"The Face of Crime" - Groundwork (3): The Terrain

With the grating done--save for the welds--it was time to integrate the grating with the groundwork proper. . . 

The terrain was made with MS. It was suitably textured--but not too much. The final surface tex- ture/finish will be applied with paint, mediums, and pigments. 

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

"The Face of Crime" - Groundwork (2): The Grating

The Joker's lair is a subterranean network of tunnels, etc.; hence, I settled on a split-level setting with the floor of the chamber as the primary groundwork, and the secondary burled surface as a water drain. 

To add some interest, I  decided to add a roughly-welded and finished grating as an extension of the primary groundwork. This was constructed with strips of sheet plastic that will be suitably distressed, weathered, and, ultimately, integrated.  

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

"The Face of Crime" - Groundwork

To date. . .

Base selection. Check.  The one drawback to not attending shows is the inability to hand-select display bases for future projects, and have the opportunity to spitball your ideas with an individual who is not only a master woodworker, but an accomplished miniaturist.

I roughly knew how I wanted to portray Mistah J, but did I have a base that would accommodate my concept? I thought that I did, but after two evenings of cursory inventorying of my base sup- ply, I was "close, but no cigar". I suppose "third try's the charm", cause last night I found precise- ly what I was looking for! A maple burl with an appropriately rough finish that would permit me to modify the burled area to my specs. An hour or so with hammer and chisel and I was good to go!

Compositional design. Check. Now that I had the base, it was time to finalize the design of the groundwork. I broke out the relevant source material, and decided that a canon-true depiction would not work in 3d. So I proceeded down the path of creative adaptation, and this morning I concluded the design work, templates and all.

Once my materials arrive, I can begin work on the groundwork proper. . . 

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