1:72 gandalf in moria diorama. Finished.

[nic-e]

A while ago (read:at least 8 years) I picked up some Caeser 1:72 fantasy figures. I've never got round to doing anything with them until now, Where I have decided to put some actual time into a diorama for the shelf.

So far it's just some scneic elements on a 1 inch cube. Cork, sculpey and plasticard.







So 1 day in and I'm at this point. I MAY go into this one with the airbrush to add some lighting effects, But we'll see.

[OSHIROmodels]

That looks great 

Did you cure the sculpt a bit first before carving the stonework?

cheers

James

[nic-e]

That looks great 

Did you cure the sculpt a bit first before carving the stonework?

cheers

James

A bit of both, I get the shape done, Add some rough texture and lay out my lines, then cure it and go back in with a sculpting tool and chip away/dig away at it.

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Very cool. Where do you get 1:72nd LotR figures from?

[Rhelyk]

Ceasar and Redbox both make 1/72 fantasy lines that are essentially LotR ripoffs. Most of the figures are fairly mediocre PVC type plastics, but they do have a fair bit of charm and the price is certainly right, most boxes will get about 30 to 45 figures for around $10 USD. I've often wanted to go back and make some 20mm LotR armies, but I'm too invested in the larger range of figs.

[nic-e]

Ceasar and Redbox both make 1/72 fantasy lines that are essentially LotR ripoffs. Most of the figures are fairly mediocre PVC type plastics, but they do have a fair bit of charm and the price is certainly right, most boxes will get about 30 to 45 figures for around $10 USD. I've often wanted to go back and make some 20mm LotR armies, but I'm too invested in the larger range of figs.

This one is caeser from the adventurers box. The sculpts are actually very nice,Probably because they were working from movie art/3d files.
Caeser in general are at the top end of 1:72 for me.
I'm also looking at shifting more into that scale, I've just ordered some romans and some gauls to dip my toe into (semi) historicals and might just look at some undead and orcs.

[nic-e]

Never let it be said I start threads and don't finish them! (It's true, but never let it be said.)



He's still not done, But I was looking at the back log of projects on my desk and decided this would be a great chance to try and loosen up my painting, Push for a more free expressive style.I already do it with my Inq28 stuff and i hate neat highlights, So i decided to use this diorama as a test bed for crosshatching, contrast lighting and thick mark making.

Also i got a new lamp which makes WIP shots look not awful!

[von Lucky]

Nice stuff!

[Duncan McDane]

Looking great already, would love to see some wip shots. I really like this kind of "expressive" painting, dark and gritty, almost movie-like. 

[nic-e]

And done.

Added some pigment and weathering, Added some glow to gandalfs staff, And tidied up the edges.
there's alot more i could do, especially with the base which i feel is too empty ,and i may yet go back to it, But for now i think it gives the right sense of isolation and emptiness that moria holds, With gandalfs light showing you only a tiny slither of the vast caverns around him.







A close up of the dusty steps and the some of the crosshatching/highlights. If doing smaller work has taught me one thing it's that i need to invest in a camera.



And a couple of WIP shots as Duncan Mcdane requested!





I'll post a full write up and some extra pictures on my blog in the very near future, And hopefully this will encourage me to finish more of the minis scattered across my desk.
As always all C&C is welcome and appreciated! 

http://mystarikum.blogspot.co.uk/

[Duncan McDane]

Thanks. The cloak, dit you work from darkish green to greish blue with a hint of purple ( it looks like that on the last photo )?

[nic-e]

Thanks. The cloak, dit you work from darkish green to greish blue with a hint of purple ( it looks like that on the last photo )?

It's just various shades of  grey. GW Chacharadon granite mixed with game colour ghost grey from dark to light. Ghost grey has some blue in it so that's probably what's providing the bluish tone.It's been weathered with model colour green moss and mud brown washes which will be adding the greenish tones to the base.

[Duncan McDane]

Thanks... Might have to borrow that recipe from you, looks really sinister  .