Hey great job guys!!!

Tim: My hats off to you for tackling two figures with that much bare skin!

Aaron: Great job on all the uniform shading. And awesome that you pulled something out of stash that's been sitting there that long and finishing it!

Guys,

First, let me echo Tim's thoughts about how great this experience has been. Having so many talented builders along for the ride has been inspiring. Dredd marks the fourth big-scale fig I've finished in the last five years and I'm pretty happy with him (although there are a few things I'd like to fix as time allows!). I picked this kit up at a comic shop in London 20 years ago and have pulled him form the stash more than once with the thought of finishing him. I'm glad I waited until now; this GB was the perfect excuse.

Masking the lightning bolts for the visor may have been the most challenging part of the build!

I had big plans for the base and really felt under the gun as the deadline neared. Then at about midnight Saturday, I hit on the idea of painting it black, then dry-brushing it with gold.

I think we've discovered the reason for Dredd's ill-temper. His uniform seems a little tight, especially around his posterior.

Anyway, thanks for coming along on the ride and I look forward to seeing the rest of the work here as well as in the next FSM GB. Keep track and stay tuned for links to that!

Cheers, Aaron

Last day!

Thanks for the compliments. Conan turned out to be a much more complicated build than I had anticipated. As I was fussing around with parts, there came a point when I had to decide good enough was good enough and start moving toward the finish.

For me, happy chance plays as much a role in finishing a fig and coming up with the right color as planning. I'm not a visual artist as such -- I don't have any formal training, nor natural talent. I can't draw to save my life, and my understanding of color ends with yellow + blue = green. So, everything I'm able to do comes from years of doing it and just working with what I have until it looks right. 

Figure painting is the type of modeling I enjoy most, but it is also the one that leaves me equally gratified and disappointed. I always believe I could have done better, but, at the same time, I know I've finished a model to the best I could at the time. 

Of course, this time around, I decided to do the bulk of my work with an airbrush -- the first fig I've painted this way. I think I'm sold. However, there's much that I can't do with the airbrush and had to revert back to the brushes. I finished Conan entirely with acrylics and eschewed oils -- mostly because of time constraints and because I set myself the challenge of using the airbrush.

For what it's worth, here are the notes I kept while formulating paint colors. You can see my doodle for Conan's teeth after our discussion on the Forum. I used the same tooth technique on Belit.

I borrowed Jack's idea for the sword's frog and stole a length of chain from Aaron. It's not the first color I'd have chosen, but after seeing it on the fig, it works. As a nod to FSM and our next group build, the sword's pommel is a 1/72 road wheel from a Panzer III.

I weathered the chest with burnt umber and light rust pastels from PanPastel.

So, here are the color-corrected photos!

Aaron and I are going to do a closing vlog this week before he heads off to AMPS. Good luck to you guys who are still working at it. We'll see you at the finish line!

And thanks to everyone who participated. You've made the second FSM group build a memorable one. Also, we're happy that we were joined by a number of modelers who hadn't built and finished large-scale figures before. We hope you'll continue to enjoy figure modeling.

Thanks!

Tim

Tim- the big guy looks great!!!

The contrast in skin tones, the careful painting of the furs, the hair- all really well done.

I can't believe it, but I finished on time. I'll take pictures tomorrow when the sun comes up, but in response to your earlier comment- here's the underwater rifle which I built this afternoon and evening. And the POC that came with the model.

See you all tomorrow! This has been a lot of fun and a completely new experience for me.

Pretty darn nice Tim.  Darn nice indeed.

Tim: Fantastic work there! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your photos.

Dang I should have checked the deadline! I finished the scratchbuilt disruptor for the Romulan figure but she has a few things here and there to finish. I ended up distracted by other stuff and keep putting her off.

Marc-love the Creature-especially the B&W treatment-looks great.

Tim-Your Conan looks great-very nice job.

The Green Goblin isn't going to make the finish line-will attempt to finish it in the coming days, but no promises.

Tim & Aaron-again, thank you both for running a very creative & fun GB-it's been a blast just admiring everyone's work.

A couple of in-process shots ...

This was on Friday.

This was yesterday.

And now for the finished Conan and Belit!

Again, these were taken with the iPad, so the color's a bit off. I'll get some decent photos with the DSLR tomorrow and make sure they're color corrected. I've got to spend some time with the family, so I'll catch you guys up on the nitty gritty tomorrow!

One more day for the build and we can put it to bed!

BUMP!!!!

Page two WILL NOT DO!

GAF

Tim> Conan is looking good!  I would think both figures would be rather "tanned" with so much flesh showing and being out on the open water so much.  Looking forward to seeing the finished figures!

You would think that, but the description of Belit definitely has her with "ivory" skin. Naturally occurring SPF 2000. In fact, when you consider the Hyborian Age geography, Conan comes from a proto-Celtic people: pale skin, dark hair. As GMorrison pointed out in an earlier post, Belit should probably look Semetic. But ... it's fantasy.

I went back and added a little extra to her skin yesterday just to add a little more pink (as John guessed I might). I also put the fig under some pretty grueling lighting yesterday just to see what was going on. My eyes aren't deceiving me. The fig's colors are OK. For the process shots I'm shooting, I'm all right with uncorrected iPad pics. For the finals, I'll make sure to crack out a real DSLR and shoot under good lighting.

wing-nut> (cue B-pic movie monster music).  Wow!  That brings back memories of watching these B/W films on a B/W TV!  That is quite well done, and a very unusual approach to a classic figure.

Tim> Conan is looking good!  I would think both figures would be rather "tanned" with so much flesh showing and being out on the open water so much.  Looking forward to seeing the finished figures!

Gary

Perhaps some of the discontent with Belit's skin tone is the harsh contrast with Conan.  Like the picture I saw of myself on a bright day in black swim trunks, bad mistake with my un-tannable hide.  In the previous pictures where Conan has the bag over his head (please, no bag jokes here!) her skin tone looks more natural.  I don't have good color vision but in the last pictures she needs more pink in the flesh tone maybe?

Looking good Tim. I have to agree that there should be a prize for the most unorthodox masking jobs

Working like a fiend on Spidey. Have both legs done and one hand but the second hand is giving me fits. Definately think I bit off more than I could chew. Still hoping that I can bring this hero over the finish line in time.

Kinda odd since Conan looks normal to me it's just Belit who looks like a very pale Orion Green Animal Woman. You can't adjust it in Photoshop or something like that Tim? Sorry I don't know much about the artsy side of things- I just take photos and if they're off take more photos in better lighting!

jgeratic

Tim, looking great there, can't wait to see it all done.

Too bad about the iPad, Bel looks practically the same colour as the wood base, though can detect some red on her cheeks and forehead (and elsewhere, but really have to look hard for it).  

I think you can add a bit more lighter  highlights to his legs,  representing reflected light - or maybe better natural lighting will take care of that?   I think you said you will be painting the strewn coins on the floor with flat paints, so they might not  provide the requ

Thanks, Jack.

Yeah, the iPad is useful, but it sometimes struggles with lighting. I'm not sureI'm going to get to the coins at all. We'll have to see how today goes and how much time is left. Fur kilts and hair next!

Tim, looking great there, can't wait to see it all done.

Too bad about the iPad, Bel looks practically the same colour as the wood base, though can detect some red on her cheeks and forehead (and elsewhere, but really have to look hard for it).  

I think you can add a bit more lighter  highlights to his legs,  representing reflected light - or maybe better natural lighting will take care of that?   I think you said you will be painting the strewn coins on the floor with flat paints, so they might not  provide the required surface to create reflective light?

regards,

Jack

OK! Belit's base and skin highlights are done!

I'm happy with how the forced shadow has turned out. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to match the the intensity on his legs, but it looks like I've pulled it off. You guys be the judges.

Now everything else in the mad dash to the finish!

EDIT: Replaced images with some taken in better lighting.

If there 's a prize for odd masking.... I fixed my picture above

Dead, I was thinking Belit looks undead in the primer. With her hair like that a banshee maybe! Looking forward to seeing her in beautiful Techicolor TM! 

And Conan looks like he's wearing a bio-hazard suit to handle her...

Looking forward to seeing the next set of pics Tim. Between you and GM, I think we have contenders for the oddest looking mask's.

Marc, the Creature is in the Hall of Fame! Claim the group build ribbon at your convenience.

Thanks for the props. Yeah, he looks like he's wearing some sort of radiation shielding.

marc, that is awesome, and I agree with the others about the black and white look.

Tim,  I had a felling it had something to do with               . (rhymes with granny))  The Barb-man is looking nice.  They do look kinda funny though with some of the masking that needs to be done.

 EDIT... you guys probably looked at the hull of the ship and was thinking I'd lost it some how.  Here's the correct pic.

I got into the paint booth on Saturday.

First, I masked Conan's legs, torso, head, and parts of his arms. Then, I mixed a dark blue color (medium blue, red, and gray) for the deepest shadows on Belit and airbrushed it on.

Then I started working her flesh tones, mixing in my dark blue with a light flesh color. I'm gradually building up her skin tone.  

While she's dead, she looks VERY dead in this and the following couple of pics.

Never fear, she won't look like this when all is said and done. If all goes well, tomorrow afternoon, I'll unveil the Belit's finished skin tones. IF all goes well ...

Thanks guys, I hope he's finally done now!

Can't go though life looking like his Chief Engineer... 

Marc - Awesome work on the fig! I love the black and white angle. I haven't had the courage to try that yet. (Answer to side note: Yes, the word is bleeped because of problems we've had in the past with a certain sect in the FSM community.)

Gamera - Now Picard can see! Nicely done, sir.

Gamera, he looks terrific.  Eyes are very piercing.

And a side note...Really?  m o j o  was bleeped?

Hey guys, sun came out this evening and I shoot a few more photos of the captain with his new eyeballs.

Thanks guys.  Glad I was able to get the *** pointed back at this one to get him finished.

Great job Wing-nut. your creature looks like it just stepped off the big screen. Love the black and white look.