Monday, February 8, 2021

Painting Mudcroak Squog Mounted on Giant Rhinocerous Beetle Conversion Bones Figure

      Last week I posted about the conversion figure I made using the "Giant Rhinoceros Beetle" from Bones 4 Fan Favorites Expansion, and a "Mudcroak, Squog" figure.  This past week, I set about painting the figure.   As I mentioned in that article, I planned to use this figure as a Hero or Leader with my existing Frog Army, made up mostly of Eureka Miniatures' range of Frog Warriors.  Most of the units in this army are painted like Dyeing Poison Dart Frogs, and I want to paint this figure that way too.
An actual Dyeing Poison Dart Frog

A couple examples of my original warrior frog figures, and the paint job I would be attempting to replicate.

    I had glued the figure to a 2" fender washer when I was making it; and now I glued that washer, using a couple drops of Elmer's glue, to the top of a large pill bottle. 
         Given the way the beetle sat so close to the sculpted terrain of the base, I thought it might be best to paint the base first.  So, I gave it a base coat of Americana "Charcoal Grey"; and when that was dry, I gave it a cot of Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.  When the wash was dry, I drybrushed the base with, first, Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige", and then with  Americana "Fawn".
     Next, I worked on the beetle.  I gave it a base coat of Accent "Real Umber", and when dry, I gave it a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash.  When the wash was dry, I drybrushed the top of the body and legs with some Folk Art "Tomato Red".  After that, I drybrushed the underside with Americana "Neutral Grey".  I finished the beetle by painting its eyes with a little Reaper MSP "Holly Berry". 
     I then began work on the frog.  I first painted frog's underside, arms, and legs with Americana "True Blue".  When dry, I gave it a coat of slightly thinned Iron Wind Metals "Dark Blue" Ink.   When the ink wash was dry, I painted the back of the frog with Ceramcoat "Black.
     Next, I highlighted the blue of the frog with a mix of the base "True Blue", and some Crafter's Acrylic "Tropical Blue".  Then I highlighted the black back with some Ceramcoat "Charcoal". The next step was to paint on the banding pattern using Crafter's Acrylic "Daffodil Yellow".    I realized at that point my job would be a lot easier without the skull helmet in place; and though I had tried to do things the lazy way, I decided the hemet needed to come off.  So with a careful pull and twist I was able to separate it from the head.   I fixed the blue and black arts of the head, and the yellow banding that goes up on to the head.  I then highlighted all the banding with Apple Barrel "Lemon Chiffon".  My next step was to do the teeth. I painted them with Ceramcoat "White", and when dry, I gave them a coat of the "Nuln Oil".  When the "Nuln Oil" was dry, I highlighted the teeth with Americana "Snow White:  After that, I painted the eyes using reaper MSP "Bronzed Skin", gave them pupils with the "Black", and then highlight dots with some  "Snow White".  
     Meanwhile, I also  painted the helmet completely with the "White", and when it was dry, I gave it a coat of Citadel Contrast "Skeleton Horde".  When that was dry, I drybrushed it with Americana "Bleached Sand", and then a little of the "White"
          Satisfied with the head, I scraped a little of the paint off the head as well as the underside of the helmet, and use the Gorilla Super Glue Gel to Glue the finished helmet in place.  I then painted his kilt-like garment with Pathfinder MSP "Urgathoa Red", and his spear shaft with Reaper MSP "Shield Brown".  Next, I painted the pouch hanging on the back of his kilt with Reaper MSP "Ginger Cookie", the one hanging at his side with Reaper MSP "Bronzed Skin", and the bit of plant hanging from his belt with Reaper MSP Bones "Dungeon Slime".   After that, I painted the long tassel hanging from the spear shaft with Reaper MSP HD "Rusty Red": and the wrist wrap on his left forearm, as well as the bracelets on his right arm, the metal fitting on his helmet, and the badges on his spear shaft, with Reaper MSP HD "Golden Brown". 
     I then painted the base of the spear shaft as well as the spear point with Americana "Zinc", and the frog's rope belt with Americana "Antique White".  I also decided that the base coat on the plant hanging from his belt was too light, soI repainted it with Americana  "Festive Green".  I let everything dry for a while, and then I gave the spear, everything hanging from his belt (belt included), and his wraps and bracelets, a coat of the "Agrax Earthshade" wash. 
     When the wash was dry,  I first highlighted his kilt-like garment with, first, Reaper MSP "Fresh Blood", and then a little Reaper MSP "Holly Berry". I then highlighted the plant sprig with the Dungeon Slime",  the pouch on the back with Americana "Khaki Tan", and the pouch on the side with Folk Art "Butter Pecan".   I then highlighted the rope belt with Reaper MSP "Graveyard Bone".  After that, I highlighted the wrist wrap on his left forearm with a little Reaper MSP "Hallowed Orange"

          Next, I highlighted the spear shaft with the "Territorial Beige", and then I turned to the tassel on the spear shaft, which I highlighted with a drybrush of Crafter's Acrylic "Orange Spice", and then a little Americana "Tangerine".  After that, I worked on the metallics, painting the star on the helmet, the bracelets, and the badges on the spear shaft with Folk Art Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze"; and the spearpoint, as well as the end of the spear, with Folk Art Metallic "Gunmetal Gray".  When these were dry, I went back and highlighted the "Brushed Bronze" with Folk Art Metallic "Pure Gold", and highlighted the "Gunmetal Gray" with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver".  
     I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the base.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's "Dullcote". When the "Dullcote" was dry, I went back and repainted the eyes and and teeth with a little Americana "DuraClear Gloss" varnish.



Shown with one of the original Eureka Frogs I painted 15 or so years ago.

          I'm really happy with how this converted figure turned out!   In retrospect I wish a little that I had done a bit more with the beetle; but since the frog is so busy, maybe making the beetle plainer was a good choice.

10 comments:

  1. He looks great!

    if you wanted to add something to the beetle, you could paint on some gloss coat on the carapace, but it looks great the way it is now.

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    1. Thanks, Lasgunpacker!

      I considered gloss coating the beetle, but I was happy enough with it as it was, and not being sure how the gloss would make it look, I didn't want to risk making it look bad. Undoing the gloss would have been a real pain if I hadn't liked it.

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  2. I love him! Always a great opportunity to work from nature with such colourful frogs. But I also really like the subtle shading you achieved on the beetle.

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    1. Thanks, XarfaiEngel! I'm glad you think the beetle ended up looking good.

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  3. Great paint job on an impressive kitbash!

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  4. This turned out so well! Nice one!

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