Sergeant_Crunch Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 That's been a problem with MSPs, especially reds, for a while. They've either added a matte additive or will soon to the paints to remedy the problem. For reds though, MSPs do cover nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House of Dexter Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 When painting Dragons...I like finding a section and pretty much do what your doing...and then moving on to another section...that way you can easily find out if you like your transitions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TaleSpinner Posted April 17, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted April 17, 2006 Just an observation, your reaper paints are supposed to dry matt, Im also haveing some problems with glossy paint. I find it very dificult to layer with the reflecton off the other layer. True, but in any paint line, reds and browns are notorious for being glossy. Furthermore, I added both Flow-aid and extender to the paint which also adds to the glossiness. Finally, they appear a bit more glossy in the WIP pictures than in real life because of the close proximity of the unfiltered lights. If I had used a diffuser, they wouldn't be quite as glossy (I have not been using my photo booth as it takes too long to set it up and Cinder is really too big for it; I'll need to make a bigger one before I finish her). All that said, however, Bloodstain Red and Walnut Brown are glossier than most of the other MSPs I have used. I even shook them for 2 minutes each. It really doesn't bother me because I learned to layer on minis that had been hit with Magic Wash and this is nothing compared to that. I had thought of hitting it with Dullcoat before layering, but for one reason or another I didn't bother. I do think it is interesting that, as the color steps away from the darker reds, it gets progressively more of a matte finish. Obviously, blood red doesn't have a glossiness issue. That's been a problem with MSPs, especially reds, for a while. They've either added a matte additive or will soon to the paints to remedy the problem. For reds though, MSPs do cover nice. The darker reds are definately more of a satin or semi-gloss finish than a matte. I also found that they don't cover as good as the rest of the line (but are still far superior to other red paints I have used). Getting a true Matte paint in every color you want may well be nigh impossible, for the pigments and bases of certain colors are by nature more glossy. I see it as just a part of painting, a hurdle that must be dealt with. I'd rather have a good vibrant but glossy color that I can later dull down with dull coat, than one in which the hue and vibrancy have been compromised via the addition of too much matting agents. When painting Dragons...I like finding a section and pretty much do what your doing...and then moving on to another section...that way you can easily find out if you like your transitions... Yeah, that was what I was thinking, but I had never done it that way before. It does seem like a sort of sanity check on a mini this large. I am, however, a bit concerned about technique drift across such a large mini and having different areas looking different because my technique improves and or adjusts as I go along. Thanks all, TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 If you're worried about the shine, hitting each layer with a bit of dull cote will not only knock off the shine, but it will also add in another layer of protection to the final piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TaleSpinner Posted May 5, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted May 5, 2006 Hello, It's been a while. I've spent the last three weeks slowly layering the 6-8 shades of red onto Cinder's body scales. With spring coming on, house projects, overtime at work, and a family emergency (my father's appendix burst), I haven't had nearly the time for painting that I would have liked. That said, layering a mini this large has proven to be a painstakingly slow task. Tonight, I had just finished the tail and had only the arm and wing-shoulder scales left to go and I would have had the right side of her done (although I will still need to darkline/wash and glaze them). I was intending to add a post at this point showing you my progress. My book on tape ended and I put her down and swiveled to flip the tape. I had set her too close to the table's edge and her wing claws snagged the blanket draped over the back of my chair. With a thud, she crashed to the bare cement floor, landing fully upside down on the wing claws and tail and then rolling to the RIGHT SIDE. I picked her up, like a parent reaching for a badly injured child. The largest wing claws were bent more than 90 degrees, and, on the right one, one the impact point was flatenned and all detail lost. Instinctively, I bent these back into place before I even thought of potographing the damage. Then, I noticed that the tip of the tail that I had just spent the last 45 minutes layering, was missing! When I found it, my nice paint job was all scuffed up. The only other damage that I could find was on her right hand the outer two fingers have 2 scuff marks. Photos: Now, considering everything, it could have been a lot worse. All joints, except for the tail tip joint, are fully secure with absolutely no sign of damage. I couldn't give you a better example of the power of a well pinned epoxy joint. I can still hold her by the wing, which took the full force of the fall, and there isn't so much as a crack in the joint or wiggle. So all things considered, the damage could have been a lot worse. The down side though is that I will now need to step away from painting her for a few days in order to repair her before I can go on. Obviously, the tail sections will need to be cleaned out and it will need to be refitted and puttied. The wingclaw will need to be puttied and sculpted to get the texture back in the skin, and then I'll have to buff and prime all of the bare spots. I'm pretty bummed , but I guess I should be thankfull that the damage wasn't more extensive. I still hope to have the next post about the layering progress up sometime next week. I'll likely also show you the repairs as I make them. Have a good night. TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almathea Toes Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Yikes that sucks. Good luck with the repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhalthamus Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Bummer about the mini, but more importantly, is your dad okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TaleSpinner Posted May 5, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted May 5, 2006 Bummer about the mini, but more importantly, is your dad okay? Yes, after two weeks in the hospital he is home and one the way to a full recovery. He should be able to go back to work next week. Thanks for asking. TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Sorry to hear about your Dad! Best wishes on a speedy and full recovery. Ugh, that really bites on Cinder. It just deflates the drive to go forward on extended projects like this. Hang in there, and get back to painting--you'll be that much more proud when this big fella is done. Plus you will have a great story to tell about him, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redhandstudios Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Glad your Dad is ok...and that Cinder is fixable. I would have lost pieces under the couch or to cat digestion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousekiller Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Murphys law. If it can break, it probably will. Poor Dwarf Hold. Still not fixed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TaleSpinner Posted May 13, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted May 13, 2006 Quick Update: Cinder is back together and fixed and I am back to painting her, when I have time (still doing a lot of overtime). MSP brush-on primer works great. It goes on smooth and seems to bond quite well to the metal. I'll start posting updates again soon. TS BTW: My Dad has made a nearly full recovery now as well. Thanks for all the well wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TaleSpinner Posted May 24, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted May 24, 2006 Good evening, Well I FINALLY finished layering the red on one side of her body. Yes, you read that right, only one side; this dragon is HUGE. I swear she's been growing steadily ever since I put her together. The following are some shots of the finished layering of the main body scales from her right side (note that in some of the pictures you can contrast it with the base color on the left side): Then, before posting, I decided to do the lining between the scales. I used a 2:1 mix of Brown Liner:Clotted Red for the liner. This I thinned with a 4:1 mix of Liquitex Flow-aid:Water. The paint mix is as follows: For the most part, I just lined the scales but also did a bit of washing on them to darken a few areas. I tried to take the same shots as above so you can better compare the subtle changes. OK, now I want your thoughts. As you can see in the paint picture I posted above, I mixed a Clear Red glaze. I haven't used it yet. I was thinking of going over the scales with a thin glaze of Clear Red to brighten them, but I am not sure that they need it. What do you think? I also noticed that after lining I have a few touch-ups to do to the brighter red areas, but will wait until the model is nearly complete for that. I'll try not to take so long for the next post, but I am really busy at work right now and my garden needs love too, so my mini time is dwindling. I am still anxious to get her done though, so I will give all the time I can spare. I must say, I am really starting to get tired of painting red, so I may go on and paint her head before moving on to the other side; just to give myself a break. Thanks for being so patient with me. TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousekiller Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Looking good TS. You could always do a test on the leg or arm with the clear red, just to see if it makes a huge difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeccoWafer Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Cinder looks like a beautiful dragon and I can't wait to see how she looks when you are finished. So sad to hear that the shipping wasn't kind to her 'fingers' on her wings and the back was a bit messy. IMO (In My Opinion), if you got it from a mini store, I'd send it back because of the 'non-finished' back and the gap between the head and neck. Of course if you got it from eBay, you take it 'as is'. Good job on fixing her up and maybe with a bit more green stuff you can finish off her back. Happy sculpting and painting! -Terri aka NeccoWafer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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