Hey again folks,

I decided to start clearing some of the part-started/finished/abandoned stuff on my bench to make room for some of the goodies I picked up at FW. So, to that end, this piece is the first in the queue. She is Daramis, Healing Light from Andrea Miniatures in 54mm.

I didn't like the long polearm of the original as it was made from really soft metal and was virtually impossible to get straight. I decided then that, as I was so awesome at modelling, that I'd chop off the axe blades and glue them onto a replacement shaft made from brass rod/tube and thread the whole lot through the original (drilled-out) right hand, simples. Anyhoo, to cut a long story short, it turned out I wasn't so awesome at modelling after all, it all went to rats**t and she was put aside, minus her right hand and weapon, and forgotten about.....till now

This time around I decided to try something a little different from the original boxart and put her in a natural setting with lots of greens and browns etc. so today I had a little mess about with groundwork and composition. Nothing is fixed in place yet, hence the plastic lid. Ground scatter is a mixture of green tea, dried coriander and silver birch seeds and the "tree trunks" are just some interesting looking twigs I found somewhere, broken to size and arranged on the base. I would be interested to know if you think it needs a little more, or less or if its just not right at all so critique is most welcome, encouraged in fact



Thanks for tuning in

The groundwork looks great Billy, and goes just right with the whole idea and the base , but what are you going to do about her arm ?
Best wishes, Gary.

Thanks Gary

I was thinking putting a gnarly wooden staff in her right hand to keep with the whole tree-hugging "at one with nature" theme. I will, of course, have to make her a new right hand to go with it too

Something like this: http://www.collecttolkien.com/image...it Unexpected Journey Gandalf WETA 2013 a.jpg

That would suit her nicely, what are you going to do about the arm ?
best wishes, Gary.

The arm is there Gary, only part she's missing is from the upper wrist area downwards.

I was thinking of forming a one-piece wire armature for the hand and staff (like a T shape basically with a short leg and a wide top part) and using a 50/50 mix of a Green Stuff/Milliput as my sculpting material. That's the plan anyway, I bet it'll be a lot easier to say than it will be to do. What do you think? Good plan or bad plan?

The plan sounds fine, and that sort of staff will definitely go with the groundwork. At 54mm you'll be using paperclip wire for your armature anyway, but if you've got a good model shop near you that does packs of wire, use some .9mm brass wire as it's easier to manipulate than a paperclip .
Best wishes, Gary.
P S be prepared for plenty of swearing.

Change of plan already

I made a staff from Green Stuff (on its own) earlier today but wasn't too happy with either the process or the result so it went in the bin. I then made another from Super Sculpey and was much happier. It's not long out the oven and its late so I'll post a pic or 2 in the morning.

What I usually find is that I work out the best way of doing something just after I've done it for the umpteenth time.
Have you thought of just using a small twig or bit of tree root, varnishing it, and attaching that to the arm?
Best wishes, Gary.

Some pics of the staff. They were taken with my iPad, sorry.

p.s. never try to edit a post on an ipad, it is an exercise in frustration

That looks pretty good as it is .
Best wishes, Gary.

I added a hand. Its not great, a bit chubby and cartoon-like, but as its my first serious attempt at sculpting anything I'm very happy with it. I've been messing about with some Sculpey up till now but that's all its been really, messing about.

Re-primed and good to go. I'm really chuffed by how the resculpting of her lower right arm and weapon went

I'm now going away for a week and she's coming with me just in case I get the odd hour or two to slap some paint on her.

She looks good Billy, we'll done mate .
Best wishes, Gary.

Back from holiday now

I got a little bit done while I was away. I played around, mixing up some greens till I stumbled across some shades that I liked and tried them out on her long flowy trail and loin cloth, I can't think of any other words to describe these bits. This is how she looks so far (ignore the orange bit on the base, I was just messing about with some watercolours. The base will be hidden with groundwork anyway when she's done) :

A bit more progress....



Still a lot to do to the figure but I'm relatively happy with the groundwork so that won't be changing much, I think, before I call her done.

Thanks again for tuning in

She's finished now, completed thread