TrystanGST's WIP thread

[TrystanGST]

Ahnamoth is too big to travel, so work on him stays at home. Got some done on the horns, but I'm not entirely there yet.

So I started on Maelee also. Darn phone getting poor pics!

As for those bottles - they are 6 bottles of 2013 vintage Dark Lord, and 1 bottle of 2013 Port Barrel Aged Dark Lord. You can only get these one day a year, at Dark Lord Days held at the Three Floyds brewery in Indiana. Tickets sell out in under an hour every year. Getting in the door gets you an allotment (3 per person this year) to buy the Dark Lord. When you enter the brewery to get your Dark Lord, they give you a golden ticket. The ticket has a scratch off part, and it will either say "sorry" or "yes". You have to get a yes to be able to buy the barrel aged Dark Lord. They're made in small batches - there were 4 variations, each about 750 bottles total. It was a fun day, but rather expensive!

 

[TrystanGST]

More work on Maelee. Brown and olive are just basecoated. The red on the wrench needs more depth.

Also - I got my Raging Heroes order in today thanks to Mikatu. It's Eleriel and Alariel in 28mm.

What a PITA. There are no less than seven points on three parts that all have to line up at once. And you have to assemble it pre-paint because you'd never get it together after. Also, I think I am going to be binning the resin banner that comes with it and making my own. Not because it is a bad cast (though the mold lines are a pain to chase down), but because as dynamic as the "banner" is, it makes no sense. I don't know what shape it is, or where it starts and ends. I can't even tell where the banner pole should be.

 

[kathrynloch]

Fantastic, Trystan! And...wow...I can see the mini clearly in the photos! lol! (Sorry hun, couldn't resist. Seriously, great progress since I last saw your stuff, beautiful blends and impressive free hand work. Well done, very well done!

 

[Bailey03]

Yikes, sounds like a construction nightmare. Good luck!

Maelee is coming along well. You're going to finish off all your bombshell figures before I even get to my first!

 

[KruleBear]

I like what you have for the shirt so far on Malee. And that banner looks almost like a spirit with arms and a head from the box photo.

@kathrynloch...good to have you back.

 

[kathrynloch]

Hi Krule! Thank you so much hun!

 

[Zab]

In the pic it looks like the pole is behind the girl who is looking up (maybe it's wedged between her, um ..cheeks), but yeah the direction of the fabric is kinda all over the place. I'm curious to see what you come up with to replace it.

 

[TrystanGST]

The pole does indeed start behind the girl. It's actually between the arm of the girl on the left and the back of the girl on the right (another reason it's such a paint to fit together), and then continues from there up to the banner. But where does it go from there? There's no more pole, not topper, nothing. It's magic?

 

[TrystanGST]

Ever get about half way thru a project and suddenly feel like you just want it to be done so you can move on?
For some reason, that happened to me with Maelee. It's not that I mailed it in, but it's certainly not my best work. Then again, if I tried to make every mini my best I'd never finish anything. So maybe there's something to it. Is it OK to paint at some level below your best just to finish some minis?
Anyways, she just needs a base. Tomorrow probably.

 

[marjedi]

Yes!

I think it is perfectly allright to not paint everything as if it was a masterpiece. I think i would out quickly if i did that, and as long as you are happy with the result, who cares if it is not golden deamon level each and every time.

And she looks great btw!

 

[TrystanGST]

Thanks Mar. I think I get confused because when I watch threads by guys like Milosh or Skel or Crackpot, EVERYTHING they post is amazing. Maybe they're painting mortal level minis off camera, or maybe they're just unnaturally good. Either way, it makes me feel like everything I paint has to be the best ever.

 

[KruleBear]

Yes!

I think it is perfectly allright to not paint everything as if it was a masterpiece. I think i would out quickly if i did that, and as long as you are happy with the result, who cares if it is not golden deamon level each and every time.

And she looks great btw!

Agreed, besides your "tabletop" level is at a display level in my book. Keep churning them out, besides you painted Maelee in the time it took me to cut the tab off the bottom of her

 

[Milosh]

She looks really good sir. You should see my shelf of unfinished crap, it boggles the mind. More bombshells please.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Agree with all the other comments, and the biggest critic is always ourselves so as long as your happy thats all that matters.
Not forgetting she looks very cool as is

 

[10 ball]

I think its good to paint at different levels, its fun to just blast out a mini in a few hours sometimes because my best minis take months so I see it as stress relief
Look at this little snot, just a few hours between my big salute entries, I know it looks like he is from a different painter but who cares - I love him lol.

View attachment 20452

 

[Zab]

Um, if this is you mailing it in, I think you're fine! I'm just having fun painting some pirates right now and they aren't showcase quality (just for some folks at the office who know nothing about mini painting), but they are a fun break from the stuff I am really trying on. I feel the pressure to put my best stuff up on C'MON too, but sometimes when you look back the fun stuff is the best stuff. Besides it's where you can try new things without fear and ironically that's where we grow as painters - yay risk!

 

[kathrynloch]

Ever get about half way thru a project and suddenly feel like you just want it to be done so you can move on?
For some reason, that happened to me with Maelee. It's not that I mailed it in, but it's certainly not my best work. Then again, if I tried to make every mini my best I'd never finish anything. So maybe there's something to it. Is it OK to paint at some level below your best just to finish some minis?
Anyways, she just needs a base. Tomorrow probably.

Good morning! lol! Yes, I just woke up. Anyway, yes, it is perfectly normal to get into the last few feet of the homestretch and all you want to do is get the damn thing done and out of your face. That's one reason my bases were turning out so terrible. I couldn't stand looking at it any more. Then Skelly suggested that I finish the base before the mini or at least get a good chunk of it in and that helped a lot. But she looks absolutely fantastic Trys!

Yes!

I think it is perfectly allright to not paint everything as if it was a masterpiece. I think i would out quickly if i did that, and as long as you are happy with the result, who cares if it is not golden deamon level each and every time.

And she looks great btw!

MAR!!!!! There you are! I've been looking all over the place for you! I was hoping you'd pop in. I'm going to get more coffee, get those photos posted before Trys kills me, and then I can figure out a plan for the evening since my schedule is trashed to hell. lol!

 

[TrystanGST]

Thanks for the reassurance guys (and girls). And Kath - I won't kill you. Who's going to teach me the finer points of dry pigments then?

 

[TrystanGST]

Well I wasn't able to get as much done as I had hoped, but I'm getting closer to getting Maelee done.

First up - her base:

The hoist needs to be painted, and the flooring needs some more details.
I also remembered that this little guy goes with her, so he'll be joining her in the garage.

Yes, I'm going to attempt SENMM again. Haha.

 

[KruleBear]

Nice idea for the base.