|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 24, 2017 22:54:35 GMT
Very slick! Very slick, indeed. Took me a bit to see that what you call, "Gaffer's Tape", we in the States would call, "Duct Tape". I like the details regarding the folding process. I could see this pulling the tape apart, if you did not take it into consideration during the 'binding' operation. I love the fact that it could easily be expanded to more panels, if necessary. Great instructions! Thank you for sharing.
I made a couple of screens using particle board, and metal hinges... The hinges have broken on both, even though the first one lasted 20+ years. With your design, the tape 'hinges' will last a long time, and they wont break as easily as the metal hinges I used. On top of that, your design will be much less weight to fold, and carry, compared to particle boards. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 24, 2017 3:14:39 GMT
Looks good so far. Looking forward to seeing them painted. Keep crafting! Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 24, 2017 2:33:14 GMT
Have you ever tried making your own modelling paste? There are numerous recipes and videos on the Internet. I made a few batches up for a terrain project, and I estimate I saved around $50 using the home-made stuff, versus the commercial product. For my project, the Liquitex product would have been a complete waste of money. The home-made stuff is not flexible, but if that is not necessary, it can save quite a few crafting Dollars/Euro's/Pounds/etc. for you. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 24, 2017 2:23:10 GMT
Your Water Elemental is superb, and so is your Earth Elemental. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 23, 2017 13:55:57 GMT
Way to think, "outside of the box." Looking forward to your photo's... Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 23, 2017 13:52:12 GMT
Scale depends upon which version you are playing/building it for. The monsters had a tendency to grow larger, in both size and HD, with each Edition. I'd recommend consulting the Monster Manual for whichever Edition you are playing, and then measure the sculpt to see if it is close. The typical scale is 1" = 5 scale feet. Remember, also, that the Roper can morph its shape: a tall cone, to an almost flat, broad mound, at will.
Aside from scale, it looks good. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 22, 2017 15:13:48 GMT
Wow! Gorgeous Water Elemental! Love it! Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 21, 2017 16:34:09 GMT
I've painted more than a thousand mini's using The Dip technique: Minwax Polyshades Urethane Stain -- Royal Walnut (brown, dirty looking) and Tudor (pure black shading). I paint with cheap craft paints only, covering them with The Dip... Never had issues yet with tackiness.
My suggestion is to prime with white Gesso (metal mini's only, in most cases -- see below for most plastic mini's), block paint, then apply The Dip, brushing it on, rather than dunking the figure. Remove the pooling excess either with the brush, or use the edge of a paper towel. Once dry, spray on a matte clear coat to dull the shine.
The Dip accumulates in the folds and recesses, magically. Simple block painting suddenly looks like you spent hours painting that figure, instead of the mere 10 minutes you invested... People actually told me they hated me: they spent several hours to achieve what took me 5-10 minutes... I love The Dip technique!
Do a test mini to see what you think of it. Use an Army Man(TM) test figure: just paint the bits that differ from the plastic's color to save time -- it will also demonstrate a valid technique, using a plastic figure's material color to save time -- for plastic figures, do not bother with any primer, The Dip will seal the paint in place!
I've been doing this for 20 years, and my figures look the same as when I painted them. It makes the paint bulletproof. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 21, 2017 2:44:41 GMT
Gorgeous! Love the blue eyes. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 21:30:42 GMT
However you wish to do it. A link to the inspiring thread would be nice, but I don't think it is necessary -- as a reader, though, I would certainly appreciate it as it would give me more ideas, and demonstrate how you came to your version of it. As to thread necromancy, I like it: it tends to keep the topics all together.
For example, there are numerous threads on Purple Worms. I don't mind that, but if they were grouped together, somehow, it would make it much easier for me to research the different approaches, and see the development of the techniques.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for a huge Water Elemental... I need to put some effort into this, myself. I think I could create a variation on my basic technique, to create a decent Air Elemental, as well. Then again, I like what previous posters have done using cotton batting to make a fully scale-able Air Elemental, virtually any size you want/need...
I may spend some time in the crafting room, aka, my Mad Crafter's Laboratory, this weekend, having been duly inspired, and motivated! Thank you! Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 19:07:14 GMT
Take some 100 grit sandpaper to the surface, then try E6000 Glue. It's a bit rubbery, and with a roughened surface, it should hold... I hope. Again, "Experimentation is King, Baby!" Be sure to post your findings... Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 18:59:30 GMT
The other flow aid commonly used, is liquid dish soap, like Palmolive, Dawn, etc. It takes very little. The difference, of course, is viscosity: liquid dish soaps are very thick, and viscous, where Jet Dry is very runny, and not viscous at all. I've used dish soap, but I have not tried Jet Dry -- yet... I've tried mixing in dish soap with my bottles of PVA Glue, to get it to lay flat, rather than beading up, when I paint it on my vinyl floor tile bases prior to swirling them in my colored sand mixtures -- doesn't work very well, it alays beads up within seconds, which leads to uneven coverage (and a 2nd, or 3rd, application and swirl...). I've always suspected the PVA's viscosity prevented the equally viscous dish soap from mixing properly. Will have to try this. Soon. Thanks for posting on this, jennifer and drwillsdc ! Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 18:39:14 GMT
The unpainted look works, IMO. He really looks like an animated, ginormous, lump of earth! He is actually quite good, at this point. Looking forward to seeing what you do with painting him. As for the Water Elemental, here is a link to what I did for a Huge Fire Elemental figure (Scroll down the page to seeit; this is what a 24 HD Fire Elemental should look like, IMHO). Perhaps it will give you an idea on how to make your Water Elemental? I've been thinking of using the same basic technique, only shaping it differently, and then painting it blue and white, to make it into Water, instead of Fire Elemental. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 13:47:32 GMT
Looks quite good! Keep it up. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 20, 2017 3:38:06 GMT
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 19, 2017 23:24:05 GMT
In Germany, I believe it is called, "Klear", but I'm going off of memory of posts from many years past. jennifer, I will post a photo of my last bottle, later tonight. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 19, 2017 19:46:37 GMT
What I did with my Frost Giants, painted white, for skin color, was to apply Magic Wash -- blue tint. It is just Pledge Acrylic Floor Polish + acrylic paint of your color choice -- think, food coloring, as in baking. The acrylic paint tints the Floor Polish, slightly; the Floor Polish accumulates in the recesses, and folds, leaving the high surfaces virtually untouched. It gives my Frosty's a nice blue tint, in the recesses, without being too much, IMO. It dries in roughly 15 minutes, and it takes additional paints, if necessary. It also is extremely tough, as a finishing coat -- will need a matte clear coat, unless you like glossy finish...
Try it on a test piece, to see if you like it. The great news is that if you don't like it, wait 15 minutes for the Floor Polish to dry, then paint over it! Magic Wash can be made for any color you can find an acrylic paint for. It can be used for custom shading, as needed. It is the 'kissing cousin' of The Dip technique. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 18, 2017 18:57:29 GMT
Are they LED's, or incandescent? The incandescent bulbs likely rely on the entire string's resistance (Ohms) to provide enough voltage drop to avoid burning up... In other words, be careful if you split bulbs off of the entire chain -- 120/220 VAC across them could be... Explosive (literally). Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 18, 2017 18:54:28 GMT
Another, idea: add smaller versions of the ginormous red's, around the base. I would only use a few -- no more than 6, to jazz it up just a bit. You could use smaller shrooms with different colors, as well. Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by sgtslag on Jan 18, 2017 16:59:54 GMT
Honestly, I think the etching is overkill. It is rare that I see such deep, large cracks, in real ice. Sorry, another reference to reality, in the face of fantasy... I have lived in tropical Minnesota for all but 20 months of my life, roughly 1/2-century -- I'm a big fan of Global Warming! I know ice, snow, etc. Cracks are not that common, as they tend to get filled in by snow, which turns to ice, in a relatively short time.
Your earlier tile, painted white, with streaks of blue, is better, IMO. Take it for what it is worth: freely offered, free to be ignored. Cheers!
|
|