Drunken Beastman WIP

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

I have started a couple of posts asking for advice about this miniature and have received some great feedback. This is a beastman from GW that my wife wants to use to represent a character she is playing in a D&D campaign. I have not sculpted prior to this so my skills are at the bare minimum.

The only thing I have added to her beastman is a nose ring (she wanted a huge nose ring on this thing and let me say it was a pain to do using GS but I wanted to give myself the practice). I modeled a wooden floor onto a round Malifaux base and made up a small mug to represent her character's love for ale. I will be adding foam to the mug (as mentioned in one of my posts) Feel free to let me have it lol.

I wanted to mention that I had a hard time deciding on whether to make the wooden floor simply round like the base but that is what she wants it to look like I can see obvious errors, especially in the floor. I'm tempted to leave the floor alone as it is supposed to be the floor of a run down tavern (I plan on painting the wood a weathered grey since it is a seaside tavern). She wanted a simple base as it will be used on the table.

*click for larger images*


















When I get a chance I'll pose a picture of the mug on the base to show how small it is. I really need to work on my picture taking. I'm working with a Sony Cybershot and when I try to zoom in, the picture complete blurs.

 

[kathrynloch]

Check to see if your camera has a macro setting, usually identified by a small flower icon. That should help the focus issue.

 

[Meph]

I have a sony cybershot. Never use the zoom when taking photo's of mini's. Our resident Texan horsewhisperer has caught the pony by the right end. Use your macro function. Also, cough 15 Euro's and buy yourself a little mini tripod with straight legs. (not the useless novelty bendy legs gadget)

 

[greensamurai]

They cybershot does have a macro setting so that should help. Like the idea, the only thin with the base is that it looks like it bulges. I have a few models I want to stick on a wood base, Malifaeux models, and I was going to use popsicle sticks. Though this will have them larger than the base it self. I do like the design of your base, just a little bulging, but then I tend to see things wrong half the time.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

They cybershot does have a macro setting so that should help. Like the idea, the only thin with the base is that it looks like it bulges. I have a few models I want to stick on a wood base, Malifaeux models, and I was going to use popsicle sticks. Though this will have them larger than the base it self. I do like the design of your base, just a little bulging, but then I tend to see things wrong half the time.

Thanks everyone for the cybershot info and I'll be finding my user's manual to look for it.

You're right, it most definitely bulges. Another poster here suggest that I go to Michael's and use use craft woods to do the base (which would look so much better) but I decided to give it the old college try since I needed the Green Stuff practice. The GS isn't nearly as flat as it needs to be but my wife likes it. I'm going to have her take a closer look at it and see if she'd rather I do something different. Trust me, she'll be honest with me lol

 

[Bloodhowl]

I found this tutorial that may help out with wood flooring: http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/watch?v=TmLq__4Q_IU

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

I found this tutorial that may help out with wood flooring: http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/watch?v=TmLq__4Q_IU

I'm having trouble pulling up the link but I appreciate it anyway

 

[Bloodhowl]

Hmmm. Worked when I tested it, but if you go into youtube, search for the painting clinic, it's a tutorial titiled "How to make wood plank miniature bases".

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Hmmm. Worked when I tested it, but if you go into youtube, search for the painting clinic, it's a tutorial titiled "How to make wood plank miniature bases".

Thank you I dropped by Michael's and grabbed some balsa wood and made a new base. It's raised since it was much thicker than the video material but she wanted it raised anyway. I'll post some pics later

 

[greensamurai]

Will also try and find that video as I will be doing those bases soon maybe. Waiting for your pics

 

[Sproket]

Probably too late to be much help but I've just come across a brilliant site where a guy called Emmanuel Nouaillier demonstrates miniature building construction in foamboard. One of the things he shows is scribing onto plastic card to create a wood texture.
http://www.009.cd2.com/members/how_to/nouaillier_a.htm

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Hmmm. Worked when I tested it, but if you go into youtube, search for the painting clinic, it's a tutorial titiled "How to make wood plank miniature bases".

Thanks so much. I found it and used it to make my new base. The base is made of balsa wood and is a raised platform (that's what she wanted so the miniature would be raised up). The wooden floor is supposed to be from a very old and seedy sea-side tavern so I intentionally made the wood look really rough and place nail holes in a odd angles to show the lack of care and general disrepair so keep that in mind There is a small chunk of wood missing in one of the upper corners that came off when sanding but I left it considering the overall roughness of the floor.

This method could certainly produce a much more even and nice looking floor if that is what you are going for.

*click for larger images*

Probably too late to be much help but I've just come across a brilliant site where a guy called Emmanuel Nouaillier demonstrates miniature building construction in foamboard. One of the things he shows is scribing onto plastic card to create a wood texture.
http://www.009.cd2.com/members/how_to/nouaillier_a.htm

I've already started it but I wanted to say thanks so much for sharing that wonderful tutorial; the whole site is great! I think the painting method for the old wooden door will come in handy as that is very close to the color of the wood I want for this base. The wood is supposed to be old and exposed to wind from the sea. It's my understanding such wood is often grey in color.

Question: where does one buy plasticard? Home Depot etc?

I will be adding a small table corner just like the author of the tutorial linked by bloodhowl used. I'll then be placing the mug on the table.

 

[QuietiManes]

Floor looks great. I despise balsa wood but I guess it does work pretty well in lots of situations. You basically can NOT use balsa to make the table leg or table top though, not if you want it to last past the first person to pick up the mini. I'd put a pin or two sticking out of the nail holes. Like they're too lazy to hammer it back down so their patrons don't trip over it. Or maybe even hammer the pins square, that'd be atmospheric. Easily done to most wires, copper, aluminum, galvanized steel.

You can get plasticard just about anywhere. Home Depot, Walmart, etc, will have signs and things for fairly cheap. The problem is you don't always know what you're getting and the variety is lacking. If you want something more specific, like a certain tube/rod/channel/textured sheet/etc, you can find plasticard at most of the better stocked hobby shops, railroad shops, etc. Key word is "hobby", usually art stores like Wallacks and Michaels will not carry it. You can also find it online at many hobby stores but if you go online I think it's best to go directly to the source, order direct from Plastruct or Evergreen. Be careful going to those sites though, you might max out your credit cards, lol. Because of all the cool plastic stuff, not because it's expensive.

 

[Bloodhowl]

Question: where does one buy plasticard? Home Depot etc?

In the U. S. Plasticard = sheet styrene. You should be able to find it at any hobby shop that stocks model trains.

The wood floor looks fantastic!

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Floor looks great. I despise balsa wood but I guess it does work pretty well in lots of situations. You basically can NOT use balsa to make the table leg or table top though, not if you want it to last past the first person to pick up the mini. I'd put a pin or two sticking out of the nail holes. Like they're too lazy to hammer it back down so their patrons don't trip over it. Or maybe even hammer the pins square, that'd be atmospheric. Easily done to most wires, copper, aluminum, galvanized steel.

You can get plasticard just about anywhere. Home Depot, Walmart, etc, will have signs and things for fairly cheap. The problem is you don't always know what you're getting and the variety is lacking. If you want something more specific, like a certain tube/rod/channel/textured sheet/etc, you can find plasticard at most of the better stocked hobby shops, railroad shops, etc. Key word is "hobby", usually art stores like Wallacks and Michaels will not carry it. You can also find it online at many hobby stores but if you go online I think it's best to go directly to the source, order direct from Plastruct or Evergreen. Be careful going to those sites though, you might max out your credit cards, lol. Because of all the cool plastic stuff, not because it's expensive.

I loved the hammered down nails idea. Darn it I was at Michaels just the other day and saw the jewelery wire and was just thinking I could use it for something. I should have grabbed some. LOL I do have to be careful on all the sites out there, there's just so much I could buy!

Unfortunately I already made the table out of balsa I should have grabbed some bass wood but I'm embarrassed to say that I really don't have any tools to cut through wood much tougher than balsa right now. I'll just have to threaten some people with bodily harm if they mess with the table :rotfl:

Now I need to decide if I want to glue the table on and paint everything together or paint the little table corner separately. I also need to decide if I want the table to be a different color wood than the floor. I would imagine it would be, but I'm very open to suggestions.

In the U. S. Plasticard = sheet styrene. You should be able to find it at any hobby shop that stocks model trains.

The wood floor looks fantastic!

I have a hobby town nearby. It's a bit expensive but I would bet they have it. I also have a Ben Franklin's about 45 minutes away and that place has a TON of stuff. The next project I work on I think I will give the sheet styrene a go. It seems very common.

Thanks to both of you for all the help and encouragement. It sure means a lot to get really positive feedback.

 

[QuietiManes]

You can probably use a staple or a paper clip for the nails. Just dip the tip in glue to widen out the head of the nail. As long as no one grabs or pushes on the table it should be fine but I'd imagine it's worth the extra effort to make another, if it was me I'd be so sad if it broke after all the effort. You can cut basswood or plastic rods with a hobby knife or a serrated kitchen knife, just might need to clean it up with a file or sandpaper. Balsa wood will toughen up some if you coat it in glue, paint and varnish though. I'll try to stop harping on you about the balsa now, I've just been bitten by the "balsa always breaks and makes me cry" bug a few times, so now I'm biased, like, raging "woodist" in the extreme against balsa.

Table would probably be protected, varnish or wax or oils or something, so it would remain "wood colour" instead of going grey like the floor. Wouldn't it? Maybe a medium to dark brown, tables always seem to be darker. Depends how you'll paint the beastman, don't want it blending in visually. It'll be easier to paint the table side of the beastman if you paint it away from the table, in fact, base and table and figure all separately sounds like a good idea.

The royal "we" would like to see pics of the table too.

Cheers

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Here is an update on the mug and table. I have yet to put any nails in the floor. It's so small that staples and paper clips are just too big for nails. I'll have to try to get some small wire if I do that

I'm trying to decide if I need to carve planks into the table corner. I hope the table corner seems to look like it belongs. This base is meant to be played with so I could never have fit a full-size table on it so I went with the table corner per the tutorial linked for me

*click for larger images*

















I'll be sanding down that one rough edge before priming.

I haven't decided on what color to paint the table yet but I'm very grateful for the suggestions. Perhaps I'll paint the floor first and the see what I think.

Thanks for looking

 

[Aesu]

Dirty wood for the table. Beer stains, blood stains and maybe someone's name craved with a knife for some character!
Or something less insanely hard to do in miniature.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Dirty wood for the table. Beer stains, blood stains and maybe someone's name craved with a knife for some character!
Or something less insanely hard to do in miniature.

Actually I was thinking of going that way. I already told her I was going to attempt to carve the character's name in the table.

I keep telling myself to quit fiddling with it and get to painting the thing and then I or someone else (points finger at very helpful CMoN members) comes up with other great ideas to add LOL. But honestly, I love the recommendations.