Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

TIME TO CLEAN UP

here's a good example of the trail of chaos left while painting. The tiles wipe off easily with a surface cleaner.

A word on brushes I am terrible with brushes. I try to take good care but ruin brushes daily by not washing completely. or leave sitting in the water bowl.I buy packs of the cheapest, but best brushes I can at hobby stores for the flat, larger dry brushes. these are not made for long use and I abuse them well.

I have started buying more expensive brushes for finer lines. and taking better care of these. In the past year i have upgraded my paints, brushes, water, space, light, everything. and i see a real improvement in how i paint.

"the worker is only as good as his tools"

FINAL DETAILS:

at this point i start to go over the figure fixing any paint drops, specks or over brushing mistakes

I shade the green glass tanks on the back and tint the brass tanks a bit with smoke wash to rust it.

I begin black lining any seams that are too light or have not been brought out in previous layers - i use a wash of thinned black or smoke and a fine liner brush

The mace is detailed and the horns shaded

The skins are given a mottled texture.

the horns are shaded again up to an ivory tip the glass is thin lined with black and white on the edge

the shield is detailed and everything gets a final going over if it needs extra hi light or shadow.

I like figures to look "realistic" in the fact that they are not going to be immaculately clean and shiny.

on these final stages I really have no set method or madness of detailing.

I just doing what I think needs to be done to get the feeling right and at a point you need to let go and stop fiddling with it or it can be ruined...

...but then i go and add some runic patterns because i couldn't resist (see final)

The eye pupils are one of the last things i do to get the figure looking in the best direction on this guy i just dot in a black pupil with a tiny white reflection.

the base is checked for mishaps and given a final black coat on bottom.

then everything gets a final coat of protecting matte finish - painted on -not sprayed

TA-DA! - FINISHED!

Azahir the Mad is done.

He is packed in foam and shipped off to his new owner.

I hope this has been an educational experience it has for me i never knew how much i put into these little suckers!

View the final photo to see a large 360 degree view.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

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