but while it does enlarge the miniature, it’s a little, unwieldy. How? well here’s a list of gripes I have:

1. For you to position the miniature properly, it has to be pretty close to the magnifier, and while you can see it clearly, your brush doesn’t have room to move around especially when you need to paint from the front. Thus forcing you to move the miniature at least 6 inches further away. Hard to paint that way.
2. If you accidentally hit the magnifier, it wobbles a little, and being that you’re so close, the image wobbles too, formula for nausea!
3. You’d have to hold your breath, coz once you breathe out, the glass fogs up. Ugh.
4. Fluorescent light isn’t bright enough, perhaps I need to go change it.

Guess I’ll use it as a light, like this fellow:http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/32

Minis up on CMON

CMON is the definitive miniature painting / modeling community on the internet today. Run by a Singaporean, Coolminiornot.com allows its members to upload pictures and get the community to rate and provide feedback. Some of the best painters in the world are on this community. I just uploaded the minis that I painted and got them scored. Well, as expected, didn’t do too well, and I’m a 7 pointer painter. With the best at 7.4 for my Zoat Mage.

Looks like I gotta do much better with my next mini. Wish me luck!

 

Checkout my minis at http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/paintingrobot

Ripley – WIP

Was rummaging through my collection of unpainted old miniatures from a decade ago and found a female heavy weapon Imperial Guard. I wanted to try to practice OSL or Object Source Lighting and decided to make a big fireball right at the tip of the gun. To make things more complex, I took my pliers and started mangling a pathetic looking Thug mini and converted him into a dead thug, befitting his visage.

This is what I started with:

and positioned them in a more dynamic way:

Took some green stuff and made a metallic base:

Also modeled some GS into the flare for the fireball, and pinned the miniatures so that it’s easier to paint:

Simple stuff for the fireball, made it into a cone and twisted it to get the radial lines. and the metal grate base using the handle from my drill and rolled it across like a steam roller coming from both axis:

Attached the cone fireball to get this effect:

Got caught up with painting the dead thug and base that I forgot to take pictures Here’s the result:

Added some blood using red ink. Blood Red and Blazing Orange:

As for “Ripley”, started off with her tank top, based the fireball yellow using Iyanden Darksun foundation yellow, and did her face with the normal Bronzed flesh, flesh wash and highlight with Bronzed flesh and Elf Flesh, then darkened behind the eyes with black ink:

Painted her hair Blazing Orange, shaded with Red Ink and Black Ink, then base coated her pants green. Thinking of making a camo pattern:

The camo pattern made the miniature look gaudy, coz there are already so many colors being used. So decided to go with the Urban Camo pattern following this fabulous tutorial. Also painted the “bottle” of something, perhaps gas to power the heavy weapon:

here’s how it looks like from the back:

And then putting it all together on the base and added some empty shells. If only I can do flying shells, perhaps with some transparent peg or to hold it up, but I know it will clutter the model :

 

Model is still unfinished, need to complete these tasks:

1. Helmet (behind her back)
2. Tube for the weapon
3. OSL!! I think the biggest amount of work.

 

*Update : Dec 12

Finally managed to complete the tube and helmet and the flame. Still not very happy with the muzzle flash. Any ideas?

 

I’ve also taken a guide photo of how the OSL (Object Source Lighting) should look like. If I end up doing it. Still not feeling confident.