Land Terrapin: Bones 4 Dreadmere Figure

   This past week I painted the Land Terrapin figure from the Bones 4 Dreadmere Epxansion set. Perviously, I painted the Terrapin Driver, so now I can put the set together.
      I prepped the figure in the usual way, soaking the pieces 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 rinsed and dried it.  I then glued on the pack portion onto the terrapin's back with Gorillas superglue.  Then, I glued the figure to a black-primed 2" fender washer with the superglue, and when dry, glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's glue.
     The original model, comes with a lantern on a pole; in fact the same lantern that's included with Bufo the toad/frog man.   There was something about the lantern I didn't like (perhaps the corner cutting that led to them using an already sculpted lantern and not do a new one.  It also just seemed like an extraneous bit, unless you assumed he was traveling at night; a situation I never envisioned using him in.), but, whatever it was, I decided I didn't want to include it on my terrapin. So instead of a lantern, I grabbed a sword from my bits box and, with some superglue, stuck that down in the hole where the lantern went.

     I began by painting the shell with Accent "Paynes Grey", and the head, feet and tail with Vallejo Model Color "USA Olive Drab"

     I then highlighted the shell with, first, Ceramcoat "Denim Blue", and then with "Apple Barrel "Apple Scotch Blue". 

      Next, I gave the head, feet, and tail  a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash.  Then, when the wash was dry, I then highlighted the heat, feet, and tail with, first, Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige", and then Folk Art "Butter Pecan".  Next, I painted the saddle and pack structure with Reaper MSP HD "Golden Brown".

      I then painted the saddle upholstery with Apple Barrel "Burnt Sienna", and then painted the leather parts of the saddle pistol holster with Accent "Real Umber", and the metal parts with Americana "Zinc".  I then painted the pistol stock with Americana "Light Cinnamon".  After that, I began painting the objects on the pack.  I was going to use so many different colors here, I didn't bother to keep track.

     I finished painting all the items on the pack, and then painted everything that looked like a tie-down rope with Americana "Fawn", and everything that looked like a strap with Ceramcoat "Raw Sienna".   I then did the metal parts with Americana "Zinc", followed by repainting them with Folk Art Metallics "Gun Metal Grey"

     Next, I painted the pommel decoration, as well as the studs along the back of the saddle with Folk Art "Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze".    Then, after everything dried for a while, I gave the entire saddle and pack load a coat of Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.  

     When the wash was dry, I highlighted the saddle and pack frame with the "Butter Pecan", and the upholstery with Crafter's acrylic "Orange Spice".  I then highlighted all the bits on the pack.

     Next, I highlighted the metal bits, using Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver" for the "Gun Metal" parts, and Ceramcoat "14K Gold" for the "Brushed Bronze" parts.  Lastly, I painted the entire 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.    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 hit its eyes with a little Americana "DuraClear Gloss" varnish.  

And here's the pair together.

     I'm really happy with the terrapin, and with how the two look together.  And I think the sword looks good as a replacement for the lantern, positioned as it is beside the shields.

Spikeshell Warrior Converted to Snapping Turtle

    I needed a snapping turtle for the Ghost Archipelago Bestiary, and the easiest way I could think of to get one was to simply convert one of the Bones 2 Spikeshell Warrior figures (from the Swamp Things set) that I still had lying around.

The one on the left is the one I used.

      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 carefully cut off his arms, legs, and head.  I also cut away his shield and club.

     Next, I trimmed the underside of his shell so it would sit flatter on a base.  After that I trimmed his head and his limbs so they would fit the shell better in what would be it's new horizontal orientation.  I then glued all the parts back together.   I then glued the figure to a black-primed 1" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then glued the washer-mounted figure to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of the Elmer's glue.

    I began by painting the whole figure with a 50/50 mix of Americana "Avocado", and Apple Barrel "Apple Black Green".   When they were dry, I gave the entire turtle a wash with Citadel Agrax Earthshade" wash.

      When the wash was dry, I drybrushed the turtle with Folk Art "Grey Green".  After that I painted his eys with Reaper MSP "Holly Berry", and then painted the inside of his mouth with Apple Barrel "Flesh".  Then, when the flesh was dry, I agve his mouth a wash again with the "Agrax Earthshade".  When the wash was dry, I  added some quick highlights to his tongue with the base "Flesh".
     Lastly, I painted the base with Americana "Raw Umber".
     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".

     I'm pleased with how this little fellow came out.  It was just a quick conversion, but I think he makes a snappy little snapping turtle! :)

Dragon Tortoise: Bones II Large Figure

     This past week I painted the large Dragon Tortoise figure from the Bones II, Expansion Set 1.  In planning my color scheme for this, I Googled images of snapping turtles, and scrolled through those for a while to get an idea of what the real thing looked like.

       I prepped the figure in the usual way; soaking the pieces in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added, then giving them a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying them.   I then assembled the model using Gorilla superglue. When the superglue was set, I then glued the figure to a black-primed 2" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue.

     I began by painting his skin with Folk Art "Barn Wood", and his shell with Model Color "USA Olive Drab".   I then made a mix of the two colors to paint his arm, leg, and tail scales, as well as the top of his head, blending it into the lower lighter part of the head.  After that, I painted the inside of his mouth with Apple Barrel "Apple Light Pink".

     Next, I painted his claws and toenails with Americana "Khaki Tan", and his teeth with Americana "Bleached Sand".   I then mixed some of the "USA Olive Drab" with some Accent "Golden Harvest", and blended the tops of his shell spikes as well as the edges of the shell, working from the base "USA Olive Drab" up to pure "Golden Harvest" on the tips and edges.

      After everything had a while to dry, I gave the entire model a wash with Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash using a wet brush.  When the wash was dry, I painted his eyes with Apple Barrel "Lemon Chiffon", and then mixed a little of the "Lemon Chiffon" with some of the "USA Olive Drab", and used that to paint a cross on the eye, followed by a Black pupil.  I then highlighted his teeth with Crafter's Acrylic  "Light Antique White."

    After the teeth,  I highlighted the tongue with the base "Light Apple Pink",  and then the "Light Apple Pink" with a little White added.  Next, I highlighted the skin with a drybrushing of the base "Barn Wood", and I highlighted the shell as well as the neck, head, arm, leg and tail  scales all with a drybrushing of  the "Golden Harvest". I then highlighted the claws and toenails with some of the base  "Khaki Tan" mixed with a little Americana "Bleached Sand".  Lastly, I painted the area of base around each food with some Ceramcoat "Walnut".
    I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave him a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish. When dry, I flocked the base. Another overnight dry, and I sprayed him with Testor's Dullcote".

     He's not quite how I had envisioned it in my mind's eye before I started, but I'm generally happy nonetheless.  And it's always  great to get another of these large figures completed!