WIP Mike's WW1 NZRB Lewis Gunner Bust in 1\6th

[Joe55]

Thanks Mike!

Looking forward to Charlie's progress, and back at you on having a great New Year!

Joe

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Thanks Mike!

Looking forward to Charlie's progress, and back at you on having a great New Year!

Joe

Hi Joe, et at.

So 2015 is here & it will be massive for me & son with our trip to Gallipoli, Turkey, Greece, Rome, Malta, Egypt & Dubai coming up in April/May. In meantime seems right to kick off first post of year with a Charlie update here.

Couple of quick, very rough iPad shots of in progress on Charlie's back.
Of particular note & I'll explain more if there is interest, undercoating for texturing & preparing various metal parts.

Have a look - questions?
Ask away...

Off to the beach to see Mother In Law now

Stay Safe,
Mike

 

[Helm]

Looks excellent I for one will take any info you care to share mate
Steve

 

[Joe55]

Looking great Mike! Enjoy your time with your family and your whirlwind tour!

Be safe!

Joe

 

[Steve Ski]

Great inspiration Mike, I'm headed to the bunker now, love the details!!

Happy New Year Bro. Cheers, Ski.

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Looks excellent I for one will take any info you care to share mate
Steve

Looking great Mike! Enjoy your time with your family and your whirlwind tour!
Be safe!
Joe

Great inspiration Mike, I'm headed to the bunker now, love the details!!
Happy New Year Bro. Cheers, Ski.

Hi Steve, Joe & Ski,

Day 1/2015 spent time on laying more Mr Metal tone.
Thinned these lacquer based paints heavily with medical grade Methylated spirits to allow them to flow.
Leaving to dry for a while, will let pigment harden & will over coming days polish, add more layers & tone with oils & acrylics.
These are my paint of choice for large metal surfaces that need polishing.
Learnt lots about these back at start of last decade from Augie Rodriguez.
Pile more info in "Painting Metals" folder over on MedRom here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/medrenfig/start

Now Day2/2015 have just laid out wet palette with colours I'll try on small pack.
Attached photo shows brushes for texturing, note various fraying edges & more sharp flats which will provide different stippling effects. Also most important on palette Vallejo colours have Tamiya Flat Base & W&N Blending Medium mixed in, plus a small pool of this to wet brush in as I stipple.

Does this help?

Mike

PS Note intention is to do quick photos on iPad as progress.
Won't be best quality but help to illustrate learning points hopefully.

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Hi guys

Not sure of value still, always a bit skeptical about what you can observe without commentary.
Never tried to break down approach in this way, so feedback on use of this info will be valued.
Will see if this experiment helps someone.

Attached photos of first stippling pass using Vallejo Khaki Grey & well frayed 7.3mm wide Pebeo flat sable.
Note aim is not to replicate exact webbing detail.
Instead trying to simulate appearance of light bouncing off surface.

Thoughts?

 

[housecarl]

What will you do next Mike, go over it again with a different colour?

 

[chris1]

Hi ya Mike,
Hope youand your family had a great Xmas and new year.
Given the scale of your trip later in the year, I volunteer to carry your bags.

Back in the day,mid to late 70s thru to the early 90s there was a an english war comic(not a graphic novel) BATTLE which merged with others from time to time,There was a brilliant story Charlies War,which told the stor of a young lad during WW1.It was extremely well drawn.If copies can be found it provide fantastic inspiration.It was the background in your last lot of pictures which reminded me.I understand it may have been republished in book format.

Any how paint on.

Cheers

Chris

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

What will you do next Mike, go over it again with a different colour?

I'll build up layers in similar way Carl, loading lighter tones into highlight area & adding Umbers in shadow area.
Some shadowing will be "filters" ie focused area washes to gradually deepen colour.
Important to note to role of Matt black base coat as part of shadows.

Does this make sense mate?

Happy 2015
Mike

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Hi ya Mike,
Hope youand your family had a great Xmas and new year.
Given the scale of your trip later in the year, I volunteer to carry your bags.

Back in the day,mid to late 70s thru to the early 90s there was a an english war comic(not a graphic novel) BATTLE which merged with others from time to time,There was a brilliant story Charlies War,which told the stor of a young lad during WW1.It was extremely well drawn.If copies can be found it provide fantastic inspiration.It was the background in your last lot of pictures which reminded me.I understand it may have been republished in book format.

Any how paint on.

Cheers

Chris

Hi Chris

Happy New Year & do hope this one is all you want it to be.

Remember "Charley's War" & Battle well.
I was avid fan of both.
Managed to download soft copy sample last year on iPad & it was inspiring.
It's still influencing thinking & commemoration activities too:
http://charleyswar.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk

I'll be referring to it over coming years I know & may yet buy one of the compilations

Stay safe
Mike

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

What will you do next Mike, go over it again with a different colour?

Here is next stage adding more stippling & filling in smoother area especially against other area with a smaller brush.
I use larger brush & smaller flat, this time just using the leading edges of brush tip.
This time a StyleX Modelling Brush HF3 ~4mm wide.

Photo also shows wet palette in action, plus tissue to remove excess blending medium.
Paint is applied very thin, but removing excess moisture on tissue ensure quite a lot of pigment is still applied.
Remember too that acrylics dry darker than when first seen applied wet.

Make sense?

 

[alamac]

It's ALL been said my friend , quite simply a STUNNING piece of art , As always I watch in awe as you bring this piece to life , keep up the great work Mike.
Cheers
Al

 

[housecarl]

Thanks for the info Mike.
Very effective.

 

[tonydawe]

Mike

Thanks for sharing hour technique with us. How many times would you stipple over the surface before you feel it's done?

 

[Stephan]

Like what you did, specially the much pics and explanation.
Thanks for showing so much.

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Mike
Thanks for sharing your technique with us. How many times would you stipple over the surface before you feel it's done?

One of those "how long is a piece of string?" questions mate.
Over course of couple of hours I'll build up colours both stippling & then with longer horizontal strokes with thinner paint to again approximate light on pattern.

Not forgetting to add in some ground in gunge & dirt as I progress.

Getting ready for Day3/2015 am reasonably happy with pack top.
More stitching to add
Then work my way down to lower part of pack.

How's this stage looking from your end?

Mike

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

It's ALL been said my friend , quite simply a STUNNING piece of art , As always I watch in awe as you bring this piece to life , keep up the great work Mike.
Cheers
Al

Thanks for the info Mike.
Very effective.

Like what you did, specially the much pics and explanation.
Thanks for showing so much.

Thanks so much Al, Carl & Stephan for your kind comments.
I appreciate showing these photos is a "warts & all" view with lots of flaws evident in my painting as it progresses.
Hoping this shows though how an overall look is achieved.

Trust that final photos with proper lighting, staging & focus will be worthwhile even after you've seen the dirty side of how I'm learning to paint ;-)

Talk again soon,

Mike

 

[Helm]

Mike make no mistake about the value of this SBS to folks like me still getting our heads around highlighting and shadowing let alone texture stuff, it's really appreciated by me that you take time out to explain this
Steve

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Mike make no mistake about the value of this SBS to folks like me still getting our heads around highlighting and shadowing let alone texture stuff, it's really appreciated by me that you take time out to explain this
Steve

Good to hear Steve
Never quite clear how my thoughts translate into action.
It's all about experimental learning & practice, plus having a vision of what looks right to you.

I also look at piece in lots of different lights & levels of eyewear
This helps highlight errors & if effects are working as intended.

Off for a day of "SWMBO stuff" , should be fun & who knows what it will bring

Till later,

Mike