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On to a new (and hopefully short) project....

I want to make a gift for my lil' sis (she got her A-grade!) so I'm planning to paint something that's quite resembling her...
She keeps on listening to metal/punk/rock music, loves concerts, and is just back from a 15-day trip to the US...

So I think Hasslefree's Alyx could be the perfect model!!!

This the model (Hasslefree website gallery):




Mine, assembled (still have to do some minor greenstuffing on torso-arm junctions):





"The base issue"

At first I wanted her to be in a street, back to a graffitied wall, but in the concept phase got some issues about how to make a modern, lively street w/ sidewalk, wall, etc...

So got in thinking of a park in town, a tried basing something like this - the sand is now covered by a thick patch of grass!

For those who wonder, this is paved plasticard, weathered "randomly" - or at least tried to - with a modelling knife.
The round wheel will be a flower/plant pot, standing in the corner of a green patch of grass.

I have also seen an efficient model back to a blackboard in a classroom, with all sorts of chalk graffiting on it - but may be technically hard to obtain a nice blackboard...

So what you Dakkaites think about it?!? Do you have some other ideas that could fit better?

(And no, I'm not gonna do a Space Alyx in a metal corridor, gesturing wildly at a Genestealer with her teddy bear as her only weapon I don't think she'd get the point... )

Thanks for looking,

EDIT: I'm leaving the poll ongoing for a few days... I'll check how it turns out... Feel free to make any comment, they're welcome!!!

Inspired by the baseball bat in the painted pic (actually part of the model?), what about a battered mugger lying at her feet, begging for mercy?

But presuming you want the attention just to be on Alyx, I'd avoid having any sort of background wall, a relatively plain flat base will be more effective. The 'park with trash can' base you've started looks fine to me. Hmm, the trash can could contain a crumpled and ripped poster for something your sister hates?

If it's a gift for academic achievement (which I assume an A-grade is), then I'd do it in a classroom to help commemorate that fact, makes it mean a little more.

As Unistoo mentioned, a classroom would be appropriate for the reason, but as she is a rocker, maybe have her standing on a low wall so she can see the band?

Since she enjoys concerts, how about having her stand next to a big speaker?

It can be sized to still be big but without dwarfing the model or obscuring the view of it from other angles like the backdrop of a wall or chalkboard would do.

Or standing ON a big speaker, i.e. the speaker would be the base?

Check this out for inspiration -

http://forum-of-doom.com/index.php?topic=10152.0

it's freaking awesome.

The 'bot is from the infinity range I think

Ygg , can you give me some tips on how you cut circle out of plasticards?

( i have trouble cutting anything thats not paper lol )
thanks!

Clang wrote:baseball bat (actually part of the model?)

Yes as left hand you have teddy bear/baseball bat/spellbook and for right hand it's punkie gesture/handgun/magic wand...

unistoo wrote:If it's a gift for academic achievement (which I assume an A-grade is), then I'd do it in a classroom to help commemorate that fact, makes it mean a little more.

KaloranSLC wrote:As Unistoo mentioned, a classroom would be appropriate for the reason

Yeah that's what I also thought but I'm concerned about the technical difficulty of creating a realistic chalkboard; moreover, as Myrthe and Clang mentioned, a classroom wall, or desk, or whatsoever, would probably obscure too much a good part of the mini...

KaloranSLC wrote:Maybe have her standing on a low wall so she can see the band?

Oh, you're getting close to the next one's ideas... This might be the right direction, I presume...

Clang wrote:But presuming you want the attention just to be on Alyx, I'd avoid having any sort of background wall, a relatively plain flat base will be more effective. The 'park with trash can' base you've started looks fine to me.

Myrthe wrote:It can be sized to still be big but without dwarfing the model or obscuring the view of it from other angles like the backdrop of a wall or chalkboard would do.

Actually I seem to unconsciously agree with you both... I liked the classroom's "remembrance" feel, but I'm not convinced of its efficiency...

Myrthe wrote:Since she enjoys concerts, how about having her stand next to a big speaker?

Clang wrote:Or standing ON a big speaker, i.e. the speaker would be the base?

Ok now I think I have THE IDEA!!!! (I had thought of turning her into a rock star of something, but I couldn't imagine it work...)

So now... How can I create a speaker that she can "ride"?!?

Thanks for the comments guys!

If you have any other marvelous ideas like this one, don't hesitate a second! Real life has me more than occupied these days, so a few day might pass before I commit myself to building the speaker...

I doubt I can be of any help but your sister sounds awesome, wanna trade, mine listens to R&B and im gonna hang myself, just glad I can move out soon

bubber wrote:Check this out for inspiration -

http://forum-of-doom.com/index.php?topic=10152.0

it's freaking awesome.

The 'bot is from the infinity range I think

OMG.... Damn good...
Alice and Billie seem quite in a desperate position... Yet every HF knows that Alice can get herself out of any situation!

(And you're right, the Bot is an Infinity model, a Pan Oceania T.A.G., a "Cutter" IIRC)



@ Luna,

Errrr....

I just used my modelling knife, roughly cut the plasticard in an "almost" round shape (with the blade knife towards my thumb and chest: something which I don't support nor recommend, but which can allow for greater control of the strength applied to the knife, and to the thing you're cutting).

Then used some sandpaper to rub the remaining corners, making it more "round"

Repeat once or twice, cutting less and less material each time....

Did it help? (I'm not sure uh... Or maybe I can post some pics of the remains of the plasticard, you could see the basic shape...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kyley wrote:I doubt I can be of any help but your sister sounds awesome, wanna trade, mine listens to R&B and im gonna hang myself, just glad I can move out soon

Nah, no sister swap shop on Dakka lol!!! Nice try though... She was the one bringing her Mudvayne/Slipknot/Stonesour/Limp Bizkit CD to her older bro lol!!!

And indeed, that's not very helpful, but at least it made me laugh (which is almost as important )

Cheers,

I'd Have to say Pineapple or Cupcakes personally....

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/252133.page

Yggdrasil wrote:How can I create a speaker that she can "ride"?!?

Well, a classic rock concert-style speaker is just a big black box with some reinforced corners, a mesh front and some wires out the back - I think the only problem will be finding yourself some nice fine mesh, the rest should be easy plasticard (but use thick card and reinforce it all internally)

Ah yes I hadn't thought of the reinforced corners... Thanks!
I probably have and idea for the mesh, I'll have to try it...

And I might have to build the round speaker inside the box, with a see-through mesh; it would be more realistic I guess?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
@ Faux pas: I included an "other - write in!", doesn't that count?

You could use car repair mesh - I know the scale is wrong but it will convey the right thing.
Either that or search in material / dress making shops. Once a suitable material is found then glued to a former, watered done PVA will make it set.

What is car repair mesh? Is it some material you stretch over a bump or something?

I have found an old speaker in my mum's home on Friday, it's covered in a black fabric /cloth that could do the job, while not really over-scaled...

I'll have to try that out...

Any fine mesh would work - your local modelling shop may have something.

Or a fine fabric, try that too (although it may not look as cool). And some speakers aren't covered on the front at all, the speaker cone is exposed in all its naked glory - whatever looks good.