Demihuman's DemiWIP

Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Ungh! Just finished the airbrush OSL and got everything placed. Probably will notice issues in the morning but right now I feel like a champ!

Note, Do NOT experiment with new products/toys on your nearly completed project! Dry pigments might sound fun but they are also incredibly dangerous. Ask an adult before you use them... and they REALLY look like realistic dried mud...all over your project... like you got a bunch of mud on everything... all over... mud... everywhere... almost had to break out the tooth brush.

Also, if you are thinking about buying an Air Brush you should spend your money on that new steampunk, but like, really really dark, card game kick-starter thing instead.......haha! Just kidding! You definitely need a spray gun!@ To me there is nothing better in my painting world than the Iwata doing what you ask it to! Snicker-snack!


Did I mention I got some sleep last night? Not a ton, but enough.


The WIP is running behind the actual project but here is the next set of photos chronologically.

View attachment 24653

View attachment 24654

View attachment 24655

Recognize those hatchling 'dragon' heads?

The hatchlings represent my baby boys. Love you guys!
 
Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Here is the first pass at everything together. The blue oval is where the eggs will go. Pretty happy with how the dragon looks attached. I had to fill the crack with a thin bead of magic sculpt and repaint. I also made a mess with some dry pigments. You can see it front of the Priestess. That needs to get cleaned up. I will revisit those again some day but for now they are not really working for me

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Zab

Zab

New member
Nice work. The dry pigments might kick down a notch if you plan on sealing this beast (I had no idea how big it was!!!). Mine practically disappeared on my little goblin and on my Fianna when they were sealed.
 
AndyG

AndyG

Active member
Very good diorama coming along there. Nicely tied in colours with the dragon and the crystals. Pigments can be a pest I find you need to use loads of pigment to make it work. Have a look at massive voodoo website they have some great source material to have a look at when using pigments. Also if you can get hold of any owl pellets (eBay sterilised ones quite cheap) the animal bones in them they make great bones for the diorama I think they would work a treat here.
 
Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Now you tell me about the Owl poop!

Okay guys this the finished deal. I might add some sand or dead bushes but this is pretty much it.

I need some criticism on the OSL though. Did I over do it? Just right? Remember has to be done before 2014 so any major re-work isn't going to happen.

View attachment 24660

Does anybody have tips for taking photos of bigger stuff?
 
Zab

Zab

New member
Yep, that is some nice osl! Not too bright and not too overpowering. For the photos, use a lot of light and just when you think you have enough - add more.
 
Digganob

Digganob

New member
That is one sick diorama dude. I think the Osl is slightly over powering on the right, but coming from the guy who is guessing what Osl means I would just ignore him all together.
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
Demihuman said:
Now you tell me about the Owl poop!
Great fun breaking the pellets apart, smelly mucky and tiny.
Fran and I spent a whole Sunday morning soaking and breaking apart about 15 of the things.
Use really fine kitchen sieves (buy cheap ones and use for nothing else!!!!) to filter the muck through, Magnifiers and fine pointed tweezers a must. Use Coffee filters to dry the bones on then bleach in Pine Sol for safety.


I need some criticism on the OSL though. Did I over do it? Just right? Remember has to be done before 2014 so any major re-work isn't going to happen.
I'd suggest increasing the centre lighting to reduce the edges, but I'm Carp on doing OSL myself.


Does anybody have tips for taking photos of bigger stuff?
Click to expand...
Yes Step Back, use best quality and take Lots of Photos.
Remember Depth Of Field varies along the length of distance from Focal Plane to Target so you'll be cussing a lot until you find the "Sweet Spot" aperture setting.
DON'T automatically go for the maximum F22, Start at F8 and work you're way through them.
Remember for Maximum Depth of Field the Focal Point should be roughly 1/3 into the target, because you get 1/3 in front 2/3 behind appearing in focus.
If you've an automatic focus, a Focus lock will be your best friend while doing this, otherwise it's manual focus.
 
Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Dragonsreach said:
Yes Step Back, use best quality and take Lots of Photos.
Remember Depth Of Field varies along the length of distance from Focal Plane to Target so you'll be cussing a lot until you find the "Sweet Spot" aperture setting.
DON'T automatically go for the maximum F22, Start at F8 and work you're way through them.
Remember for Maximum Depth of Field the Focal Point should be roughly 1/3 into the target, because you get 1/3 in front 2/3 behind appearing in focus.
If you've an automatic focus, a Focus lock will be your best friend while doing this, otherwise it's manual focus.
Click to expand...

Good stuff DR! I ended up using manual focus. My camera probably does have a focus lock. Maybe I should figure out where it lives :). I ended up going with f18 and f16 which is usually what looks best to me with the camera and then for close ups I just used the auto macro setting with manual focus.

I ended up just leaving the OSL as is. One thing I was thinking about is that you probably don't want the reflections of the light to be brighter than the source of the light. which is something that I did do. Onteh other hand it helps move your eye around the "composition" so that's cool.

Here is a link to the contest on the Reaper forums:

http://www.reapermini.com/forum/ind...-2013-diorama-entry-thread/page-3#entry817127

They have a super friendly forum over there. Might be worth poking around if you haven't already. I'll post on CMON once they get the contest all done over there. I don't know what the proper etiquette is but i'll just leave it over there for now.

happy New Year and thanks for all the feedback this year!
 
Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Thanks Guys!

Still waiting to here how I did on the Diorama contest over on the Reaper forums. I know it isn't a big deal but I am pretty excited about.

Over the weekend I got to attend a workshop with Aaron Lovejoy. It was pretty sweet! We did a ton of airbrushing and it really cemented the idea that the airbrush is just another tool that takes a lot of skill to use. Everyone brought dragons to paint and The air brush is well suited for big organic things I have to say. Folks were knocking out table top dragons in like a couple of hours! We talked a ton about technique. There were a lot of advanced painters there which was a little intimidating. There was a lot of talk abut contests and the industry which was interesting but also a little daunting to me.

Aaron was a really nice guy and very engaging, which makes it easy to ask questions. I think that anybody who has been around gamers for a long time develops a certain relaxed attitude toward other folks. I remember when I was a youngster, other gamers where always awkward and weirdly defensive. Everybody now seems to be pretty friendly and open minded. Go figure, maybe it's the beer?

If you have the chance to take a workshop you should jump on it!

After the workshop I feel a little overwhelmed. It's hard to incorporate the stuff you learn into the stuff that is already working. Plus I feel a big polar tug toward painting for competitions on the one hand and speed painting for money on the other. I have been enjoying the amateur online comps but I am not sure that I want to get sucked into the more serious stuff. I did enjoy having my Old Death sell on ebay but I am not sure I want to start painting for ebay... I kind of just like dorking out with the paints the tiny men.

Okay, New Years resolution: Go to a con this year, and enter something. And sell something on e-bay for a small profit!

Now I just need to figure out what!
 
Zab

Zab

New member
Good advice and resolutions. I snagged a bunch of minis during black Friday sales that I am hoping to paint up and then just put on ebay to see how much they go for. All the proceeds would go to charity as I really just want to keep this as a hobby. Also, not that we don't all have a lot to learn here, but given your score on old death and how great the dragon dio came out I think you need to accept that your painting skills have made a significant leap this past year. You don't count as amateur anymore - maybe not pro, but certainly some one who can bring something to life (or death) and has a respectable amount of talent ;)
 
Demihuman

Demihuman

Active member
Thanks!

Mr. Skelettets, When are you coming to to teach a workshop? Free baby sitting once you get here!

Wow Zab, thanks again for the kind words.

I am also thinking of starting a blog. :) I am enjoying my WIP so much that I think I want more. What do you guys think?
 
Canny

Canny

Active member
Sound like you have figured out your plans for this year, I look forward to seeing your work. Nice dio I agree the OSL is perfect! it is exciting entering and wondering where you might place is exciting!

Im looking forward to going to Meg Maples master class in Feb so Im pumped for that :)
Zab's blog enticed me into blog world, CannysGambit is mine, its quite fun and its another comunity to surf and comment on.
 
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