Over the past two weeks I've work on the "Fishmonger" figure from the Bones 4 Dreadmere Expansion. This figure gave me a lot of trouble and while I thought it was going to be quick and easy, it ended up taking me two weeks to complete.
There's a few problems with this figure that really slowed me down. First, this is a figure that should not come pre-glued. The cart, its handles, as well as the hands, arms, and front of the bent-over woman are all just too close and cramped, and it is really difficult to get in there to paint any of it. Second, the cart is designed so there is a lot of areas that should be open that are sculpted solid; for example, the area between the woman and cart is solid plastic, and the area under the cart between the wheels is solid plastic. Likewise, the cubby hole where the tentacles are is solid. This means a lot of weird optical issues to try and hide. And thirdly, the sculpting of the cart is problematic. The net areas are sculpted with the net cut as slits into the model, not as raised lines. This means simply dry brushing, or carefully painting, the lines of the net is not an option. You have to somehow paint the cuts, either before or after painting what one would assume is the dark shadowed interior of whatever is behind the nets. Also, the relief of everything sculpted on the cart, the knives, wheels, etc. is very thin, so painting these thin or narrow pieces and staying in the lines is hard, and there was lots of having to go back and paint over mistakes.
I prepped the 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 it. I then trimmed the figure's integral base a little, and glued the figure to a 1" metal washer with Aleene's Tacky glue. I then placed the figure in my painting grip.
I began by painting her face, arms and hands with Reaper MSP "Tanned Shadow". I then painted her skirts with Reaper MSP "Fresh Blood", her blouse and apron with Folk Art "Dove Grey", and her wrap, hat, and hair with Ceramcoat "Charcoal".
Next, I painted the area of netting with a thinned wash of Folk Art "Barn Wood". When it was dry, I tried drybrushing it with the "Charcoal" I wasn't entirely happy with this as the drybrushing covered over some of the slits cot to represent the net, obscuring the wash. I then used the "Charcoal" to paint the solid area that were representing open spaces; the area between the cart and the lady, the area between the wheels, and the area at the bottom where the tentacles are emerging. After that, I painted the cart and her bracelets with Americana "Antique Gold", the tentacles with Reaper MSP "Bronzed Shadow", and the knife holders and pouches with Americana "Asphaltum"
Not being happy with the netting, I went back and hand-lined the worst covered portions back in using the "Barn Wood". I then painted the knife and cleaver handles with Accent "Real Umber", and the cleaver blade and wheel rims with Americana "Zinc". When dry, I repainted the cleaver blade and wheel rims with Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey". After that, I painted the fish with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver", and while still wet, blended in some Folk Art Color Shift "Emerald Flash" on the head, fins, and tail. I then painted the cart handrails and handles, as well as the woman's bracelets, with Folk Art Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze".
I let everything dry for a while, and then gave her face, arms, and skirts a coat of Citadel "Reikland Fleshshade" wash. When that was dry, I gave her blouse, hat, shawl, apron, and the fish a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash. Another drying period, and I gave the cart a coat of Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash, being careful to avoid the net areas. Then, when everything was dry, I painted her eyes, and then highlighted her face, arms, and hands with the base Tanned Shadow, and Reaper MSP " Tanned Skin".
Next, I highlighted the skirts with Reaper MSP "Holly Berry", and then mixed in some Crafter's Acrylic "Pure Pumpkin" for lighter highlights. I then highlighted the blouse and apron with Folk Art "Dove Gray", and some Americana "Snow White". After that, I highlighted the hat and shawl with Americana "Zinc" followed by Americana "Neutral Grey"; and then highlighted her hair with Folk Art "Cloudy Day".
I then highlighted her pouch and purse with Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown", and after that I highlighted the cart with the base "Antique Gold", and some Americana "Primary Yellow". Next, I painted the front signboard with Ceramcoat "White", and when dry, painted a fish on it with Americana "Forest Green" (So even the illiterate peasants will know what she's selling). I also used the "Forest Green" to paint some simple decorations on the cart's sides. After that, I highlighted the tentacles with Americana "Terra Cotta", and then a little Apple Barrel "Flesh".
Next, I highlighted the knife holders with Americana "Sable Brown", and then handles of the knves and cleaver with the "Teddy Bear Brown". I then highlighted the fish with the base "Emerald Flash", and Metallic Silver. After that, I highlighted the handrails, handles, and bracelets with DecoArt Dazzling Metallics "Bright Brass". Lastly, I painted the figure's base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".
I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish. I then used some white glue to glue some fine sand to the base. When the sand was dry, I painted it with a coat of Americana "Charcoal Grey". When this was dry, I drybrushed the sand with the "Mississippi Mud", and then with some Apple Barrel "Rock Grey"; lastly I drybrushed it with a little Americana "Dove Grey". Another overnight dry, and I sprayed the figure with Testor's Dullcote".
Well, even though this figure was a bugger to paint, I'm quite pleased with it in the end. I feel she came out very well, the cart came out good but not quite as good as she did, and the nets are still a mess. But I did with them what I could, and am not a painter who beats my head on a project indefinitely.
