Sproket's WIP

Demihuman

Active member
I love the crest, he sure has some well defined check bones huh? They look very reptilian. Might be fun to paint them like dragon skin or something if the helmet isn't glued on yet.
 

Sproket

New member
I love the crest, he sure has some well defined check bones huh? They look very reptilian. Might be fun to paint them like dragon skin or something if the helmet isn't glued on yet.

The head & helmet are cast in one piece. The un-helmeted head is even more reptillian and has a bony crest of ridges across the top.
You can see it HERE
 

BloodASmedium

[img]http://pnp
Really amazing talent filled work David...you know what your doing...you always have since the burgle rhino....I L O V E Y O U R W O R K! ! !
 

Sproket

New member
you know what your doing

That's debatable after the mess I got into over Christmas! The face on Abalam's helmet was a total disaster and after much (5 mins) deliberation I removed the entire crest so I could re-work it sans face. I'll try & post some before & after pics tomorrow - once the worst of it is sorted out.
 

Sproket

New member
OK, so keeping a long story short. I finished Abalam’s face and I’m really pleased with it. The metallics are getting there although the gold needs more work – it’s too green at the moment and I want a slightly warmer look to it. But when I painted the face on the crest I loathed it with a passion!

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I’m not 100% sure that the overall proportions of the crest were that great and the style of the face didn’t seem to belong with the rest of the bust. It just felt wrong to me so I decided to try to change it. What I’ve gone for is something slightly more compact and abstract.

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ArchArad

New member
Oh my lord! Dave, your work puts a smile on my face every time. Sterling. I agree that the face seems a bit odd on the helmet. I like that you've chosen to echo the shape of the helmet's existing "horns" in your modification.
 

ten ball

Active member
Face is tops mate :good:
The helmet face isn't as bad as you think but yes you have made the right decision in changing it imo.
 

Bailey03

Well-known member
Yeah, the bust face is just fantastic. Nice to see the close up too. Great colors, very inspiring.

I think you made the right choice on the helmet as well. Maybe if the original crest had all be done in the same metallic color instead of the red and white it would have been okay, but I think the abstract one is probably a better choice either way.
 

SaintToad

New member
Those blotchy metals are great. Personally I think the green cast to them looks great, but it seems like you have a clear sense of where you want to take this piece. That face is intense!
 

Sproket

New member
Face is tops mate :good:
The helmet face isn't as bad as you think but yes you have made the right decision in changing it imo.

I had a very odd reaction to it, a real case of the head and the heart not agreeing. On one level I can see that the face isn't a total disaster but I really hate it! I've a bit of history with depression and on the day I decided to change the crest I wasn't in the best frame of mind so I'm pretty sure that was affecting my (over) reaction. Having said that I feel that the new crest is so much better and closer to what I initially intended before I thought to incorporate the face.

Those blotchy metals are great. Personally I think the green cast to them looks great, but it seems like you have a clear sense of where you want to take this piece. That face is intense!

I like painting 'cold' green/gold tones so I will keep some of the green but I want the metalics to look really ancient with a heavy patina and not just corroded. The addition of extra brown, purple & sepia should help.
 

SaintToad

New member
Would you mind sharing a little about how you get the effect? I have an idea, but it looks great and I doubt I could achieve precisely that look. I can't wait to see how you work the other colors in.
By the way, I've been really enjoying looking through your blog lately. Thanks for so generously sharing your knowledge & experiments.

 

Sproket

New member
Would you mind sharing a little about how you get the effect? I have an idea, but it looks great and I doubt I could achieve precisely that look. I can't wait to see how you work the other colors in.
By the way, I've been really enjoying looking through your blog lately. Thanks for so generously sharing your knowledge & experiments.


First I paint & highlight the gold.
The green is a combination of glazes, sponging and stippling.
The brown splotches are done using washes (by secret weapon). I apply a blob of wash (slightly diluted) and then start to dry it off with a hairdryer. Once the edges have dried I take a clean damp brush and wipe away the un-dried wash leaving a tide mark in the shape of the original blob.
There is then a bit more glazing and stippling with the wash to tie it all together.
 

Zab

New member
That's cool! I use the same effect with drying/removing washes to get really nice marble veins effects on bases. Also, what scale is that face you are working on cause it's crazy detailed? don't say 28mm, don't say 28mm...
 

bgcdazzler

New member
Sounds like roughly 1:9 (so an 18cm tall head in real life).

EDIT: apparently a human head is 23cm on average, so somewhere between 1:9 and 1:12. If he's not human-sized, then I give up!

He's looking fabulous!
 
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