"Child of the Cursed Earth”– ‘Mean Machine’ Angel

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

“Alasss, poor Jossssseph. . . !“ – Judge Death

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Judge Mortis - Prepwork: The Right Pauldron

I've always considered Mortis' right pauldron--in the guise of a skeletal pterosaur--one of the em- bodiment of pestilence's defining characteristics. 

As I mentioned in the overview to the project's prepwork,most of it will focus on the right pauldron. The beautifully cast, one-piece pauldron has neither tail nor pseudo-pteroid bones. And while nei- ther structure is absolutely critical, their absence, IMHO, is a detractive distraction. 

Fortunately, the fix(es) are relatively easy. The pseudo-pteroid bones can be added in less than hour using spare resin stock: the pour sprues for the arms or heads/skulls make ideal blanks. Hollow out the ends to accommodate the wing bone nubs, glue, and carve/grind away until you are satisfied.   

The tail is a little trickier, depending on the amount of interaction you might require between the tail and the extended right arm. Personally, a limp hanging tail is little better than no tail at all-- especially as it will be largely blocked from view. My version of the tail will be somewhat prehen- sile in nature, wrapped loosely around Mortis's arm. To date, I have attached the base structure of the tail (malleable tin wire), and positioned it around the outer half of the arm. . . 

More to follow. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Judge Mortis - Prepwork

The dreaded Judge Mortis has won out!

Mortis has been pegged (as always, proceed slowly and ever-so carefully to get past the spindly ankles) and mounted on its work base. AND. . . the two-piece tail has been assembled.

The prepwork on the whole is largely unremarkable: simply a matter of carefully cleaning the elu- sive seam lines. Once you find them, I would suggest rubbing some powdered graphite along their entire length as a static reveal. Most of the prepwork will be focused on the skeletal ptero- saur right pauldron--but more on this when the time comes. . .

Insofar as what might lie ahead, I hope I don't disappoint when I say that this one will be built essentially straight OOB. I might distress a few areas to reveal the underlying decay; but other than that, I anticipate a relatively brief stay on the workbench for Death's right-hand [Dark] Judge.

Stay tuned. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Child of the Cursed Earth” -- Mean Machine is DONE!!!

Just a quick post to announce that I have just completed my final entry in DWC's 2000AD Painting Competition!

Before closing, I just want to say that I wish all figures were as much fun as DWC's offerings.
To me, they define what this hobby is. . . should be!. . . all about.

Images of all the entries will be posted within two weeks.

Let's see. . . who's next. . . Mortisssssss? Or perhaps Sláine. . . ??

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 4+ -- Groundwork and Finishing

This is the final installment for this project: henceforth, all work will be logged in one of the 5 existing installments. 

Phase 1 of the groundwork is now completed. Basically, this is the acrylic undercoat, which serves as a tonal grisaille, using cool-ish earth tones ranging from a pale khaki to a deep, earthy red. Once I get MM's boots done, I will go back and start finalizing with the oils.

More to follow. . .

PS--HAPPY IDES! 

FOLLOW-UP. . . After applying a tonal grisaille (in acrylics) to the boots, I decided to apply the base oils to the groundwork. Any more work on the groundwork will take place after the figure is permanently mounted FOLLOW-UP (2)--which it now is! 

16.03.2015 - The left eye has been undercoated (Reaper Yellowed Bone + Linen White).

19.03.2015 - Things are rapidly coming together. . . The left eye has been painted; and along with the right "eye", is now awaiting final glazing. The cybernetic arm is all-but-done: just a bit more staining and outlining, and it will be in the can. Most of the outlining of the clothing has been completed: all the remains is select, integrative weathering. We'll see how much remains to be done by the end of the weekend. . .   

   

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 4 -- Fabric and Leather

The design and costume of the figure have prompted me to do a 180° from my normal approach: I am painting MM from the top down. Which means that the upper half of the figure is now in oils, though far from finished. 

At this rate, I am reasonably sure of having all the fabrics in oils by the end of the weekend. This in turn should allow me to have the figure all-but-done in the next 10 days. Depending on how the paint sets, this means that I should be able to begin serious weathering within the fortnight. 

Stay tuned. . . 

FOLLOW-UP 14.03.2015. . . The denims are now done. . . and for the most part weathered. My days of completing any portion of a figure at one sitting are long behind me, I am happy to say. That is not what painting [a figure] is all about: any and every time you change the setting and/or composition of the figure, the figure must be reevaluated and subsequently integrated into or with its new elements.

FOLLOW-UP 15.03.2015. . . The leathers--boots and belt--are now done! And MM has been per- manently mounted on its display base. Hence, I deem this project completed. . . though it still has a week-10 days of "finalizing" to undergo.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 2 -- Metallics, pt. 2: The Arm

The  cybernetic arm [right] is now underway. So far, this has been a very interesting undertaking-- and I am less than 40% into it! To date, I have applied the Dark Iron and Iron, while enhancing the distressed areas with washes of Mars Black and Burnt Umber just to warm things up a bit. While I am quite pleased with the progress to-date, the next steps will determine how close I am to my goals--especially as I will be introducing the blues and the foundational weathering in the next phase. 

Stay tuned. . .   

UPDATE 12.03.2015. . . I am delighted to report that I am VERY close to my vision for the arm. The metallics are, in effect, done; AND I have begun the staining and weathering in earnest, as well as beginning the reassembly of the various enhancing addenda. I would say that the arm is now ~70% done: my goal is to have it all-but-done by the end of the weekend.

More to follow! 

UPDATE 14.03.2015. . . The arm has been permanently attached. I hope to have it fully assem- bled with all elements painted by the end of the weekend. DONE!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

DWC's Rogue Trooper Decommissioned

 This from Rin and DWC:

Hi Guys,

Well, Rogue Trooper's production moulds have expired and we have decided NOT to remake them. This means that Rogue Trooper is no longer available!

Rogue Trooper was our first 2000AD project over two years ago so it's a good time to retire him.

Many thanks!
 
Rin

If you are interested at all in this classic offering, the time to act is now! Red Lancers and CMON, to name but two, still show it as available.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 3 -- Flesh

I was going to plod on and "finish" the metallics today, but given the time change (am I the only one who hates   DST???), and the block of time required, I decided to take a bypass straight to the flesh.

And Phase 1 of the flesh is now done! My "new" approach to flesh was prompted by my work on relatively large expanses of distressed flesh (e.g., Jessica, Daenerys), and I find it to be a more dynamic--and user-friendly!--way to render variegated tones. With MM, we not only have to deal with the exposure to radiation and extreme heat, but necrotic areas as well. So this is the poster- child for post-Apocalyptic trauma!

As for the aforementioned "organic continuity",  I couldn't be happier--at this point! We'll see how this plays out in the days and weeks to come. . . 

Stay tuned. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 2 -- Metallics

By way of an introductory note, all "white" metallics will be done with G-S Mr. Metal lacquers.

Phase 1--basecoating--of the body's metallic enhancements is now done. Next, I will polish the metallic surfaces as called for; followed by touching-up of the flesh undercoat. DONE!

The rest of the process will involve staining and weathering the metallics once the flesh is painted in oils. AFAIC, the challenge here will be to achieve an organic continuity when one of the com- ponents is decidedly inorganic.

So far, so good. . . 

The  cybernetic arm [right] is next. While this will be in many respects easier, the challenge here will be to maintain a visual gradient of depth while introducing a diversity of complementary tones and textures on a rather limited canvas. 

Stay tuned. . .  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Pale Rider" - Pre-Prep (I)

As I indicated in my response to Lloyd's gracious comment, I had arrived at my vision of this piece before I ordered it. . . Now the time has come to pay the piper!

This bust will be the foundation piece of  my interpretation of  "the Pale Rider": the fourth Horse- man of the Apocalypse, bka Death. While I will rework the bust itself to some extent (refine the drapery, add eyes, etc.), the lion's share of the pre-prep will revolve around the sculpting of a skeletal hand and then animating it so that it holds a scythe (also scratchbuilt) convincingly.

The hand is about 50-60% done, but I have not even begun to think about the articulation!  I am sculpting the hand in SSF. Once done, I will disarticulate all the bones save the carpals, and reassemble the hand with soft wire or solder: this should provide me with an eminently posable hand.

Back to the bench!

FOLLOW-UP. . . The left eyeball has been roughed-in.
 
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

"Mean Machine" Angel - Painting: Dial 1 -- UC'ing

Not quite where I'd like to be, but close enough. . . 

The flesh and metallics on "Mean Machine" are now undercoated. I will hopefully have him ready for the lacquers and inks by the end of the week, but definitely by the end of the weekend. 

I also undercoated the right "eye". The definition of this grated orbit was less than hoped for on the computer rendering: it is hardly surprising that it is but faintly discernible on the bare casting. I have enhanced the orb with paint and will likewise replicate the grating with paint, using trompe- l'œil to suggest the depth of the layers and the reflectivity of the "glowing" eye.

And so it begins!

More to follow. . . 

UPDATE 05.03.2015. . . The pants and A-shirt are undercoated.

UPDATE 06.03.2015. . . Undercoating is completely done!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

MDC's Zombie Highwayman

At the Show this year, I was rather taken with a uniquely bizarre bust as rendered by Mike Hall: Model Design Construction's (UK) Zombie Highwayman. Whether or not it is a "walker"/"rider"? (though it definitely could be with some creative input on the part of the end-user!) is neither here nor there; but if you think of it as a "headed horseman" (from Sleepy Hollow, of course!) you would be more in the ballpark.

The kit is packaged in a sturdy black plastic box, with padding for the contents provided by an appropriate amount of bubble-wrap. The contents are comprised of two pieces: the main bust and the cocked hat, both excellent castings from one-piece butterfly molds in a saturated grey resin that is eminently workable. The bust scales out at ~1/6 scale/300mm.

This is a simple fun bust that harkens back to better times--it can certainly be done over a week- end straight OOB. But if you are willing to give your imagination free rein and ponder the options, you might just make the bust your own. I, for one, am definitely to going to explore the possibili- ties. . .  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003