edonil Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I thought I saw aluminum foil in there...interesting choice of tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Yup, it was a bit of advice I got from someone who's a bit of a master with these big pieces. Putty is expensive and hard to work in really thick slabs, tin foil is cheap and can be pressed and wrapped to shape, and the crinkles hold the putty really well. So a wooden core for strength, tin foil to bulk it and help the putty stick, and then putty over the top. Otherwise there'd be close to $100 of putty in him already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Would it work with smaller pieces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 At about 30mm, it's a bit big. Anything from about 75mm up would be ok I reckon, smaller stuff I'd use green stuff to bulk rather than foil. It's got better solidity in thin layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Out of curiosity, I decided to mess with the backdrop for my photos a little. While white is pretty necessary for step by step stuff so it isn't a distraction, I've been discussing the merits of greyscale backdrops with some good photographers I know. So I took a photo of a sculpt, a black primed model and a painted one, on white, pale grey, darkish grey and black paper. They were all set to meter to the same level, and then minimally adjusted to make the Fimo look roughly the same colour across them all. Not a perfect comparison by any means, but very revealing... White washes out colours when you're far enough back to take photos of whole models (close up for SBS work is ok though). THe pale grey looks quite similar in background colour due to the metering, but the colours on the models are better, with the blacks not as overdone. Dark grey is my personal favourite, you can see detail on all of them, the colours on Lilia are really nicely exposed and accurate, nothing's very far off at all. Black is great for night scenes, and faking lighting effects using harsh lamps (what most of my miniature photography mates called cheating...). Each has a use I'd say, white for close shots and step by step work (good to balance shots against each other), pale grey for paler subjects and Fimo sculpts, dark grey for darker stuff, and black for night scenes.v Black needs very careful use to avoid hiding the shading on the model and making it look very different to reality, and I'm not personally a fan of using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moody628 Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Brilliant piece of info, there. Thanks for sharing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viruk Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 As always, checking out your thread is very informative and inspiring. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings Posted March 14, 2013 Report Share Posted March 14, 2013 Thanks for that! I don't think I've seen anything so useful about different background colours anywhere. I'll definitely need to get some grey backdrops after seeing how much it affects the colours in the photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 No problem, I hoped it would be interesting and useful! It's quite startling how different things look on different backgrounds. And as a quick bonus, here's the girl again, with a head on. Not baked that bit yet though. I've learned to always wait a day before baking heads, in case I change my mind on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 Hm. Something seems off about that head. I'm not sure what. It almost seems out of proportion for some reason... I do like the face, and it might just be because I'm seeing it without any paint. But it almost seems like her neck is too short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 The neck is probably hidden a bit by the angle and the hair. But there is something off - the head itself is a little big (I just checked). Should be 3.5mm, and its closer to 4. Oh well, that's why I never bake heads immediately. Will be taking a careful look at it another day, to assess it and see if it can be tweaked or if it needs pulling off and redoing. Heh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evilbleachman Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 Awesome stuff. Mako, how 'strong' are the magnets on your bases? I am actually tinkering around with how I should best magnetize my girls on their bases as well. Though I am using base inserts, which I will cut accordingly so I can swap them from 40mm to 50mm. Similar to one guide here on the little Ramos spiders. My issue is the magnet part of it. I bought this magnet sheet, but I find the magnets are kind of weak. I tested it out by using blue tack to assemble the models to one of the base inserts + base. When I lift the girls they often come apart from the other magnet. This is an issue I want to forgo when playing. Grabbing the base is much more difficult than actually touching the model as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 I got a set of 100 2mm wide, 1mm deep neodymium disc magnets from an online store. They weren't very expensive, probably about £10 including postage. Each will hold something like 100g, they're quite powerful for their size. If I lower the coryphee towards the base, the base jumps up when I get close! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoi Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 I think Ihave figured out what seems off with the head, the eyes seem too high up, should be centre of the head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 You win a bonus point for figuring that out Osoi! When I measured it the features were perfectly proportioned to each other, but a little too large for the head. The eyes are at the two thirds point, which they shouldn't be. I'm probably going to redo it, but not for a day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evilbleachman Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 I actually have 1mm/2mm mini magnets, which are powerful. There are different strengths in the magnets though. Some of them have a stronger magnetic strength to them than others. I think I bought 52N magnets. They are strong, but quite small too. I am not sure they could hold the metal models in addition to the base. Mind checking to see which magnet strength you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 Can't tell you more than I have already, they're just in a little bag these days. And also in England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evilbleachman Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 Hmmm. I bought N52 Magnets. Which are supposedly the strongest in that size. I know they are strong. I am just worried they wont hold out too much. How's your Collette crew coming along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm pretty much focussed on my GenCon crew, so it's kind of a mix of showgirl, fire, and Hoffman. Still waiting for several pieces to turn up, Canadian distributors appear to be immensely unreliable. But as an aside, here's a fixed up steampunk girl. Just got to get the thing cast now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoi Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Looks good Mako Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Cheers, it's actually head version 3. I have not had an easy time getting it right! By it's going to get a baking, then get cast. When I figure out what to do about a mould box. My Lego is all back in England... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Looks much more natural this time around, well done. Although the large blank eyes are freaking me out. O.O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Heh yeah, I think it's just that they're pale because they're not baked in that photo. They look a lot more normal in the fully cured version I've got on the desk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boshea Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm pretty much focussed on my GenCon crew, so it's kind of a mix of showgirl, fire, and Hoffman. Still waiting for several pieces to turn up, Canadian distributors appear to be immensely unreliable. Tell me about it. My Oiran are starting to repeat the ordeal my Lady Justice Box went through. Hoping it doesn't reach Misaki levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Monkey Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Nice work on the sculpt there Mako..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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