Those look fantastic. Did you add the orb to Loki or was it part of the original figure ? I recently bought some used Marvel Legends for my Son and a couple would make great display pieces given that treatment. What sort of time did each take to do ? And your painting looks every bit as good as your modeling judging by those 2. Great work ;)
I haven't done a figure for years but it used to take a week or so, because I had to wait on things drying. Should be possible to do it in a couple of days, though.
First, play around with the figure until you decide on a pose. Then superglue all the joints in that pose.
Then pack the joints with modeller's clay. If the gaps are large you may not be able to do this in one go and it may need two layers.
Let this dry - it can take a while, and usually changes colour from brown/ cream to white to let you know - and then rub it down smooth. DON'T try to spray paint clay as it goes furry. You can brush paint onto the clay but it's absorbent and if you really want to make a neat job, smear filler over the clay. It comes in toothpaste tubes and is usually blueish in colour.
Let the filler dry hard, and then you can rub it smooth with modeller's files. You will notice how much smoother the filler can be compared to clay. If you make a neat job of filing the filler, you won't notice any unevenness when you paint! So worth making a good job at this stage.
You can now repaint. It may help to put down a base coat but it's not essential.
I would never say 'simple as that' :) I decided to have a go anyway. We had 2 copies of a Legends Wolverine and in black costume which will help me when it comes to paint. I just used a nice simple pose for a first attempt and he is glued up now ready to start adding some filler.
Taking my Son to see Cap tomorrow so will swing by Games Workshop to pick up more supplies after.
Knees thighs and chest are filled and smoothed but man my fingers ache :P Will add more tomorrow as I can still see where the top of the thigh meets the hipball on one side.
I actually have a blister on one thumb from squeezing the green stuff in the cracks and trying to smooth the fingerprints out. Maybe its gone off a bit ? I dunno how long it lasts but I have had it a while now.
I didnt want to use a figure I liked first time off and we had 2 of these.
Use a small (fairly blunt) penknife. Don't use your fingers! I use a cheap keyring pocket knife.
Clay should be soft and malleable. If it is hard or brittle in places you probably need to think about a new (small) block of clay. I use clay that hardens with exposure to air, which I assume is the type you are also using. But even sealed it will eventually harden; it won't last forever.
Cut off a small chunk of clay with the knife and press it into the gap. Repeat until the gap is filled or it is becoming loose. If the latter, let it dry and harden and this will become the base for the second layer of clay.
When it's hard, rub the clay smooth with light sandpaper or modeller's files.
If you paint at this point, the chances are you will see the join between clay and figure. That's why you should use filler.
Squeeze some filler out of the tube onto the knife and smear over the clay, Repeat until the clay is covered. Don't worry about making the layer of filler all that smooth at this point. Just cover all the clay with a thin layer.
After the filler dries, rub down smooth as you can. If you do this carefully, when the filler dries, it will be smooth as glass and all the places you filled with clay - mostly, joints - will be invisible when you paint. You may expose some bits of clay so you'll have to cover these with filler and wait until that layer also hardens.
Basically, you do each stage properly no one will be able to see any joins and you will have a smooth, seamless surface to paint onto. And your hands will be clean and blister-free!
Had a look at your custom. Criminey, you work fast!
Anyway, looks very, very good, Toon. Nice one.
Tomorrow I can give you some pointers on painting, even though it's my weakest area. My brother taught me a great and very quick trick that I used on the CMFC Thing. I'll show it to you tomorrow, if you want. (Don't want to overload you with stuff it took me months to suss out.)
Seriously appreciate the advice and kind comment mate. I used to make/paint Tamiya WWII models as a kid but its been nearly 30 years since I painted anything and I am apprehensive to say the least.
'Green stuff' is more modelling putty than clay but I am sure it does the same job. I hoped if I spent more time smoothing now it would mean less sanding but I can still see some fingerprints in there.
Just looked at the pic for the first time and remembered that I had to be a bit fly with Loki. The orb kept falling off of his hand so I posiioned the arm in such a way that one of the horns on Loki's helmet would help support it. I had completely forgotten about that. Another exmaple of how some preliminary posing can prove invaluable later on.
Lesson 1: Dry Brushing Don't know if you know about this. I didn't. Basically, to shade a character you build up layers, each lighter than the shade before. So, to do the green on Dredd, for instance, I'd start with a very dark green layer, then a lighter green on top, then lastly another green layer even lighter again. Each time you apply less paint. The base layer will cover the figure's leg, say, filling all cracks, gaps, etc. The second layer will cover quite a lot of the leg but leave the indentations and gaps untouched. You have now highlighted. You can use another green to enhance this and this layer will probably be applied very sparingly. How you do this is by what's called 'dry brushing'.
You dry brush by taking only a small amount onto your brush, dabbing off any thicks blobs on the tip, and then flick the brush lightly over the figure. Some paint will stick but not much. You keep doing this, maybe five to six times, over each section. There's lots of room for this to go a bit wrong and you apply too much. You will learn how lightly to brush and how much paint to have on the brush by doing. It's just trial and error. At the start, results will vary: you'll do one leg well and feel all pleased with yourself and then probably make a mess of the other leg and have to start again.
Anyway, dry brushing is the technique I used to shade on all the figures. Sometimes it's good, other times iffy and I'm too lazy to do it again.
I will tell you the really fast shortcut version of this tomorrow. It is harder to do and not always as effective, but you can do a similar job to what I described above in minutes instead of an hour or more.
Oh, looking over your 'fingerprints' comment, I thought of something else. If you wet the clay you can smooth it out better. I sometimes dip my knife in water and this is enough to help iron out a small ridge.
I know it wasnt the smartest thing to do but I just kept licking my fingers and smoothing :)
Just had another look at Loki and I see what you mean. was the orb too heavy and unbalanced the arm or wouldnt it glue ?
Your dry brushing technique took me back to school days ! One of the other kids was tons better at it than me and he 'weathered' Tiger tanks etc using the same layered approach.
I am dreading the paint stage to be honest but I have to start somewhere and be realistic.
Licking your fingers and smoothing!! Eek! Should I say my goodbyes now?? I can see the pots on the blog: "Poor old, Toon, he was a good guy. Taken too soon from us. He had a promising career as an amateur modeller ahead of him. If only someone had bought him a cup to put water in!" Well, at least you now know why all your wife's cooking now tastes the same!
Can't really remember much about the orb now, just remember that even superglue wasn't holding it. Which sounds improbable but sure that's right. I think the palm isn't at all flat, which meant it fell off easily. Or I was being overly-cautious. Or something! Memory not so good!
Thought I had done this message earlier but I lose track of what message I post to which topic on here :)
Did I mention I covered 2 of Wolverines abs elsewhere today ? I wonder if I hit post and didnt do the word verification.
Anyway I covered the top 2 of his 6 pack while filling in the articulation so sculpted 2 more....sculpting might not be the right word :P Anyways did a load of sanding on the lower half and then couldnt decide on a final position for arms. Its not the best of figures in the first place which is why I chose it. I decided I didnt like the way the claws were coming way out on top the wrists so cut one set off.......Then decided I wanted a closed fist maybe with just the middle claw coming out. Soooo I chopped the hand in half and glued it in on itself. Will fill it and try to make a knuckle next. lol
Maybe a bridge too far for first attempt but its fun so far.
Well, can't fault your ambition! I had thought about saying to you that you could cut off a set of claws and decided not to overload you. Some characters need claying/ filling in really awkward places. Maybe good you find out it's not all smooth sailing at an early point!
I already discovered that sanding sucks just from behind the knees and ankles. Quite concerned about the upper arms which are flesh coloured with lots of hair. Not sure I will be able to repaint well enough so considering a pose that you cant see the back of his arms from the all important front view. Cheating but then thats me ;)
Flesh areas are difficult. I never mastered that at all. I probably should have asked someone, maybe even in the gaming store in town. But I never did. Luckily, most superhero characters wear masks or costumes so little skin showing or have weird 'skin' colouring like the Goblin!
I may have taken more care if anyone saw what I did. They never did, not even my little brother, I think.
I bought a load more paints etc from Games Workshop and the fella there was really good and offered to teach me painting in store. I was with the missus and nipper so couldnt but I was impressed by how friendly he was.
Filled Wolverine's hand and trimmed and reattached the claws yesterday and they look much better. Lord knows what it will look like painted but I cant put it off for much longer.
I picked up a flesh wash too so might experiment on his face when I get that far. Not expecting to be overjoyed with the final figure but its a good learning process.
I was at the Charing cross end of the street btw and it is like the wild west :P
Those look fantastic. Did you add the orb to Loki or was it part of the original figure ? I recently bought some used Marvel Legends for my Son and a couple would make great display pieces given that treatment. What sort of time did each take to do ?
ReplyDeleteAnd your painting looks every bit as good as your modeling judging by those 2. Great work ;)
Thanks for the compliments, Toon.
ReplyDeleteYes, the orb came with Loki.
I haven't done a figure for years but it used to take a week or so, because I had to wait on things drying. Should be possible to do it in a couple of days, though.
First, play around with the figure until you decide on a pose. Then superglue all the joints in that pose.
Then pack the joints with modeller's clay. If the gaps are large you may not be able to do this in one go and it may need two layers.
Let this dry - it can take a while, and usually changes colour from brown/ cream to white to let you know - and then rub it down smooth. DON'T try to spray paint clay as it goes furry. You can brush paint onto the clay but it's absorbent and if you really want to make a neat job, smear filler over the clay. It comes in toothpaste tubes and is usually blueish in colour.
Let the filler dry hard, and then you can rub it smooth with modeller's files. You will notice how much smoother the filler can be compared to clay. If you make a neat job of filing the filler, you won't notice any unevenness when you paint! So worth making a good job at this stage.
You can now repaint. It may help to put down a base coat but it's not essential.
That's it. Dead simple!
I would never say 'simple as that' :) I decided to have a go anyway. We had 2 copies of a Legends Wolverine and in black costume which will help me when it comes to paint. I just used a nice simple pose for a first attempt and he is glued up now ready to start adding some filler.
ReplyDeleteTaking my Son to see Cap tomorrow so will swing by Games Workshop to pick up more supplies after.
got one knee joint done......this could take some time :)
ReplyDeleteKnees thighs and chest are filled and smoothed but man my fingers ache :P Will add more tomorrow as I can still see where the top of the thigh meets the hipball on one side.
ReplyDeleteKeep me posted! You sound like you're doing fine. Although why you have sore fingers I don't know...
ReplyDeleteI actually have a blister on one thumb from squeezing the green stuff in the cracks and trying to smooth the fingerprints out. Maybe its gone off a bit ? I dunno how long it lasts but I have had it a while now.
ReplyDeleteI didnt want to use a figure I liked first time off and we had 2 of these.
http://therumorbuster.com/board/index.php?topic=1446.msg20041#msg20041
Use a small (fairly blunt) penknife. Don't use your fingers! I use a cheap keyring pocket knife.
ReplyDeleteClay should be soft and malleable. If it is hard or brittle in places you probably need to think about a new (small) block of clay. I use clay that hardens with exposure to air, which I assume is the type you are also using. But even sealed it will eventually harden; it won't last forever.
Cut off a small chunk of clay with the knife and press it into the gap. Repeat until the gap is filled or it is becoming loose. If the latter, let it dry and harden and this will become the base for the second layer of clay.
When it's hard, rub the clay smooth with light sandpaper or modeller's files.
If you paint at this point, the chances are you will see the join between clay and figure. That's why you should use filler.
Squeeze some filler out of the tube onto the knife and smear over the clay, Repeat until the clay is covered. Don't worry about making the layer of filler all that smooth at this point. Just cover all the clay with a thin layer.
After the filler dries, rub down smooth as you can. If you do this carefully, when the filler dries, it will be smooth as glass and all the places you filled with clay - mostly, joints - will be invisible when you paint. You may expose some bits of clay so you'll have to cover these with filler and wait until that layer also hardens.
Basically, you do each stage properly no one will be able to see any joins and you will have a smooth, seamless surface to paint onto. And your hands will be clean and blister-free!
Had a look at your custom. Criminey, you work fast!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, looks very, very good, Toon. Nice one.
Tomorrow I can give you some pointers on painting, even though it's my weakest area. My brother taught me a great and very quick trick that I used on the CMFC Thing. I'll show it to you tomorrow, if you want. (Don't want to overload you with stuff it took me months to suss out.)
Seriously appreciate the advice and kind comment mate. I used to make/paint Tamiya WWII models as a kid but its been nearly 30 years since I painted anything and I am apprehensive to say the least.
ReplyDelete'Green stuff' is more modelling putty than clay but I am sure it does the same job. I hoped if I spent more time smoothing now it would mean less sanding but I can still see some fingerprints in there.
Just looked at the pic for the first time and remembered that I had to be a bit fly with Loki. The orb kept falling off of his hand so I posiioned the arm in such a way that one of the horns on Loki's helmet would help support it. I had completely forgotten about that. Another exmaple of how some preliminary posing can prove invaluable later on.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Painting 101.
ReplyDeleteLesson 1: Dry Brushing
Don't know if you know about this. I didn't. Basically, to shade a character you build up layers, each lighter than the shade before. So, to do the green on Dredd, for instance, I'd start with a very dark green layer, then a lighter green on top, then lastly another green layer even lighter again. Each time you apply less paint. The base layer will cover the figure's leg, say, filling all cracks, gaps, etc. The second layer will cover quite a lot of the leg but leave the indentations and gaps untouched. You have now highlighted. You can use another green to enhance this and this layer will probably be applied very sparingly. How you do this is by what's called 'dry brushing'.
You dry brush by taking only a small amount onto your brush, dabbing off any thicks blobs on the tip, and then flick the brush lightly over the figure. Some paint will stick but not much. You keep doing this, maybe five to six times, over each section. There's lots of room for this to go a bit wrong and you apply too much. You will learn how lightly to brush and how much paint to have on the brush by doing. It's just trial and error. At the start, results will vary: you'll do one leg well and feel all pleased with yourself and then probably make a mess of the other leg and have to start again.
Anyway, dry brushing is the technique I used to shade on all the figures. Sometimes it's good, other times iffy and I'm too lazy to do it again.
I will tell you the really fast shortcut version of this tomorrow. It is harder to do and not always as effective, but you can do a similar job to what I described above in minutes instead of an hour or more.
Oh, looking over your 'fingerprints' comment, I thought of something else. If you wet the clay you can smooth it out better. I sometimes dip my knife in water and this is enough to help iron out a small ridge.
ReplyDeleteI know it wasnt the smartest thing to do but I just kept licking my fingers and smoothing :)
ReplyDeleteJust had another look at Loki and I see what you mean. was the orb too heavy and unbalanced the arm or wouldnt it glue ?
Your dry brushing technique took me back to school days ! One of the other kids was tons better at it than me and he 'weathered' Tiger tanks etc using the same layered approach.
I am dreading the paint stage to be honest but I have to start somewhere and be realistic.
Licking your fingers and smoothing!! Eek! Should I say my goodbyes now?? I can see the pots on the blog: "Poor old, Toon, he was a good guy. Taken too soon from us. He had a promising career as an amateur modeller ahead of him. If only someone had bought him a cup to put water in!" Well, at least you now know why all your wife's cooking now tastes the same!
ReplyDeleteCan't really remember much about the orb now, just remember that even superglue wasn't holding it. Which sounds improbable but sure that's right. I think the palm isn't at all flat, which meant it fell off easily. Or I was being overly-cautious. Or something! Memory not so good!
Thought I had done this message earlier but I lose track of what message I post to which topic on here :)
ReplyDeleteDid I mention I covered 2 of Wolverines abs elsewhere today ? I wonder if I hit post and didnt do the word verification.
Anyway I covered the top 2 of his 6 pack while filling in the articulation so sculpted 2 more....sculpting might not be the right word :P Anyways did a load of sanding on the lower half and then couldnt decide on a final position for arms. Its not the best of figures in the first place which is why I chose it. I decided I didnt like the way the claws were coming way out on top the wrists so cut one set off.......Then decided I wanted a closed fist maybe with just the middle claw coming out. Soooo I chopped the hand in half and glued it in on itself. Will fill it and try to make a knuckle next. lol
Maybe a bridge too far for first attempt but its fun so far.
Well, can't fault your ambition! I had thought about saying to you that you could cut off a set of claws and decided not to overload you. Some characters need claying/ filling in really awkward places. Maybe good you find out it's not all smooth sailing at an early point!
ReplyDeleteI already discovered that sanding sucks just from behind the knees and ankles. Quite concerned about the upper arms which are flesh coloured with lots of hair. Not sure I will be able to repaint well enough so considering a pose that you cant see the back of his arms from the all important front view. Cheating but then thats me ;)
ReplyDeleteFlesh areas are difficult. I never mastered that at all. I probably should have asked someone, maybe even in the gaming store in town. But I never did. Luckily, most superhero characters wear masks or costumes so little skin showing or have weird 'skin' colouring like the Goblin!
ReplyDeleteI may have taken more care if anyone saw what I did. They never did, not even my little brother, I think.
I bought a load more paints etc from Games Workshop and the fella there was really good and offered to teach me painting in store. I was with the missus and nipper so couldnt but I was impressed by how friendly he was.
ReplyDeleteFilled Wolverine's hand and trimmed and reattached the claws yesterday and they look much better. Lord knows what it will look like painted but I cant put it off for much longer.
I picked up a flesh wash too so might experiment on his face when I get that far. Not expecting to be overjoyed with the final figure but its a good learning process.
I was at the Charing cross end of the street btw
and it is like the wild west :P