Monday, June 30, 2014

Sarcophagus: Figure 101 of 265

I finally got back to painting this week, but knew I wouldn't have a lot of spare time to do it as we're still unpacking boxes from our recent move; so I chose the Sarcophagus figure from the Dungeon Dressing set to work on as I embark on my second hundred figures from the Kickstarter.  The completion of the figure also marks the wrapping up of the Dungeon Dressing set, and so it goes on the list of completed sets over in the right-hand column of this blog.
     I  prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1"x 2" black-primed steel base with Aleene's Tacky glue. I also glued the lid on the sarcophagus down, since I store my figures in boxes lined with magnetic sheeting, and I didn't want the lid bouncing around loose in the box knocking other figures over during transport.
  I decided I would try to do something a little different than just boring gray stone; so I hit upon the idea of doing the piece as pink marble, inspired by the multiple rose carvings on the Sarcophagus.  And, since I had had some success doing white, and green marble on the Stone Golem, and black marble on the Altar of Evil, I thought trying pink would be a nice challenge.   So, I looked up some Google images of pink marble, and with that inspiration in my head started to paint.
   I began by giving the whole piece a coat of Apple Barrel "Apple Light Pink". I then went back over the Sarcophagus and added a speckled pattern with Americana "Shading Flesh".
Next, I added thin striations across the whole thing with first black, and then white paint.
  Lastly, I gave the piece a wash with GW "Devlan Mud Wash", and then went back and added some highlights with the original "Apple Light Pink". My final step was to paint the base with Folk Art "Medium Gray".  I let the Sarcophagus dry overnight and the next day gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish."  The following day I sprayed it with Testor's "Dullcote."
In general I'm pleased with the piece, though I think the striations came out a little heavy handed, or perhaps too numerous.  I will say the effect looks better at a distance than the close-up photo does.

Figure 101 of 265: Complete

Monday, June 23, 2014

Painting Table Update

Just wanted to let you all know that things are taking a little longer than expected, and I only just got a space cleared and my table for painting set up this morning. I still have to find which boxes have the paints, and the miniatures I had prepped in them.  My goal now is to be back on track this week, and have a finished Bones figure for posting next Monday, so tune in again then. :)
Edward supervises the set-up of the painting table.  

Monday, June 9, 2014

Nightspectre: Figure 100 of 265

 This week I am happy to announce that I completed my 100th figure from the first Bones Kickstarter: the Nightspectre, from the Haunts set!  This milestone also marks the completion of the Haunts set, and so it gets added to my list of completed sets over on the right-hand column of this blog.  Onward to the next 165 figures!
   I  prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 2" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue.
With all the other figures from the Haunts set, I had fallen back on the obvious step of applying a wash of green ink to the figure, or some a part of it, to give some shading to the translucent green plastic.   This time I thought I'd try something different, and so I  gave the whole figure a wash with some thinned Iron Wind Metals purple ink to begin with.  After the ink had dried, I very carefully painted the skeletons in the vapor cloud with black paint
When the black paint had dried, I painted the skeletons' bones with Americana "Buttermilk".
I then went back and applied heavy highlights to the skeletons with white paint. I then painted the base of the figure black to cover the green translucent plastic that I was going to apply flock over.  After the figure had overnight to dry, I painted the whole thing with Cermacoat "Matte Varnish"; and when this was dry, I flocked the base.  The following day, I sprayed the figure with Testor's "Dullcote".
  I'm very pleased with how this turned out.  I actually think the purple ink over the green translucent Bones material looks kind of cool.
  I will be taking a break from posting anything next week, as my wife and I move to a new house this week, so I will be without a painting table for several days.  I'll see you back here on the 23rd when I will post figure 101, and we will be marking the 1 year anniversary week for this blog. :)

Figure 100 of 265: Complete

Monday, June 2, 2014

Ghostly Summons: Figure 99 of 265

   This week I painted the Ghostly Summons translucent figure from the Haunts set.  I'm very excited to be one away from my 100 figure milestone, so be sure to tune in next Monday as I reach that goal.
        I began my preparation of this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1.5" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's White Glue.
I began by giving the whole figure a wash with GW "Dark Green" Ink, thinned down and with a pin head sized drop of dish soap added.
I then started to work on the flames.  I mixed some white into some Americana "Olive Green" and drybrushed the very bottom where the flames meet the stone base.  I then used the "Olive Green" straight up and dry brushed higher up on the flames.
Then, before that first color had time to completely dry, I switched over to Americana "Leaf Green" and drybrushed even further up onto the flames. Lastly, I switched over to Accent "Forest Green" and drybrushed the flames at the very top where they blend into the feet of the ghosts.
I now painted the summoning stone circle with Folk Art "Medium Gray". And painted the ghosts' eyes with Apple Barrel "Yellow".
When the stone circle was dry, I gave it a wash with thinned black ink to help bring out the runes carved in it.  When the ink was dry I drybrushed the stone, careful not to get any on the flames, with a lighter gray called Duncan "Slate Grey". I also painted the metal washer base with the "Medium Gray". I then went back and drybrushed the stone again, lightly with the "Olive Green" to give the impression of reflected light from he flames.
   After everything had overnight to dry, I gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish", and when this had had a day to dry, gave the figure a spray with Testor's "Dullcote"
   I'm still not a fan of the translucents as they really frustrate my natural tendencies to want to do shading and highlights.  The shading with ink is fine, but highlights just end up looking like opaque patches from some angles.  Nonetheless, I am pleased with how this figure turned out.

Figure 99 of 265: Complete