Hi All,

After returning to styrene for a brief period, I had severe white metal withdrawal symptoms, thus the figure below. I'm not a fan of the Victorian era but there was just something about Latorre's Grenadier Guard that was hard to ignore.

At any rate it was a good painting experience especially after reviewing the pics below showing areas that need improvement.










Thanks for viewing and all comments appreciated.

Hi CK,

Firstly welcome back to the metal side

Now the figure...

You'll forgive me if I start with a negative comment, but when I look at your first picture the first thing my eye is drawn to is that huge tree. Despite it being a fantastic item (seriously, nicely modelled!) I feel that it detracts from the figure - it overshadows your figure.

Your figure is fantasticly painted. I love the cold look on his face. And the grey, muted tones of his overcoat really add to icy appearance. The muddy weathering is also nicely, subtly (sp?) done. Brilliant!

As I said, sorry to start on a negative note, but I really feel that the tree, despite it being a lovely piece of the scene, detracts from your excellent paint job on the figure.

Very nice!!!!!

Rudi

Yeah getting back to metal is nice, very nice but very expensive.

No worries and nothing to forgive my friend. Its definitely a valid comment. Besides comments are always good. Always believe if one puts up something one should be able to take the good with the not so good. No comments no opportunities to improve.

Had a hard time deciding whether to go with the big tree or leave it out entirely. The little woman the most unforgiving critic, next to myself didn't like the big tree as well. In fact she said I should shorten the trunk as an alternative. It is pretty overpowering. Should have gone with my instincts and her advice though I won't admit to her she was right in the end.

The other thingy is the blending. Looking at the pics I will need to work on blending the shadows with the highs a bit more.

Many thanks Rudi for checking it over.

Hi CK,

Thanks. I was concerned that I had been overly critical. But if the hardest critics, yourself and the missus, picked it up then I don't feel as bad

About the blending, does it look right to your eye though? Remember that the camera tends to pick things up that may not be all that visible to the "normal" naked eye. To me it looks okay on the shots that are a bit further out, and it's only on your zoomed in shots that the harder edges are a bit more visible.

Rudi

CK,

Although I agree with Rudi's comment on th tree too.... But i think this is the best of all figures U've painted since... A true master class job.

Rudi, I think we've to give CK abit of space to "breath"... As we all know CK is very good in making dio vegetation. Can't blame him to plant that huge tree even on a single figure display

CPTan

Well well, that's a nice scene you've been doing CK!
i like it for several reasons, but really the "red in the face from the frost " is the little plus of your paint job.
And then all the colours really make that "logical whole" whichi am so fond of in good scenes.
Now the tree, of course like CPTan says, you really ought to put a tree in it didn't you?
i think it's a bit huge, but does is really distracts from the fig? i am not so sure. What does the eye does? first you notice the tree and then the eye comes down to the shako and *rests* on the fig. Why not?,
Shakos look a bit like bushy trees anyway, they're huge cumbersome things and distract from the face under it. So let's say the tree is the vignette's own shako

Ck real nice work on the whole scene,figure and groundwork.You have portrayed a cold enviroment very well by reflecting the cold in the choice of flesh tones,they work very well.I agree the tree is large but i also agree with JBA thet the tree actually draws you down to the figure,it makes you take the whole scene in rather than focusing directly to the figure and missing everything else.As for the shadows and highlights its like Rudi says if it looks right by the naked eye then its ok,if you enlarge any painted figure large enough you will see flaws.
Could you explain how you made the trees as these are superb and i would like to use these for a dio i have in mind.

All the best mate

Steve

Thanks CP, JB and Steve for the input and support.

As you mentioned Rudi the brush lines are not as apparent to the naked eye but the edges are still pretty rough, so there's still room for improvement. CP I'm comfortable with the face but the rest of his body is still far from anywhere resembling masterclass. The only thing I'm really masterclass at is avoiding work.

Steve the big tree which I tried to make resembling an evergreen conifer is made up of several dried sedge flowers stuck around a central twig. Sedges are grasses found in wet places like banks of streams, swamps and such. Best bet is a trip to to your local dried flower shop. While the variety may differ a bit I believe they should be found around UK countryside and parks coz I definitely seen them around US in the temperate zones. Here's a pic:



1. I sprayed them with a quick once over with a greyish brown mix leaving some of the natural color exposed for contrast.
2. Stuck them to a central twig. As they have 3 sided stalks and skinny ones at that I had to add a wee bit of epoxy putty to "fatten" them up to be more rounded at the joints to the main trunk.
3. Applied slightly diluted PVA. Sprinkle them with Dill, the spice you see in the pic above (which as usual I borrowed indefinitely from the kitchen). Dill gives the fine, needle like leaves of conifers and pines.
4. Leave for a couple of hours for the glue to dry. Went over with spray of dark green (acrylic) at the bottom halves and a lighter green shade at the tops to simulate younger leaves. Avoid hitting the trunks if possible when airbrushing.
5. I gave my main trunk a reddish brown wash followed by a raw umber wash for contrast.

Of course you can't pick out the various shades in mine coz they're covered in snow and I often wonder why I bother sometimes with little details no else will know or see. Obsessive habits of detailing I guess.

Hope that helps.

Nice work, CK. The base details look very effective too.

Ck: The figure you painted is simply fantastic. As far as the tree I could go either way. I belive for the setting you'er trying to convey it works well( a snow covered forrest ) but on the other hand as a show piece it dose take from the figure. Sorry no help on the tree issue. Only to show that all art is subject to the view of the viewer

Hi CK,
Your work looks fantastic and happy for you to be back with metals. I agree other friends about the tree but I think this is a matter of taste. Although I shouldn't use a big one near your nicely painted figure.
Anyway the tree looks very realistics, thanks also for sharing the tips about it.

Ck thanks for the info on the connifer,i will be trying this method out it sounds great.

Steve

Many thanks Anthony and Alguhan for the support and comments. I do have a tendency to get carried away when it comes to vegetation.

Steve glad to help and I hope you don't have too much trouble looking around for it. Its pretty fast and easy to do coz if I had a bit more sedge flowers I probably could whip up a mini-forest in an hour which would also mean the little woman wondering where her Dill spice went.