And last, but certainly not least. . .

[You may click on each thumbnail individually]

The hat trick is a fait accompli!

In other words, the Great White Ape is [all but] done, and I am relieved to say that the raging simian is just about off my back!!

All that remains to be done, aside from the usual final once-over, is to paint the club. This is a bit of a headscratcher, if only because the options are limitless! I might take a day or so to ponder the possibilities. . .

Which will leave me about 48 hrs to review, photograph, and box the "terrible trio". . .

¡La última vez!

White Ape of Barsoom - Painting (4): Groundwork (II)

Once the bust of Herr Schmidt was completed, the evening has been largely dedicated to Barsoomian flora. The dominant species in the Barsoomian dead sea bottoms--and elsewhere--is the ubiquitous yellow moss/lichen.

I have applied the moss covering using Woodland Scenics products-- it is now drying. Unfortunately, I will not be able to return to the groundwork until Sunday, when I will hopefully have sufficient time to airbrush it, permanently attach the figure, and leave me but a few hours remaining to correct, tweak, and enhance.

White Ape of Barsoom - Painting (4): Groundwork (I)

Work has been unseasonably and atypically brutal for the last three days with no respite in sight. Phase 5 was finally continued today, with the basic colours and the first layers of pigments applied and sealed. This is a multi-layered, multi-media groundwork that will hopefully effectively re-create the Barsoomian landscape around the dead sea bottoms.

Very close. . .

White Ape of Barsoom - Painting (3): Intermezzo

Phase 3--Glazing--is just about done. As I mentioned in my last posting, this will continue right until the very end to optimize the lighting and depth of the sculpture.

Phase 4--Head and Hair--was continued today. The head, save the eyes, is just about done; and Phase 1 (Oils) of the mouth/teeth was completed as well.

Phase 5--Groundwork and Accessories--was initiated today. This will be the toughest of the painting segments of this project. The modelling of the groundwork was finished today. Undercoating will hopefully be completed this week--I can then focus on the actual painting and "build-ups" over the weekend.

It's gonna be close. . .

White Ape of Barsoom - Painting (2)

1530: Phase 1 of the oils--basecoating the entire canvas save for head, hair and accessories--went surprisingly well. After laying out a rather diverse palette, I just went at it. . . and as in most "free- form" applications, at least with me, I couldn't be happier! The organic tones throughout will be a challenge to preserve through the shading and highlighting processes, but this is what painting is all about!

1920: WHEW!!! Phase 2 of the oils is now all-but-complete. I probably have another hour or so of touch-ups, etc. to wrap-up and then I can call it a night!

A very challenging and satisfying painting session! Phase 3 will be final touch-ups and glazing, and will continue long after Phase 4 (head/hair) is completed. Phase 5 will be "accessories" and groundwork.

We're off to the races. . . !

FOLLOW-UP - 18.01.12. . . Yesterday was a harrowing day back at the "salt mines", but I was anxious to get past that and build-upon the work done over the weekend. To this end, I spent some time glazing the raging simian with Talens' Transparent White and W&N Zinc White. I couldn't be happier! Probably one more session with Transp. White lies ahead, and then the final wrap-up session with Flake White. And lest I forget, Phase 1 of the face was completed!

White Ape of Barsoom-Painting (1): U/Cing

Last, but certainly not least. . . The rampaging, six-limbed ape is now undercoated!

This was a tricky one, and is certainly a candidate for reworking once I break-out the oils. Burroughs is characteristically sparse in his descriptive passages, so, taking into account that the beasts were glabrous save for the shock of hair, what exactly did he mean by "white"?

After spending some time reviewing images of Snowflake, may he RIP, I decided on a warm parchment undercoat, freely mixing and blending no less than four Reaper and Vallejo colours. The end result is a cool fleshtone, which should take quite readily to the "white" oils to follow.

More to follow. . .