Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

hi gang,

I remember seeing some photos in a dakka gallery where the painter had used what looked like tiny glass stones for all their scopes and lenses. they were dark blue, dome-shaped and looked amazing; really brought life and depth to the marines. naturally, I've forgotten which gallery I saw them in

anyone know where I can find something like this?

They probably aren't real glass domes.

Most likely the effect has been achieved by using a drop of Water effects or something similar.

When it dries it will have the glossy dome shape that you are after.

Hoard-o-Bits on Ebay sells what it sounds like you're describing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crystal-Stickers-Elements-Bits-2mm-Rhinstone-Gems-ROYAL-BLUE-16x-/360410672446?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ea266d3e

@zefig: I believe that's exactly it! cheers just curious, but what magic words did you type into ebay to find this auction?

I bought some similar, but better looking ones from a vendor called Mecha Skunk once, for a Gundam project, but since then, he's stopped business altogether.

Just ordered up a few batches in different colors and sizes from hoard-o-bits. We'll see how they turn out

Cheers, glad I could help! I don't remember exactly what I input, but I think hostd-o-bitz titles them all similarly. You seem to have figured it out anyway. . Please post results, too. I'd love to see how they turn out.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think it was "gem" now that I look at it again. Truly truly truly outrageous.

bits arrived today, but sadly it's not what I was looking for. turns out these stones are faceted rather than being a smooth 1/2 dome, so no good for a lens. on the plus side, they were cheap and I'm now well prepared if I ever need to model up a jewelry shop :p

back to searching...

Check out arts and craft stores. I know Michael's carries a pretty wide variety of self-adhesive gems and rhinestones, primarily for scrapbooking, as well as round beads that could be countersunk. Most are faceted, but I've seen pearlescent half-round stones and any and every round bead you could imagine, both in multiple sizes and colors. Can't guarantee they'd have exactly what you're looking for, but if it's not too far out of your way, it's worth taking a look.

Maybe they were just painted that way, perhaps with gloss over the top of it to give the impression that they were little pieces of glass.

yeah, you know... I'm starting to think that I was fooled by a really good painter :p I managed to find the blog that inspired me to look for glass lenses in the first place:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/30/331718.page

looking back through the photos (there's a good example about 2/3 of the way down page 2), I think you're exactly right, n0t_u. so now my question becomes, "how did he make them look so darn real?" the way I've been doing it is based off one of the old GW ultramarines tutorials (since removed from their website *sigh*) and goes something like this:

- base coat the lens black
- paint up the bottom 2/3 of the lens in a dark red, like mechrite red, and curve up the edges a bit to add the illusion of roundness
- paint up the bottom 1/3-ish in a brighter red (scab red, maybe), with the some curve around the edges
- highlight the bottom edge of the curve with a brighter red (blood red)
- put a little dot of white near the top, center edge of the lens
- coat the whole thing with gloss varnish ('ard coat, in my case)

the end result is "ok", but nothing like as clean as what BrotherArgos here has done. I will be asking him directly, of course, but does anyone else have a technique they'd like to share?