Golem Hired Muscle - Finished

[GreenBeams]

I finally finished it! 

 

[Cranky Dog]

Golem kitty!

[GreenBeams]

1 hour ago, Cranky Dog said:

Golem kitty!

Mr. Stitches The Golem and Cat the Cat (also, a Golem) xD

Except, of course, the cat doesn't do what it's told and keeps getting underneath Mr Stitches' feet when he tries to go to the toilet at 2 am....errrmmm

=D

 

[Cranky Dog]

I like that the cat also has the same dour attitude.

 

Seeing the whole as a golem warrior + golem kitty gives the impression that they are meant to be together, and that the golem is not just carrying the cat because it was told too. But because it *wants* too.

 

 

[TaleSpinner]

This is a great sculpt.  I am completely jealous of the lettering on the sword.  Do you know how hard that would be to do that in analog sculpture?  I also love your skin and body textures.  It's expression is great.  The pose is fantastic.  The cat is inspired (though I would personally prefer it as a live cat, but that is just a taste thing). The sword is perfect!

 

Things to work on:

 

- The cloth looks too smooth in places.  There are many points where you show wear by putting holes in the cloth, but those holes are smooth, like a hole punched in play-dough with a finger.  They need to be rough like a hole in fabric with frayed edges.  Same with the edges of the fabric.  It looks smooth and new.  It would look better if frayed a bit in places with a few tears on the edge here and there.

 

- I'd tuck the area where the cloth crosses/touches the chest up a bit so that the sharp edge that is away from the body is prominent and  at a 90 degree or slightly less angle in cross section. This might make a slight under cut, not enough to affect casting, but it will sell the fabric a bit better.

 

- The metal rings on his loin cloth look like obvious copies of each other.  No real blacksmith could make them so perfect, plus real world combat would nick and damage some so that they vary.  They need roughing up.

 

That is all I have for you. 

 

Andy

 

[Clearman]

This is great!  I'd really like to paint one. 

[GreenBeams]

10 hours ago, TaleSpinner said:

This is a great sculpt.  I am completely jealous of the lettering on the sword.  Do you know how hard that would be to do that in analog sculpture?  I also love your skin and body textures.  It's expression is great.  The pose is fantastic.  The cat is inspired (though I would personally prefer it as a live cat, but that is just a taste thing). The sword is perfect!

 

Things to work on:

 

- The cloth looks too smooth in places.  There are many points where you show wear by putting holes in the cloth, but those holes are smooth, like a hole punched in play-dough with a finger.  They need to be rough like a hole in fabric with frayed edges.  Same with the edges of the fabric.  It looks smooth and new.  It would look better if frayed a bit in places with a few tears on the edge here and there.

 

- I'd tuck the area where the cloth crosses/touches the chest up a bit so that the sharp edge that is away from the body is prominent and  at a 90 degree or slightly less angle in cross section. This might make a slight under cut, not enough to affect casting, but it will sell the fabric a bit better.

 

- The metal rings on his loin cloth look like obvious copies of each other.  No real blacksmith could make them so perfect, plus real world combat would nick and damage some so that they vary.  They need roughing up.

 

That is all I have for you. 

 

Andy

 

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to give a wonderful critique!

I'm sorry about the lettering. it was the easiest thing to do in the sculpt.. i'm.. making it worse, aren't i? xD

I'm totally with you on the cloth. I'm trying a few alternatives to making it sharper and more frayed but most of it is still coming out clumped like melted plastic. i'll try and sharpen the edges of the holes and fray the bottom of the cloak.

I adjusted the cloth around the neck today at lunchtime and, again, you're right, it looks more believable that way.

Ironically, the iron rings were all individually done and took near the longest time! xD
I'm redoing them again with hopefully more readable wear and tear.

Concerning detail level for minis -
with traditional, you can only physically get so much on there but with digital you can get into every nook and cranny going. It's difficult to know when to stop(or start in some areas) Can i ask, is it better to add in all the detail you can and be told to simplify it down or work up with each review?

Also, is it something you just develop an eye for over time? 
I've been focusing on character sculpts for 8 months now and i realise that i'm still unsure as to what amount of detail to put on a sculpt. 

OK, i'm probably bending you ear now but i'l get some changes made and then post back up in the WIP forum.

Thanks again and all the best!

[kristof65]

14 hours ago, GreenBeams said:

Concerning detail level for minis -
with traditional, you can only physically get so much on there but with digital you can get into every nook and cranny going. It's difficult to know when to stop(or start in some areas) Can i ask, is it better to add in all the detail you can and be told to simplify it down or work up with each review?

Also, is it something you just develop an eye for over time? 
I've been focusing on character sculpts for 8 months now and i realise that i'm still unsure as to what amount of detail to put on a sculpt. 

 

I've noticed this too with my tanks. 

 

Since I have my own 3d printer, and I know it's minimum dimensions, I've been trying not to create details that go finer than that - but it's tough, and then I still wonder, should I go ahead and make finer details than I can print right now, because the better tech will come down in price? 

[TaleSpinner]

Yeah, I can't talk too much concerning the level of detail, as I am not a digital sculptor. In my world, I put in as much detail as my skill, hands, and eyes will let me.  For some reason when I zoom in too far (I do have a jeweler's microscope but don't use it much), my tools shake all to hell.   I wouldn't put much more time into the rings, because when you make him at, what, 40 mm, they'll look good. I wasn't thinking of that.  I think the fabric work is your best bet, but probably doesn't need a lot of work. You are already pretty close to what Jason W is doing on his sculpts:

 

 

I'd touch the fabric up a bit, add a base similar to what Jason and Bobby are doing, and then send it in to Ron Hawkins at Reaper.  He sometimes takes a while to get back to people (he's very busy); if you don't hear anything in a month just send him another polite request to look at it/give you feedback.

[GreenBeams]

8 hours ago, TaleSpinner said:

...

I'd touch the fabric up a bit, add a base similar to what Jason and Bobby are doing, and then send it in to Ron Hawkins at Reaper.  He sometimes takes a while to get back to people (he's very busy); if you don't hear anything in a month just send him another polite request to look at it/give you feedback.

Thanks, @TaleSpinner 
As it goes, i sent Reaper my portfolio about 6months ago and didn't hear anything. That's not surprising as it barely anything in. The website says to try back every 6months so that's what i did. That was a couple of weeks ago and i've got 9 sculpts in there now so i may do a bit better this time. I found an amail address on the site ( artsubmissionsATreaperminiDOTcom ) and that's what i've been using to apply. That's right, isn't it? i feel like they're super busy and, tbh, maybe i'm not at the right skill level yet and they want to see what i can do in 6months.

I'm cultivating my patience.
you know, excited, every-day-checking-emails level patience
but i'm cultivating it!

Cheers for all the help, too!

[TaleSpinner]

8 hours ago, GreenBeams said:

Thanks, @TaleSpinner 
As it goes, i sent Reaper my portfolio about 6months ago and didn't hear anything. That's not surprising as it barely anything in. The website says to try back every 6months so that's what i did. That was a couple of weeks ago and i've got 9 sculpts in there now so i may do a bit better this time. I found an amail address on the site ( artsubmissionsATreaperminiDOTcom ) and that's what i've been using to apply. That's right, isn't it? i feel like they're super busy and, tbh, maybe i'm not at the right skill level yet and they want to see what i can do in 6months.

I'm cultivating my patience.
you know, excited, every-day-checking-emails level patience
but i'm cultivating it!

Cheers for all the help, too!

 

Best bet to get hired by Reaper, is to attend ReaperCon and get your work seen by the other sculptors (Gene, Bobby, Jason, Chris Lewis, and Kevin especially since you are digital) and talk to Ron in person. I wouldn't be recommending this if I didn't think you were already good enough.

 

I'd recommend some other companies, but all of the other lines I work for hire analog sculptors exclusively.

[GreenBeams]

Cheers, @TaleSpinner!

I've convinced my wife that a pilgrimage is to be undertaken next year! Thanks for the vote of confidence too. No-one gets to see the" ohcrapohcrapohcrap-wait.. it worked!" moments I've been in touch with a few companies and have heard back from one big one, saying they might have work at the beginning of the year so to contact them then. It's a nibble, to be sure!

Oh, and, i sent the golem to print tonight (the version you see above) and have started on the redo with base. Bloomin' eck but getting cloth right is difficult! I'm continuing it in the WIP thread again.

all the best, 
Andrew.

[kristof65]

@TaleSpinner - just want to take a moment to say thank you for being so encouraging of others with their sculpting, no matter what level they're at.