Let the painting begin!!!!!
A~
29 December 2009
27 December 2009
Monarch Nosferatu--PAINTING (I)
I had a spare hour or so this afternoon, so I decided to go ahead and get the spot-priming behind me. "Spot-priming" is what I call the select application of primer to suspected/known trouble areas. It's not something that, as figure modellers, we tend to do as a matter of course, but it is nonetheless an essential technique for most aspects of scale plastic modelling.
I use the G-S Mr. Surfacer primers for spot priming, due to their filling properties. In this instance, I used Mr. Surfacer 500 applied with an airbrush, with special attention being paid to the long lateral seams of the frock and the medial seams of the boots.
All in all, I was very pleased with the results. While flaws were indeed revealed (including one to which I didn't have a clue!), they were relatively few, and should be taken care of before calling it a night today.
If work isn't too bad, I will try to get the figure primed and on the paint bench by tomorrow evening. In any event, I should be applying the undercoat by this coming weekend.
FOLLOW-UP
The figure is now primed!!! I'll try to give it the final once-over over the next few days, and then post images of the primed piece.
28.12.09--UPDATE
The figure has been moved to the painting bench! I'll try to get images of the primed components posted by the weekend. Back to the hands!
I use the G-S Mr. Surfacer primers for spot priming, due to their filling properties. In this instance, I used Mr. Surfacer 500 applied with an airbrush, with special attention being paid to the long lateral seams of the frock and the medial seams of the boots.
All in all, I was very pleased with the results. While flaws were indeed revealed (including one to which I didn't have a clue!), they were relatively few, and should be taken care of before calling it a night today.
If work isn't too bad, I will try to get the figure primed and on the paint bench by tomorrow evening. In any event, I should be applying the undercoat by this coming weekend.
FOLLOW-UP
The figure is now primed!!! I'll try to give it the final once-over over the next few days, and then post images of the primed piece.
28.12.09--UPDATE
The figure has been moved to the painting bench! I'll try to get images of the primed components posted by the weekend. Back to the hands!
20 December 2009
Monarch Nosferatu (5): Final Finishing & Wrapping-up
I am very pleased to say that this will be the initial posting in the final bench thread of this project. Within the fortnight, I hope to have the painting thread underway.
It has been a productive couple of days. Final finishing is about 70% done: the arms have been permanently attached since Thursday, and I am now waiting for the putty to cure around the arm joins so that the sleeve seam can be finalized.
I also spent a productive hour or so on the hands today: I would say that they are about 60% done, and one or two more bench sessions should wrap them up nicely.
23.12.2009
Final surface finishing is now about 55% done. With any luck at all, I will be photographing the finished piece over the weekend in anticipation of priming.
24.12.2009
I have just permanently attached the neck peg and the leg pegs. . . the benchwork is virtually done! I am striving to complete all the remaining touch-ups, etc. by Saturday and shoot him on Sunday. Priming will have to wait until the following weekend as I will be tied-up at work all of next week. . .
26.12.2009--UPDATE
Nosferatu is all-but-done (save for the hands) as of about 20 minutes ago! I plan to photograph him tomorrow, so the final pre-priming images should be up by Monday latest.
It has been a productive couple of days. Final finishing is about 70% done: the arms have been permanently attached since Thursday, and I am now waiting for the putty to cure around the arm joins so that the sleeve seam can be finalized.
I also spent a productive hour or so on the hands today: I would say that they are about 60% done, and one or two more bench sessions should wrap them up nicely.
23.12.2009
Final surface finishing is now about 55% done. With any luck at all, I will be photographing the finished piece over the weekend in anticipation of priming.
24.12.2009
I have just permanently attached the neck peg and the leg pegs. . . the benchwork is virtually done! I am striving to complete all the remaining touch-ups, etc. by Saturday and shoot him on Sunday. Priming will have to wait until the following weekend as I will be tied-up at work all of next week. . .
26.12.2009--UPDATE
Nosferatu is all-but-done (save for the hands) as of about 20 minutes ago! I plan to photograph him tomorrow, so the final pre-priming images should be up by Monday latest.
19 December 2009
EPH IS BACK!!!!
Just a quick note to let you know that EPH is "back in business", as it were, and I--WE!!!--will hopefully be able to pick-up where we left off. In short, if you want to start posting on EPH, by all means do so, and rest assured that the site will be monitored at least daily. Please note that if you wish to make a posting on EPH, you will have to register as a member: Guests do not have posting privileges, though you may lurk at will and to your heart's content.
So what does this mean for AMF? Nothing whatsoever!!! AMF will continue, business as usual, as the venue of record for my non-historical pursuits. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who prefer one-stop surfing; but after considerable thought and deliberation, I felt that I was reaching fewer people with but a single venue than I could with two.
Before closing, there will be some projects that will bridge the two sites, much as there were when I started AMF earlier this year. Historical projects will be resumed/continued on EPH. In order to maintain a semblance of continuity between the threads, if not where they reside, I will put hot-links in place whenever necessary.
I hope to have the transition completed within 8-10 weeks.
Best regards,
Augie
So what does this mean for AMF? Nothing whatsoever!!! AMF will continue, business as usual, as the venue of record for my non-historical pursuits. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who prefer one-stop surfing; but after considerable thought and deliberation, I felt that I was reaching fewer people with but a single venue than I could with two.
Before closing, there will be some projects that will bridge the two sites, much as there were when I started AMF earlier this year. Historical projects will be resumed/continued on EPH. In order to maintain a semblance of continuity between the threads, if not where they reside, I will put hot-links in place whenever necessary.
I hope to have the transition completed within 8-10 weeks.
Best regards,
Augie
18 December 2009
Holiday Greetings '09
Unlike previous years, the metro Atlanta area is experiencing weather befitting the season. It's been seasonably cold. . . and WET. Hard to believe we were in a severe drought less than six months ago--now I'm ready to sprout gills! Go figure!!!
"Go figure", indeed! Take some time for yourselves this Holiday Season, and plot out a new project; or make some inroads on an ongoing venture; or simply wrap-up that poor soul that has been desperately clamoring for completion!
But above all, enjoy whatever time you have with family and friends. We're 90% through the first decade of the 21st c., and it has been "interesting", to say the least. I don't believe there's any turning back, and a great unexplored wilderness lies before us. One step at a time. . .
So on this last weekend before the Holiday and on the penultimate weekend of 2009, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the readership a joyous, restful, peaceful--and productive!--Holiday Season; and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY HANUKKAH
FELIZ NAVIDAD
BUON NATALE
FRÖLICHE WEINACHTEN
GOD JUL
JOYEUX NOËL
KURISUMASU OMEDETŌ
NOELINIZ KUTLU OLSUN
S'ROZHDESTVOM KRISTOVYM
SUNG TAN CHUK HA
WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT BOŻEGO NARODZENIA
Augie
"Go figure", indeed! Take some time for yourselves this Holiday Season, and plot out a new project; or make some inroads on an ongoing venture; or simply wrap-up that poor soul that has been desperately clamoring for completion!
But above all, enjoy whatever time you have with family and friends. We're 90% through the first decade of the 21st c., and it has been "interesting", to say the least. I don't believe there's any turning back, and a great unexplored wilderness lies before us. One step at a time. . .
So on this last weekend before the Holiday and on the penultimate weekend of 2009, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the readership a joyous, restful, peaceful--and productive!--Holiday Season; and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY HANUKKAH
FELIZ NAVIDAD
BUON NATALE
FRÖLICHE WEINACHTEN
GOD JUL
JOYEUX NOËL
KURISUMASU OMEDETŌ
NOELINIZ KUTLU OLSUN
S'ROZHDESTVOM KRISTOVYM
SUNG TAN CHUK HA
WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT BOŻEGO NARODZENIA
Augie
15 December 2009
Solomon Kane Movie- UPDATE
12 December 2009
Monarch Nosferatu (4): Finishing the head and arms--UPDATE
I am on a good pace to finish--and put away!--the head tonight! Surface finishing has been completed, the right ear is done, and the left ear about 75% of the way there.
The left arm is all-but-done, with some minor trimming and polishing remaining. I would like to have the left arm permanently attached by the end of the weekend.
Finally, all the rats have been assembled: the kit-provided rats remind me more of long-nosed muskrats than rats, so I replaced them all--and added some--from the Aurora Customizing Monster sets. I know this will deviate from the scene upon which I am basing the figure, but they are a must for any number of reasons.
FOLLOW-UP
Best laid plans. . . On the plus side, the left arm is done and ready to be attached. I still have a bit more work to do on the left half of the frock in terms of undercutting and surface finishing, but it is approx. 85% done as I write. The downside is that, save for a few minor touch-ups that I took care of tonight, the remainder of work on the head will have to be done later today.
WEEKEND WRAP-UP
Picking-up from where I left off much earlier this morning, the head and the left arm are done: once cleaned, they will be ready to be put away and permanently attached, respectively. The right arm is all-but-done: some minor reduction and drapery issues, and then on to surface finishing and mounting.
Most of the work on the frock is now done, though I still have six buttons to take care of. I am hoping that by this time next weekend, the figure will be ready for priming.
UPDATE
Just to keep you abreast of the progress since the last posting, all the putty work (including the buttons!) save for that on the hands is now done. Clean-up and final finishing will begin in earnest tonight. While I don't think I will have the figure primed over the weekend, I am still on track to have it ready for priming before Monday.
Until next time. . .
The left arm is all-but-done, with some minor trimming and polishing remaining. I would like to have the left arm permanently attached by the end of the weekend.
Finally, all the rats have been assembled: the kit-provided rats remind me more of long-nosed muskrats than rats, so I replaced them all--and added some--from the Aurora Customizing Monster sets. I know this will deviate from the scene upon which I am basing the figure, but they are a must for any number of reasons.
FOLLOW-UP
Best laid plans. . . On the plus side, the left arm is done and ready to be attached. I still have a bit more work to do on the left half of the frock in terms of undercutting and surface finishing, but it is approx. 85% done as I write. The downside is that, save for a few minor touch-ups that I took care of tonight, the remainder of work on the head will have to be done later today.
WEEKEND WRAP-UP
Picking-up from where I left off much earlier this morning, the head and the left arm are done: once cleaned, they will be ready to be put away and permanently attached, respectively. The right arm is all-but-done: some minor reduction and drapery issues, and then on to surface finishing and mounting.
Most of the work on the frock is now done, though I still have six buttons to take care of. I am hoping that by this time next weekend, the figure will be ready for priming.
UPDATE
Just to keep you abreast of the progress since the last posting, all the putty work (including the buttons!) save for that on the hands is now done. Clean-up and final finishing will begin in earnest tonight. While I don't think I will have the figure primed over the weekend, I am still on track to have it ready for priming before Monday.
Until next time. . .
Site Navigation (3) -- Search functionality
I have just added a Search app to the blog in the hope that it will make finding the information YOU need more accessible. If you can remember reading something here, but can't place the "thread" in which it was posted, this app might make for a more productive search.
It is located below/after the Subject Index.
Enjoy!
Augie
PS--Unlike our past experiences with resident search engines, this one truly works!
It is located below/after the Subject Index.
Enjoy!
Augie
PS--Unlike our past experiences with resident search engines, this one truly works!
Doyusha 1/4 Date Masamune's suji kabuto
It appears as if Doyusha intends to continue their series of historical kabuto, with no less than three new releases.
Only one dates from the Sengoku, and it purports to represent none
other than Date Masamune's iconic "crescent moon kabuto". It is also
significant that this is the first offering--that I am aware of--with a
menpō.
So much for the good news. While the views of this kit at our disposal are limited, my initial impressions are not favourable. At the heart of my disappointment is the flattened shikoro. I thought I had seen every surviving period suji kabuto associated with Masamune, and not a single one has a shikoro remotely resembling the kit's. There are other issues as well, but this is the deal-breaker. I am delighted that Doyusha continues to expand the line--if only for the prospect of seeing some venerable old releases re-issued, but my enthusiasm will be rapidly quenched if they persist on this course.
So much for the good news. While the views of this kit at our disposal are limited, my initial impressions are not favourable. At the heart of my disappointment is the flattened shikoro. I thought I had seen every surviving period suji kabuto associated with Masamune, and not a single one has a shikoro remotely resembling the kit's. There are other issues as well, but this is the deal-breaker. I am delighted that Doyusha continues to expand the line--if only for the prospect of seeing some venerable old releases re-issued, but my enthusiasm will be rapidly quenched if they persist on this course.
08 December 2009
Monarch Nosferatu (4): Finishing the head and arms
The head is now just about done. I have generated A LOT of dust reworking the sleeping cap, and I am finally "OK" with what is before me, though not quite there yet. . . In the interim I have roughed-in the right eyebrow: both eyebrows now await the final enhancements with ProCreate putty.
11.12.2009--UPDATE
Save for the ears, and the wispy, untamed strands of hair on the eyebrows and at the temples. . . THE HEAD IS DONE!!!
11.12.2009--UPDATE
Save for the ears, and the wispy, untamed strands of hair on the eyebrows and at the temples. . . THE HEAD IS DONE!!!
06 December 2009
Monarch Nosferatu -- Graphic Interlude
With the legs permanently attached, and work completed from the hem of the frock down, I now present you with the first images of this "conversion". . .
The next areas to be addressed will be the head and the arms, in that order. Once these are done, it should take no more than a few days to finish the frock, and then begin the pre-priming ritual. The hands and the keys will be worked-on while the figure is on the painting bench.
Stay tuned. . .
A~
The next areas to be addressed will be the head and the arms, in that order. Once these are done, it should take no more than a few days to finish the frock, and then begin the pre-priming ritual. The hands and the keys will be worked-on while the figure is on the painting bench.
Stay tuned. . .
A~
05 December 2009
Michael Scarborough on Bases & Presentation
I am pleased to say that we have been joined recently by Michael Scarborough (see comments in the Art of the Samurai Exhibition posting). Again, WELCOME, sir!
Michael alluded to an article he had recently penned, and I happened to find it available on-line:
http://www.michaelscarboroughdesign.com/images/about_page/historical_miniature.pdf
Well worth a look!
Augie
Michael alluded to an article he had recently penned, and I happened to find it available on-line:
http://www.michaelscarboroughdesign.com/images/about_page/historical_miniature.pdf
Well worth a look!
Augie
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