Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Save:

before continuing, I paint a coat of matte Varnish over what has been done so far to "save" the layers.

this protects the coats and if I make a mistake afterwards. I can wipe it off with out affecting the previous layer. I used to use Testor's dull coat but the humidity where I live makes it impossible to be reliable - i have ruined several figures by having the spray frost over.

NOTE: do not dilute vallejo matte varnish or it can appear milky on dark colors but don't paint thick either.

The Base:

1. While the varnish is drying i start to concept the base.

I like to sculpt my own bases using super sculpey. This is a wonderful material that is pliable, smooth and easy to work with.

first. i rough out a shape that will hi light the pose and shape of the figure. I also keep in mind the theme of the character.

Being an evil dwarf I though a cavernous base would be nice, and also play off the horns on his armor.

I used the original base it came with as my client will be gaming with this piece.

2.i roughed out an interesting sculpt. then remove the figure and use dental tools to sculpt more detail.

once finished i put it on a small piece of tin foil and pop in the oven for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees. this is a bit higher temperature than is recommended but i like the base to be hard but not brittle.

after cooking, i remove and glue to the base while still warm - this sets the glue fast. the sculpey is like rubber when still hot and shrinks. so i put the figure back on until it cools. this ensures a tight fight with the pin.

When cool i clean up any faults and do any additional carving. It's easier to get hard, sharp lines when cutting it after baking.

3.I mount the base to another film can with double-sided tape and prime black since it will be mostly dry brushed rock.

I then give some areas of the figure a black wash to make some details more visible for later.

Sharing:

I now start adding shape and color by shading the base colors.

1. first the dark brown is hi lighted up with reddish brown giving it a rustic leather armor feel

(these photos are a bit saturated in color and are about 200% of actual figure size)

i use about 3 -4 steps of different shades form darkest to lightest to get the right blend.

The shading on this figure does not need to be as smooth - the armor needs a bit of texture and the areas are small.

plus there is more detail to come..

2. next i do the same to the olive drab by adding lighter greens.

getting the shades right is more of experimentation. adding different colors the the base coat besides black or white give unique shades.

3. the dark sea blue on the left side of face and legs are next. also on the shield skin. and the face on the back tank

the figure is now starting to take shape.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

    All painting, photography, images and content © copyright 2008 by Duncan Hopkins from BeyondBeyond