Figure Stumper?

[Guy]

Have any of you had a figure (or still have) that just doesn't come out right.....still on the shelf....or in the box.......and has been there for a while? I have several that seemed to just.....Stop......and some with no apparent reason. Maybe we can help you past that problem. (if you know what it is)

Guy

(my wife suggested this topic after staring at my "tomb of the unfinished soldier")

 

[Hardy]

I think the main problem is my eyes are bigger than my belly. So many new kits and not enough time

 

[John Long]

I have the Actramac Diffusion King Arthur. It's a beautifully cast figure, but I don't understand his trappings, and cannot figure out a painting strategy. I've had it about five years, and I've tried several approaches. Now I've lost interest.

 

[simon1969]

The most recent (all my figures are un-finished to some degree or another!) has been put on hold because I just can't paint Blonde hair! (I did ask someone on here *couHardy!gh* but I didn't get a reply )
No-one really knows what colour hair Vercingetorix had though, do they?

Plus eyes, eyes are a sod to paint if you do the whole face first like me (the way I apply the initial oil coat prevents painting them first!!)

Simon

 

[Hardy]

Sorry Simon, I will start a discussion on painting blonde hair tomorrow night.

 

[simon1969]

Originally posted by Hardy@Nov 21 2003, 07:05 PM
Sorry Simon, I will start a discussion on painting blonde hair tomorrow night.

Cheers chap!
It was only a bit of friendly chain yanking really but I do like the way you've tackled it on your Athos figure, so if you want to spill the beans I'll be a happy bunny!

BTW Like the sig!

Simon

 

[gforceman]

A figure on hold? More like two dozen figures on hold. Problem is when I want to continue them I have improved my painting skill (or switched medium) that I have to start all over again. this means they stay where they are till the rest of their (or miy) day.

Gino.

 

[Hardy]

Seems like we all have the same sense of humour, spaced next week!! Mettle I think.

 

[Richard E]

Guy,

I must have a whole army of unfinished and waiting to be started kits. It's not really a problem my subject preferences change with my mood so I'll start another in a moment of "inspiration", guess I'm going to have to wait until I retire until I get a proper crack at them (so that will be when I'm about 80 then)

Simon, all the paintings I've seen of Vercingetorix, have shown him with dark hair (but of course that's just another artists rendering)

Hardy, I think you're right about the sense of humour, although I still think the funniest thing in that scene was Melchett's moustache-net for sleeping in.

 

[Guy]

I use Red Brown as a base color and dry/brush Humbrol creme (flat) over it carefully to do a blond. Will post a pic when I get home from work.

Guy

 

[simon1969]

Originally posted by Hardy@Nov 21 2003, 07:14 PM
Seems like we all have the same sense of humour, spaced next week!! Mettle I think.

At the risk of derailing this thread, (sorry Guy!) I'll just say this last thing:
I wanted to have my very favourite line(s) from spaced, but it doesn't work without seeing the look on Brians face when he opens the door.

(Tim, knocks on Brian's door)(Brian, from inside)"Who is it?" (Tim) "Father Christmas" (Brian opens door) "....Oh, It's you" (Tim) "Who did you think it was?"

Not quite as funny without the pictures!!!!

 

[MSzwarc]

I have three or four such figures. I start on a figure when I have time, and then the game of life gets in the way, and I have to put it down for a while . When I'm able to work on figures again, often something else has tweaked my interest, and I pick up a new figure instead of the one I was working on. Oops-- I'm late for work now!

Mike Szwarc

 

[Uruk-Hai]

The most recent (all my figures are un-finished to some degree or another!) has been put on hold because I just can't paint Blonde hair! (I did ask someone on here *couHardy!gh* but I didn't get a reply )

Hakuna matata!

I use yellow plus white as a base mix.

For highlights add more and more white to the basemix, transparent white is great for final highlights.

Shadows are yellow plus red brown with the darkest just red brown, perhaps sometimes with a dab of black in it.

 

[DocF225]

My Bane is a Horizon Vinyl Batman. I just can't seen to get the shading right on all that black. Plus I really screwed up when I painted his face. Way too flat and very poor shading.

 

[Edson]

My figure on hold is , my first metal figure, the centurion in battle from Adrea, the problem is the shield, i know how i most painting it, but i don`t know what happen, any time, when i take the shield and i will paint..........pow!! something don`t let me paint, and whit the others figures is diferent,this not happen whit the others, what do you thing? maybe Im crazy LoL oh well, i really don`t know, i just can`t finish that damn shield!!! <_<

Cheers
Ed (thinking in the shield.....)

 

[simon1969]

Ed
I think I know what you mean with this? sort of like a mental block?
Is it a pattern you want to paint? or is it trying to shade and highlight a "flat" surface?

If it's a pattern on the shield that's got you stumped, you might find the answer in Rob's post here He drew the pattern first & made a template.

Let us know what it is you want to do with the shield & I'm sure one of us will give you the answer to your problem!

Simon

 

[frank h]

The figure, or should I say figures
that haunt me are the Carthaginian War Elephant from Andrea.

It was an absolute must have at the time, irrespective
of how much work, together with a high skill level
was required to do justice to the piece, or should I
say THE BEAST!!!!

Especially when I opened the box!!!

So far I have painted most of the elephant and not
much else.

Although.....(Thinking) as I type
this I am begining to feel inspired to have another look at it.

Frank

 

[Guy]

Hello Frank,
I have the same kit in the closet and at the time I bought it, couldn't wait for it to arrive. Somewhere between when it arrived and when I opened the box.....I guess I became intimidated by the time envolved and put it away. I will be retiring soon and do plan to bring it out then. About 20 years ago, Sanderson came out with a similar kit and I painted and sold it at the first show. Looks good when its finished

 

[Guy]

Hello Simon,

This is a 120mm Actramac Diffusion of Guenivere that I am painting for my wife. She requested blonde hair and this is the result. Red brown base color with Humbrol flat creme drybrushed over it.

Guy

 

[MSzwarc]

I will be retiring soon ...

Guy,

Congratulations ! I would give my left--er my eyeteeth to be able to retire soon . I have known many people in my area who have "retired" only to go back to work because while they planned financially for retirement, they didn't think about how they would occupy their time. Sadly, I've also known a couple who deteriorated mentally for the same reason .

The joy of a hobby such as this is that it provides a rich mental and physical challenge to us, and keeps us interested and engaged. There is so much to learn: painting skills, sculpting skills, materials and processes, history, the details of daily life in our chosen eras. Each thing that we learn draws us to something else, so that the process of the hobby becomes dynamic, with a life of its own. When I'm not in the mood to paint, I can plan vignettes or dioramas, or do research, or read history, or learn to sculpt, or practice groundwork techniques, or study and admire what others are doing-- or pull out that kit that I put way awhile ago, and become interested in it all over again!

Mike Szwarc