Sleipnir`s WIP - A new one in this big place!

[DunErwit]

Hi,

from my experience, natural basing material in many cases is better than artificial one. E.g. a couple of weeks ago, I learned that tree bark can easily be used for rocks and cliffs (depending on the scale, of course). So I went out and gathered some bark - I really was surprised: in principle, it's ready-to-use and just needs to be painted in grey (or ochre...). And the great advantages: Lightweight, easy to cut and modify, can be assembled with wood glue - and it does not cost anything at all

... but don't forget to dry it in the baking oven!

If you want to "delight" your wife even more: Look into the kitchen's cupboard and move all the little jars with spices to your hobby room (as I did with some of them - before I was told to move them back ). You can use many of them for base modelling: dried coriander and oregano leaves as tree leaves; pepper, millet and other sorts of that small pellets for catapult stones, pumpkins or potatoes, and so on...
(I just would leave the cinnamon in the kitchen - might give a strange odour to your minis and sceneries )
And be sure to lock your room then

 

[Sleipnir]

Thx for that advice cheelfy, I`ll try to do so. I wasn`t ever good at painting metallics. But as those are really just some small parts of this mini it shouldn`t be that bad to paint them twice if the first try won`t do the result i am expecting.

I don`t have touched the skin again since I ve added some bloody sprankles while I ve painted the shoulderpads. I ll repaint the skin at all, trying to create a even more pale look for.

Uh, that`s a nice idea Dun, never thought of using spices for modelling bases xD And I was wondering what ppl are using for all the tiny leafs on the base.

Maybe I am going to create a base (no mini at all) to try some things out. Just to see how this and that works.

 

[DunErwit]

Uh, that`s a nice idea Dun, never thought of using spices for modelling bases xD And I was wondering what ppl are using for all the tiny leafs on the base.

Well... taking herbs and spices just is a cheap solution which can lead to acceptable results.

But I've also seen bases and sceneries with leaves, which are too detailed in order to be only herbs. I know there exist etched leaves somewhere, but I was not able to find any link so far :/

But I found something else, which even might be better than etched leaves:
http://www.skullcrafts.com/leaf_scatter.htm

They just look awesome... wow!
I have to see whether there's an online shop in Germany which sells them. Purchasing them in the USA might become even more expensive - the shipping rates also just are 'wow', too =:-O

 

[BPI]

Hi Sleipnir, I go pavement hunting for basing bits sometimes too Lots of bits of slate to be found around me due to the number of old terraced houses that don't have front gardens. Every time the wind picks up, more smashed slates for me to pick up off the street

Dried roots are supposed to be superior to twigs for working at our scale. I have a couple of friends with allotments who I'm hoping will supply me with some bits to try for the first time later in the year.

These guys do some nice basing bits...

http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/

...and they have a sale on at the moment. I'm considering placing an order myself (UK based DunErwit, may be cheaper for shipping to you)

"that belt" - I meant the belt around his waist with so many things hanging off it

It's an odd piece so far paintwise. I really like the rich red/black on the shoulders, it looks very smooth. But the skin looks as though the paint was drying as you applied it. Are you playing with different techniques or is the flesh just roughed in at this point?

I don't know about putting another colour on the helmet ornament. If the helmet shading picks up black/red from the shoulders then pick out the highlights in bright gold through silver. Perhaps glaze back with a blue/green if needs be? Be sure to get the eyeslits fully blacked in & the metal edges around nice & sharp. Are you going to dot in any light reflection from his eyes?

I like the overall colour scheme at the moment. It feels fitting to the mini. Keep up the good work :good:

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

These guys do some nice basing bits...

http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/

...and they have a sale on at the moment. I'm considering placing an order myself (UK based DunErwit, may be cheaper for shipping to you)

Nice one`s there. Some of those things offered there are available at this german shop too: http://www.shop.battlefield-berlin.de/

Since I am still rare on minis to paint i ll look what i can do with homemade materials.

"that belt" - I meant the belt around his waist with so many things hanging off it

Ah, and i thought you re thinking of any freehand on the metallic belt above that xD Those small things are really detailed. All over the mini you can find some things hanging around. I am going to be crazy when i ve finished this.

But the skin looks as though the paint was drying as you applied it. Are you playing with different techniques or is the flesh just roughed in at this point?

Just ignore the current skin, it`s the first try. But i wasn`t that luck. Added some red sprinkles over the entire skin while painting the shoulders. Also wanted to get a more pale effect there, would be a nice contrast to the really dark painted clothes.

Yes, Xargax is my 2nd mini I am painting after a break of many many years. I am very happy to be able to use many of the techniques i ve read on articles or in the forum`s. Back the days I ve just painted a basecoat, added a wash and then I ve set ONE Highlight with dry brushing. That`s how i ve painted minis earlier. Now I ve swear myself to never ever use drybrushing again (out of some feathers and other similar things).

It felt like panting for hours just to get the red back from the black edges there. was gtrying to shade those with brown, added more and more dark brown and then black to the glaze... and in the end it was so dark that i ve said to myself: why don`t you just try a blending from black to red? and that`s the result.

I am still not happy with the red part of the cloak, so I ll work on it again.

I don't know about putting another colour on the helmet ornament. If the helmet shading picks up black/red from the shoulders then pick out the highlights in bright gold through silver. Perhaps glaze back with a blue/green if needs be? Be sure to get the eyeslits fully blacked in & the metal edges around nice & sharp. Are you going to dot in any light reflection from his eyes?

I ll shade and add highlights before I am going to paint a 2nd colour. At this point i am able to see if it`s necessary

Do you have any picture where I can see what you re meaning with the light reflection from his eyes? I can`t imagine what you re meaning But it sounds good, so i ll at least give it a try.

I like the overall colour scheme at the moment. It feels fitting to the mini. Keep up the good work :good:

Cheers, B.

Thanks This was a pretty helpfull comment. I would like to thank everyone above too for their advices and hints. That`s why i like this community.


Oh, I m a subscribing member now CMON has deserved more then just those 12 bucks a year for this great site!

Time to go on to the base, just to get a first feeling what i would like to do with... any idea? Thinking of a swamplike base, like mr. death from skelettetS. He`s inspred me with this mini a lot.

 

[BPI]

"Do you have any pictures where I can see what you mean with the light reflection from his eyes? I can`t imagine what you mean but it sounds good, so I'll at least give it a try."

I mean that the metal line of the helmet should be very neat around the eye holes. So that the eye holes are very clearly defined. Don't let any stray flecks of metal glint in there from odd corners. A tiny dot of colour (or white) in the centre of the eye, just as you would paint a normal eye pupil, can suggest a reflection off the eye. Of course we can't actually see the eye itself but that dot can at least hint that there's something there. A flat black inside the eye holes will look more like a ghost with an empty helmet.

I painted a handful of Orcs over Christmas, try post #239 & 249...

http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?33000-BPI-WIP/page13

...and do it better!

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

Uh, those are really really really tiny dots in there. Let`s see if I can get it on there without ruin the area around the eyes xD I ll make a photo of every mistake, again and agfain and then i ll post them here, isn`t that a WIP too?

 

[BPI]

If the dot goes in too big, just paint black to either side of it to narrow it down. A couple of horizontal strokes, top & bottom to round it off. Then paint the neat rim of metal around the eye hole of the helmet

Don't forget, the dots don't have to be dead centre of each eye. They will suggest where he is looking & his mood. Just don't make him cross-eyed!

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

cross-eyed... would be funny.

Not even touched Xargax since last post, but I ve worked a bit on the base.

I am trying to go for a swampy base with some water effect and dead trees / flowers. Let`s see how the result looks. It`s the first time for me to create something like this. Almost used simple sandbases before (out of my lil gretchin with the mushrooms and lil rocks).

Sadly I ve made a mistake and let my clay (to get a higher standing point for xargax) dry on a glass plate... I wasn`t able to remove it in one piece from thre, so I ve startet again, this time on baking paper. Was way easier to get it off there =)

But I don`t have any picture so far. Think I would be able to post one in the next 1-2 days.

Will also work on the metal parts then.

I ve glued 2 cavalrybases together since the original base doesn`t seems to fit to this model.

 

[Sleipnir]

Here we go, first attempt at baseworking - any thoughts, ideas or advcies on this? Will try to add a watereffect to the lower areas.

 

[DunErwit]

Looks good. And that stump in the slough certainly contributes to the swampy atmosphere.

As for the (dead) flowers: Once again take a walk outside
For a scenery, I used very tiny, real flowers which grow in small 'bouquets'. Spray them with a matt varnish to preserve them. Cut single flowers with the nail scissors.
Then attach them to single (artificial) blades of grass with a drop of super glue.
This is a bit tricky as neither the blossoms nor the blades of grass are large enough for easy gluing - but you'll get a 'real' flower which looks far better than anything else in that scale.

You even can paint them - I was able to find only white and yellow flowers being tiny enough, but wanted some blue ones on my scenery, too. No problem - just take blue colour and a brush...

Might also work to let the flowers fade away before spraying/preserving them - and there you have literally your dead flowers

You can take a look at my result here; there's a close detail picture in the lower half of the collage.

 

[Sleipnir]

Hey dun, thx for the advice!

Your flowers are looking too fresh for me But I`ll give those dried ones a try.

I ve read about using Glycerine to keep flowers and other organic material as you ve found them outside. Just have to go to the drugstore to get it.

The stump is just a thought, but I think of fixing it there. Just put it there for the photo

This PVA glue... is it usually glue for wood? Don`t have found any translation for Not sure how to create the watereffect by now, but I ll find an easy way for

I am also going for some smaller rocks that should "look outside" of the swampy water. The water will fill the entire first "layer of stones tehre" and half of the second layer.

Also got some grass that will be there.

 

[locutus]

Hi,

in regards to highlighting the metal: I would create more shade by glazing the metal with some highly thinned paints. The highlights can be done by using brighter metallic colours; or u could mix it with some white for true metalic colours.

The NMM is really diificult; trying that myself. ( for our tries see; http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums/showthread.php?38876-WIP-Chaos-Terminators-with-Lord)

Good luck with the mini!!

 

[BPI]

Hi Sleipnir. Could you Blutack his hands & weapon on temporarily to show how the piece may overhang the base? I'm concerned he's going to look oddly placed. If you pivot him a little so that his front foot stays roughly where it is & the back foot comes toward the middle of the edge rather than the corner. At the moment, if you photo him straight on you risk ending up with a foreshortening effect from the diagonal forward point of the base. He's also set to the rear, I'd be tempted to try another layer of that pinky-orange stuff, to raise him a little more.

Good luck with the Water Efects! :good:

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

Small but steady progress:

The top right pic shows a brush that is supposed to be used for some grass, just cut the top of the bristles There`s also some blisterthingy where I ve testet some watereffects with glue, still waiting for drying.......

You re right BPI, he`s not looking straight forward, instead he`s looking half to the right corner (on the picture). I m able to let him look to the front, just his cloak will cross the small "tale" between his plate and that one of the dead tree. Also the end of the axe is hanging over on the left side (of the picture again).

I have the feeling that the base is too small for the things i would go for...

Maybe I m going to start over again with the base. But this one will be done till it´s complete, just to see what I can get out of it. Could use it for any other mini then

The pinky-orange stuff is more terracotta - it`s air hardening modelling clay (Don`t have milliput and all the other stuuf ppl are using usually).

Hmm, reread your post twice BPI. You re right. I should go for a new base, maybe half an inch bigger and Xargax more to the foreground / middle of the base. I am also awaiting an order with some basing material.

 

[BPI]

Cool Sleipnir :good: Get this one done & see how he fits. There's no need to go too big! Keep in mind that a plinth, as well as simply adding height, will change the way the whole project looks. It could provide some bulk to balance the composition without the requirement of increasing his floor square footage

Oh, I think it's a good looking base so far too

Cheers, B.

 

[Sleipnir]

Hey mates!

I am currently a bit bored of Xargax, so there wouldn`t be an update for him in the next few days. But I am working on a new project - an AoW War Priest. Still working on the preparation. Will post first pics after added some colour to it

One day, I ll finish Xargax =)

 

[Sleipnir]

Long ago that something happens here! Had to click to page 4 to find my thread... so I guess it`s time for an update.

Hey skel, I ve promised you to do this, so: Enjoy

Currently I am experimenting with an AoW War Priest to paint some NMM (steel and gold). I ve startet with a white primer and a basecoat of VGC Cold Grey. From then on I ve added some shades to this. I don`t know if you can see it on the pictures exactly. Seems to me like it`s just a basecoat with a black wash... but worked in many many layers.

I am stucking on the small chainmail area. If someone has tips for me how to paint this in NMM at it`s best way I would be happy!

Here`s my progress so far:

Please recognize that I don`t have added any highlight until now.

Any tips and advice are always welcomed!

 

[SkelettetS]

well at least its an update, about time!
hard to see exactly what you have done in these pictures though, the mini looks cool anyway

 

[Sleipnir]

Damn, those pics are really bad! Sorry. Should adjust my camera new (got a new lightbulb for my lamp with a more whity light).

It was so late yesterday that I haven`t recognized it. Just thought: You have to update your thread...

This one is my template to "copy". For my first NMM I thought it would be helpfull to have a model where I can see how to the shades and lights should be.

This one looks far better irl, should try to make better pictures next time. Hope I ll be able to paint again soon. But my neverending WIP (my lil`Son Anton Elias (9 months old)) needs all my attention. So paintjobs are really stucking. And now he`s able to move forward... what a pain!! Nothing is sure, you have to safe everything in his reach... flowers, glasses on the table, paintpods, minis, everything! But he`s soooo cute =)

HERE is a small sneak prieview of something I am heading for, when the priest is done. Turned the angle of his hand so he could hold a hand. Seems like it`s supposed to hold something in it I think. The shield will be sculpted by DFB, thanks mate!

Wish I would have more time for painting