120mm " Man at Arms "bust

[Graham]

This superb bust that I purchased from Tommi on this forum has been a sheer delight to paint. I have done mine much in the style depicted by the box art for the full figure.

Flesh using W&N Artisan water soluble oils, metallics with Darkstar Steel finished by using a metaliser powder. The rest of the figure painted with Castle artist acrylics with the addition of Hobbycraft’s acrylic Matt Medium to flatten it a bit and also used as a glazing medium. Final varnish using Daler Rowney Acrylic Mediums Soluable Matt Varnish which brushes on very well and really matts down.

In completing this bust, I feel I have stepped onto the second rung of a very tall ladder. For the first time, I have found mixing the acrylic artist colours almost intuitive and I cannot see me going back to model colours again for figure painting. It isn’t perfect but I have really enjoyed the process and can only get better at it.

Many thanks again for the positive and encouraging comments in the WIP, you guys really help

 

[MCPWilk]

Very impressive - done in record time as well!

Mike

 

[Graham]

Tha

Very impressive - done in record time as well!

Mike

Thanks Mike

 

[swralph]

Very nicely painted Graham.
I can certainly see the progress in your painting skills.

 

[Graham]

Very nicely painted Graham.
I can certainly see the progress in your painting skills.

Thanks Ralph, still a long way behind you but I am a lot happier with my results now than I have ever been

 

[bagelman1952]

Good job.

 

[Graham]

Good job.

Thanks Ken

 

[Whitney]

Great job brother

 

[Chrisr]

It isn’t perfect but I have really enjoyed the process and can only get better at it.

Well I think it is pretty damn good Graham. Well done. The enjoyment of painting is the main criteria. Interesting comment about the artists acrylics.

Chris

 

[Graham]

Great job brother

Many thanks Whitney, much appreciated

 

[Graham]

Well I think it is pretty damn good Graham. Well done. The enjoyment of painting is the main criteria. Interesting comment about the artists acrylics.

Chris

The artists acrylics have really changed the game for me Chris. I got a box of 48 colours and just by looking over them, you get a feeling for which ones to use. I hardly ever used to mix model colours, I just bought the ones I needed for each job if I didn’t already have the colour I needed. This has resulted in having well over a hundred bottles of paint. But I still didn’t have the red I needed for this project. No problem, I picked crimson out the box, darkened it with lamp black and sap green in various amounts for main colour and shading and used vermilion glazing for highlights. Ok, I may struggle at the moment to mix ‘authentic’ colours but looking at the ten or so bottles of Field Grey I have, which is authentic?

Life is too short to worry about such things, I would rather just be painting

 

[Tommi]

Looks very nice indeed Graham and the first one I have seen painted

Tommi

 

[Graham]

Looks very nice indeed Graham and the first one I have seen painted

Tommi

Thanks Tommi. I am looking forward to seeing other people's takes on it it really is a nice bust

 

[Tommi]

Thanks Tommi. I am looking forward to seeing other people's takes on it it really is a nice bust

I hope to have a second matching one at some point soon.
Cheers
Tommi

 

[Chrisr]

Ok, I may struggle at the moment to mix ‘authentic’ colours but looking at the ten or so bottles of Field Grey I have, which is authentic?
Life is too short to worry about such things, I would rather just be painting

Amen to that Graham. I sometimes see people striving for the authentic colour. While the basic colour is evident, with different dye batches, fading due to wear and tear in sunlight, and the rigour of campaigning - what is the authentic colour on a particular figure? Seeing Viking Bob's video on ACW uniforms brings home the whole variation of uniform colours.

As you say the painting and creating something is the main joy of this hobby.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Graham]

I hope to have a second matching one at some point soon.
Cheers
Tommi

I will be interested in that Tommi

 

[Graham]

Amen to that Graham. I sometimes see people striving for the authentic colour. While the basic colour is evident, with different dye batches, fading due to wear and tear in sunlight, and the rigour of campaigning - what is the authentic colour on a particular figure? Seeing Viking Bob's video on ACW uniforms brings home the whole variation of uniform colours.

As you say the painting and creating something is the main joy of this hobby.

Cheers
Chris

Absolutely Chris

 

[MoboSchreuder]

excellent work , well done

mobo

 

[MoboSchreuder]

excellent work , well done

mobo

 

[MoboSchreuder]

excellent work , well done

mobo