Gamera, sorry you've been feeling off.  Hope you get over whatever it is quickly.

I second Real G's response!  The screen looks amazing with or without the room lights turned down.  She looks like she's actually coming out of a TV.  Fantastic work!

Phoenix: Thanks, feeling a LOT better now. Hopefully I'm moving out of this. Did you get the customer repainted from where you had to strip the figure?  

And thanks guys, ya'll are too kind. Guess I'm my own worst critic, the more I look at the TV screen the better it does look. Our IPMS meeting is this Thur so I'm going to take her with me, I like to have something horror related in October- I brought the Kappa last year, and see what they think. 

Dodgy: A little more clean-up and I hope I'll be done here. 

Gamera,

I think I took your cold!  I was feeling off since last Thursday, and it turned into a full-blown body ache, stomach ache, congested lungs, sore throat, and headache.

I should have known something was up when I went to a jobsite wearing the wrong shoe on each foot!  I was wondering why my feet hurt, but didn't look down until I was rounding the corner heading back to my office.  Now, how did I even fit my shoes that way I will never know.

I hate getting sick before the weekend.  I slept all day on Saturday.  I wanted to work on a model, but was too wiped out.  I tested myself for COVID, but it was negative.

Now you watch, I'll feel better on Monday.

Yuck, I hope you feel better too G!

Not sure if it's the same thing. I had horrible diarrhea and my head felt like a church bell Quasimodo was swinging from. No sinsus, throat, or body aches. 

Frankly a healthy day at work is better than a sick day at home- at least for me, your mileage may vary. 

Crossing my fingers you're feeling better soon! And put sticky notes on your shoes with a 'L' on one and 'R' on the other if you have to!!! 

Gamera,

Luckily I didn't have the DD.  Things are wearing off now, so looks like I'm on the rebound.  The sucky thing is that I lost a weekend, and it's back to work on Monday.  

Yeah I know what you mean. Got a few things I want to finish up before the end of the year and then lose half a week due to feeling like something the cat drug in.  

Gamera

Phoenix: Thanks, feeling a LOT better now. Hopefully I'm moving out of this. Did you get the customer repainted from where you had to strip the figure?

Unfortunately he hasn't made it past primer.  I've been rather focused on the Destroid and haven't touched the figures in a couple of weeks.  I think I need to finish up the bartender first to free up some mental cycles to think about the human.

G'day fellas, sorry to hear that some of you have been crook. It's a fair bugger when you want to do stuff but can't find the motivation because you've been laid low by a bug. I have been away for a couple of weeks on some voluntary work that I do for our veteran community, so I haven't been able to check in.

Phoenix painting skin is the hardest thing to do when modelling figures, so don't be discouraged. I have been doing it for years and I'm still trying to get it right. My approach is to undercoat the flesh areas in a dark redish brown enamel. I let that dry and then start working up the various tones. I work in oils and blend the various shades as I go. Good luck mate, I'm sure you'll get there.

Gamera, Sadako is world class mate! The effect with the lighting is awesome. Have you considered putting it in a simple shadow box? Honestly mate, you have nailed it.

Cheers,

Dodgy

Thanks Dodgy!!! I thought I'd do a little more work on her but I think she's close enough to done to post if you want to. 

I like the idea of a shadow box. Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to have to ruminate over it though, not sure how I'd do it. 

What photo Gamera? I was thinking either the last, or 2nd last one?????

Dodgy

What photo Gamera? I was thinking either the last, or 2nd last one?????

 

Hey Dodgy- I think I'd go with second to last if it's okay by you. 

And thanks! Great GB!!! 

Holy frijoles, it's been a while since I posted.

If all goes well I should have a completed bartender to post some pictures of in the near future.

His partner, not so much.  I've taken him back to plastic three or four times.  I think I'm expecting too much from my current level of skill.  The decision has been made to make this the final attempt and take it come what may.

Dodgy, the words from your last post must have stuck with me because my recent attempt is exactly the method you outlined, but in acrylics.

Dodgy

My approach is to undercoat the flesh areas in a dark redish brown enamel. I let that dry and then start working up the various tones. I work in oils and blend the various shades as I go

 This gives me hope.

Phoenix: If you're having issues with the skin tone is there any reason he has to be human? I really liked how the skin tones came out on the bartender. Could you go with say Andorian blue or Nebari grey for him?

Shoot!  Didn't realize this wraps up in 4 days - not going to make it as I haven't even started the kit other than reviewing all the parts and instructions.  Sorry Dodgy - maybe the next GB.

Gamera

Phoenix: If you're having issues with the skin tone is there any reason he has to be human? I really liked how the skin tones came out on the bartender. Could you go with say Andorian blue or Nebari grey for him?

 

Apologies if I made it sound like I was getting frustrated with painting the companion to the bartender.  Was trying to share some of why it has been slow going.  I'm not very skilled at painting earthlings and it's been a rewarding challenge learning how to paint this guy.  In the process I've learned several ways of how not to do it. 

Here's a sneak peak of how things are going.

I almost have the wine bottle finished and will be then be able to focus my entire efforts on that poor incomplete human bean(being).

That doesn't look bad at all! I think you've got something there. 

Plus he could be a little green around the gills- spacesick or poisoned by the bartender....

Gamera

That doesn't look bad at all! I think you've got something there. 

Plus he could be a little green around the gills- spacesick or poisoned by the bartender....

LOL, I think you may be onto something there.  I was going to say he had a really bad case of space measels as a youngling.  Yours however fits better with the bar theme..  :)

The bartender is completed and I think I'm going to call the face and hands done on the barfly.  I am content with the curent product which means I can move onto completing the assemblage of his outfit.

Phoenix I think you're being too hard on yourself. He looks just fine to me. The face looks pretty darn good and the hands as well. I even like the white mohawk. 

Gamera

Phoenix I think you're being too hard on yourself. He looks just fine to me. The face looks pretty darn good and the hands as well. I even like the white mohawk. 

We are our own worst critic. 

However, I now feel compelled to reveal what it was like before I got to what I just posted.

This is what he looked like two days ago.

I thought I was almost done but after seeing that...  The sides and back of his head were even worse.  Like I said, Space Measles.

So I figured, heck, adding more paint can't make it worse! LOL!

So add more paint I did. I think I hit him with a sepia wash and drybrushing of something.  Then gave him some pupils.

Better, but now he reminds me of Christopher Lloyds Character in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".  Adding more paint seems to work, so time to throw on more! More drybrushing, I think it was some shade of grey.  Then a gloss coat. Then another wash, I think it was thinned burnt red mixed with white... maybe. By now I'm totally lost and I'm just throwing s**t at him and hoping what sticks is an improvement.

Holy cow by some miracle it worked!  Apparently my magic formula for painting skin is 60% dumb luck + 39% perserverance + 1% skill.  LOL!

So you beat the poor SOB into submission? 

Hey whatever works! The end results looks darn near perfect to me! 

Gamera

So you beat the poor SOB into submission? 

Hey whatever works! The end results looks darn near perfect to me! 

 

I should know by now that every model goes through an ugly phase when painting.  Just have to push through the mental revulsion and keep at it long enough to reach the beauty phase. 

Well Phoenix I reckon you've done a fantastic job on both of them. Congratulations mate on some top work!

John, I'm happy to let this roll on if you still want to have a crack. I haven't done mine yet either.

Thanks to all of you for your support, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Dodgy.

Sorry Camera, but I have forgotten how to copy and repost the pictures. I'll try again in the next couple of days. It's old age I guess..... Can anybody out there tell me who I am...... 

Mine? Don't worry about it Dodgy. No big deal! 

Hope you had an excellent Christmas! 

The Strange Company Couple are done.  Met my (adjusted) goal of completing them before the end of the year.  Finished pics are below

Whew, this build was both a fun and challenging one to do. Learned a ton about painting figures.  Couldn't be happier with how they turned out..

Thanks Dodgy for putting together and running the GB.  And thanks to everyone for their advice and words of encouragement.

PhoenixG

The Strange Company Couple are done.  Met my (adjusted) goal of completing them before the end of the year.  Finished pics are below

Whew, this build was both a fun and challenging one to do. Learned a ton about painting figures.  Couldn't be happier with how they turned out..

Thanks Dodgy for putting together and running the GB.  And thanks to everyone for their advice and words of encouragement.

 

 

It was my pleasure Phoenix, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I have not been as involved as I should have been, but it's been a difficult year. You did excellent work mate and I love the photos. Which one do you want me to post?

Dodgy

That looks fantastic to me Phoenix! The faces on both figures came out perfect! You did a superlative job on both! 

And yeah, thanks Dodgy for hosting this!!! 

Dodgy

...I have not been as involved as I should have been, but it's been a difficult year. You did excellent work mate and I love the photos. Which one do you want me to post? Dodgy

Regardless, I think you've been doing a bang up job.  Hope we get to see a few more completions.

Let us use the last photo of the lineup for posting.

Some fantastic stuff being done while I have absented myself!

Phoenix G, great work on the happy couple, they have come out really well there. Love the alien's colouring, and his mate has come up really well.

Gamera, Sadako is super! The flickering TV screen is a great compliment to the model.

I have been very sporadically getting to the bench this year due to life stuff, I have been advancing my Diggers slowly, but I have neglected to take photos as I went. So this is where I am up to, they are done in desert Auscam, with occasional standard auscam bits of kit here and there.

They look fantastic Lost. Painting cam uniforms is an art in itself. I will get back to my figure next week.

Dodgy.