discussion Sara and the chain-mail bikini!

[Guest]

A week goes by and progress is slow but steady...

As you can see she's still a work in progress and having seen this photo I see I've overdone the shading on her torso so will have to smooth that out more. I'm pleased with her boots and thong - they've come up quite well, but still need to add some highlights - the shading works nicely but it still needs the highlights added.

 

[Ian M]

Coming along nicly!

Ian M

 

[papa 695]

She's looking good Andrew ( very good )

 

[stona]

She does look good.....I need a lie down

Steve

 

[Guest]

Well the painting has slowed down as I seem to end up adding paint almost molecule by molecule now! in addition she is a VERY difficult lady to photograph!

I took the plunge on Sunday and did the chainmail. This was mostly done with a sort-of drybrush method, using the side of the brush rather than the tip. This meant the paint stayed OUT of the gaps between the chain links. Had to do a little touching up afterwards. Added more shading to the pauldrons, skull on her right boob and added a "sheepskin" lining to the bracer on the left arm. Painted some fingernails but some of these need a bit more touching up. Added some eyes but she's staring a bit and I tried my best not to let her go boss-eyed but not sure if I succeeded. Quite happy with right eye but not so with left. Darkened the lips and added a little bit of highlight to the cheekbones but doesn't look like its enough.

Here is a photo without flash

and here is one with flash but level adjusted in Photoshop

I think I'm beginning to struggle now - I really don't know what to do with her face to make it look more lifelike. Similarly with the rest of her - she still looks painted and not lifelike. I think I need to add more highlights to her hair, right arm bracer and boots, but the skin is just too "plastic" looking. if you can imagine something between the two photos, that what she looks like in normal lighting conditions. I'm goign to have to try to moderate my camera flash to get better photos.

This is getting frustrating...

 

[Guest]

This is going to sound more perverted than intended

Could you not give her a sweaty look by making her skin glisten with some laquer droplets (or similar) it would hide the flat appearence of the skin and add a touch more 3D texture?

It looks quite good in my imagination

 

[Guest]

lol yes I had thought about giving her a bit of the Klear treatment to get some shine on the skin in some places - forehead, breastbone, upper arms and upper thighs were my likely targets for that..

 

[Guest]

A year and a bit later, I'm finally going to call this complete!

During my clearing out to move the modelling stuff out to the shed, I found Sara left on the self (ahhhh poor girl) and decided it was time to - ahem - finish her off.

She was last left with some issues that needed to fix, in particular herr eyes - they were too small and "piggy". I did get some advice about using Archer decals for the eyes and sourced some last year which have been sitting beside Sara waiting for me to find some interest. So today was the day! I used the smallest of the decals, trimming the top an bottom a little bit as you only ever see the whole pupil of the eye when someone drops ice down your back or you sit on a drawing pin! I then tidied up her face a bit, cleaning off some of the shading I'd done before that was frankly overdone - too much slap on her face!!!

I'm not sure her face has a huge amount of expression now, but I've decided that this is good enough. I've got another kit of Sara I picked up off eBay for next to nothing, plus another vinyl kit in the same range that I will have a go at one day. This was built for the chance to do something different and it was very interesting and was one of my first chance to use the airbrush last year.

Now since this lovely lady has a certain resemblance to my ever loving (hence why I made her brunette instead of blonde), I will rename this to Alina in her honour!

So may I present the delectable Alina - and friend...

You can't see them well in this photo but trust me the eyes are much better than before...

I'm particularly happy with the face of the dragon, that came out exceptionally well I thought

 

[Guest]

That is a top work Andrew!!!

Simply perfect paint job, personally love the chains and the dragon colors.

Big 5 stars from me!!

Cheers Polux

 

[takeslousyphotos]

She looks like a bloke.

Peter

 

[Guest]

Lol what sort of blokes do you know?

 

[takeslousyphotos]

Whatever gender....... You've done a superb job on "it" ......... :score:

Peter

 

[john i am]

Wish they built them like that where I come from lol. I like this a lot that much I'm going to go and find one thanks for the inspiration and well done you really nailed Sara/alina 10/10

 

[mossiepilot]

Nice one Andrew, the skin tones look great, and Sara looks good too lol

Tony.

 

[papa 695]

Glad to see this one finished Andrew, and what a job you have done on her ( oops may sound wrong ) 5 stars from me

 

[flyjoe180]

Great work Andrew. Must be difficult to get the flesh looking right but I think you've done well. The dragon has also come out nicely too.