Shop Notes: 2023-03-21 - Rocktopus

Self explanatory.

Shop Notes: 2023-02-13 - Paint Job Complete

 Tonight I finished adding in the eye color and washes in the dragons mouth. Painting a model is one of those things that can go on forever, depending on how much detail one wants to put into it, and how much perfection one wants to achieve. This is well within the realm of "good enough", and, given this dragon's purpose is to be camera fodder for an image, any imperfections can be fixed in Photoshop. i.e. its film ready, so I am calling it done.

The second photo is a possible framing for this thing. It's missing more dramatic lights, a background, and some atmosphere, but thats Tomorrow Dave's problem :)

Shop Note: 2023-02-12 - Superb Owl

Many folks in America are distracted tonight by the football (American, not proper) as the Kansas City Somethings face off against the Sometown Eagles.   While those folks are cheering their various players, commercials, or half time show performers, I am just sitting here putting some finishing details onto my Dragon.

I hope your uniform of choice takes home the Superb Owl.  Go sportsball team! 

Shop Notes: 2023-02-07 - Red

Tonight I added some red tones to the dragon figure I've been working on for over a month now.  I used an air brush to lightly add some Vallejo Air Red and Light Red paints to the entire dragon.  I sprayed it lightly so the brown I put on last time would still show through underneath, giving that multi-tone effect.   

It seems to be going pretty not that bad.  Most models at this stage of painting tend to look rather bad.  The magic seems to come in the follow up steps where washes and dry brushing helps bring out the details and make them pop.    The head, especially, needs some detail work.  However I think this is a decent start.... maybe.

Boba Fett In The Mist

It is funny how inspiration strikes when you're not looking for it.

Took this yesterday on my local walking trail. I've walked that trail several dozen times now. When I walk it in the morning the rising sun shines through the trees. I've taken a few janky videos of it, but nothing serious. I never walk the trail with my camera bag, so I just use my cell phone most of the time.

I love walking it in freezing temps - it hardens up the mud, and I love wearing a hoodie with the hood up when I walk, which means the temps have to be cold, else I overheat. Friday evening, just before bed, I was thinking about the next day and how I was looking forward to hitting up the trail: how it was going to be well below freezing, and mostly sunny, so the sunlight in the trees will be excellent. Suddenly this image here formed in my brain, fully baked, with the mist, light, location. Everything.

5 minutes later I had my camera bag packed, and waiting by the door so I wouldn't forget it the next day for my hike.

The above image is the result.

Shop Notes: 2023-02-02 - Base Coat

I spent the last couple days thinking of a color scheme for my dragon, since, being mythical, there isn't a set color pattern granted by nature.  Annoying! 

 I've settled on something in a brown with red-ish highlights.  Not sure of the entire look, but that will do as a starting point.  Toward that end, this evening I air brushed a coat of brown - Vallejo's Dark Earth to be precise - all over the model.   

Tomorrow after work I hope to travel to the next town over, in which contains several hobby stores, in which I shall purchase some paints for the finer details.  For now, it's solid brown.  It is a beginning.

Shop Notes: 2023-01-31 - Base Painting

This evening I finished painting the base for my massive dragon model.   The base features a rocky archway and stairs to a summit, an idol, that I can't determine is supposed to be carved wood or stone, and a bunch of crystals growing around the edge.  I really don't like the crystals - they don't appear natural like that (mind you, neither do dragons, so I'm not really winning the logical argument here).  However I decided to make the best of then by painting them in blues, reds and purples, as they sometimes appear in geodes and precious stones in nature.

The paint job is a base of grey, with a series of washes and inks of umbers, siennas, and white and burnt ochre pigments.  Followed up with a linen white dry brushing to bring out the highlights.  I like the natural colours of that palette, and the pigments give the base a more realistic texture.   

I am letting the base dry overnight, then I will spray it with a matte clear coat.  I will follow that up with a high gloss clear coat on the crystals to give them a shiny effect.

After that I am moving on to paint the dragon itself.  However the Maple Leafs play the Bruins tomorrow night, so starting on the dragon may be delayed until Thursday.  Go Leafs!