Mr.Wizard
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Posts posted by Mr.Wizard
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Hey Sarge, that is up tite and outta site!
I look forward to seeing your progress!
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I agree that there is a possible demand for:
1. Nonhuman Bards
2. Nonhuman and Monstrous arcane spellcasters
3. Adventurers with nonstandard mounts
I would also like to see a slightly scaled-down treant, one that could be an adventurer.
I am running a back-to-basics D&D campaign (3.5e, though), and would like to purchase and/or see made some of the old-school monsters like ropers, mimics, shambling mounds, etc. I want to focus on exotic baddies that don't walk on two legs. You guys do some rockin' elementals, so I'll probably grab those, as well.
Finally, I would lobby for an extension of your excellent line of set pieces, to include architectural features, for example.
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There are certain tropical trees that have smooth bark, which would be amenable to the tool grip dip. Please post photos of your trees.
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I like this pattern, because it makes the dragon look a bit more plausible. I like it so much that I may give it a try on my minis, if that's alright.
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Personally, I love the face. She totally looks like Allison Janney from the West Wing.
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I took one look at that mini, and I heard Nancy Sinatra singing, "These boots were made for walkin'."
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Yeah, the face has some personality. My caption would be, "I know you're a 10th level wizard, but you want me to do WHAT?!?"
Also, the base is rockin', in more ways than one.
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Dude, JB Weld got me back on the road one day. I had a leak around the fuel level sensor on the top of my gas tank. I followed the instructions on the tube, and was rewarded with a seal that was airtight and scoffed at gasoline! Good stuff, I will definitely try it on minis.
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TaleSpinner:
You should get the Reaper Public Service Award for posting this exhaustive treatise.
You have my gratitude for the time and effort this has taken.
In other words, thanks dude!
Brian the Fizzy Cyst
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Wow, I sure came to the right place!
Talespiner's work-up on Cinder was an epic tutorial, thanks for putting in all that time.
Sgt. Crunch's suggestion for alignment makes a lot of sense. I guess it really is that simple.
Thanks Dirk for the reconstructive surgery photos ;)
Well, time to bust out the Dremel and get to work.....
Thanks again!
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Thanks Humansquish and Sgt. Crunch for the perspective. I have some less expensive dragons I can fiddle with. I guess the eyeball-method is the way to go.
Thanks SmokingWreckage for that article. It's a real Rosetta Stone! I think I'll email the author with my compliments.
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Hello All,
Normally I would just teach myself this pinning stuff via trial-and-error, but these minis cost a few bob a piece, so I'd at least like to get in the ballpark the first try.
So:
1. How do you drill holes such that you get good alignment and the angle you want?
1a. Do you use a jig of some kind?
2. What kind of wire do you use? Coat hanger, K&S brass rod, or other?
3. Which adhesive do you recommend? Cyanoacrylate, JB Weld, epoxy, Altoids, saliva?
4. Is this the appropriate forum for this question, or is there an article to which I can be referred?
If this has been covered elsewhere, I'm happy to read it, just gimme a direction.....
Thanks!
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I have that mini, and have been wondering what to do with it. Thanks for the excellent ideas!
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Dude, that Lady of the Lake idea is awesome!
Happy to help!
Thanks for the feedback on the lanterns. I think I'll try making lanterns of about the same size out of stiff wire, and enclosing the LEDs with those. The wires to the end of the staff could be disguised as ropes, or with Elmers-soaked Kleenex masquerading as some tattered, hanging gloom.
Hmmm......Tattered Hanging Gloom......sounds like a goth band, no?
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I've been intrigued by this mini for a while.
First, your paint job is awesome.
Now, what I've been thinking is that the lanterns cry out for miniature amber LEDs. For those who have this little guy, are the lanterns big enough to drill out, or would you need to make your own to enclose the LED?
I also think red LEDs would be a good idea for a glowing lava base. You could grab an unsuspecting piece of plexiglass and sculpt it. A little Future floor wax would shine it up quite nicely. Just a thought.....
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If you're going to stain something that's really made of wood, try the Floguil Wood Stains. Very low viscosity, as I recall. I stipulate that there should be no plastic of any kind in what you're staining, because Floquil eats plastic. Many model train folks have used it, to good effect.
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Like a voice in the wilderness, Brooding Paladin speaks the truth! I have used said material myself, and yea it doth rock!
I hadn't tried Enchantra's bread dough putty, but that looks worth a try. Gonna hafta give it a shot....
I would also cheerfully endorse Woodland Scenics. The model train guys are literally decades ahead of us on the scenery front, and it shows. Do a google image search under "HO train layout", and ye shall be amazed.
Sincerely,
Mr. Willard
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I have such trouble with "hobby" paints (testors, GW, etc.), that I'm slowly changing over to artists' quality. I can recommend Liquitex fliud acrylics (the kind in the bottle). They have a great shelf life, good value for the money, and archival pigments. I just cut it with a little water and if flows and levels great, with rich color.
I can also say good things about Blick Artists Arcylics. They have museum-quality pigments, and you can toss in different mediums/media to mess around with drying time, consistency, surface tension, etc.. My early experiments with Golden Acrylic Glazing Medium show good results for transparent layers.
Food for thought.....
Why do I bring this up?
Well, a few years ago I went to the J. Paul Getty museum in L.A.
I saw some 1000-year-old illuminated manuscripts that look like they were painted yesterday. That really got my attention. I'm a physics dude, and they more I thought about the thermal and UV exposure to which the manuscripts were subjected, the more impressive they were.
I then got to thinking that, if I'm going to put all this work into a mini or a model, it would be nice if the colors lasted. I started thinking about the limitations of some of our hobby materials.
Some of my suspicions were confirmed recently, at an aircraft model display at the Albuquerque Airport. The models were behind glass, and the nearest window was ~30ft away, north-facing, and in the shade, so no direct sunlight was in play (not to mention the moderate UV shielding effects of 1/4" glass). Even under these conditions, every aircraft I observed that had white paint showed distinct yellowing of the white areas. There was also quite a bit of fading of the darker colors.
Now, I'm not saying artist-quality paints are perfect, but they're darn sure worth a try.
Again, just my two pence. What do you all think?
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Yeah, ya know, I think she's got the nicest booty I've ever seen in a gaming mini. Did you notice how the wings frame the booty in the rear view? Now, that's art!
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Good gods, what a stupefyingly beautiful work! The twisted wire approach really worked for you; that is the best tree I have seen in many an age. Well done!
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I liked the wash. It really set off the structure. Good job!
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The paint job is absolutely rockin'.
For some reason, many of the GW minis are very visually busy. Maybe it has to do with points or something. Sometimes, less is more.
BTW, what did you use for the gold armor?
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Thanks for the advice!
I will try this on my very next miniature!
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How do you get such a gradual transition i.e. smooth shading? Is there a tutorial that anyone can point me to?
Mr. Willard
8 Reaper Minis
in Show Off: Painting
Posted
While Vikinglodge's skill far eclipses mine, I would have given that barbarian fellow a five o'clock shadow.