WIP Roman Gladiator, Seil 90mm

[sarouman]

Hi my friend Tony,
I see you slowly finish this amazing miniature and although the skin of the shield does not seem to be good to have painted very well.
Come on man stayed a little longer for the final result.
I expect the total job.

Alexandros

 

[mil-mart]

Tony, great sbs, interesting to see how the different layers build to get to this stage. Nice work on the metals. Looking forward to seeng the finishing touches.

Cheers Ken

 

[megroot]

Pitty of the dark pictures.
Could you make some new one.

Marc

 

[unknown01]

Hi! Tony.
Great progress!
An expression of a metal is wonderful.
Your work is becoming wonderful gradually.
Wonderful SBS.
I'm convinced that your work will be something gorgeous,my friend.

Mitsutaka

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Alexandros, thankyou for your comments and encouragement. It has been a slow paintjob and it's not finished yet. I will do more work on the shield, as you suggest.

Hi Ken, thanks mate I hope my SBS provides some insight into how I gradually build up the colours and effects on a figure. As with most things though, its the final 5% that will make or break this figure, and I haven't added them yet. Perhaps tonight?

Hi Marc, just for you mate. Some new pics taken with a bit more light.

Hi Mitsutaka, thankyou for your very generous comments mate. I'm very pleased you like the metal effects. To give the metal helmet and greave an extra element of shine, I mixed Vallejo Bronze with Silver and dry brushed the mix over the raised details. It really lifted the small details and made them pop.

 

[Ferris]

Hi Tony,

Impressive figure you've got there!
And you sure make me interested in that oil wash technique. I was just about to toss out the oils....maybe not just yet....

I look forward to your last 5%! Any chest hair?


Cheers,
Adrian

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Adrian,

Please don't throw out your oil paints. There are no ends of ways you can use them in conjunction with acrylics to achieve some amazing effects. A combination of oils and acrylics really does give you the best of both worlds.

The last 5% on the Gladiator will have to wait until next week as our annual scale model expo is coming up this weekend, and I'm doing a few minor touch ups to the figures I plan to enter in the competition.

Chest hair, mmmmm I don't think so. But you never know!!!

Thanks for your comments mate. I'll post some more pics soon.

 

[megroot]

Thanks Tony,
This is looking very impressive. The metalwork is stunning.
Great work.

marc

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for your last comment. I've been waiting until I'd done some more work on this figure and taken new pics, before I replied to you. I'm very pleased you like the metalwork.

What I'm concentrating on now are all the fiddly little touches that will hopefully add that extra level of realism and detail into the figure. I've added some cuts and scars on the skin, scuff marks and a bit of dirt to the shield and some hair on the legs, chest and under the arm pits.

I don't want to overdo it, but if anyone sees something that needs improvement/ touch up, please speak now or forever hold your peace.

 

[megroot]

Impressive work Tony, really impressive.
Up to the groundwork.
I cannot see any remarks.

 

[unknown01]

Amazing work Tony.
Soldier's muscle is wonderful.
I think it's a dynamic work.
I think it's better to draw the design in a shield.
Great!

Mitsutaka

 

[davidmitchell]

The final work you have done Tony has certainly made a big difference.What are you doing with the base,something simple?


Cheers David

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Mitsutaka,

Thank you for your comments my friend. I wanted the shield to be plain, with no design, to show that it was a practical and functional piece of fighting equipment, rather than a piece of decoration. I hope that makes sense.

Hi David, thanks for your comments mate. A simple sand base with a few very subtle blood spots is all I'm planning for the base.

 

[Don Johnson]

Tony, Thanks again for sharing your process with this piece. I think you've done an excellent job, especially with your mixed-media approach. Whatever paint that does the job gets used - simple, yet versatile.

I also think your shield treatment makes perfect sense - well done!

BTW, congratulations on your showing at your recent show. I may be biased, but I'm not surprised that you garnered a gold for the 3rd NY bust!

Best regards, Don

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Don,

Thank you for your comments and your consistent encouragement mate.

Over 30 years of modelling I've come to realise that it's possible (and in fact desirable) to use a wide variety of paint/ colour media; (oils, acrylics, gouche, enamels, pastel chalk, coloured pencils, water colour paints, printers inks) and painting techniques (layering, glazing, air brushing, stipling etc) to achieve the variety of colour and textural effects you need to create the perception of realism in miniature.

It's a never ending process of experimentation and trial and error, which suits my "make it up as I go along" approach to modelling. Sometimes it fails miserably, most of the time it doesn't quite work but its OK, and sometimes it all comes together.

I think the 3rd New York bust was one of those rare examples where all those different approaches and techniques came together, and Don, I thank you once again for encouraging me to go the extra mile on that bust.

I'm looking forward to finishing this figure and moving on to my next project, but before I do I will add some sweat and some dirt to the Gladiator's skin and shield.

 

[winston]

Hi Tony

Nice paint but I think the gladiator have some grease on their body.

 

[Andrew Craft]

He looks great Tony, I think you've done a great job making him look practical rather than decorative. Once you finish with the sweat and dirt he'll look fantastic.

Andrew

 

[Jamie Stokes]

Looks great tony; chest hair is a nice touch.

I agree with the idea of a scuffed and battered shield, rather then a flash piece.

Good stuff, great results.

Cheers

 

[1969]

Tony from your first posts on this I was a bit dubious to be totally honest as to where this was going, I have to say mate I am very impressed with the outcome, stunning looking figure with great flesh tones, there is method in your madness after all

cheers mate

Steve

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Phillipe, thank you for your comments mate. I plan to add some sweat to his skin to give it a greasy sheen.

Hi Andrew, thanks mate, I appreciate your comments. Hopefully witha few final touches it will all come together nicely.

Hi Jamie, thanks mate. The chest hair was a compromise between full-on hairy and clean skin. I think it makes him look a bit more masculine and menacing.

Cheers Steve, I really appreciate your honesty, and I happen to agree with you 100%. There were a couple of times during this project I questioned my approach to painting him and even considered leaving him to gather dust on the window sill. I'm pleased I didn't. Perhaps, there's some madness in my method!!