People to welcome Matilda
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Jeff Lynn,
Amateur layabout, Professional Lurker, Thread hijacker extraordinaire
Amateur layabout, Professional Lurker, Thread hijacker extraordinaire
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'You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil…' Aesop's Fables
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
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Great really really great, some of the best 00 figures that I have seen, but how do you do it, do you use Strong glasses to see that close ?
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I normally wear prescription reading glasses, they are about the same magnification as 2.5 - 3 times readers from Boots, but rely on a magnifying glass from a £1 shop mounted on an old Anglepoise lamp arm I found at the tip, fixed to the bench with an adapted fret-saw clamp. That does for just about everything.
These next two pictures show a 'with' and 'without' effect.
Apart from a little bottle of Testors black acrylic I forgot to photograph here's the entire outfit , matt acrylic paint from Poundstretcher, matt varnish which I use after painting to smooth out the rough bits, a margarine tub top as a palette [the little ring in the middle keeps a tiny puddle of water] and the dirty water from rinsing the brushes.
To help painting defined breaks of colour I go round with a new pointed blade and make a groove so as to form a 'micro-gutter' to aid the process. Like Novice, I apply an overall coat of good quality black fine acrylic paint over the entire figure after washing it with window cleaning spray. Then I wipe most of it off with a cloth* leaving it in the creases to become 'shadows'.
Then I start painting with relatively thin coats of the appropriate colour using a No. 0 brush. I start with the neck/throat area taking the skin/shirt colour up over the jacket/cot, like Novices picture shows.
The dirty water plays an important part, i.e. after lightly painting a face with a base flesh colour [light brown, white and red, yellow added for tanned skin] I let it dry and then brush on the dirty water. It flows into the minute grooves of the facial features, the excess water is lifted off with the same brush after drying it on a piece of cloth* and after touching in the lips on the damp surface to avoid that 'blobbed on lipstick' look [so lightly it seems invisible] I varnish with a well loaded brush [to save scrubbing away what I've just applied] and lift of the excess varnish again with a brush wiped almost dry on a piece of cloth*. Don't forget eyebrows, too.
My brushes below are [top to bottom] a 3/0, 5/0 and 0 pointed in synthetic from a £3.99p set of six at a Hobbystore and a 0 in squirrel, from W.H. Smiffs, you'll see it has chisel end made by wetting and freezing it and quickly chopping it off with a new blade. It's this one I use for 'cutting in', i.e. getting close up to a boundary/joint, mainly by pushing it against the 'micro-gutter' I mentioned earlier. I varnish with it, too.
I can't think of much else to say about it, perhaps the secret is using several coats of thinned paint instead of one thick one. It takes no time at all to dry, and you can continue until the black paint in the grooves just shows through as a shadow.
The cloth I mention especially because on previous 3 or 4 figures I was getting really angry with minute fluff and whiskers that made things look really rough. Then it clicked, they were coming from the kitchen paper towel I was using, especially in the wiping off of the black base coat. Since I have started using some bits of very old pillow case material, no such problems. Keep paper towel away from the job!
Hope this helps, I couldn't do it without the magnifying glass on a stick device though,
Doug
Last edit: by Chubber
'You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil…' Aesop's Fables
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
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:doublethumb
Cheers,John.B.:thumbs
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Apart from the magnifying glass you need a lot of patience to produce work of that quality, Doug.
Congratulations.
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Mike
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Phill
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I have just caught up with your thread and I really like what you have achieved. The conversions are very well executed and bring new life into these old figures. I do like your painting style too, with great use of subtle colours. I think the final result is superb and it is great to see nicely painted figures - more please!
Bob(K)
Last edit: by Bob K
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reg
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The next time I come up through France I'm going to look for this tip!mounted on an old Anglepoise lamp arm I found at the tip,
Brilliant work Doug and like Bob I much prefer the subtle colours you've applied - quiet exceptional.
Les
Devon Junction
Kernow Junction
Kernow Junction
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If I get even near your achievements, I'll be chuffed. Now - where was that tip - I'm sure I can get there before Les does !!!!
'Petermac
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