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inmygravenimage wrote:
I agree absolutely about the need for feedback from the community, and it's about a lot more than self-congratulation and affirmation: whereas comments on social media tend to be, by their very nature, brief, they also seem to only operate at the extremes. Nuanced discussion and genuine, constructive feedback are rare. Granted that that's a problem, to an extent, of the Internet generally - to quote another old timer, MeanGreenStompa, Anonymity Breeds Aggression - but it's a shame that even dakka these days is quite quiet and abbreviated. And I freely admit that I'm as guilty of this as any.
Still, a pleasure to hear from you, and thanks for swinging by!

Agreed on all points. I hope that we see a small rennaisance for long-form internet. Short replies and heart emojis don't quite cut it. A least for now, I'm back on the forum and let's hope it continues.

inmygravenimage wrote:Why not both thanks lol yeah it's traumatic, but... kinda in a good way?!

Can't wait to see how she comes out!

Tek wrote:
Agreed on all points. I hope that we see a small renaissance for long-form internet. Short replies and heart emojis don't quite cut it. A least for now, I'm back on the forum and let's hope it continues.

Can't wait to see how she comes out!

Well, not a huge wait to see her:

This was extremely challenging, especially the shoulders and chest piece.

I do enjoy an explosion, however.



Zeb likewise has masses of freehand - the stripes, the shoulder deco, etc.

But I do think of all of them he's the most show-accurate. Added a medge hatch to his base for the sake of it.


Hera is also a great sculpt for such a simple pose. Freehand on her laiku (head things) was tedious.

I decided I need a bit more base variation, so added a random interesting bit of plastic from the bits box and decided to add floor lights rather than do the slots as a grill or drain as usual. So there's also a bit of uplighting and OSL from the red lights also.


Chopper is a great sculpt also. I decided to do the base wreckage as an imperial R5 droid, as befits everyone's favourite war criminal.



I am not particularly keen on the Kanan sculpt, so opted to go full on with the osl instead.

I also added a Deadzone strut and a wee tag to mix things up.



Finally, my least favourite sculpt: Ezra. His face is particularly off putting with its... wry (I think?) smile.

So lots of osl, again, and added a medge occulus that's a perfect Lothal tunnel hatch.


Still, Spectre done! All aboard The Ghost!

Have to decide which to enter for the contest. Probably the classic 5, or maybe the 4 non-jedi? Thoughts?

However, that's not all!

We Are Brave: Padmé and her handmaidens.

Blending on the Handmaidens was haaaaaard.



Sabé, Padmé's bodyguard/ body double.



And Queen Amidala herself. Surprisingly enjoyable to do.

I never normally mount models on identical bases, especially within a unit, but it amused me to do just that for Padmé and Sabe.

So that's it for Star Wars for a bit. True, I have Mace, Wolf and the ARFs primed, but once they're done I'll change tack; it's a good idea to have a bit of variety. November marks the elder spawns 17th birthday and he wants a big critter, the Monstrous Stryx, for his Carnevale Strigoi (vampires), so that will require some secret painting. Still, it's good for the October dakka contest. I also have the Mask makers set for Carnevale that I bought as a birthday gift for myself to do, so they may make an october appearance. But by way of pallet cleanser, I think it's time for some speedy serpentmen.
Thanks for the continued support,
Graven

Excellent work on all those, especially the Rebels crew... I do love Chopper! I can almost hear him screaming as he takes off like that

I love all that Wakanda terrain, especially the transport. Your sky-earth work on MCU vehicles inspired me to try it on my mech last month.

The Star Wars dudes look good-- I admire your fortitude on all that freehand. And the explosion does look great!

Nice work on the Rebels crew!
I was tempted to get the sets myself but I knew I'd never get them looking right.

I actually like the "severity" on Unduli, and really like the clean white of the Clones; about posting and blogging, tbh I recently got back to the painting hobby, and thought of opening/reopening a WIP blog ( I had a P&M in Heresy Online and a Blogger just as a personal hobby journal and reference), as this way one can have a progress archive, and is nice to see the steps and recipes one used for x or y project; but I didnt expect any modern website to hold WIP project, or forums at all. I was pleasantly surprised to find out Dakka still has it, but as much as I think is an optimal medium to post projects and discuss the hobby, unfortunately is not a thing that modern Internet uses any more. Oh well, as long as the platform is here we can use it.

Now if youll excuse me, I need to go yell to some clouds

Catching on on a couple of months worth.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

And so on

endtransmission wrote:Excellent work on all those, especially the Rebels crew... I do love Chopper! I can almost hear him screaming as he takes off like that

yes, he's a psycho alright

JoshInJapan wrote:I love all that Wakanda terrain, especially the transport. Your sky-earth work on MCU vehicles inspired me to try it on my mech last month.

The Star Wars dudes look good-- I admire your fortitude on all that freehand. And the explosion does look great!

Well that's very kind of you to say, on all counts - and your mech was superb. The transport was the highlight for me too. I can definitely see uses for it outside of MCP, might try to track another down.

aku-chan wrote:Nice work on the Rebels crew!
I was tempted to get the sets myself but I knew I'd never get them looking right.

Thanks dude! I would honestly say give it a go. For all that I moan about it, it was a good challenge.

The_Retromancer wrote:I actually like the "severity" on Unduli, and really like the clean white of the Clones; about posting and blogging, tbh I recently got back to the painting hobby, and thought of opening/reopening a WIP blog ( I had a P&M in Heresy Online and a Blogger just as a personal hobby journal and reference), as this way one can have a progress archive, and is nice to see the steps and recipes one used for x or y project; but I didnt expect any modern website to hold WIP project, or forums at all. I was pleasantly surprised to find out Dakka still has it, but as much as I think is an optimal medium to post projects and discuss the hobby, unfortunately is not a thing that modern Internet uses any more. Oh well, as long as the platform is here we can use it.

Now if youll excuse me, I need to go yell to some clouds

Thanks for kind words and 90s Simpsons references I am increasingly thinking of dakka as a security blanket of sorts. And even today I found it useful, and fairly easy,
to go back and find a particular shade of primer I mentioned using in late spring.

Slinky wrote:Catching on on a couple of months worth.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

And so on

Jolly kind of you to say so, sir.

So, I ended up getting on with Mace Windu and his Clone gang after all.

He's a Lovely sculpt, really superb face.


I slightly re-angled the head.




Commander Ponds. The fact that NONE of his markings are sculpted on is nightmarish. All the red is freehand with no indication other than sitting with Black Series toy images for reference.

Still, happy with the result. Tiny tiny aurabesh. Some guys have all the luck

And, ARF troopers. Very fast, light, nasty little blighters. But would it have killed them to include the helmet markings? Sigh.

Next? Well now. The many Serpentfolk of the pile of Brimstone continue to glare at me, the giant bat monster for Carnevale is still unbuilt, and I have the next wave of Shatterpoint - Thrawn & the ISB, Inferno Squad, Death Star Rescue and the Maintenance Bay Terrain - all buzzing about.

So I'll probably doing something else entirely

September has been remarkably, and indeed atypically, productive, but that's the advent of not working Fridays I suppose. I'm at 319 for the year, which is a nice, steady pace overall, and I certainly have enough to get me to 365 by year end... but if I don't, I don't. It's not a competition Incidentally... this is post number 15,000 for me here. Blimey.

Onwards to October!
Graven

Yooo, Sabine looks fire! And Zeb looks even better. I love the Queen Amidala aesthetic and that model might be my favourite I've seen so far. Absolutely loving this stuff, mate.

I love the way you did the explosion one or two updates back. Absolutely smashing. How did you start to paint that? Fire colors out to dark? or vice versa? You also hit it out of the park on the handmaidens. No way I would come anywhere as close to making those reds and yellows blend as nice as you!

I always love your updates, graven. You always have so much to show. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us next.

Tek wrote:Yooo, Sabine looks fire! And Zeb looks even better. I love the Queen Amidala aesthetic and that model might be my favourite I've seen so far. Absolutely loving this stuff, mate.

Cheers brother. I agree the Amidala sculpt is boss. I doubt I'll play her in game and I'd really like an episode 2 version but the model was great to do.

blockade23 wrote:I love the way you did the explosion one or two updates back. Absolutely smashing. How did you start to paint that? Fire colors out to dark? or vice versa? You also hit it out of the park on the handmaidens. No way I would come anywhere as close to making those reds and yellows blend as nice as you!

Thanks man! Started pure white, vj golden yellow, vj flame orange, vj gore red, drybrush black. The handmaids incidentally were almost exactly the same process.

Warboss_Waaazag wrote:I always love your updates, graven. You always have so much to show. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us next.

You're so very kind mate.
It's likely to be these for the Hallowe'en edition:

The Mascareri, mystical mask makers of Venice. Each can imbue the powers of a faction into a mask for the wearer for one night. How very seasonal I do have a massive vampire beastie also but it's still in bits and I'd need to do it in secret as it's a surprise for my eldest's birthday.

That's a nice set of miniatures. Are they for that Carnevale game?

Blown away by your latest work bud, so good!

Tommygun1918 wrote:That's a nice set of miniatures. Are they for that Carnevale game?

Indeed they are! I am a big fan of the minis and the game and have... way too much for it, but these were a birthday treat to myself.

Camkierhi wrote:Blown away by your latest work bud, so good!

Many thanks old chum.
So, I managed to get this giant beast, the Monstrous Stryx for Carnevale, primed:

This can only be worked on in secret as it's for my eldest's birthday. So I might manage to get it done for the monthly contest, though the mask makers are there too.

Assembled, with 32mm mini (and full size banana) for scale

And gap filled

Monstrous Stryx required a monstrous amount of green stuff gap filling. I mean the pieces are reasonably well cast, but 2 hrs filling gaps and sculpting fur was not on my agenda today. I mean, it's not like this is forge world. So no further painting progress, alas.

In other news, I've also primed up the next lot of Shatterpoint: Thrawn, Iden Versio, Episode IV rescue and maintenance bay. Plus, I have a Cunning Plan ! I have swapped my built, painted Weapon X facility with a mate for his... unbuilt, unpainted one. Why, you may ask? To make an Endor bunker I must be mad...
Graven

I love the scale-banana. That stryx is bananas-big.

That's a big ol' bat beasty!

Wow he's nice, might have to grab one for my flesheaters at some point!

Loking forward for that big bat painted!

Oooh, that's very nice!

That's an amazing model graven. Make sure you have fun with it. I've painted many a birthday/Christmas gift for my boys in the past... it's well worth the time and trouble.

Warboss_Waaazag wrote:I love the scale-banana. That stryx is bananas-big.

A whole bunch of bananas. Maybe I'll sculpt one for the base

aku-chan wrote:That's a big ol' bat beasty!

Isn't it just?

endtransmission wrote:Wow he's nice, might have to grab one for my flesheaters at some point!

Well hello there old chum! Yes, there's some great minis there for flesheaters in the strigoi range.

The_Retromancer wrote:Loking forward for that big bat painted!

It's going to have to be sneaky. The filled sections are now primed, and I'll start to add layers of brown to the fur next.

Slinky wrote:Oooh, that's very nice!

Thanks mate. Yeah, it's a great looking piece, just hope I can do it justice.

Gitsplitta wrote:That's an amazing model graven. Make sure you have fun with it. I've painted many a birthday/Christmas gift for my boys in the past... it's well worth the time and trouble.

Well, as part of my cover story, I've been working on this "beast":

The Maintenance Bay Terrain set for Shatterpoint. The tag says REBEL in Aurabesh - I wanted to keep it grubby but subtle enough not to be too era specific.

Glorious kit, the perfect mix of heights and blocked LOS. It's designed to dominate the middle of the table and generally be interactive with objectives.

Unusually, for me at least, I painted it almost entirely on sprue pre assembly.

On the subject of tags, this is a "K" in Outer Rim basic/Huttese, which is the symbol of the Nikto K gang, who exist from the Clone era right through to the New Republic.

It's a substantial piece.

Lots of interesting cover options, which I approve of.

Plenty of room for epic battles, too.

Unfortunately, by my self-imposed rules that's still only one model painted.

However, the set also comes with a Wamp Rat sitting on a rock! Could you bullseye that in a T-16? I don't know, but by my rules, a piece of scatter terrain is still a painted model (hey don't ask me, I don't make the rules... um...) so, on balance, that seems fair
The spawn is off on a field trip the next few days, and it's our October holiday - so, time to break out the Beast!
Cya
Graven

That's a great piece of terrain.

Wamp rat looks challenging, but might be able to bullseye on a good day

Slinky wrote:That's a great piece of terrain.
Wamp rat looks challenging, but might be able to bullseye on a good day

Don't get cocky kid

Ok, the big beast is done!

The Monstrous Stryx!

I added a gondolier oar I made from some sprue to the base for a bit of variety

I spent a lot of time on the fur, especially having had to sculpt so much

QUITE a lot of OSL

And a banana (and a bottle) for scale!

And to cover my tracks, I bashed out some Carnivorous Plants...

And Winged Serpents.

These are for Valley of the Serpent Kings for Shadows of Brimstone Adventures.
There's also 6 archers and 3 giant temple guard in WIP, plus the Conquistador "heroes" and allies themselves (and 4 Vikings heroes still to do from Gates of Valhalla). So them next, or maybe more Star Wars. Got some baddies to do, and I can't say no to the power of the dark side... 31 models left to go this year to hit 365. Not bad
Graven

Oooh the glow on that well is nice!

Nice job on the big bat!

Good job on the OSL on the big bat, that really helps the big model to pop! And I love the SW terrain. I'd love to see a table decked out with that kind of scenery.

endtransmission wrote:Oooh the glow on that well is nice!

You could even say... well nice I'll see myself out.

aku-chan wrote:Nice job on the big bat!

Riddle me this, Riddle me that, who's afraid of the big bad bat?!

Tek wrote:Good job on the OSL on the big bat, that really helps the big model to pop! And I love the SW terrain. I'd love to see a table decked out with that kind of scenery.

Thanks, I wanted it to have a bit more variation in the palette and this seemed logical. A big SW table will follow soon!
I've been taking a break of sorts, just playing dead ccgs, revisting 7th Sea just now.
I have, however, been building new Star Wars:

This is Some Rescue! The episode iv Rebel set. Han has a custom base.

And, inferno squad, which got me making more custom bases.

And some paint! Serpentmen archers.

And Temple Guard. Progress, of a sort. I've hit a bit of a wall with the various lizardfolk tbh. But I'm not stressing. I've also got some Vikings to do for next month's dakka contest, Ancients.
We shall see...
Graven