Main Menu

News:

If you are having problems registering, please e-mail theconclaveforum at gmail.com

Marco does something

Started by MarcoSkoll, November 18, 2009, 12:38:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Molotov

To echo Marco, final studio sculpts can end up incorporating large amounts of pre-made bits. (This was certainly the case with the most recent Space Wolves sculpts, for example.) If you're interested, you can see on this page some of the Tyranid greens (also currently in the cabinets at Warhammer World) and they include plastic components, if only because it saves sculptors time and improves consistency.

As a long-time Necromunda fan, I'd certainly be intersted to see your rendition of that model. In its own way, trying to replicate some of the conversion packs would also be an interesting challenge that I'd like to see you pull off, too!
INQ28 Thread | INQ28 Blog
INQ28, done properly, is at least the equal of its big brother - and Mol is one of the expert proponents of "done properly".
- precinctomega

Vermis

My bad.  I was thinking 'vulcanised mould'.  Then I went and found out GW make resin master casts.

Flippin' GW would have to be awkward about it... :P ;D
www.minisculpture.co.uk - a place about pushing putty 'til it does what you want it.  Currently recuperating from being hackered and knackered.

MarcoSkoll

I knew there was a reason I kept a deviantArt account, because it couldn't be to host the scrawls I call art.

Cover for the upcoming Black Library book "Enforcer" - while I had an appearance for Gianna set out in my mind, that picture... just works. It'll need a little adjustment to relate to her specific equipment (or vice versa), but I can completely see Gianna looking very like that.

Anyway... if you'll excuse me, I have to go and stop abusing my sleep patterns.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

MarcoSkoll

Uh... I seem to be neglecting this somewhat. But in an attempt to fix that, I've been at the drawing pad.

One of the complaints in Silva's thread was that my drawings of her didn't actually demonstrate her bulk and muscle - drawing muscular women that look "right" is difficult, so normally, I keep to more conventional body types.

But today, I've tried to do it better justice. There are some problems in the art that I intend to fix, but what I've got so far is enough to give the idea of a "more accurate" Silva. Truth be told, I would take it a bit further if I thought I could do so and still keep her looking vaguely female, but I just don't have the artistic talent for that.



That is of course not how her model is going to be dressed. Minimalistic attire is one thing for drawing muscle references, and quite another for wearing into combat.

I realise there are probably going to still be some people who'll say that her muscle strength still seems lacking. There's good reason for her modest muscle definition.
In any woman who actually still has a healthy amount of body fat, muscle definition is naturally limited. The muscle definition on body-builders is dependent on losing most of the obscuring/smoothing layer of fat that lies over muscle. As Silva has not developed her muscle for show competitions, that layer of fat is still there, and she's not going to look like she's a body-building contestant.

For one thing, she still has breasts. Almost without exception, the breasts on female body-builders who are at "show level" are implants - no body fat means no breasts either.

So, in short, she's not going to look like a body-builder, because a) she's not one (her muscle and fitness mostly derive from martial arts training) and b) I find the whole body-builder look unattractive.

Now, in response to one of RobSkib's comments, we can see a return of the bionic wiring and such to her head - I was planning on putting it back eventually anyway, but I suppose he speeded me that way.
I would note that what is there is more extensive than what you see, but the fact that her hair is drawn back from the right side of her face, but not the bionically repaired left, is not a coincidence.

She might weigh 298 lbs and only have half her original limbs left, but she is not entirely without vanity.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Kasthan

looks good, could be a bit more "40Ked" on the bionics (just a couple of odd wires and bolts).

The muscles look fine (may be a little big, women who do martial arts or other strength/stamina sports e.g. climbing are very toned but have no huge muscles).

I like her face, can't wait to see you sculpt that.

Over all it is great.

Just what is she going to be dressed in?

RobSkib

Looking much, much better. I'd say that sketch justifies the stats you gave her - she looks like something much more dangerous rather than a pretty girl with a wolverine claw. What will she be wearing?
An Inquisitor walks into a bar - he rolls D100 to see if he hits it.
                                     +++++++
Gallery of my Inquisitor models here.

TheNephew

I have to say that I think the bionics are looking a little smooth and nice for 40k, but otherwise she looks fine - the metal and muscle balance pretty well.
I like the hair covering the bionics as well.

For the bounty-hunter resculpt, how far were you thinking of editing it?
Or are the plans not yet that concrete?
I really like the Splinter Cell style of the model as it is, and the pose is a nice change from the norm (even more so at 54mm).

MarcoSkoll

Quote from: Kasthan on March 21, 2010, 09:25:50 AMThe muscles look fine (may be a little big, women who do martial arts or other strength/stamina sports e.g. climbing are very toned but have no huge muscles).
It's not all that easy to draw comparisons to normal women here. Silva is naturally going to be more muscular than normal, as she's doing all these things while encumbered by the weight of her bionics. Although they have their own servos and mechanical strength, her natural muscles are still going to be called upon to take that weight at times.

Given her constant encumbrance and a refusal to accept being physically unable to cope (she wouldn't have lasted very long if she wasn't physically up to it), she would be more than just "toned".

Quote from: RobSkib on March 21, 2010, 10:56:27 AMLooking much, much better. She looks like something much more dangerous rather than a pretty girl with a wolverine claw.
Which is pretty much as it should be. The background stories I've got largely describe her as borderline intimidating - someone you could tell from a distance was not to be messed with.

She should really have scars in amongst all of that, but I haven't actually mapped those out yet - although the pattern across her bionics is usually consistent - so not this time. That's not to mention that I'd want to sit down and work out where, when and from what she got each of them, a task that is currently beyond the limits of my spare time.

QuoteWhat will she be wearing?
Still working on the exact details. It's a little hard to know with female attire in 40k, because most of what's in GW art is designed to enhance the character's femininity - which is not a trait I'd describe Silva as having an abundance of, nor much desire to enhance.
But, at the same time, I don't want to make her gender ambiguous with the normal approach of the male characters, where the main choice seems to be lots of layers that completely obscure the body shape. Well, there is another option, but that appears to be far less clothing than any woman with modesty would wear.

It's a tricky question to answer, but I have been thinking. Unless something changes my mind, I'm going to angle towards the Catachan look*. Provided I pick one who's actually wearing a shirt, it seems to suit here. Bare arms, reasonably simple in design.
*Although, I should note her regiment was a city-fighting one equipped with pretty heavy armour - but that was 14 years ago for her now. Her circumstances have changed.

Although short sleeved shirts are an uncommon sight in GW art, I might however find reason to give her one. You can't really see it in the drawings, but her bionic shoulder might prove too complicated to sculpt - it fits together like the bones of a normal shoulder, metal shoulder-blade and all. It'd look cool, but that doesn't make it possible.

I am planning to keep the asymmetrical trouser leg style from the drawings. While it doesn't perhaps quite make sense for a character who half hides the bionics on her face, I call artistic licence on that one - she's stuck as a character in my art because I liked her design, bionics and all. I'm not about to cover up the things that made the character for me.*
*There's another character I first drew around the same time (before, in fact) who goes by the name of Sean. He was rather less visually distinctive and never really developed as a result; I haven't drawn him in years.

Quote from: TheNephew on March 21, 2010, 11:58:21 AMI have to say that I think the bionics are looking a little smooth and nice for 40k, but otherwise she looks fine - the metal and muscle balance pretty well.
Well, that's been the way of her bionics since before I started using her as an Inquisitor character. I changed the design a certain amount last year for practicality reasons (the old designs couldn't offer a full range of movement), but I didn't change them much more than I had to.

As it is, she's a far cry from the early drawings of her back in July 2006 (of which this is probably the least bad), and as I would rather that she wasn't devoid of any resemblance to her early incarnations, I'm reticent to just change everything.

They did originally have assorted power cables, but it quickly became apparent that those were more trouble than they were worth.

QuoteI like the hair covering the bionics as well.
Ah, you see, I think through my characters and their various quirks...

... either that, or I end up doing something by mistake, decide I like it, and just stick with it from then on. Given that's how the character started in the first place, I'm not really sure how much credit I can take for the carefully thought out character traits I've since given her. ::)

QuoteFor the bounty-hunter resculpt, how far were you thinking of editing it? Or are the plans not yet that concrete?
Not all that concrete yet. I like him as is, but a pose that low to the ground could have issues with things like working out line of sight. Whether or not I'll change it is a bit of a dilemma between coolness and practicality.

... wait, what am I talking about? This is 40k - coolness always wins. :P
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

MarcoSkoll

Marco's modelling guidelines

#392 (New Entry): When checking a pose, do not use a chain-sword as a place-holder weapon. There is a high risk of character sheet amendments.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Myriad

I don't understand - this is meant to be bad?
I had better point out, that some of the clubs I represent are of a military bent.

You know what you are?  A plywood shark!

kierkegaard

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on April 21, 2010, 03:54:26 AM
Marco's modelling guidelines

#392 (New Entry): When checking a pose, do not use a chain-sword as a place-holder weapon. There is a high risk of character sheet amendments.

Posting guidelines:

Don't update a thread entitled 'Marco does something' WHEN YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING! >:(

Kaled

Yeah, I was disappointed not to see some piccies too...

Oh well, I guess at least I'll get to see them tomorrow.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

MarcoSkoll

Ugh. I'd wanted to try and do something to patch up the rushed painting I did on these guys before I posted them up, but I've been occupied with other things, and it's been two weeks since the Spring Conclave, so here they are in their less than perfect forms.


Right Back Left


Right Back Left

At some point, I'll get back to them and do them better justice, then accompany that with better photography, but for now, that's what you're getting.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Kaled

For self-sculpted models, these are really good - your sculpting skills are improving with every model and have resulted in some very unique models.  I know the painting was a bit rushed, but it does let them down a bit.  It looks like you could do with some practice in neatening up some of your edges between areas of different colours - one thing I tend to do that would help tidy up your painting is to get a fine brush and some dark brown ink and paint a thin line around everything.  Using brown rather than black means you don't get such a harsh black-lining effect, and using ink means it naturally runs into the gaps between parts and thus defines them nicely.  I'd do the same thing on the bionics to sharpen up the plates that make up the arm and leg.  Even a normal wash of black and/or brown would help define your metallic sections which are a bit flat.

It also looks like you'd benefit from a few more layers in your highlighting - a wet pallete is great for this as it helps keep the paint nice and thin so you're forced to use more layers and get a more gradual highlight.

Since you can sculpt and draw to a pretty good standard, I'm confident the above suggestions are all within your ability given a little practice, so I hope you don't mind me making a few suggestions.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

DapperAnarchist

They're all good, but they seem to move in quality in a clockwise movement, least to my opinion...
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!