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.

Hrm... After seeing this latest WIP update, Idk about the wings Gits. Something isn't meshing well in my mind when I look at that mini, it seems to have too much of that power glow going on (which is not a bad thing to have considering most people can't do that). I would almost think something to break up the blue would be needed on the wings... something to break it up like the plastic mesh bags. It just seems like I'm staring at an ocean of blue :( Maybe its just because its early and I'm grumpy in the morning lol (Regardless of my opinion on the wings, its still a top notch looking mini)

Lets review for a moment...

- so, I did the white/blue gradient on the wings which everyone really likes, but thinks is too plain (I agree)
- To solve this, you want me to make a stencil out of mesh, and completely *paint over* the gradient with some other color... leaving the gradient visible only as narrow lines behind the mesh
- this is ignoring the fact that unless the stencil is somehow adhered to the wing surface, the force of the airbrush will move the stencil and no pattern will be transferred at all, or if it is (in the case of a thick stencil) it would look really messy

That's what you guys want me to do??

I see speckling too but I'm not sure the actual mini will be so rough (is that the right word?) once done? I'm not one for airbrushes but I think the speckling on the blue actually looks rather nice.

As far as adhering the mesh, I would recommend using a glue stick. Not sure what that will do to the paint though, so I'd experiment on something else first. Maybe a coat of varnish 1st.

Nice use of an santury gaurd jumpack part!
Who are you swapping with?

Gitsplitta wrote:- To solve this, you want me to make a stencil out of mesh, and completely *paint over* the gradient with some other color... leaving the gradient visible only as narrow lines behind the mesh
- this is ignoring the fact that unless the stencil is somehow adhered to the wing surface, the force of the airbrush will move the stencil and no pattern will be transferred at all, or if it is (in the case of a thick stencil) it would look really messy

They are suggesting the inverse of that actually (they mentioned the mesh and then said if you could reverse that, it would probably look good). Only way I can think to do something like that would be to cut some low tack painters tape into a massive ammount of little diamonds and adhere them into a pattern. Then mask off the rest of the model off and air brush the wings. Hexigon pattern would look more insect like though. Just my 2 cents for the day.

This one is for vent. But it's really a prototype for one of my vanguard variants. This will count as lightening claws in my units. The double chainswords will either be the standard load-out (I'll figure out how to sneak a bolt pistol in somewhere) OR it'll count as a relic weapon (but then I only get one).

I am really happy with the way this is coming along though. Once I get the underside of the wings sorted and finish up the odds n ends I think I'll call it a figure.

@wyfox: That might work. diamonds... not hexes (I agree the hexagons would be more insect like, but I'd never get them cut uniformly enough to have it look good

I wonder if there are any specially shaped hole punches that could make your job easier?

Also I wonder what the wings would look like if both sides were painted blue...rather than the back being painted green.

Gitsplitta wrote:Lets review for a moment...

- so, I did the white/blue gradient on the wings which everyone really likes, but thinks is too plain (I agree)
- To solve this, you want me to make a stencil out of mesh, and completely *paint over* the gradient with some other color... leaving the gradient visible only as narrow lines behind the mesh
- this is ignoring the fact that unless the stencil is somehow adhered to the wing surface, the force of the airbrush will move the stencil and no pattern will be transferred at all, or if it is (in the case of a thick stencil) it would look really messy

That's what you guys want me to do??

Yes... but no. Now that I've actually had some form of caffeine and am no longer staring through my eyelids, I was thinking about my comment. Mesh bag would screw up the wings because it would be chunks of color breaking it up, when all I meant to say was the wings needed lines or something to break up the gradient color. I think thin lines would be what does the trick. Granted, I wouldn't know how to do something that wouldn't ruin the whole mini by creating lines so stark that they jump out on the smooth transitions of the wings.
kinda like this:


But again, you're a much better painter than I am


Edit: ninja'd by my workload lol but the gradient would be the clear parts on the wings, with something breaking them up being the membrane holding the wing together

My suggestion would be for future vanguard models not this one. Spray the wings with a basecoat, light or dark of your choosing, then fit the mesh over. You would put tension on the mesh then use something like blu/white/green tac, on the other side to grip it in place. Then spay your gradients on to the wings. Lift off the mesh and voila.

As you push and pull on the mesh to make it stretch there is a chance that the pattern would not be uniform. but it depends if you want it standard or unique to each wing.

On a side-note, I think it looks awesone as it is, and Vent will be chuffed to bits to own a Gits evolution special. The spater is only noticeable due to the size of the pic and nobody would notice it IRL, tbh I didnt notice it till it was pointed out to me.

An alternaive a few lightning streaks like you see on the GK weapons might suffice as veins, runiing from the jump pack.

Well you can always experiment on plasticard first

Those have possibilities... they're irregular which means they'll be much harder to screw up.

I found a site with some line drawings of the vein pattern of mantis wings... they are very complicated. However, there may be something I can simplify and use.

Here's the link (the mantis wings are near the bottom of the page): http://www.metafysica.nl/wings/wings_2.html


I'll be honest, I don't think a negative-stencil is practical. It might work, but it would take ages, be uncertain in it's results, and require the disassembly of the wings. I think I'm going to go with adding the pattern on the the wings the old fashioned way, either by painting or use of a micron pen (probably painting).

I think (for once) freehand might be the easiest option. Wouldnt even have to be 100% symmetrical, though close would be good.

I agree WM, I'll sketch up a simplified pattern based on the real wing examples and use that for the wing set. I have some very fine brushes and if I get the paint dilution right, I should be able to execute the pattern in decent form with nice smooth lines.

Or, if feeling more confident - perhaps some fineliner pens of a sort?

The irony of freehand being easier for a change.

Hey DSS. I think long lines are actually easier to execute with a brush than with a pen. Small lines like writing on purity seals and banners are where pens really shine. Also the wing-long lines *should* vary in width... this can be most easily and smoothly accomplished by varying the pressure and angle of a brush stroke as opposed to multiple passes with a pen.

For the future, im sure there are some vinyl masks you can buy that do this sort of thing.

That would be cool Vit... though if I get good at painting the lines myself, it may ultimately look better just to free-hand them without that much hassle.

I do appreciate MT's suggestion & everyone else pitching in... don't mean to come off ungreatful for the input. It's just not something that at this stage of this particular project that I see as a viable option.

No Gits, it's ok.

Especially as it's come in at this point, which is more than halfway through and it's sort of niggling suggestions for something which should have been done at the very beginning.

But as you said - prototype. See how the freehanding goes but live and learn!

Actually, I had a really clever idea. I'm running by whalemusic360 right now. Depending on his reaction I may (or may not) experiment with it. Either way, there's still a fair amount of work to do on the rest of the figure. I'm sure I'll leave the wing treatment until the very end, because you know... that's just what I tend to do.

Not sure if you guys have business's in the States that cut rubber stamps for office use but that may be an option. I know that over here you can ask then to etch just about anything onto a piece of rubber as long as you have a jpg or picture of it in some form. Photoshop up a set of designs that will fit on the wings and get them to cut them for you. mount them on blocks of wood or something and paint the wings as you already have. Then all you need to do is "stamp" the wing with say gold paint and you will get a uniform design on every wing you do... just an idea though

We do BLACKHAND, but I am a bit skeptical that the image transferred would be of high enough quality to justify the effort. We use custom made stamps at work and the images, while sufficient for a letter or envelope, aren't really model quality.

Dang

You could use frisket which is a clear tacky masking film that airbrush artists use on canvas and paper, you could cut it into sections and stick it to the wings and leave a gap between each section to give you thin lines. you could even draw on it first and then cut along the lines to get the pattern right. It should peel off without any trouble. If you used the airbrush again it would give a graduated veining, maybe black to red.

Actually guys, I think Whalemusic and I have come up with a very good possible solution. I'll know later tonight if the theory will work & will report back. Thanks everyone for your great ideas and suggestions... just took some one-on-one brainstorming to distill the possibilities into a really good (and practical) possible solution.

I know the first step in the process works, the next step will be the kicker for this method. Check back around 10 PM central time (for more discussion on the wing-thing anyway).

Why do I have mental images of Gits walking around in the woods with a net trying to catch a real mantis to puck its wings off?

Not my style DSS.

I can breathe a sigh of relief then. Shall happily wait and see then since there will be no Elmer Fudd moments.

That gave my and idea for adding fur to my crimson fists. In October I can use squirrel skin after i hunt them.

Hi Gitz,

love the airbrushing!

just thought i'd add my 2 cents :-)

what about not doing the veins in favour of something like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmikey/94357710/

also, perhaps putting a blade edge on one side for each? to add extra cutti-ness

Keep the good stuff coming!

Kensei