Author Topic: Massive fantasy commission (ongoing thread) (Read 4692 times)

EZPAINTER · « **on:** November 30, 2023, 01:17:49 PM »

Hey all, i recently posted about my re-opening of shop for my commission business.

I luckily landed a big order with a really lovely returning client (most of my clients are returning as my style is very chatty and they love the constant updates and the ability to have a big input in their orders).

It's a GIANT 156 model order, a mix of scales, from huge to tiny. I'm starting with the big stuff and working down, I believe strongly in developing a sense of self-efficacy (ones belief that one can "get stuff done" or "learn new things") and the best way to do that with painting is to do stuff that's easier and then work to harder stuff. For me, ironically the bigger stuff is easier, as it's less finnicky and then the small stuff tends to take a tiny bit longer. Anyway this is the first weeks work, (about 8 days actually) and these photos are unedited and not resized so i hope they're not too big.

I'm not beyond sharing prices for these if anyone's interested. Dom and I are chatting as we go about the models and adjusting prices up and down as the level of detail or work becomes more apparent. Mixed quotes are the weirdest to quote for, almost impossible really so I'm extremely lucky that Dom is so chatty and positive. Some of these models are those soft plastics from DnD (most of them actually) so a little heat molding has been done to try and fix bendy things, and also the bases are not finished on these yet. I will probably post once a week until this order is done and then maybe add more fantasy stuff when I have it to add.

Little Odo · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2023, 01:31:46 PM »

Fantastic brushwork

Old Hob · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2023, 02:01:36 PM »

All brilliant, but that snake in particular is mind-bogglingly good.

Orctrader · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2023, 02:27:59 PM »

Very good work. I bet the client is happy.

LouieN · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2023, 02:47:09 PM »

Wonderful work

zemjw · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2023, 03:00:49 PM »

Quote from: Old Hob on November 30, 2023, 02:01:36 PM

All brilliant, but that snake in particular is mind-bogglingly good.

Yeah, the snake made me pause scrolling as well

Does the client supply them already based, or do you do that side of things as well?

EZPAINTER · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2023, 03:32:13 PM »

Quote from: zemjw on November 30, 2023, 03:00:49 PM

Yeah, the snake made me pause scrolling as well

Does the client supply them already based, or do you do that side of things as well?

Aw cheers everyone! My Niece was also quite impressed with the snake! I think the depth of the sculpting on those beautiful scales really helps too.

The client provides a base if it's available or I can source one and then sometimes I make them too depending on what they want. It's a complete service really, totally depends on the needs of the client.

Elk101 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2023, 04:10:00 PM »

Very nice work. The snake is my favourite too, absolutely lovely brushwork.

Pattus Magnus · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2023, 04:19:47 PM »

That snake is beautiful! The rest of the figures are also excellent. I really like the effects you are creating in the various critters, the colour palettes really look plausible. Hopefully your painting service will be very successful! (Selfishly, I am looking forward to seeing updates from your projects.)

DalyDR · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2023, 06:05:36 PM »

Great work! And I'm another one who is really impressed with the snake.

Redshank · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2023, 07:09:11 PM »

Great stuff, agree the snake is particularly splendid.

EZPAINTER · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2023, 11:45:58 AM »

Hey all, thanks for the nice comments! Couple of comments from a "working professional" point of view. If it interests anyone.

I appreciate the comments on the snake. I think that's probably due to the really good sculpt. And that's not like arrogant modesty, It was mostly dry brushing and just mindless blobbing of colors (i literally didn't think at all when applying the blobs, just good colour in random splotches, like nature i guess). A really good sculpt can really do that, like make a model and a paint job pop!

For it's color scheme I under coated it in a very plain yellow and then washed it with brown about three times (paint mix with water) then drybrushed it back up with sandy yellow, added big brown spots and then finally finished off with a beige drybrush (beige drybrush is a real good fix all finisher, especially with dry brush jobs, beige is less obvious that colored drybrushed or white. Nothing in life really gleams with a white edge. Yellows, browns, greys and greens especially like a beige drybrush.) As per the snakes eyes I went fantasy style and gave it big old "crocodile" eyes with orange, yellow and then white with black and white spots. Big models get good eyes in my books. Small models can do one, The payoff versus risk is just not worth it for me unless the client specifies.

My personal favorite of this lot are the Genies and the rock gollems. Both sets where fairly under detailed for their sculpts and that presented a painting challenge for me. Also I tried a "zenithal" primer for the mushroom men and to be honest it's exactly what I thought it would be, I've been working for 13 years or so and all of these new tricks are great but like...they're designed to save time...that i already save by using good technique etc. So as fun as it was, it was not necesary.

So far the snake does seem to take the cake attention wise which for me is a giggle because it was such a quick job. I guess i'd just say "try a bit less" when it comes to natural things.

Quote from: Pattus Magnus on November 30, 2023, 04:19:47 PM

That snake is beautiful! The rest of the figures are also excellent. I really like the effects you are creating in the various critters, the colour palettes really look plausible. Hopefully your painting service will be very successful! (Selfishly, I am looking forward to seeing updates from your projects.)

thanks bud, my color pallettes are always like, "don't stray too far" and i only really use about 30 paints. I usually pick a dominant color and paint that all over, then I pick nearby colours and sometimes a contrasting one. I also don't thin down my paints much, I also find that to be a "paint better without learning good technique" thing. Of course I thin them down when necesary but a lot of the time I just splodge it on, I guess I call it style.
"More paints and better brushes doth not make a good painter". The most important thing for "good" painting is just color pallettes and wheels. E.g. orange always looks good with purple. Green with brown and grey. Blue with yellow. Blah blah. It seems boring but it really helps guide the brush, alleviate the stress of choice and speed up the process ("good painting" not to be conflated with proffesional or master painting which are things unto themselves but regularly conflated in our community, inevitably causing confusion, though the word proffesional is also misunderstood as it truly means "making a living" which some painters do by shifting out complete rubbish, but it is what it is and i'm happy that they're happy. I just don't read their angry and bad reviews, as that makes me sad)