50209: Alice WIP (Wonderland Diorama)

[cloudshaper2k]

I've had this idea for some time of using Alice and the White Rabbit in a diorama with the Jabberwock. This will be the first time I've ever attempted anything like this. This thread will focus only on Alice herself.

 

Anyway, in thinking about what I wanted Alice to look like, I immediately rejected the classic Disney blue - although the thought crossed my mind to convert her into an American McGee version by replacing the bottle with a large knife. Ultimately, I settled on the phrase 'Alice in ivory' as the overall tone I wanted to set.

 

I started with a quick one minute sketch of the figure to block out where I wanted to place my colors, scanned it into the computer and printed a sheet of them to test color choices. Here's the test sheet:

 

While my wife was enamored of the 'pink go-go boots' in the third one, I didn't like it. I also decided I'd make a go at a freehand detail with hearts on her skirt. (May God have mercy on me.) Here's the final:

Note: It's difficult to see in my sketch, but the petticoats will be the same pink as her choker and the center panel of the apron.

 

Here's what I've settled on as paint choices:

 

Ivory: Basecoat Creamy Ivory. Shadows Yellowed Ivory. Highlight White Sand.

Note: I decided not to go with the full MSP Ivory triad because I wanted a very light, pale ivory effect.

 

Red: The Bloodthirsty Reds triad.

 

Pink: MSP Breast Cancer Pink, will probably highlight by adding a touch of the ivory and shade with Carnage Red. (Very open to suggestions, folks.)

 

Skin: Fair Skin triad mixed 3:1 with Rosy Skin.

 

Boots: Basecoat Mahogany Brown. Shadows Midnight Blue. Highlight Stormy Gray. Brightest Highlights White Sand

Note: I chose this combination because it struck me that the combination would look black without having to work up from pure black shadows.

[Jordan Peacock]

Ooo. Alice vs. Jabberwocky would be nice. I've actually done some doodles going by such a theme:

 

 

 

(Larger: http://jordangreywol...423881#/d4qm9qc)

 

 

I could definitely see replacing the upraised bottle with a knife, American-McGee-Alice-style, or else a "vorpal blade." For my Kickstarter Jabberwock, I'm planning on getting out the green stuff and giving him a vest, a la the original Jabberwocky illustration. :D

 

Some air-dry clay might work nicely to make some mushrooms for a diorama; even though none appear in the Jabberwocky art, giant mushrooms seem iconic enough to drive home the idea of "This is happening in Wonderland!" and they're pretty easy to sculpt.

 

I like the idea of red and white with card suits (hearts, especially) as an alternative to "Disney blue." Another possibility, if you want to deviate a bit from the typical way this figure is painted, would be to give her stockings (either solid white, or perhaps white-red or white-black).

 

If I ever end up with an extra Alice (due to a clearance sale or a grab bag deal), I think I might paint up one as a "Goth Alice" (lots of black, but working in some "red rose" detailing somewhere) with stripey stockings, just because I think that would be fun, and replace the bottle with something interesting. In a bitz grab-bag I got as part of a painting-for-bitz deal, I ended up getting a bit that looks like a scythe with some vines and/or roses growing around it. I think it was meant for Warhammer Fantasy for a spellcaster, but I'm not sure. Something like that (if you can somehow find it -- sorry my details are so vague!) might make for a nice alternative weapon that still fits a "Wonderland-ish" theme.

 

Anyway, Wonderland is a fun theme (that I'm just a LITTLE bit interested in) that I think opens up possibilities for a lot of interesting visuals. I really look forward to seeing where you go with this! :D

[cloudshaper2k]

Two sets of progress photos. This first set is my initial blocking in for shadows and highlights for the skin. Okay, truth is, I took these thinking I was done with the skin . . . then I cropped the images and could see every transition point.

 

So, I put the wet palette away, broke out the well palette and thinned out my skin tones and started blending. Here's the results:

 

Suggestions and critiques are more than welcome, gang. I'll probably start working on her blouse next.

[psyberwolfe1]

It looks like your primer fuzzed on you. I would say strip and reprime if you're doing this for competition.

[Jordan Peacock]

What kind of paints are these? It's fascinating to see the steps you're taking so far to get the skin tones, but I'm a bit surprised at the texture.

[cloudshaper2k]

psyber: I think you're right. Your comment got me doing some research and I'm going to test primer a couple of minis with a different spray technique. While this isn't (currently) for a competition, I'm wanting to get my skills up to that level - so, strip and reprime it is.

 

Jordan: All MSPs - which is why the texture shouldn't be there at all.

[JackMann]

Can you go into the spray technique you used here? It's not right for Alice, but I can imagine minis where it would be an interesting texture, especially if you could isolate it to a single part of the mini.

[cloudshaper2k]

Honestly, when I started researching primer fuzz, it seems to come from overshaking the can or high humidity. I'm putting my money on overshaking for this. One of the sites I looked at suggests it's endemic to white spray primer. I live in Phoenix and even though today was high humidity for us, I've had my primer do this before. I just never thought to seek out the why until now.

 

I suppose it would be a quick and dirty way of texturing a teddy bear mini or other stuffed toy part. Not sure how you'd go about isolating it to one part of the mini, though.

[Kay]

 

I suppose it would be a quick and dirty way of texturing a teddy bear mini or other stuffed toy part. Not sure how you'd go about isolating it to one part of the mini, though.

 

Mask off around the area that you want textured. Blue tape, saran wrap, baggies, paper......

[Kay]

Just wondering, what kind of primer did you use? I just took a few pix of two I have partially done and don't see that fuzz.

[cloudshaper2k]

Kay, I'm using Armory's primer at the moment.

[psyberwolfe1]

Oh sweet Satan! That is why you're getting fuzz. Armory is quite possibly the world's worst primer. I only use Armory for terrain because I want the texture. The best white primer is Tamiya. Followed by Duplicor sandable auto primer. Seeing that you're in Phoenix you might want to get the spray closer to the figure. I've sprayed from 3"-6" away. Oh and here is an article I wrote on Primers it should help.

[haldir]

Well there is GW's primers (or at least a few years ago, they ranked right next to or worse then Armory ones).

[skippen]

I had a recent bought of rampant primer fuzz here (in Colorado). It took me a long time to figure out because it was not happening all the time, but enough that it was very annoying. I asked my fellow painters, and I finally figured it out. I was spraying too far away. The primer was drying on the way to the mini. I have not had a problem since I shortened my distance.

[Adrift]

I have had great results with $6-8 Krylon primer, which you can buy readily anywhere. I used it on all my minis and have had zero issues. It sprays on thinner and a lot smoother than all the boutique primers I've tried.