Whizard Hlavaz
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Posts posted by Whizard Hlavaz
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NMM can be dark. I've successfully rendered black NMM. Color doesn't matter. It's the placement of reflections and highlights that's key. Your piece looks like crystal -- as cool as that is -- mainly because every edge is rendered with a highlight and the other surfaces are largely ignored. While edges do reflect more light on metal, you need to pay attention to the placement of highlights on every plane or surface. The scalloped interior of the blade in BI, for instance, needs a lot more attention. The movement from light to shadow across the surface is lost.
Your best bet is to have several pieces of metal on your desk while painting and simply copy how they reflect light. Color doesn't matter. Highlight and shadows do.
Another tip -- a great many of your brightest highlights will fall next to your darkest shadows or at least a line of shadow. In any event, just keep studying. You'll get it.
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Zap-a-Gap brand of cyano super glue works well for most of my 25mm metal needs. You may need to drill and pin, however. In fact, I recommend it. Super glues are often brittle and don't take well to shocking blows like a drop. Pins help add internal stability.
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Another sweet piece. Very nice, Derek. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
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Very cool. Thanks, Warlady. Nice recommendations.
And yes, maybe Pat will stop blogging and finish already. Here's to hoping. Although, I really like reading his blog, too. Good stuff.
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Ah-ha! Very funny! Great job!
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Specifically, which Kolinsky sable? Can you tell us the size and your source? Is this the Reaper brush or another one?
I've got 3 or 4 different sable brushes and none have really impressed me yet.
Winsor and Newton Series 7 Pointed Rounds all the way (not series 7 miniature -- you want more bristles to hold more paint).
Get 'em at Dick Blick. I recommend size 0 and 1 -- again, larger brushes hold more paint while still giving you needle-sharp points.
And they taste great!
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Very nice work, Andy. She's a difficult miniature --- loads of surfaces. I was just looking at her as a possibility for one of my 'return to painting' pieces, and she spooked me.
You did a *very* nice job. I appreciate the textures you've rendered -- on the quiver, for instance. Nice work.
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Nice Uncle Sam. Great work with the stripes there. And agree -- the superhero is nice, too. Good job.
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Looking good. Some nice depth -- dimension -- to her features. Good job.
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Nobody, eh? OK. Piers it is.
If you happen to think of anything in the short term, don't be shy and let me know.
Thanks.
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Absolutely. Put me down, please.
If we're fortunate enough to attract more than a couple beyond 6, can you accomodate them? Or is that a hard cap? If so, should we plan another venue as back up?
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Good man!
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Knowing where Dargrin lives, I have no problem travelling there. That 15 minute drive will really suck
Schedualing the time to actually paint is the hard part.
And to this end -- should we start a N.E. Paint Day thread? Hmm? Hmm?
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New Hampshire is a bit west?
In the great nation of New England? Yes, indeed!!!
But to clarify -- I mean to say for those Reaper Peeps in N.E., Keene N.H. is a bit west. We have folks in ME, eastern NH, Boston area, and then south in CT (which would make Keene a bit too north). That's all I meant. Of course, any of you folks from the rest of the U.S. are welcome to come if we have a day. We can put folks up.
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As far as another New England Paint Day, I have been thinking about putting together another one. Any suggestions for a venue?
I'm interested. And willing to travel wherever. I can always get space @ Toy City in Keene, NH. But that's a bit west for a lot of folks. So anything is good by me.
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I carry my competition pieces with me in the cabin. I check any unpainted or in-progress pieces with my luggage (in my luggage).
I've never had a problem with TSA but have always been prepared to unpack the figures for inspection. Nobody has ever asked.
I pack my comp pieces in foam and acrylic cases. The foam and cases can be had at Michael's. I cut the foam to fit to the proportions of the acrylic case, cut the (most likely) cube of foam in half, then cut a space to the basic shape and dimensions of the miniature, leaving sufficient padding around all sides (plan ahead). I then line this space with soft, polishing cloth; place the mini inside; close it up; and put it all down into the cube -- miniature base toward the bottom of the cube (and sides of foam marked to show which side is up).
Often I first place a piece of cardboard, cut to the dimensions of the case, down inside the case. To this I attach a ribbon on the underneath, which I then loop up and out of the case on two sides, creating a sling. This gives me something to hold as I pull the (often snug) foam up and out of the cube when unpacking.
And if that ain't control-freak enough for you...
Oh, and the less TSA has to ask of you, the less scrutiny they'll give your figs. Have your shoes off ahead of time... don't carry your knife... don't have unbagged liquids/gels over the regulated ounces... etc.
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Well, I've been painting miniatures on and off since I was about 10 or 11, which -- for those of you who know how old I am -- is a looooong time.
I can't remember specifically when I discovered Reaper miniatures. Or when I bought my first. But I do remember going online one day in 2003 (I had to look at my join date to get the year) to visit the Reaper webpage. I can't remember what prompted me -- either because the blister pack listed a web address or else a search for online vendors produced a link. In any event, I came to the front page, poked around, and thought to myself "Wow, this company needs a forum. I should write to the webmaster and tell him to get off his butt and put one up."
So impetuous as always, I clicked on the webmaster's contact link and began to write an e-mail. Only something started tickling me to check to see if there ACTUALLY WAS a forum before I clicked send on the e-mail.
Lo and behold... there was.
And so I was saved from making a fool of myself to Kit.... on that occasion, at least.
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For starters -- If you haven't read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, do so. Now.
Seriously, stop reading this thread, go get the book, and read it. Now.
You're still reading here...
<sigh>
I can only lead a horse to water...
All that said... if you have read it, what miniature -- Reaper or otherwise -- would you use to represent young Kvothe, specifically while he's at the University?
I'm thinking 65006: Piers, Young Mage by Sandra Garrity and add a mandolin, either on his back or propped beside him. Maybe I need a chair to prop it against. Are there any chair miniatures?
Obviously, I have a project in mind.
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Hm. Very nice. Do you have contest results, yet?
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Nice and clean. Very nice.
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Carnage in Vt is another local Con, I am not sure if they hold a painting competition, but it was a great Con at a gorgeous resort. That is usually held Veteran's Day weekend.
Carnage does have a painting competition, but it's not much to speak of.
I like Carnage, particularly for the resort, which as you say is nice. But for painting, I didn't find Carnage to be all that. Not many painters show. There aren't any classes (and the organizers seemed uninterested when I offered to run one). And the competition -- well, let's just say I wasn't comfortable leaving my models unsecured and unattended on a side table around the corner from the lobby (and organizer table) overnight and throughout the day. No lock box. Nobody watching. Any of the little men could have wandered off at any time (as they are wont to do). The whole competition seemed more an afterthought to me. Almost as though the organizers knew a gaming convention should have a painting competition, but didn't have any interest or experience in running one.
But that's not to discourage anyone from attending Carnage. It's an otherwise super con, and I had a very, very good time. The gaming is great. It's just not a painter's con by any means.
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I'm in western Mass, so events in the northeast are easier (cheaper) to get to, if you know of any maybe I can plan for next year.
Another for a New England Paint Day... if we hold one again.
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you know, if i had that information, I would have figured it out on my own. its the smaller of the two bits that Reaper sells in the Asylum in their Pin Vice kit, I picked it up at Reapercon...
Yeah, that's hard to figure out without a caliper with which to measure. If you don't have one, I'd simply recommend ordering one or else a range of drill bits from either Micro-Mark or Drill Bit City. You'll use them (and snap them, at which point they become good pins, too).
Or if you're lucky enough to have a friend in machining, perhaps he or she could hook you up with everything you need. I have a friend who used to be able to order extremely small (micro) drill bits for me through his shop. And for cheap. Maybe you know someone with access to those kinds of special tools.
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Derek -- As Mamageek said: we are so very fortunate to have you here. You continue to inspire again and again.
She is absolutely gorgeous. An amazing figure. And then there's your paint. So detailed. So natural. Well... you know all that. Suffice it to say I think she's super.
You absolutely remain one of my most admired artists. Thanks for sharing.
New England paint day
in Off-Topic Rampancy
Posted
Kate? Hmm? Hmm?