A new sculpting log of madness

[Build]

Sculpts look very cool. The tail especially is an improvement over other lizard style models I have seen. It's got a Komodo quality to it, more imposing for it.
I hope your health issues aren't getting to much in the way of day to day stuff matey and I sincerely hope you see an improvement soon.
Keep up the good work and I promise if your models make it to the shelves I will 1st in the queue. I may insist you sign the packaging though

Thanks Deadlift, I'm sure I still have the Dragon blood artwork kicking around, I could always upload it as I'm trying to stay close to those designs.

Had my results back, everything in the green, although my thyroid is on the slow side, but I wasn't really surprised about that.

[tawelwch]

I hope you're feeling better. You're really talented!

[Build]

Thanks mate, doing better, though I get days when I feel tired and run down.

I thought about opening up a new topic (I can still do that as this one is getting long and it's only going to get longer).


Anyways, what I'm going to mention now is an idea I've been thinking about for the last few days.

Contest introduction
So with the big new 8th ed Lizardmen releases, there's some very nice miniatures and some huge possibilities for some awesome conversions and modifications. I know I'll be modifying a lot of the minis I get and I'm planning on posting updates on how you can do the same to your lizardmen.

Here's a few examples of what I plan on doing just for my army alone:
- Carnosaur - new head,
- Troglodon head into a Spinosaurus head, maybe even a proper spinosaurus sail on the back.
- Bastilodon - better and spikier scales, something that doesn't just look stuck on.
IF Kroxigors get strength 5 I will be scratch building three.
- Terradon possible conversions.
- Character conversions.
- Salamander conversions and/or Razordon conversions/scratch builds.
- Scratch build Krok Gar. (found some EPIC artwork from D&D I want to use)
- Scratch build saurus hero on foot, possibly my version of Gor-rok if he's any good.


With that and possible other conversions and sculpts I thought it would be fun to offer you all the chance for me to do some conversions for you.

Details:
So from today until the release date of the new lizardmen (the actual release date and not the pre-orders) I will be offering 5 free slots for conversion work.

All you have to do is put down your name on this topic and what you want converted and how and I will pick five.

Rules:
- No unit conversions, just one mini.
- No scratch builds, or near scratch builds - no need to be greedy, big projects need huge amounts of work, the longer it takes me to finish a piece the longer everyone else has to wait and it will slow up everything else.
- You have to mail the piece to me and cover the mailing back to you, I will add insurance on everything I mail, to make sure you are covered.



I should also point out that I live in the UK, so postage could get expensive, please bear that in mind.
I have already opened this up on Lustria-online and warseer and had three entries so far, but I wanted to expand it here and create as much diversity as possible.
I will be posting step by step tutorials on how I do each conversion too.


Thoughts?

[Deadlift]

I'm taking dibs on the spinosaurus conversion. I think a full sail on the spine could look very awesome as long as there is room to still mount a rider.
So yeah I'm in and I guess I'm taking the plunge into fantasy again .

[Build]

I'm taking dibs on the spinosaurus conversion. I think a full sail on the spine could look very awesome as long as there is room to still mount a rider.
So yeah I'm in and I guess I'm taking the plunge into fantasy again .

It would be fun to do, that's for sure, especially as I've not done a Spinosaur head before.


New photos from me, working on the unit champion's weapon. I had some very good artwork from Wayne so have been trying to stick as close to it as possible.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1800_zps9de36f0c.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1801_zpsed4b85e9.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1802_zps21f1e4ad.jpg.html][/URL]

I'm tempted to remove the skull though, didn't seem to do very well with it so might have to re-sculpt it.
I've also made the weapon deliberately bigger to suit the champ.

[Build]

Still unsold on the Lizardmen from what is being said so far, but I'll carry on for the moment with my own sculpts and scratch builds and if they Lizards turn out as a wash out I'll just bung everything on ebay instead.

Got two photos for you, I'm trying to break down stages as much as possible to try and help show the processes involved.


This is my version of Krok (5th edition Krok), he's described as being big, very scaley and having a large head which allows him to literally bite off heads. With that in mind rather than go for a crocodile shaped head or a spinosaurus one I figured I'd adapt the current heads, so I start by making the muzzle longer. I start adding in some detail to the face to make it look weathered too. I then put in the lower eye lids when dry and then the eyeballs slide into the eye lids when those are dry too.

I then add the top eye lid and stick in the brace in the mouth which will be very useful for adding in teeth at a later stage. There's still a lot of work to be done on the upper parts of the head as well as various scales and spikes.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1803_zps44fed257.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1805_zps8d323f72.jpg.html][/URL]

I have also finished the base for the wings on the dragon blood, they look a bit bland around the connecting parts but this is done on purpose, it means I can add detail for multiple wing parts when I have had casted versions sent back to me.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1806_zps8baa1286.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1807_zps239be31f.jpg.html][/URL]

[Build]

Small update (photos to follow).

Contest closed.

[Build]

Got updates for you though.

So continuing on from the head, I know the last stage looks weird, but that's how it works, layer, layers and more layers. I now work on the top of the head, adding in the smaller, more basic scales, this helps give shape to the head and allows a thicker, stronger base for adding bigger spikes. It also means I can make any changes more easily afterwards. I also begin with the teeth, I place a small amount of green stuff on my thumb nail, I can then easily pull off small amounts and roll them into individual teeth before sliding them up against the tooth brace (which you should be able to see in the photos).

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/head1_zpsc3688cff.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/head1a_zpsc0183e36.jpg.html][/URL]

Now is the stage where masses get added to the armature, this gives it a very basic sense of shape and structure for me to work with, it also allows me to mark out my boney prominences (clavicle, acromion process, scapula boarders, etc...) it also helps me work out which muscles are going to be contracted and which ones will be lengthened, having the rib cage basically constructed will also help with this. This is incredibly more important with dynamic poses, like the one above; the position of the arms alone means a huge number of back muscles will be in stark contrast from one another, the right hand side will be shortened and bunch, the left hand ones lengthened.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/back1a_zps5130c453.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/back_zps06ce1b3c.jpg.html][/URL]

[Build]

Had to spilt this into two posts because of the number of images.


So I begin making some of the shapes, big muscles like Traps, lats and teres major get marked out, though there will be cutting back of some of the shapes to help sculpt deeper layered muscles around the front (like internal obliques).

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/neck_zpsbce9603e.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/back2_zpse77209b0.jpg.html][/URL]

Technically the best place to start with a sculpture is from the feet up, while this is true I always being with faces, because they're hard, they make of break a model and I like doing it at the start, mainly to get it out the way, but if things go well it also means I have a lot more enthusiasm for the remainder of the project. I being with the feet and slowly work my way up, this is a skinned down layer system at the moment, getting the muscles right at the moment is what matters so a detail layer becomes all the more easy. Lower leg completed I then move up to the upper leg and the torso.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/rightfoot_zps51129b5f.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/rightleg_zps2f716c97.jpg.html][/URL]

[Build]

Ok so from here onwards I begin to lay down so more structure work.

I begin by adding in the costal cartilage of the rib cage, this is done as that side of the torso is stretched, especially with the raised are which means that you will see the bottom boarder and a series of lumps that look like smaller muscle but are in fact cartilage.

This will be added to both sides as it will help my balance the position of the rib cage, which in turn will help me with all the surrounding, connecting and supporting muscles, even the chest. A small not to add here, is I have made a mistake by making the protrusions of the cartilage far too thick, they would in actuality be much thinner than this.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1818_zpsc0ad9dec.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1819_zps2ed5969a.jpg.html][/URL]

From here I've provided you with another view to give you an idea of what I'm aiming for.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1820_zps5b53533a.jpg.html][/URL]
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/N-large/media/AUT_1821_zps7fdb109c.jpg.html][/URL]