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Flat Figures Painters Forum => Techniques => Topic started by: Glen on September 12, 2017, 10:12:58 PM

Title: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on September 12, 2017, 10:12:58 PM
I've started a small project using one of Ivan Durand's resin flat busts. I'm converting it to a Steampunk Pinup Girl. I've shortened the hat, added goggles (plastic tubing and putty), removed the necklace and added a choker, altered/added some details to the corset, and finally, converted her left arm to a mechanical apparatus.. I hollowed out the upper arm and added some watch gears, styrene rod/sheet, and a couple of sliced octagonal rod for bolts. I'm going to sheath the arm in metal from the shoulder to the wrist leaving a gap so the innards can be seen. I'm going to putty/paint a glove on her left hand. Here's what I've got so far...


Qs and Cs welcomed.


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on September 26, 2017, 10:16:54 AM
A small update... I've finished off the rest if the mechanical arm using thin sheet plastic, some engraving, thin slices of octagonal plastic rod for bolt heads, wine bottle foil, and some putty. I'm thinking it's ready for priming now.


Glen



Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 04, 2017, 10:51:15 AM
Starting to paint - all Reaper acrylics over a gray primer. The hat is a dark green base, the goggles are about 90% done as is the hair and the mechanical bits in her arm. I've also done some preliminary painting on her choker ornament and the clasps on her corset.


Qs and Cs welcomed.


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Hannibal on October 04, 2017, 02:48:28 PM
No question to comment, I am hanging onto your painting progresses !!!
Are you planning to paint with acrylics and then oil, or stay with acrylic?
Very promising work!!!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 05, 2017, 12:09:59 AM
All acrylic! Many years ago (70s) I dabbled in oils, but went to Humbrol enamels. lso used of the Pactra Military Colors. I started using Testors Model Master enamels in the 80s (marketed by Italeri back in the 90s) when I was in Germany for awhile as well. My figure painting was mainly as a change from aircraft and armor models. I started painting figures again around 2000 and switched to acrylics - Andrea and first, then some Vallejo, then near totally Reaper since 2008 or so. I've been doing the occasional flat now for about 8-9 years or so. Not sure. Older y'know...
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 06, 2017, 10:00:34 AM
Working on the skin tones and face now. The skin is my standard caucasian female 'go-to' mix of Reaper's Tanned Skin and Rosy Skin triads along with Linen White for lighter tones and a bit of Burgundy Wine for darker tones. Still working on some areas. The darker skin at the torso's side is straight Tanned Skin and Tanned Shadow; this will eventually be over-painted with a sheer material color.
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Hannibal on October 06, 2017, 10:08:30 AM
beautiful eyes !!
Something to adjts with the noose, darken the side on opposite side of the light source as it looks like a cross now.
Is the skin of the bust naked or covered by some light tissue?
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 06, 2017, 01:14:26 PM
Thanks, I like the eyes too. I painted them a bit larger than the original engraving.


I'm still working on the face; I have to lighten the left side and reduce the darker tone on the overall lower part of the face. The upper torso and arm are bare skin (also still in progress), but the tan/brown panel on her side is to be covered by a sheer material that I mentioned below. Sheer material (stockings for example) tend to darken the skin and gray it, especially if you're painting tan or black stockings. Other colors will do the same thing but also add some of their own color to the area. In this case, the corset had solid front and rear panels and sheer side panels.


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Hannibal on October 06, 2017, 03:09:32 PM
Thanks, Glen for your explanations !!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Gerald on October 07, 2017, 01:18:14 AM
Great class! Great eyes great glasses!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 09, 2017, 01:32:06 PM
Your welcome, H.


Thanks G.


Pressing on!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 10, 2017, 11:33:55 PM
Finishing up (almost) the skin tones and I started working on the hat (Reaper's Pine Green triad along with some Black and Linen White for the darks and lights. I did the bracelet on her arm with alternating bands of yellow and red metals and used some left over yellow metal for some of her left arm parts. I'll go back to that later. I've add a sheer dark red glaze over the corset's side panel and painted the choker ribbon Blood Red with Deep and Fire Reds to darken and lighten respectively.


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 13, 2017, 04:33:29 PM
Still cooking some of the skin tones and also went onto the corset. I used the same Reaper Pine Green triad that I used for the hat ...continuity and all that. I also need to further tweak the sheer red corset panel. Mechanical arm next.



Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 17, 2017, 07:12:39 PM
Well, I"ve finished it. I painted the mechanical arm skins with an assortment to Reaper's yellow metals and bit of the white metals for the highlight flares. I wanted to depict re-purposed used metal rather than shiny new pieces. The metal would have been cleaned, but not buffed out. I used a stippling technique stabbing straight down on the surface and then a short drag. Think of a capital 'L'...The glove on her mech hand was painted with Reaper's Basic Dirt triads, but I went a bit darker with it. I also completed the jeweled medallion on the choker, did some lining, and generally cleaned things up.


Qs and Cs welcomed. I hope you all enjoyed it.


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Hannibal on October 17, 2017, 07:58:55 PM
Congratulations, Glen,  You got it !!
and very nice .....

I love the interpretation done indeed very cyborg.
I will send a copy to the sculptor, Yvan Durand which I informled already about your project.  All his works and interprétations done pby painters is reachable in the Gallery Members (page 2), Vorax21

I have slightly darkenend your picture and given a shape 4:3 to the background.

(https://i62.servimg.com/u/f62/19/31/59/25/steamp10.jpg)
As comments are asked:
-  I find the mark of the clavicles on the skin too straight, too visible and proeminent rather than suggested.  Look at pictures of ladies undressed in the top to see how to adjust or smooth them a bit.
-  Also perhaps if you lighting comes from the right front side, the top of the hat should not have highlights especially on its front half, unless a second light source is present on the opposite side.
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Gerald on October 17, 2017, 11:43:41 PM
Great work! Wonderful lights. Respect!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Isabelle on October 18, 2017, 04:20:08 AM
Hallo Gerald,
Very good painting. The lights are very successful  :) :)
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: PJDeluhery on October 18, 2017, 10:21:29 AM
Great work, Glen!  Very imaginative creation and excellent painting.
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 20, 2017, 12:30:39 AM
Thank you all! Right now I'm buried in the ReaperCon show. People seem to like it.


Hannibal, I like the new pic. It has richer tones, but is darker than the actual piece. I agree about the collar bones even though I based them on actual photos (thin females even though the piece is a bit on the curvy side :o . I think a selectively applied glaze will alter the shape and intensity. The shine on top of the hat is based on pics of top hats oriented in that position with the light coming from the upper right top. The woven silk has a circular pattern around the top (and brim). Light hitting the threads at or near a right angle reflect more light than light hitting the parallel to their direction. That's why the tops have the wide flare at the outer edges and a narrower flare towards the edges. Truth be told, researching top hat design and construction isn't near as much fun as researching lingerie for pinup girls... 8)


Glen
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Hannibal on October 20, 2017, 03:48:50 AM
Thanks Glen for your comments bak it means for me that it was consciencious, not distraction, so valid !
Congratulations again for this excellent painting ............  Yvan, the engraver loves it too!
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Glen on October 22, 2017, 05:36:41 PM
Well, well, well... My Steampunk Girl flat picked up a Gold at ReaperCon.


I guess they liked it better than my Old West Spanking Machine...  :o
Title: Re: Steampunk Bust
Post by: Brian on October 24, 2017, 10:14:20 AM
 :) :) :) ;)