Spidey - Prep: Cab (4)

The Checker is now ~90% done. While there is still some final surface finishing to be done on the door, etc., I began prepping the rear-view mirror and door-handle (both white metal) this evening. 

These two "accessories" are deplorable! Again, a matter of "close [not really] is good enough". The in situ resin fittings were removed and/or "buried" when I began working on the door, and now comes the time to restore the fittings accurately.

Stay tuned. . .   

UPDATE 28.08.2018. . . After completing the rear-view mirror and tentatively mounting it, I decid- ed that to incorporate it, I would have to resculpt/-model it from scratch as it was more of a dis- tractive eyesore than complement. Which in turn led to my decision not to include it. 

UPDATE 29.08.2018. . . After continued surface-finishing of the driver window (frame, etc.), I pro- ceeded with the door-handle. Using the white-metal handle as a template, I did a rough "sketch" of the door-handle, latch, and lock in MS, which are now curing in the oven. I will see how suc- cessful I was this weekend. . . FOLLOW-UP 30.08.2018. . . Phase 1 finishing of the door-handle has been concluded -- very nice.

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

Spidey - Prep: Cab (3)

It has been two months since I've commented on this project. By way of update, I am delighted to report that the cab is well in the finishing stages--though nowhere near completion. I've found that working 2-3 hrs./wk on it keeps things fresh and on a forward track. 

The major hurdles to negotiate remain the windshield; the hood; and the fender. While most of the re-scaling has been successfully dealt with, now it is a matter of tweaking to create a visually satisfying structure. 

In the meantime, sufficient progress has been made where I am now beginning to work on the figure itself: I should have assembly underway in the next fortnight.

Getting closer. . . 

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils IV - The Straitjacket (2)

The time has come for the tedious part of the project: the canvas webbing on the straitjacket. 

I first tested both oils and acrylics on a piece of polystyrene painted with a khaki acrylic: the acrylics were the superior medium for this application, due to their opacity and fast-drying nature. 

And so it begins. It takes about 30 minutes to do ~10mm of webbing, including staining and outlining in oils. This will be going on for a while. . . 

UPDATE 12.08.2018. . . After completing the transverse webbing across the pectorals, I painted the stitched tape at the base of the straitjacket's collar.

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

MY Fave Figs

This year, I celebrated my 41st year of being a "serious" miniaturist. I painted my first figure over 55 years ago (Aurora's Frankenstein), but it would be another 14 years before any concept of "artistry" would be an element of my "strategy".

In that time, I have painted over 200 figures. This is by no means an extraordinary amount; in fact, that would be considered a rather modest output. But it's not about the numbers. Never has been. It's about the experience--in every sense of the word. And about making the next figure bet- ter than the last!

I know my years at the bench are coming to a close; though this year I am on track to complete more figures than I have since 2002! In any case, after a long week at work, I was reflecting on what are my favourite figures of all time. My initial list numbered close to 40 pieces. I then nar- rowed the scope to my Top 20 of all time--and things got tough. Quite a few of my faves didn't make the cut simply because they were not up to snuff: fun, enjoyable, even groundbreaking;
but in the end, critically "short". So after sleeping on it, and reassessing as a "Judge", I came
up with the following: 

A fun--and enlightening!--exercise. . .

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils - Intermezzo II

"The next step is finalizing the straitjacket before transferring the bust to its permanent display base." 

Finalizing the straitjacket is not only quite involved, but the workbase actually works against you a fair amount of the time. So. . . I decided to take the base variable out of the equation and trans- fer the bust to its permanent display base.

There are still areas that will prove irksome in the days ahead, but I am now in a better position to make an informed opinion as to how critical any given area is in the overall aesthetic. 

Movin' right along. . . 

UPDATE 11.08.2018. . . The plinth and the undersides of the bust are now painted!

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils III - The Face (1): The Eyes, etc.

The eyes--sans pupils--and the deep eye-shadow umbrae are now done! It truly is a testament to the quality of the sculpture and casting that this was one of the easiest set of eyes I have ever painted!!

I also applied a light grisaille of  black around the lips and the deep folds of the upper lip--pre-shading, if you will. I then blocked-in the red of the lips, taking special care around Cupid's bow; and base-coated the eyebrows. . . 

Movin' right along. . . 

FOLLOW-UP. . . Phase I of the face is now essentially done! The next step is finalizing the straitjacket before transferring the bust to its permanent display base.

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

Atlantean Warrior--and mount

Those of you that know me know that I love the open water and its inhabitants. Hence, it should come as no surprise that I am very much looking forward to the December release of Aquaman. When I first heard that Jason Momoa has been cast in the titular role, I was not exactly jumping for joy; but after seeing him in Justice League, I was sold! This may be the first movie I've gone to see since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012!!

The concept art and the occasional still have begun to make their way onto the Web, and I am very excited--especially given the extent to which the denizens of the deep have been embraced and incorporated into the storyline. Which means that some of the toothier amongst them will have a prominent presence. . . in short, SHARK RIDERS!

There are two protagonists with their mounts already announced by Mattel in their movie tie-in action figure line: Aquaman and a Great White, and Nuidis Vulko and a [Great?] Hammerhead. The sharks could be modded and brought up to "standard", if one were so inclined--and for the latter, I might still consider it. But for the Great White, one can do no better than Pegasus Hob- bies' 1/18 scale (90mm) Great White Shark! 

This is a magnificent rendition of this mega-predator! The only drawback is the fact that the shark itself is cast in semi-hard vinyl--albeit flawlessly, and there will be quite a bit of seam-work (joins) to muddle one's way through (all the fins, the head, the jaw, etc.). That being said, anyone with a modicum of experience with vinyl should have no problems whatsoever.

I have one kit of the Great White, but it has already been spoken for, project-wise. So I was sur- prised to see that this kit is getting somewhat difficult to come by--and priced accordingly. I found one for a reasonable price, but if you are interested in this kit, I would not think about it too long.

More on this project in the months to come. . . 

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils - Intermezzo I

In order to let the bust itself rest, I spent the remaining time this evening working on the hand. The main focus was the blade of the straight razor, or, more appropriately, cutthroat razor. This was given two or three wet coats of Vallejo black, allowing each preceding coat to dry before applying the next. 

Once that was done, I applied a grisaille of Vallejo black over the entire hand, creating a tonal landscape over the white primer. Once this is thoroughly dry, I will decide whether to continue applying acrylic grisailles, or paint it in oils. 

Movin' right along. . . 

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils II - The Scrubs--and the Neck!

There are two major "sub-canvases" that comprise this piece: the straitjacket, which was done yesterday; and the head/face/flesh. Normally, I would have done this second "sub-canvas" next, adhering to the painting version of "Hund's bus seat rule"; however, the unique flesh-tone allows me to do the collar and the neck at one sitting.

The scrub's collar is done in institutional orange, using Liquitex Cadmium-Barium Red Light as a base. The inner surface of the collar is in turn shaded with the addition of Payne's Grey--not very carefully, I might add. The resulting mix is then methodically feathered and drawn-up the neck as a dry grisaille that doubles as the shade. Nothing could be simpler!  

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils I - The Straitjacket

The entire piece revolves around the straitjacket; thus, very little real progress can be made until it is done. So let's get to it. . . 

The straitjacket is now done, "done" as in Phase I. If I decided to go no further, it would look fine as is; but keeping in mind that this is a dirty, grimy garment in one of the worse mental institu- tions for the criminally insane, it is, by definition, a Phase I application.

A brief note re: application. Straitjackets are made from heavyweight canvas. ergo a textured sur- face would be apparent. To achieve the hint of a texture, I stippled Titanium White thickened with Dorland's wax medium. Since Dorland's increases the translucency of the oil, a cool 'unbleached' bias due to the yellow gray uc is evident. Shading was done stippling the shade tones (Gamblin Black Spinel and/or Raw Umber) into the folds, and blending by drag stippling. Once the surface is dry, I can go back and apply wet stains, washes, and glazes to achieve the desired effect.

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--UCing II

This morning, I finished the main uc'ing on this bust, namely the collar of the prison scrubs. After lunch, I will create a border of green along the hairline to frame the flesh. . . and that should just about do it. I will still have to undercoat the plinth, but this won't be painted until after the strait- jacket is done. . .

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

"Dressed to Kill"--The Joker

Save for the eyes and the hair--and the usual final tweaks and touch-ups--this project can be deemed COMPLETED!!! 

I am going to try to finish at least Phase I of the hair over the weekend: if I can finish the hair by the end of the week, this piece should be in the display cabinet by the end of next weekend.  

Hitherto, I've had two favourite pieces: the "Queen of the Prom" and my "original" bust of the Red Skull. "Dressed to Kill" now joins this exalted company to round-off the "terrible trio".

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

Joker - Arkham: Painting--UCing I

With his dapper alter-ego hell-bent on the finish line, it was time to begin addressing the needs of the psychotic inmate.

Given the relative largeness of this piece, I thought I'd begin with the straitjacket. This could have been a rather daunting undertaking, but fortunately I had an unopened bottle of Polly-S Fantasy's Yellow Gray. This is one of my all-time favourite acrylic colours: the acrylic version of Liquitex Parchment with a slightly green-ish bias. 

Next, I touched-up the face which I had lightly over-primed with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer-White.

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

The Joker "TwE" - Painting: Oils--Home Stretch

In spite of the amount of work remaining, the piece exudes an all-but-finished aura about it. And, personally, I am delighted with what is before me. In fact, even at this relatively premature stage, it vastly exceeds any expectations I might have had!

Tonight will largely be an "off" night. That is not to say I may not tweak things here and there, but for the most part, I will let things settle and cure. . .

Oh, one final thing. You might recall that in the first posting of this thread I mentioned that I had revised the title of the project to accommodate the absence of Harley. Henceforth, this piece will be known as. . . Dressed to Kill.

FOLLOW-UP. . . Phase I of the eyebrows is DONE!

03.08.2018. . . The right eye is done. All that remains on the eyes is distressing and glazing. Phase I of the boutonnière is done. 

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

The Joker "TwE" - Painting: Oils--Intermezzo (II)

With the tailcoat done, I decided to take this project into the 'home stretch' and mount it on 

its display base. This could have gone "south" very easily; but it just felt right; and thankfully 

it worked out beautifully!

Assuming I have an hour or two to paint each night, this project may be completed over the weekend!

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

The Joker "TwE" - Painting: Oils (III)--The Tailcoat

The tailcoat was a very simple process, much simpler than anticipated. I decided early-on that I would use Ivory Black with a touch of Liquin for the silk/satin lapels. The collar and the minute portions of the coat itself were primarily executed in Lampblack. 

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