Koyote's Age of Magic -SAGA

[Koyote]

As you might have guessed from my previous post, my first attempt to paint the Sphinx didn't go so well. My selection of paints, washes (damn you Seraphim Sepia), and techniques for painting the body and legs was a disaster.  My choice of colors resulted in a giant, sandy/tawny creature standing on a pile of sandy/tawny stones, surrounded by sandy/tawny desert.  I used different shades of sandy/tawny color on each component, but the end result was uninspiring and bland. The mane and wings were a dark brown, but it didn't help much. 

If I have another go at this model, I will add a greater variety of colors to break up all the tans and browns.  The stone blocks with have a reddish hue and the wings will be a much lighter color.

As a plan B, I just ordered this fella.



If I estimated the scaling and proportions correctly, it can serve in the place of the Sphinx as my warband's Scourge (flying Monster).  It fits my warband's theme, it "flies", and feeling restricted to tans and browns won't be a problem.

Although, every new subject matter brings with it new problems.  Do I paint the skin blue to match my warband, or will this make it look too much like a Disney genie?  Perhaps I will paint the top half to match the skin tones of the rest of my army, and paint only the smoke blue or bluish white?  Hmm?

[Koyote]

Looky what arrived yesterday.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the quality of the 3D print, however, there are areas where the layering of the resin is visible, leaving those areas looking like a topographical map. I've seen this before on 3D prints printed in plastic, but not in resin.  Most of the areas of are gradual enough that the primer and paint should cover them up.  Other areas, such as on the sword blade, are quite severe.  I'm going to attempt to smooth these areas out with fine grit sandpaper and/or the edge of a hobby knife.  Wish me luck.

[Ogrob]

That's a big lad indeed! Shame about the print layers, but they certainly don't show in a photo so shouldn't be obvious on the table either.

[Bloggard]

good grief, what an amazing 'print'.

why do everyone else's seem to be better than the ones I've bought off ebay / etsy ... ? 

you are a perfectionist  - I can't see anything much wrong with the figure - particulary, as Ogrob says, from table-top distance etc that the paint-job wont obscure.

[Koyote]

good grief, what an amazing 'print'.

…

you are a perfectionist  - I can't see anything much wrong with the figure - particulary, as Ogrob says, from table-top distance etc that the paint-job wont obscure.

It looks good from a distance, but the layer height is such that even when primed and painted, you could see the layers through the paint. This was made more obvious when inks were applied. The surface of the sword blade was especially bad. I tried strip the model so I could sand down or scrape flat the problem areas, but the layers gave the primer places to grip onto so the stripping left behind a mess that would take me hours of tedious work to clean up.

I gambled that the layering was subtle enough that it didn’t need to sanded down. In my defense, some of the worst patches were in areas hard to reach, so it would have been a chore.

Lesson learned, I sacrificed the model to Hephaestus and ordered the same model from a different printer. This time in my pre-purchase communications I set my expectations for a smooth surface up front.

why do everyone else's seem to be better than the ones I've bought off ebay / etsy ... ? 

When buying from an Etsy printer:
1) Check the description to ensure the model is printed in resin, not plastic filament (FDM)
2) Larger minis (ogre sized and above) without too much fine detail tend to come out the best
3) Check out the Seller’s Etsy seller page and read the reviews and photos. Keep in mind that only close-up photos show the true level of detail and sharpness.
4) Buying man-sized minis can be a gamble, since the quality, sharpness, and proportions can differ from seller to seller and STL to STL. Thus, I recommend buying a sample man-sized 28mm as a quality and scale check before buying an entire unit of minis.
5) Always use caution when buying from sellers outside the US, UK, and Western Europe.
6) It’s a good idea to chat with the seller before making your purchase. Ask for an estimate on turn around time and the name of the shipping carrier. Some sellers have a month+ wait time. Their responsiveness and friendliness will give you a feel for what they will be like if you happen to have a problem with your order.

[Koyote]

I finished my AoM Warlord on a flying beast.  I can see plenty of areas where the model can be improved, but overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. 

The eagle's feathers look much better (better definition between feathers) in-person than they do in the photo.  Also, the talons don't look quite so orange in person.  I think both are cased by my lighting, but I'm too lazy to go back and shoot the model again.

I used a plain LBM decal for the shield and painted the white script and circles by hand. Simple but effective.

[Little Odo]

Fantastic looking model - certainly fit for a warlord. Good work on this!

[Bloggard]

indeed.

and thanks for the the advice / opinion on 3d prints etc.

I have been tending to ask for samples - and in both 28mm and 32mm, as sourcing figures that really 'work' with old existing ranges (say 'classic' GW fantasy etc) is more difficult than one might expect (given there are so many 'not-' GW substitutes being offered).

as to seller location, personally no problem with the one order I placed outside the zones mentioned.

[Koyote]

One more task checked off my Adepticon prep to-do list.

This big fellow will serve as a Scourge (flying monster) for my Deep Desert Nomad (Lords of the Wild) warband.



It’s a Djinn 3D print that I bought from a seller on Etsy.com. I scaled it up to 120mm so it would be “monster” sized  rather than “creature” sized.

[syrinx0]

That is ridiculously good.  I love the skin tone and highlights.

[LazyStudent]

Oooh 
Although, as a child of the 80's, I'm a little sad you didn't jump in with both feet and go full Disney 

[Grumpy Gnome]

Brilliant work as usual mate!

[Spinal Tap]

That is ridiculously good.  I love the skin tone and highlights.

I have to agree, probably the best dark skin tone I've ever seen.

[Bloggard]

well, still think the fig. looks amazing, and a wonderful paint-job.

[Little Odo]

Fantastic paint job on a really nice figure. Well done!