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Post by sgtslag on Jul 17, 2023 13:58:50 GMT
Several years ago, now, I took a plastic sandwich bag material as a substrate to create a 24 HD Fire Elemental, of Huge Size. I applied Hot Glue to the sandwich bag substrate, which had been cut into the size and shape desired. It worked reasonably well, I thought. I then used wet blending painting techniques to color it. I posted on this project, years ago, here, so search for it, if desired. Yesterday, I needed a 16/24 HD Water Elemental. I pulled out my Shrinky-Dink Huge Water Elemental I created a number of years ago (2nd time I've ever used it?), and I was underwhelmed, to put it nicely. LOL! I began thinking about what I had done to create the Huge Fire Elemental... I realized that I could use the wire from a wrap used to seal a load of bread in its plastic bag from the bakery, Hot Glued to sandwich bag substrate, cut to shape, fold the substrate into a curled shape, to make a huge wave of water, similar to smaller commercial Water Elemental figures I already own. I plan to begin working on it shortly. Thought I would share my idea, to encourage myself to keep moving forward with yet another new project... It never ends. Painting will be a similar wet blending to what I had done with the Fire Elemental, only this time I will be using blue's, white's, and maybe some green shades of paint, to make it more visually interesting. Photos will follow as soon as I begin the new project. It should be relatively quick and easy. I will spray it with a clear gloss, to make it appear to be water, unlike the Fire Elemental which was left with a matte clear coating. I don't use 16/24 HD Elementals often, but when you need one, it's fun to have them at hand. Cheers my black DM's heart, it does indeed! I am working on plans for a 16/24 HD Earth and Air Elemental, as well... Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jul 9, 2023 0:00:07 GMT
I've seen a lot of Zombies over the last 40+ years, in movies, and miniature figures. I'm finally, after 25+ years, painting a set of GW Zombies. I decided to search the Internet for RW images to see what colors are most prevalent...
Red, pink, and brown, with some off-white bone colors. No purples, no greens. Pretty simple, pretty straightforward colors.
Kind of disappointing, really. Not very pleasant to view, either. I braced myself, expecting it to be far worse.
Now, I need to break out my reds, and my bone colors. A brown wash will bring it all together, realistically. This is much simpler than I imagined. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jul 5, 2023 18:25:47 GMT
Thanks, margaret, I will re-read it. Might need to order another set! Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jul 3, 2023 18:36:42 GMT
On different forums, others suggested cutting tentacles off of a toy octopus. Great suggestion! Read it on some other forums, years ago, and forgot... In the end, considering all of the available options, this was the most expeditious, and the easiest. Still need to add some color to them. I am thinking of dry-brushing some blue on, instead of a wash. Might do both. Will need to sacrifice a few for the tests -- good thing they are mindless and they cannot feel anything as I "experiment" on them. Mu-wah-hah-hah! Although they are smaller than I would prefer, the truth is, I will need 16 of them, for one Mage PC (I think the set only had 15 -- oops!), as he is 16th level. These fall under that compromise between properly scaled models, and models that are more playable (such as 2.5D, versus full 3D dungeon walls). I ran into the same situation with 2e AD&D Dragon figures: I don't have enough storage space for Ancient Great Wyrms, nor can I locate models big enough. So... I bought models that are on the Young Adult'ish size, as that is all I can find, and all I can store, long term. They work well enough, and so, too, will these mini-tentacles. Thanks for the comments. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 29, 2023 20:25:01 GMT
So I've been keen on finding/making some models to represent Evard's Black Tentacles spell effect, to put on the tabletop to represent these nasty, mindless killer tentacles... Been keeping my eyes and ears open, for many years. I considered making the tentacles out of epoxy/clay. Never done it, but I found a video on YouTube which demonstrated how it could be done. Never followed through on it, though. I recently stumbled upon some "game pieces" which appeared to fit the bill! They were inexpensive, listed on e-Bay. I pulled the trigger, thinking I would prime them flat black, highlight them with some blue Magic Wash, to bring out their details. Then they would be ready for the tabletop. They arrived, today, from China. They are much smaller than I expected: tentacles next to a 25mm Wizard figure; a D&D 25mm(?) pre-paint figure in the midst of the Tentacles spell A of E; and a close-up showing the details of the game pieces. Hoping to prime them, today, then give them a blue Magic Wash Saturday, followed by a matte clear coat, texturing the bases, and done -- ready for the tabletop. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 29, 2023 19:36:32 GMT
I've been thinking of putting an eyelet screw into the North Pole corner, suspending it from the ceiling (or a built frame of some sort) on fishing line. Not sure, yet. All options are on the tabletop. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 28, 2023 15:07:19 GMT
I love how the eyebrows match the shapes and slopes of the smiles/frowns. I never caught onto it, until now. Thanks for sharing. Neat sculpting technique: I have probably seen it, hundreds of times in the past, but I just now realized how it is used, and just how effective it is, in conveying specific emotions within the sculpts.
In the past, sculptors and artists portrayed D&D's iconic Beholder monsters without any eyelid covering their large, central eye. Around the mid-1990's (?), they began adding in an eyelid covering atop the central eye. This allowed them to convey great emotion in their drawings and figure sculptures.
I am working on my own Beholder figures, and I have, thus far, adopted the Old School design of no eyelid. I see that I am truly missing out leaving the central eye, lidless, but I also like the original lidless concept. You have given me much to consider. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 20, 2023 14:04:47 GMT
Update:Photo1Painted the continents, first (mistake), then I painted the continental shelves with white Gesso, and then a light blue (should have done this first), to set them off from the oceanic abysses. Need to go back with a smaller brush and touch up the edges of the land masses with the light blue. After that, I need to apply another coat of the tan base color of the land masses, to be followed by greens and browns. Basically I will attempt to recreate the color palette used on most Earth globes commercially available -- it is what people are accustomed to, what is expected, and it looks good to my eye, as well. Photo2I made my 1st world map back in the Summer of 1983. At that time, this continent and island group, center of Photo2, were the entire world. Later on, I realized it was far too small, so I made it a continental-USA-sized land mass, and I added other continents around the rest of the globe. This region, Cegia and the Isles of Bakret, have been home to my campaigns since 1986. While it means nothing to you, it is quite special for me to see it on the globe. I will spend extra time on this land mass, to get it looking the way I want it to. From there, I will expand out to the remaining land masses, which have never really been mapped before. This project is taking me back to my Grade School days: my art/crafting skills are still at 6th Grade level, but my ambition and scope of projects, has expanded greatly. It isn't something to put on display at the County Fair Art Exhibit, but it's loads of fun for me, personally, as a DM since 1980, to see a childhood dream come to fruition. This globe project is also inspiring me to want to develop, map, and configure, the other parts of my game world. The group of large islands (upper left of Photo1), is known as Kees' Hand. I realize, in retrospect, that this would have been the better place to begin my campaigns: so much water, so many large islands, I could have made sea fairing a normal, everyday part of adventuring life; PC's could have had seaborn adventures routinely, even dipping below the waves, commonly. I would love to run an undersea campaign, using aquatic PC races, for something very different, very challenging for my players, and for me, as DM. Kees' Hand would have been idyllic for that purpose. Don't get me wrong, my players and I have traversed Cegia, and Bakretia time and again, and they are fairly well developed after 37 years, but I have the wander-lust growing inside of me, again... My hope is that I inspire others to build something for their game worlds. For that reason, I share it here. My players may never see the lands portrayed on this globe, but I see them, they inspire me, and that is all that really matters to me. They may inspire me to bring the PC's to new and foreign lands. Who knows, maybe I'll start up the next group of PC's in Kees' Hand. Maybe I will play out my dream of running a Council of Wyrms game, in the super-continent of Sauria (bottom of Photo1), where Dragons rule the lesser races, who quake in fear when their Dragon lords stir from their centuries of rest. LOL! More updates will follow, whenever. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 13, 2023 17:34:26 GMT
Love the Human figures. Really adds a new dimension to the Mushroom Peoples. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 1, 2023 4:53:27 GMT
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Post by sgtslag on Jun 1, 2023 4:26:13 GMT
Final Update on the Draco-Lich toy conversion… It is finished! I decided to go with a true square base I had on hand, even though the tail overhangs it, by a long margin. I Hot Glued the feet to the MDF base. Then I painted on some Wood Glue, in patterns, dunking this into my pans of colored sand mixtures. Enough explanation! What you really want, is photos… Here is his Fast Food Delivery… "My Dietitian told me I was heavy-metal deficient, that I should increase my Brass intake… I always do what my Dietitian tells me to do -- well, what she told me to do, before I devoured her, that is."The original toy model, straight from the store, and the finished conversion, painted, wings covered in 'flesh', based and matte coated. Here is a link to an album showing all of the project's photos. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 29, 2023 3:30:13 GMT
Painted on The Dip Technique, Royal Walnut, my favorite color: Dip'ed Dragon1, Dip'ed Dragon2, Dip'ed Dragon3. Debating on matte clear coating it. Might limit the dull coat to the belly, and only the non-brass areas. I know later D&D editions portrayed metallic dragons with oxidation in their wings and bodies. That has never appealed to me, so I will never add that type of 'highlight' to any of my dragon models. I use dark recess tones to create shadowing, using the easiest technique on the Earth, The Dip Technique. As an army painter, I go for the simplest techniques, that look good at arm's length. And converting toy dragon figures to use for my RPG sessions, along with my tabletop war games, makes for a fun crafting project, along with creating fun figures for gaming with. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 15, 2023 20:44:27 GMT
The SpeedPaints 2.0 supposedly are not reactivated by applying a new coat over an old, dry coat. That issue was one reason I never tried them. Now, I can't be bothered to alter my painting style, as I am too deeply invested in my old-school techniques. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 13, 2023 3:06:57 GMT
I hear ya'! I play d6 based wargames with plastic Army Men figures. This could be fun to manipulate them into new/straightened poses. I have 1,000+ Army Men figures to experiment with. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 8, 2023 19:24:23 GMT
Here is a link to a YouTube video which demonstrates how to use a clothing steamer machine for softening miniatures to change their poses, and righting bends in them. The author demonstrates two different models of Steamfast Fabric Steam machines, one for $25, and a more powerful unit, for $40, off of Amazon. He demonstrates how to do it, some safety warnings, and the results he achieved. Thought this was worth sharing. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 2, 2023 14:32:51 GMT
Wyloch, a fantasy/sci-fi gamer with a YouTube channel, did a video review of SpeedPaints 2.0. They are impressive, vibrant, and fast: 90 seconds per miniature, to completely paint several of the minis he painted and kept track of the time it took him to complete them. I do block painting + The Dip Technique/Magic Wash, using assembly line techniques. I average seven minutes, per figure, including the wash techniques, and even with a matte clear coat, at the end of the process. I asked him how they compare to The Dip Technique/Magic Wash, if he has used them. If he had not, he would not be able to give an honest answer… He replied that he has used the The Dip Technique for some of his armies featured in his videos. The SpeedPaint colors are much more vibrant, and much faster. Here's the downside to SpeedPaints 2.0… The big box of SpeedPaints he received as a gift, retail for around $100! I can buy a lot of minis for that $100 paint cost. I have 1,000+ minis painted with The Dip Technique/Magic Wash, already. They are muted in colors, but they are consistent. If I begin using SpeedPaints, the new figures will not mix well with the older minis. So, for me, personally, the cost is prohibitive, and the fact that they would not blend well with my existing armies, are a no-go, for me. If you are starting out with minis painting, I would recommend the investment in SpeedPaints 2.0. They are super-fast, and very effective. I would also highly recommend a matte clear coating, after they fully cure (24-hours would be safe). Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on May 1, 2023 18:16:12 GMT
tryed something today... while i didn't have any of those gesso things and couldn'T find any around the place. i looked at mod podge and saw that it was a finish type of thing. it can also be used to seal acrylic paint. so i decided to give a good wash of mod podge to my figures. the first thing i noticed is how that mod podge smells the same as my PVA white glue. so im thinking mod podge is just PVA glue. all that said, i mixed it with water to make it a tad more liquid. and washed over all my figures. i'm glad to say... problem solved ! none of my figures are tacky/sticky anymore. they are all fine and i didn't lose a single drop of detailing on the figures. i also decided to give the sealing technique to my mimics just in case. I am having the same issue with some especially soft plastic figures. You can, by the way use PVA or Modge Podge as an undercoat also. The thing with Modge Podge is you are supposed to give it time to cure (4 weeks!) before painting over it! I have done it in less time without issue. You are right that it includes PVA although it also has a varnish in it. it goes on a little more evenly than pure PVA. However I experimented with PVA on the tacky paint and it worked. i haven't tried the Modge Podge yet. Vallejo also has an undercoat which I tried. it wasn't sticky but when I painted over it the paint was? Enamel is the worst to use over some of the soft plastics but i was surprised when i had issues with acrylics. The first effort I used my usual plastic car spray undercoat followed by GW undercoat spray. This works fine with most soft plastics (kind of plastic used in army men') and ensures paint retention . I think the new ones I have might be a polyvinyl or extra soft plastic.. There are numerous formulations for automotive under-coatings: acrylic, enamel, rubberized, plastic, and more... I play wargames using HDPE plastic Army Men figures (d6-based, not Tennis Balls, nor dirt clumps, etc.). I painted my Army Men figures from 1998-2007, sealing them immediately, using urethane-stain, but after 10 years, it rubs off. Seems like very little will adhere to HDPE plastics! Would love to find something that does stick, longer than 10 years. Found some advice on the Internet stating the usual: apply acrylic undercoating if using acrylic paints on top of it; use enamel undercoating if using enamel paints on top of it. I used furniture grade Mod Podge, on one project. It stated I had to wait for it to fully cure in four weeks. So much for Mod Podge being just PVA Glue! Nice to learn that Mod Podge has some sort of varnish in it. I know there are multiple formulations for Mod Podge, for different applications. Great products, still working on finding new minis-based applications for them. Wish I knew something about chemistry. I really want to know that my painting efforts on HDPE plastic figures won't rub off in 10 years... Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Apr 26, 2023 18:01:53 GMT
Safari, Ltd., and Papo, have offered some wonderful toy dragons, and other fantasy figures, over the years. Unfortunately, they sometimes do go out of print (OOP)! I've learned, if you see something you like, buy it -- buy it immediately, before they're gone. This has happened to me a couple of times... I found some Fruit Bat toy figures, several years ago. I hesitated, but I finally pulled the trigger on them. I mounted 1/72 scale Caesar Goblins on their necks, creating Giant Bat Goblin Cavalry. The Bats required no painting, whatsoever... I added in some D&D Giant Bats, as mounts for Leaders -- makes it easier to tell them apart from the rank and file troops. After I bought a number of the Giant Bat toys, I decided I wanted more... They had gone OOP, and the few offered on e-Bay were commanding excessively high prices! I actually bought mine on a vacation trip, in Germany. It was an impulse buy, but I am so thankful I grabbed them. The store clerk thought I was just another crazy American, with more money, than sense. LOL! My Goblin Army now has Wolf Riders (Caesar Goblins mounted on lead Wolves I cast myself, from Prince August Wolf Rider molds), Worg Riders (Red Box 1/72 Dark Alliance 'Orc' Word Riders sets), and Giant Bat Cavalry! The Goblins always get trashed in my 2e BattleSystem games, but they are always sooo rewarding to play with. The sight of the Goblin Bat Cavalry is always a tabletop spectacle to behold, and enjoy. Even if they are mostly ineffective in combat, their " Cool!" factor, is top-notch, always enjoyable. The opposing players always expect the worst, so the psychological impact, alone, makes them worthwhile. LOL! Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Apr 26, 2023 17:46:29 GMT
I love the vibrant color palette! You have quite an eye for colors. The humor, the personalities, in the sculpting, is superbly entertaining. Your posts are a treasured pleasure to read. Cheers!
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Post by sgtslag on Apr 26, 2023 13:48:14 GMT
Welcome back, art ! Thanks for sharing your Star Wars buildings. Cheers!
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