Das Boot

[Stikpusher]

Thanks, Stik, I'm tryin.

[SteveSki]

2nd Lieutenant

I enjoyed my break from the bunker, but now it’s time to get moving on these last three figures. Back at the bench I was able to start work on the 2nd Lieutenant and get the face in order, but not completed. The first photo is a light shadow setting to start the process. After working the flesh tones in the same manner as the prior faces I applied the base tones for the uniform. Things are starting to move along much faster now.









Deck photos will be posted soon. I have pretty much completed everything that needs to be done on it, so I am happy with that. Feel free to comment, more to follow soon.

Cheers, Ski.

[keavdog]

Put a pair of boxing gloves on that guy
Glad to see you back on the project.

[SteveSki]

Lol, ya, it kinda looks that way. Those binos will cover his face and all that eye detail will be hidden, but it was still good practice to paint em. Tanks, Brother!

[Stikpusher]

Your skin tones on his face look so contrasting, yet so natural at the same time. That’s what I need to learn to achieve.

[SteveSki]

That’s what I need to learn to achieve.

Thanks, Stik. You can do it, Buddy, just keep at it.

[Stikpusher]

Yup! Ya can’t improve if you don’t keep at it…

[SteveSki]

Chief Engineer Fritz

Moving right along to the next figure, Chief engineer Fritz has received his initial facial work using the same process as before. It can be challenging to get a decent paint job done on a face with such exaggerated features, but I think he’s close. There are still quite a few details to feather in as well as glint in the eyes and a few minor adjustments. I’ve set him aside now to dry while I start on the Captain figure.





Not shown here I’ve also placed a base coat on his rain jacket and trousers, etc., just to get the ball rolling for later. More to follow real soon.

Thanks for watchin. Cheers, Ski.

[SteveSki]

Captain Willen Brock has the Con!

The last figure to work is Captain Brock. He’s still looking rather rough, needing cheek work and more attention to the beard and eye areas, but the base work is set. He does have a slight pale look to him right now, but I will fix that as well.

I went ahead of myself and started working the rain coat just for fun to see how the color tones would work. There’s a lot of surface area to cover, but I like the initial tones. I’ve also worked the cap a little. I always work from top to bottom, so I’ll hold off on the coat for now and get this head completed before moving any further on the rest of the figure.





I had pretty much finished the deck a few weeks back, for the most part, but still needed to close out the sliced portion and also take care of some minor clean-ups here and there. Photos will be much better when this is all completed, but here’s just a rough idea of how the deck looks right now. I added a seat that was missing from the scene and corrected some of the flag issues, mainly the provided flag was way too big and the rigging points were not represented.





I used copper wire for the heavy cable rigging and flag rope which made it much easier to resemble a flag blowing in the wind. I didn’t go overboard, lol, on the upgrades of this deck, but I did want to spruce it up just enough to present a better picture of the scene.

Once I go back and finish off all the faces and cap I will work my way down each figure in sequence. It’s much easier to run a production line when most of the figures have the same uniforms, etc. More to follow soon.

Cheers, Ski.

[SteveSki]

Capt. Brock Is Ready for Duty

Well, after the long “Battle of the Resins,” I can now say I am happy this figure is finished, for the most part. Looking closer at these pics I can see shadows that need definition and a few lines needing more amplification. The punch list is growing, yikes!

When painting this dark color tone with oils it’s sometimes difficult to see the flaws that may have been missed during the primer coat portion. This color tone and the high gloss when painting with oils can really mess with your perception and must be constantly observed from multiple angles to make sure areas are treated as they should be, natural shadow fall, highlights, etc. My personal experience has shown that it can be a bit taxing at times to catch all of it correctly, specifically with these dark tones. However, I do like how these coats and trousers are folded and formed, making them a great canvas for blending the oils. This part is always fun for me, personally.

Using my standard “rattle can” Dull Coat I am now able to more easily see those flaws, and the slag, that I have missed. Correcting some of these issues will not be addressed as the repainting is more trouble than the issues involved. This really has not been my most enjoyable set of figures to work with.





I will be breaking from the expected glossy water effect on all of these figures, including the deck. I know this set is portrayed on the deck at sea with heavy winds and everyone assumes there’s a sea spray at a quick glance, but is there really? Since the upper portion of the deck is all that is visible I can pretty much work this as I see fit, right? After all, glossy figures are a pet peeve of mine and I won’t willingly do it, if I can help it. Oh, did I mention that I hate glossy figures? HA!





So, for now Capt. Brock will be set aside as I bring the rest of the crew up to speed. I have my punch list, so hopefully all the stray boofs will be wrangled into the coral before these figures are mounted onto the deck. I’m off to work the next figure while the momentum is present, minus winter prep outside, as with what usually happens in Sept/Oct time frame.

Thanks for watching, more to follow soon. Cheers, Ski.