Ghoul Queen 77175 - Conversion. Some advice needed

[Peithetairos]

Hi all,

 

I am again guilty as charged to neglect painting my miniatures. Instead I go on converting them...that said, I intend to paint her directly after she is finished to break the pattern.

 

This time I decided to give Bones Mini 77175 a total make over.

 

 

I found the sculpt very busy and the nose was unfortunately miscast. Anyhow, I am always quick with the blade and decapitated her, took away the sword on her back and got the greenstuff out.

 

I intend to add a skeleton coming forth from the soil beneath her outstretched hand, which required me to rebase her.

 

I started with the following:

 

Head swap with one of Statuesque's Pulp Heads, a feather and a bone on her belt and a focus on her back. 

 

 

 

 

I also cut away a bit of her upper body to make space for my sculpting efforts and to make sure that she would have a neck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And some detail shots:

 

As you can see the idea is to have a little mandrake man attached to the focus. Sculpting the face with big nose and squinty eyes was difficult, but I hope with paint on it will be clear that it is a mandrake.

 

 

On the other side we have a skeletal hand attached to her focus and a small rodent skull. Her hood ends in a sleigh bell, that is why there is a sphere with a cross shaped indentation. Potentially needs some smoothing.

 

 

 

Observations:

 

• The pictures are very good to show small flaws in the greenstuff. These will be covered with some fresh putty and smoothed out. Should I mix more yellow in to achieve a mix that can be better smoothed out? I read up about this topic and I also own a bottle of Tamiya grey surface primer and filler. Did you ever coat greenstuff wit that stuff and sanded it afterwards for a smooth finish? It is a brush-on lacquer based coating. Will this attack greenstuff? The coat itself looks a bit uneven in places. While this might fit a tattered cloak of a necromancer I might need to even it out. Opinions on this?
• Where the fabric is attached to her cuffs a metal ring or something similar should be added. Right now I don't think it is apparent how it is fastened. Opinions?
• Does her coat/dress make sense? I know that draped dresses where a thing in medieval times, but here the idea is that the arms of the coat drape down and are attached via rings to the cuff. The original model has only one draping piece on each side, but here we have two. Are there any real world examples for this? I know it is fantasy, but it should make sense.
• Should I add some strains of hair that come forth from her hood?

Thank you in advance lads and lasses!

Edited November 23, 2016 by Peithetairos

[lexomatic]

What are you calling a "focus." I'm all confused.

 

The sculpted clothing looks like a hooded shawl (as opposed to a cloak). That could be because I'm not understanding things without paint. Separately I think they're fine, though I can't think of any images of a woman wearing a hood. No idea about the question you're actually asking.

[malefactus]

That is an IMPRESSIVE conversion. She looks the part of a Ghoul Queen now, far more than the original miniature. The stray hairs would look fine, but they might detract from the sinister aspect of the Girl.

[Inarah]

Since you are concerned about draping, I think the hood looks a bit unrealistic.  Right now it defies gravity, especially in the back.  The front edge right over the face needs a bit of droop, and the tail in back looks like it is stuffed with cotton.  You've got great creepy, slinky drape on the robes, and the hood looks more cartoony. 

[Peithetairos]

What are you calling a "focus." I'm all confused.

 

I think a "wand" or "scepter" might be a better word. Basically a frame, stick etc. a wizard can fasten magical components to. A bit like this:

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Gallery_of_foci

 

Or more specifically only with a mandrake instead of the doll:

 

http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/gw2-improvised-scepter-skin.jpg

 

I think "scepter" would make more sense.

 

2.

 

Hood and gown are indeed seperate pieces of clothing:

 

The hood was supposed to resemble medieval "Gugel" or "liripipe":

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gugel

 

 

This picture is in the public domain, so I hope embedding it here is ok.

 

 

 

I think the hood looks a bit unrealistic.  Right now it defies gravity, especially in the back.  The front edge right over the face needs a bit of droop, and the tail in back looks like it is stuffed with cotton.  You've got great creepy, slinky drape on the robes, and the hood looks more cartoony.

 

I think you are right, the hood needs to be thinner and less "stuffed" if I look at pictures again. I think I'll fix that and make the pointy hood longer so that it hangs down as opposed to snake down. This should add a bit of menace and would be more in tone with the creepy robes. The liripipe could even hang over her shoulders.

 

Shaving  a bit off the top of the hood and making it droop more may be a good idea for enhanced realism.

 

I could also give her a Maleficent headdress with horns.

 

 

3.

 

She is supposed to have three pieces of clothing:

 

A dress underneath.

 

The Gugel

 

An overcoat that is one piece, a bit like this one:

 

http://www.firefly-path.net/?page_id=1319

 

Picture number 36 (sorry can't link to it directly. 4th row, 5th picture from the left) only with double drape.

 

Or this picture:

 

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/amsnorth/images/7/7e/Necromancer.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140821225234

 

However, the arms would have a slit so that they drape and then would be attached to the cuffs.

 

I hope that makes it more clear, but I am uncertain if that will actually read as such when it is painted.

 

 

In any case, thanks for the critique and suggestions so far. It always brings up issues that I would not see myself after spending time with a mini for an extended period of time.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Peithetairos

[ultrasquid]

I see what you're doing with the Gugel hood, but I understand Inarah's complaints too. If there isn't a rigid structure within the hood (which would cause other changes) it should droop a bit more in the front, or it could be more form-fitting like the illustration. The tail of the hood looks like it has a balloon animal snake stuffed inside it; it doesn't drape naturally as soft cloth would. 

[Peithetairos]

Thinking more about it, a slight remodelling of the coat will be in order. Extensive googling did not bring forth an example real or imagined for my coat design. I also think it would be highly inconvenient to wear even for someone having the control over life and death. I might go with a simpler surcoat design with slits for the arms, on top of which the coat with hood is worn. The hood might then rather have a short pointy tip, as opposed to the longer pipe. No matter what it needs to not look like a balloon animal :P.

 

Note to myself: check dress design before you start instead of using the model as an inspiration.

[Chaoswolf]

Wow, that's already a very impressive conversion!

[Peithetairos]

It took a long time, but I am finally finishing the conversion.

 

I removed significant amounts of my earlier attempt, redid the hood and repositioned the magical components to a more suitable location on a stave or wand. 

 

The robes still need work, as I now want to go for a sleevless talar.

 

Other than that some hair will be added and a few more details, then she is finished.

 

[Peithetairos]

Some more work put into the gown and staff.

 

 

[Peithetairos]

I had some time coming up with an idea for a scenic base for the Ghul Queen.

 

The idea was that she is getting new material from a graveyard with her familiar looking on.

 

I will add burned down candles in the alcoves on the stone pillar and maybe a raven in the tree.

 

Not sure how to place the Zombies right arm. Either on something or I cut it so that it looks like he slides up from the soil.

 

I will definitely add purple necrotic energy from his eyes to her hand with acrylic medium.

 

Let me know what you think:

 

 

[Lord of the Dish Pit]

Perhaps angling the arm upwords, like it's reaching towards her. Possibly move the zombie slightly to the right and angle him towards her coming out of a small mound of upturned earth, giving more of a dynamic action.

[Peithetairos]

Thank you for the suggestions. I may have a better idea where the Zombie can go when I apply filler and sand.

 

The hand upwards to her is not a bad idea. A bit like the Creation of Adam mayhaps.