This article will have several entries over the next few weeks. I will be adding to it as I make progress on the project, so check back every now and then. I will update the "Paint Palette" link on the home
page when updates occur.
B.
Original Terragnosis 3D Model
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Female Entity from Terragnosis, Part 1
As you by now know, BKG has been named as the distributor for Terragnosis in the
US, Canada and Australia. I am very excited about this partnership and look
forward to working with Terragnosis for a very long time.
The Female Entity is a 54mm model produced by Terragnosis. Like the entire Terragnosis line, this model was “sculpted” using 3D technology
and offers absolutely stunning detail and proportion. BKG and Terragnosis have been negotiating a distribution agreement for some time, and
they sent me a few models (54mm and 30mm) to evaluate. I have to tell you that I am extremely impressed by the quality of these miniatures.
After receiving this model in the mail, I was really excited about assembling and painting it, and decided that it would make a great Paint Palette subject, so here it goes...
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The Theme
I knew that I wanted the model to represent a fire demon. The model’s pose suggested that it is jetting out of the earth with weapons at the ready, so I thought that modeling flames
and smoke at the base would be cool. I also wanted her attire to follow with the fire motif. Her skin was to be dark so that it would offset the bright colors of the flame and her clothing
and would make her seem more ominous.
First Steps (the plan)
The first thing I wanted to do was to have a solid plan about the colors I would be using to complete the model. This is always a tough thing for me to do, not being blessed with an abundance
of talent in the subject, so I decided to try something different to plan my attack.
I went to the Terragnosis site and copied an image of the model. Opening the image in PhotoShop, I used the color replacement tool to start playing around with various color schemes.
This turned out to be a great way to experiment and come up with some solid ideas. By using layers in the PhotoShop file, I could easily create various options for the model’s various attributes.
I didn’t worry too much about being exact as I colored her in because I figured it was just a rough representation of where I would finally settle on the basic colors. I am no expert with
PhotoShop, so texturing, blending and all that good stuff was pretty much out of my skill set.
I fiddled around with several schemes and came up with a couple that I thought had aspects that I liked. Now, it’s important to note that neither one of these mock-ups was going to be
the definitive result of the painting process, they were simply ideas to go by as I started throwing paint around.
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Color Scheme 1
Color Scheme 2
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Primered Model Front View
Primered Model Back View
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Before The Paint Starts to Fly
I began by cleaning the model up, removing any mold lines (which were extremely minimal) which took about 5 minutes. I also cleaned the model by washing it with dishwashing
detergent and water to remove any oils or other contaminates. A quick buff with a very fine sand paper and I was ready to prime the model.
Normally, I would have primed a demon in black so that it would have more of a dark feel to it, but because this was to be a fire demon, I decided to go with white. I used PR white
primer and applied several light coats so that the model was dead smooth when I began my actual painting.
The model comes with separate arms. I left these unattached for now because not only does it make the model easier to paint, but I really hadn’t decided how I wanted to pose her.
The pictures at left do not do the model justice. After I primed it, I was even more impressed by the level of detail. This is one major feature of the 3D modeling process. As the artist conceptualizes
the subject and builds it in the 3D software, even hard to reach places that I conventional sculptor would find maddening are rendered according to scale and detail.
Don’t get me wrong, there are sculptors out there who use conventional materials (green stuff and the like) who do phenomenal work. I am just of the opinion that 3D also has its place.
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Okay, so the model was prepped and primed and now that I had a good idea of what I wanted to do for a theme and color scheme, I can start throwing some paint on my model.
I decided to use the purple skin color from scheme 1. I like the darkness of it and it isn’t too dark. Base coat first, I started out by mixing my flesh color by taking equal parts of blue and maroon,
both from Ral Partha. These paints are about as old as I am, but they are still in good shape. It’s hard to find paint that will last that long! In any event, mixing these two colors produced a rather dark
violet, perfect for my base coat.
As happens many times, even though I liked the color while it was still wet, I was not sure how the dried paint would look on the model. This time I was really pleasantly surprised.
Keep in mind that I took the picture you see here before I completed the base coat. You will notice that there are some spots on the model that don’t appear covered. I did the base coat in a few
hits because the white showed through where I pulled the purple with the brush a bit too much. Always make sure that your base coat is on evenly and completely!
The goop you see on top of the wood dowel is blue tack. It's basically just putty that sticks stuff without
peeling paint. Very useful.
Next time…
Completing the base coat.
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Skin Base Coat (almost complete)
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