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Post by michka on Aug 20, 2015 14:38:05 GMT
Update time. This is an old Action Fleet toy that I've spiffed up a bit. It represents the kind of speeder that has been in use for way, way too long. This will be street dressing for many different locals, as well as a usable vehicle should the heroes need. Stormtrooper for scale, of course.
Here's a long winded explanation of how I got this result. This was a learn as you go project. I was trying out lots of different techniques on this vehicle because I have a few extras. First off I masked off the canopy with Tamiya masking tape. This stuff is fantastic! I've never tried to mask off part of a model before, but I will be doing a lot of it from now on. I hit the model with a coat of light green paint. The green wasn't working, so I decided to try something radicle. The spots are the results of a failed Salt Technique. What's supposed to happen is salt crystals are sprinkled on a wet surface. Then you spray the model with a second overall coat. Brush the salt crystals off and the undercoat is exposed. This method probably works with an airbrush overcoat. However I used rattle can spray which stuck to the surface much more securely then was intended, leaving raised bits all over the model. Instead of revealing the paint layer underneath it pulled everything off, exposing the toy surface underneath. I'm actually pretty happy with the final look but I'll have to give the salt technique another try on something else. The edges were sponged with a maroon paint to give them an exposed primer coat look. Dots of silver were carefully painted onto the edges to represent exposed metal. This is the same method I used on the Bandai AT-ST kit, and I'm pretty comfortable with this now. The rear of the canopy was way too toy like, so I filled the hole where the hinge moved and coated that part with primer. This was yet another time I used the masking tape. Then texture paint was brushed on this part to give it a different surface. The texture point looked too much like muddy ground, so I started scraping the bits of texture off. That's when I noticed the exposed spots looked a lot like my failed salt technique. I scraped the most of the raised spots off and darkened the spots with dark grey. Then I dabbed on some different colors of paint and picked out the spots again with dark paints and called it done. The base is a large washer with a small chess pawn glued to it. The pawn was cut down to the right height, textured the base and was done. I hope this mini how-to helps out. I certainly learned a lot from this project. I've got another project to show soon but I think this post is long enough. Let me know what you think.
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Post by SpielMeisterKev! on Aug 20, 2015 15:33:56 GMT
Howdy, SpielMeister luvz him some "space ships"! Kev! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2015 18:27:31 GMT
Nice job. I was going to be trying the salt tech once I got my hands on those overpriced Marx cars. Keep the star wars stuff coming, I'm digging everything.
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Post by michka on Aug 21, 2015 4:58:59 GMT
SpielMeisterKev!, the Action Fleet toys were a great resource for science fiction gamers. It's a shame they went away. Noctuary, even though I didn't get the salt effect I wanted it's still a great way to add character to a vehicle. And I have plenty of Star Wars stuff to do. I have one more update for now. Then I'll have to start something new. Here is a Downed AT-ST. (Warning, I took lots of photos of this.)       This is the AMT kit that I showed in the scale shot earlier in the thread. I've been planing to make this piece for a while now. In fact if you look at the scale shot you can see the weathering runs across the walker instead of top to bottom like the Bandai and Imperial Assault AT-STs. Modifying this model was a lot more work then I expected. The legs had to be cut up so they would lie the right way. Since the AMT kit is so basic this involved making a new upper leg piece that would bend and tilt. The feet were trimmed so they would lie flat against the base. The hatch was slightly modified to eliminate the silly toy-like hinges that come with the kit. Once that was all done and the walker was painted I made the base. This is a piece of sheet plastic glued to a thin piece of cardboard. (See, I do use cardboard.) Thin strips of plastic were run around the outside of the base to give it a clean look. Layers of model putty were added to the top of the base. This was followed with two kinds of texture paint. Texture paint was also applied to the model in spots. Then the model was glued to the base and more texture paint was added to hide seems and make the model look like it was sunk into the base. And there you have it. This project was a couple months in the making. The original idea came to me while I was looking at the cover of the Age of Rebellion Beginner game. I like that piece of art so much I bought the box set, even though I don't play that game. I do plan to use the scenario inside though. I'll just run it using the West End Games rules. This piece isn't an exact replica but you get the idea. That's it for now. Let me know what you think.
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Post by Erasmas on Aug 21, 2015 16:05:25 GMT
All of your stuff is fantastic, brother!
And the downed AT-ST is no exception. I was just popping in to say that several years ago, somewhere in the vastness of the internet, I came across a project where someone had built (from scratch, I believe) a fallen AT-AT. It was really awesome, and this made me think of that. So, yeah, there you go!
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Post by grandinquisitorkris on Aug 22, 2015 1:19:46 GMT
Nice job. I was going to be trying the salt tech once I got my hands on those overpriced Marx cars. Keep the star wars stuff coming, I'm digging everything. why do you want over priced marx cars ? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2015 1:36:14 GMT
I don't want them to be over priced, they are just hard to find.  |
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Post by grandinquisitorkris on Aug 22, 2015 10:47:35 GMT
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Post by michka on Aug 22, 2015 13:56:11 GMT
Thank you Erasmus. I have a long history of turning old models into crashed, wrecked, and downed vehicles for gaming. I have to be careful not to make more crashed vehicles then complete one or I'll end up with a junk yard planet. Hey, a new game idea just occurred to me.
Awesome find grandinquisitorkris. Someone needs to buy that before I get a chance. Too many projects already.
Noctuary, I assume this is for your Fall Out project.
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Post by grandinquisitorkris on Aug 22, 2015 14:24:46 GMT
I have to be careful not to make more crashed vehicles then complete one or I'll end up with a junk yard planet. Hey, a new game idea just occurred to me. they already have AN RPG , its called H.O.L. (HUMAN OCCUPIED LANDFILL) |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2015 14:31:06 GMT
grandinquisitorkris I appreciate the search but that's a bit too pricey for a terrain piece for my tastes. If you find another good item please post it to my wasteland survival guide in the future to keep clutter off of this page. And yes michka it is for the fallout build 
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Post by michka on Aug 25, 2015 18:01:50 GMT
Quick update time. This time it's a work in progress shot of a Hutt sculpt I'm doing.   He still needs some shoulders, and some arms, and some eyelids. Oh, and some paint too. This is the first sculpting I've done in months, save for a half done Bantha that probably won't see the light of day. I'm pleased with how this one is coming along, so hopefully I'll have something more to show in the next couple days. And a big Thank You to curufin for inspiring me to pick up the polymer clay again. I didn't realize how much I missed it. |
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sotf
Advice Guru
Posts: 1,084 
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Post by sotf on Aug 25, 2015 19:38:59 GMT
If you're looking for Banthas, there's a great Action Fleet one that used to be in a two pack with a Dewback. There are also some normally cheap WotC versions
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Post by Erasmas on Aug 25, 2015 21:10:37 GMT
That Hutt is absolutely fantastic so far! I especially like both the spinal ridge on the top of his tail and the expression you have managed to capture already with his face.
Well done, michka!
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Post by DnDPaladin on Aug 26, 2015 2:16:24 GMT
is the storm trooper pointing out that gun, or is he surving up that blaster ? XD
the sculpt is great looking already, so can't wait to see the final result.
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Post by curufin on Aug 26, 2015 2:32:50 GMT
Sculpley the Hutt looks great so far! You really give all of your sculpts a personality. Seeing all of your Star Wars builds really makes me want to get a SW game going. I had a blast the last time I ran a game... and I think doing some SW crafts would be awesome! Keep up the extraordinary work!
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Post by vestrivan on Aug 26, 2015 7:31:21 GMT
Hutt looks really badass! Great sculpt. Cant wait to see it completed!
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Post by michka on Aug 26, 2015 16:44:19 GMT
sotf, I'll be looking for an affordable WOTC Bantha soon. I have a number of the furry Action Fleet Banthas, but they're just not big enough. News also came out recently there will be a Sandperson on Bantha coming out for Imperial Assault around the end of the year. It's a good time to like Banthas. Thank you Erasmas. I wasn't sure if I should keep the tail spine after reading that Hutts don't have skeletons. Then I noticed an anatomical drawing of a Hutt with a spine and decided to keep it. DnDPaladin, I think the Stormtrooper is paying too much attention to the Hutt's head, and not enough to his tail. That's gonna get trooper 4-SKL killed someday. curufin, you just named this guy. He's Sculpley the Hutt from now on. And I'd love to see what you come up with for Star Wars. I've had a few ideas for terrain, but I'm sure you'd be able to make something really special. Well vestrivan, he's not finished but I can show you another W.I.P. shot.  The green stuff at the edges of Sculpey the Hutt's mouth were to cover some deep cracks in the surface. It's just a coincidence that it makes him look even more gross. Still needs a second arm and some bulk around his upper torso. And I might make a tongue for him too. What do you guys think? Does he need a tongue, or is that going to far.
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Post by DnDPaladin on Aug 26, 2015 18:03:25 GMT
definitely needs a tongue if you can make one that fits.
after all it was th emost disgusting thing to leia !
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Post by Erasmas on Aug 26, 2015 22:39:23 GMT
I think the ridge is nice because it helps break up the "monotony" of his overall surface (a fault of the subject, not of your talents).
I definitely think you should do a tongue, maybe even about to wrap around some small furry critter that he is holding by the tail with his other hand. Either that or the wand from a hookah!
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Cheers!
Cheers!