I have completed priming and putting the base coat on my hobbit. So far I am happy with how he is turning out.
I started the priming with a light coat, almost just a misting, of Krylon Plastic Primer. I include this shot just to show how much spray primer I apply. I like to use light coats of paint when painting plastic figures. I find if you get the coats of paint too thick it tends to flake too easily. As usual, Friar Tuck
(an Airfix Robin Hood set figure) and Conan
(a Caesar Miniatures Adventures set figure) make their appearance for scale. Also making an appearance in the blog is a Caesar Miniatures Adventurers set female fighter figure. I have replaced her sword with a war hammer and primed her with Krylon spray primer.
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In the next picture, I have applied two coats of black latex house paint. I find it adheres well to the Krylon spray primer and the latex paint has some flex and give if the plastic figures are bent. I also take a soft bristled tooth brush and buff the figure between coats of paint. The buffing smooths the primer between coats, sort of the way you can sand primer between coats when painting a car. It also tests the bond between the primer and figure early in the painting process. I hate to finish painting a figure only to find out the primer failed to bond.
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I then applied a base coat. The picture below speaks for itself. I did try to paint some yellow trim on the green vest. It seemed like a good idea, but I do not really like the effect. I think I may change it when I start painting highlights and details. Even if I just leave the vest plain with no trim it should look good on the table top.
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I have included a shot of the back of the figure, to give a complete view of the base coating process.
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I am looking forward to doing the detail painting and putting a protective finish on this little guy so he is ready for the table top. So it is time to quit writing and go back to painting.
Thanks for reading...
Copyright © Ron Hamilton 2011, All Right Reserved.
Nice work on that Hobbit.
ReplyDeleteExcellent conversion...thanks for showing the whole process..he really looks every inch a Hobbit.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Paul
This is why I like the internet!
ReplyDeleteI´m going to run AD&D for the first time since the 80´s, and so I needed some miniatures.
I decided to get the Caesar Miniatures Adventurers and Goblins, along with a set of medieval knights and vikings, thinking I could convert a few goblins to hobbits, vikings to dwarves, and make the rest generic humanoids.
Yesterday I picked out the most hobbitlike goblin for conversion, and as I´ve got no experience with converting miniatures, I looked around the internet to get some info. A googlesearch and a few links later I find a guy who´s done just what I want to do, with the very same goblin, and has a tutorial explaining the process!
My original plan was to modify the goblins head, and then cover most of him in a cloak made from green stuff. More green stuff would turn the weird goblin-knife into a regular shortsword.
However, after reading your blog, I might try to do something similar to your guy.
As I´ve already mentioned I´ve got no experience modifying figures, but now at least I know where to start.
Good luck, if there is anything I can do to help, just post a comment and I will see what I can do to help.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteAfter I posted my comment I saw that the last post on your blog was in May, and therefore thought the blog was inactive, wich would be a shame because you´ve done some amazing stuff, and you can write too!
I´m happy I was wrong.
I decided to start with another goblin, the one with a stone(?) in each hand, just to see how it´d turn out. Alson, there is 4 of that figure, and only 3 of the one you used, and so I can afford to waste one.
So far I´ve used a knife to remove the "stone" in the goblins left hand, giving him a musketeer-like fencing-pose. I´ve modified the head, making it smaller, more hobbit-like, and adding a neck. I added trousers and shirt made from green stuff, using only my hands and a nail, wich made him look like wearing a illfitting jumpsuit. Just tonight I modified it with a file and knife, and it looks pretty decent.
I plan to add a hood and probably a cloak, so only a small part of the face will be visible, and also to put a weapon in his right hand so if you could explain the "forging" process you mentioned in "Project Hobbit phase 2", I´d be grateful. Of course I´ll appriciate any help, as I´ve got no experience with this.
If this is a double post I´m sorry, but it lokks as if my comment just disappeared, so I´ll try again.
ReplyDeleteHi!
After I posted my comment I saw that the last post on your blog was in May, and therefore thought the blog was inactive, wich would be a shame because you´ve done some amazing stuff, and you can write too!
I´m happy I was wrong.
I decided to start with another goblin, the one with a stone(?) in each hand, just to see how it´d turn out. Alson, there is 4 of that figure, and only 3 of the one you used, and so I can afford to waste one.
So far I´ve used a knife to remove the "stone" in the goblins left hand, giving him a musketeer-like fencing-pose. I´ve modified the head, making it smaller, more hobbit-like, and adding a neck. I added trousers and shirt made from green stuff, using only my hands and a nail, wich made him look like wearing a illfitting jumpsuit. Just tonight I modified it with a file and knife, and it looks pretty decent.
I plan to add a hood and probably a cloak, so only a small part of the face will be visible, and also to put a weapon in his right hand so if you could explain the "forging" process you mentioned in "Project Hobbit phase 2", I´d be grateful. Of course I´ll appriciate any help, as I´ve got no experience with this.
Your original post worked, I just have moderated comments turned on to prevent spam. It can take me a little time to approve them so don't worry if they do not appear instantly.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe I have not posted how to forge swords here yet. I get it right up for you.