Dungeon of Doom Revision Deux

[harrytheheid]

Since finishing this display back in April 2016, I've raided several characters from it to be used in different projects.

So I recently decided to revisit and fresh it up a bit.
The scenic was exhibiting a fair amount of wear & tear, after all, it's only made from foam and thick card, so all remaining figures were removed while I got to work on the areas that needed attention and after an initial wash on the flagstones with diluted blue/green inks, here's the progress so far.
In addition, the characters I used in the original version ranged from 70mm up to that 120mm four-armed Demoness, but I could get away with that to some extent by using "forced perspective". For example, the 80mm "Princess Jasmine" looks okay in this shot along with the 75mm gang.

Problem is, even in this low-angled shot, she looks way too large in comparison to the replacement 75mm figures in the revamped display.

So she had to be moved, and I actually like her better in the new location, although I do need to replace those chains so they can reach the top of the arch above her head - but that'll have to wait until the wife isn't looking - while I raid her dressing table for something suitable to use as miniature chain.

Next job was another wash of diluted inks on the flagstones, dark brown this time, followed by a drybrush with some pigments to dull things back down again. Only, the ink wash wasn't quite dry enough, (doh), so I left well alone overnight, intending to do a bit more work on the scenic today.

Thing is, I'm not one of those guys who can leave well alone for too long, so this morning I started playing around with the figure locations. And then - received this email from a mate of mine, who suggested, (tongue in cheek I imagine, but you never know for sure with the kind of mates I have), that adding a horseman would be a "great idea". (I've removed names to protect the innocent).

So here it is with a couple of 75mm mounted figures added. (Hmm, seems to work okay....ROFL).

On the other hand....naah.
Removing them from those "grass bases" is too much like hard work. So I'll just have to revert to Plan A, remove all the characters again and clean up the flagstones later today.
No worries, there's plenty more fun and nonsense on my workbench to get on with while I'm hopping from foot to foot waiting for the additional "New Demoness" and "Dancing Vampires" to be delivered from the UK and Russia.

Cheers
H

 

[HansDig]

I love scenes like that. Lot of things happening and you can let your imagination go in every direction you like.
Reminds me of my "Raiders of the Dragon Egg" which started with an old trunk and a guy on a griffion and look where it took me
https://diggelenhans.wixsite.com/scalemodelling/post/raiders-of-the-dragon-egg
So..keep up the good work and lets hope the "damsel in distress" will be saved !!

 

[harrytheheid]

I love scenes like that. Lot of things happening and you can let your imagination go in every direction you like.
Reminds me of my "Raiders of the Dragon Egg" which started with an old trunk and a guy on a griffion and look where it took me
https://diggelenhans.wixsite.com/scalemodelling/post/raiders-of-the-dragon-egg
So..keep up the good work and lets hope the "damsel in distress" will be saved !!

Hah....I love it, and that lump of wood your son rescued has been turned into an astonishing piece of art that acts as a terrific base for the diorama.
I did something along much the same lines ages ago, with a Dragon protecting her eggs from rampaging "Brothers of the Temple of the Golden Cross" and it's a lot of fun just letting the imagination run riot.

Unfortunately, I ended up getting squat done on my latest flight of fantasy today due to Her Imperial Majesty dragging me out for lunch at the new, (and as far as I know, the only), Indian restaurant in town. The owner spoke English, and it turned out he comes from Rajasthan up in the North West - where I was assigned on three separate occasions last year. Bit of a shame I had to admit that I couldn't recall meeting his cousin, who goes by the name of Gupta Natarajhan, apparently. I suppose it's a bit like the neighbors asking me if I get invited to drink tea with Queen Elizabeth on the odd occasion I find myself back in the UK.

Anyway, I digress as usual.
At least the bold Pegaso mounted figures have been rescued out of the scenic and my home office has now reverted back to the usual state of chaos.

And the small display above the computer station has been restored to its full glory.

Many thanks to the guys who've "liked" this thread.
There's more to follow, as and when.

Cheers
H

 

[HansDig]

Needless to say I like that Knights-and-Dragon one too !!
For the weeks to come there's only commisioned building for me........
I do a lot for a museum who wanted me to make this ( both in one dio ) . I already did the Tainanmansquare scene for them (and a lot more ) but there's no fun in building (1/72) choppers and tanks but hell, it pays for the fun stuff I buy !

 

[harrytheheid]

Needless to say I like that Knights-and-Dragon one too !!
For the weeks to come there's only commisioned building for me........
I do a lot for a museum who wanted me to make this ( both in one dio ) . I already did the Tainanmansquare scene for them (and a lot more ) but there's no fun in building (1/72) choppers and tanks but hell, it pays for the fun stuff I buy !

Yeah, I know what you mean. 1/35 is the smallest I try to go, and it's really too small for my eyes these days. I find that 75mm offers the best compromise between size and the value/cost ratio.

 

[harrytheheid]

I'm finally getting somewhere with this revamped Dungeon scenario. It's my own fault for having way too much going on at the same time.

75mm Sun T'zu

A small 54mm diorama

And a bunch of half-done figures for yet another 54mm diorama

But one of the figures I want to include in the Dungeon of Doom was delivered yesterday and I'm hoping the other two will turn up over the coming weekend

The weathering on the floor slabs is finished and I've almost decided on the locations of most of the figures

I'm notorious for underestimating the time it takes to finish off one of these projects, but if the two figures that are in the post get delivered over the next few days, then this one might be completed by end of next week, (he said....optimistically)

Cheers
H

 

[harrytheheid]

Took another look at this and decided that both the Viking and the Valkyrie are over-dressed compared to the rest of the figures.



So out they came.
Mind you, Thulsa Doom is also over-dressed compared to the rest of the figures, but there's no way he's coming out. After all, it's his dungeon.
I reckon the minimal look is better anyway. Less is more and all that.


So after that, I made a start on cleaning up the cheeky wee Demoness and began putting her together. The assembly process turned out to be somewhat exciting seeing as there were two arms and a
right leg to pin and glue onto the main torso while juggling everything so's they'd fit all four contact points on that base of skulls, but I got there in the end.


Also made a slight, but important change to one of the details.


So, assuming I can wriggle out of the weekly shopping mission to Walmart, and no natural disasters occur between now and then, it'll be time to break out the paintbrushes tomorrow.


Cheers
H

 

[harrytheheid]

Well, the RP Models 75mm Sun Tzu figure, and everything else I'm presently working on, got pushed to one side while I concentrated on the Little Demoness from Nuts Planet today.​

Made more progress than I expected - and I'm really pleased with how her face is coming along.​

I've no idea if anyone else does this, but I got into the habit of taking a series of photos as I work. I find it invaluable when I take a break and study them at a high magnification - helps me spot mistakes and areas that need to be improved. Adding notes to the photos helps me remember what needs done when I head back to the workbench, (the transition to Senior Citizen does have its moments). It also provides a record of projects I've done that I can look back on, sometimes with pleasure and sometimes with dismay, and track my progress or otherwise, in modeling and painting stuff. ​

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Postman Pat didn't deliver those 75mm Dancing Girls today - the ones I'm waiting for so I can wrap this project up and get on with something else.​

Oh well, hope they're delivered tomorrow, or early next week.​

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Meanwhile....​

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All in all, I think I made some very satisfying progress today.​

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Cheers​

H ​

 

[KenBoyle]

Looking really nice Harry! I appreciate all the details on your projects.

Cheers ,
Ken

 

[harrytheheid]

Looking really nice Harry! I appreciate all the details on your projects.

Cheers ,
Ken

Thanks Ken - glad you like it.

 

[harrytheheid]

Did a bit more on the wee Demoness today.
She's nowhere near finished of course, but another two or three days should see her done.
Here's the today's progress photos from this morning through to early evening.

 

[harrytheheid]

Well, I managed to surprise myself by getting this figure around 90% finished today.


Not the best job I've ever done, but then again - she's going into a diorama where the closest viewing distance will be around 12-inches, if even as close as that, so she really doesn't have to be truly fandabiedozzie.
She'll be coming back off that base tomorrow while I finish off the skulls.


Here's an extreme close-up of her face. I reckon she looks not bad considering I spent less than three days on it. I know they're difficult to see in the photo, but her eyes are
actually red with a black vertical slit for each pupil.


And here she is placed in the diorama.


Just as an aside, I probably won't do another indoor diorama after this. Finding 75mm figures that can be placed in a natural looking pose without their bases is a pure pain.
With dioramas set outdoors the figure bases can be incorporated into the groundwork, or the groundwork can be made to suit the pose.
Oh well, only three more figures to add to this one once Postman Pat turns up with them. They'll still have to be assembled and painted of course.

Cheers
H

 

[KenBoyle]

Nice work Harry!

Cheers,
Ken

 

[harrytheheid]

Nice work Harry!

Cheers,
Ken

Thanks Ken - appreciated.
I haven't a clue how I'm going to integrate that extended base into the floor slabs. Perhaps add some dust at each edge? Or have the base sitting on some kind of plinth?
The easiest solution might actually be to forget the base altogether and have all three piles of skulls free-standing, although that'll take some careful work with a hacksaw.
I really don't know, but will give it a bit more thought and have a hunt around for anything I have lying around that might provide some ideas.
She's coming off that mound of skulls tomorrow so I can get some bone color onto them and then add a few loose skulls, plus some more of that grey dust.
Might also have her sitting a bit more upright as well when she goes back on.
As usual, I'm winging it.

Cheers
H

 

[Landrotten Highlander]

How about having the base look like it is actually a basin filled with some liquid? It should be easy enough to manufacture a shallow raised rimaround it and have that one match your stonework.

 

[KenBoyle]

Thanks Ken - appreciated.
I haven't a clue how I'm going to integrate that extended base into the floor slabs. Perhaps add some dust at each edge? Or have the base sitting on some kind of plinth?
The easiest solution might actually be to forget the base altogether and have all three piles of skulls free-standing, although that'll take some careful work with a hacksaw.
I really don't know, but will give it a bit more thought and have a hunt around for anything I have lying around that might provide some ideas.
She's coming off that mound of skulls tomorrow so I can get some bone color onto them and then add a few loose skulls, plus some more of that grey dust.
Might also have her sitting a bit more upright as well when she goes back on.
As usual, I'm winging it.

Cheers
H

I like L.H.'s suggestion or just placing it on a slightly raised area just a couple steps high to have it fit in better. Whatever you come up with will look good, I'm sure.

Cheers,
Ken

 

[harrytheheid]

How about having the base look like it is actually a basin filled with some liquid? It should be easy enough to manufacture a shallow raised rimaround it and have that one match your stonework.

I like L.H.'s suggestion or just placing it on a slightly raised area just a couple steps high to have it fit in better. Whatever you come up with will look good, I'm sure.
Cheers,
Ken

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I did indeed take a hacksaw to the extended base for the Demoness this morning and came up with what I think is a good solution to making any base for her "fit" the dungeon - and I can now alter the pose slightly while I'm at it.

Being round, the new base means I can pose her in any direction, and having the piles of skulls free standing provides more options. I'll probably order more skulls and a few other things tomorrow just for additional visual interest.
I still need to add more painted detail to her wings - reds and whites mostly. Those gangrenous "things" she's dangling from her dainty little fingers also need a bit more painted detail.
She's not glued into place, so once I'm ready I'll paint the skulls she's sitting on with some off-white and light browns to bring them back to a more realistic color.

Cheers
H

 

[harrytheheid]

Well, I've cleaned up the overpaints, added some slight detail to the "things" - and there's still more detail to go on them once I get around to it; and have done as much as I feel inclined with the Wee Bizzum for now. I'll finish off the small details and the new round base once those additional skulls I ordered from the UK turn up. Meanwhile, some very interesting stuff was delivered via the local Post Office this morning. Haven't had much of a chance to take a real good look yet, but just know that the two 75mm human female figures in those deliveries are going to take a lot longer to paint than this bawbag-obsessed Demon.

 

[harrytheheid]

Well, that's the Demoness finished now apart from a coat of matte varnish, which she'll get tomorrow seeing as I'll be setting up the airbrush anyway.
PS. Almost all my WIP photos tend to look a bit "stark" because by the time I get around to taking them I have to use the camera flash.
I'll set up proper photography lighting once all figures going into this display are completed and I take the final series of shots.
Cheers
H

 

[harrytheheid]

So, now the Demoness is to all intents and purposes completed, I turned to the two 75mm Chronos figures that are going into Thulsa Doom's Dungeon - as Vampires.
They were both semi-assembled yesterday and then got a light coat of white Scale75 primer. I normally use Vallejo primer, but decided to try the Scale75 stuff for no other reason than - just because.