Bad Blood, WIP

[Justin1]

Well, here I am, driven by the incredible response I got to my Death Warrior buildup, I'm starting on the Bad Blood kit, working on it while I have down time from working on another commission I'm doing. I'm going to do my best to take very consistent in-progress shots, including the paints I'm using for each stage. So far with the paintup, I'm actually quite unhappy with it, and I'm very strongly considering stripping the bits I've painted so far to start over. Just something about it's not jiving for me, and I honestly think it would take more work to try and get it to work then to just start over. I'm very happy with the mottling thus far, and I'm getting more and more confident in my use of the technique. I think my problem this time was trying too hard to get more contrast. In doing something completely contrary to what I did with the DW kit, where I did the main pred in rich, warm tones and the base in cool, darker tones, I'm planning on doing the BB in cooler colors, such as dark greens while doing the pred on the base and spear in warmer colors. I decided to try starting off with mottling a cool, bluish color on the skin, and I think that's where my problems began. It's just not very pleasing to my eye. That being said, any comments, questions, concerns or criticisms, leave em here. Thanks, guys!

Basecoated in Unbleached Titanium, then Mottled with French Bluegray. I also included the napkin I had on my knee while I was painting to show what kind of lines I'm looking for when mottling.

After finishing the mottling, misting the basecoat over the mottling work to "sink" it back into the skin.

Using Raw Sienna to add some color and diversity to the skin, establishing the overall shapes for the patterning I'll do later.

Thanks for looking, guys. IF and when I start over, I'll post it up.

 

[Destroyer]

Watching with a lot of interest, Justin

I'm sure whatever you decide, it will turn out great. I actually thought the second picture looked great just as it was for the skin.

 

[Justin1]

Well, I ended up stripping the pieces I've painted so far, with Deep Down Stain Stripper, or whatever it's called, and honestly, I hate that stuff. I've had bad experiences with it MELTING the pieces I'm stripping, it burns rather painfully if it accidentally gets on my skin, and it doesn't even get ALL the paint off. I ended up saying, "F this," and decided to try the Castrol Super Clean route, and let me just say: WTF!!!! I wish I'd tried this stuff years ago! I left in a scrap piece for just over an hour, and even the primer literally just WIPED right off, with literally NO change to the piece itself. Couldn't believe it. I'm gonna strip the base, the head and the arm, reprime it later and maybe even start painting later on. More to come, lads.

 

[pdisc]

sweet...another one from the great Justin

 

[elmen]

Nice start!!

 

[crawjaw]

You like to do things the hard way don't you. Paint then strip, the paint again. ****** sake son, get it right first time.
Of course that's the key to success and that's why your last project was such a hit.
BTW you've really got to marvel at the insane detail of Narin's sculpts.

 

[Justin1]

Thanks a lot, guys!

Destroyer, I know you'll be watching with particular interest, but if anything it's me who should be watching out for yours! Painting a pred with just brushes? I couldn't do it, and I still don't understand how anyone could. Hats off to that, young man!

crawjaw, yes, yes, and yes. I'm extremely finicky, and even the most minute details nag and nag and nag at me. Truth be told, I primed the kit quite a while ago, a little while after I got it and did some clean up work. This was before I found a place locally that sold Armory Figure Primer, when I was using Krylon sandable primer, which was leaving quite a horrible finish: thick, VERY grainy... I was unhappy with the finish before I ever started painting! So, when I decided to just start over and keep things simpler, it was just a no brainer to strip the kit rather than to reprime and add to the already nasty finish the first coat left. I am, in fact, just about to go lay down the first few layers of color now, so. I'll post either later tonight or tomorrow with my progress.

And yes, Narin's sculpts are absolutely some of the best I've ever seen, dynamics-wise, detail-wise, not to mention they're consistently and completely badass.

pdisc, I really don't even know what to say to that. Besides thanks, anyways, lol.

 

[Justin1]

Well, I redid the mottling on the predator on the base. Same Unbleached Titanium basecoat, then a mottling of Raw Umber and Titanium White, with a misting of Burgundy over certain spots, the stomach, around the head, chin... Then misted Unbleached Titanium back over everything to sink it down. Much happier with this outting so far. More to come.

 

[Destroyer]

Having never used an airbrush, what do you use to mask off the bits you're not painting Justin?

 

[Justin1]

That depends. I usually only ever airbrush the skin on whatever I'm painting, which I always do first, so I don't have to go back and mask everything off, but for the most part, I just use a lo-tack masking tape. I've been hoping to try using silly putty as I've read that a lot of guys use that, so I'll give that a shot at some point. I've used liquid friskets and things like that, latex mold builders, and I wouldn't recommend them, as they tend to pick up paint off of whatever you're making. Normally, that's not a problem, but I'm not a huge, huge fan of using dullcotes or anything like that if I don't ABSOLUTELY have to.

 

[Justin1]

Well, after a lovely hiatus spent playing video games, I'm easing back into painting, although "easing" may not be the best way to put it. I've done quite a lot of skinwork since I last posted, and I honestly couldn't be happier with how it's turned out. Still want to add some purple, not fully sure yet where and how, but I know I want to. Barely done any blocking, though, did maybe 3 - 4 brushstrokes of black onto the helmet on the base, and drybrushes the wood base a bit. I posted a couple of extra shots, particularly the chest and legs to illustrate the way I use the mottling technique. I still feel I'm missing something, but am still satisfied with the result. Feel free to leave comments, questions, concerns or criticisms. More to come, gents!

 

[morbius]

looks awsome not sure i like the bright green on the chest but the way you did the feet.... if i was shown a black and white pic of a pred and i didnt no what color they have been i would think they were that dark green. i love this, keep it going.

 

[hellonearth]

well i dig the color scheme man i think with some cool spot patterns it'll blend well, even the brighter green, but as far as something missing... perhaps an opposing color just a little tiny bit of it, like some kinda dark yellowish color with maybe a hint of orange, just maybe a few spots here and there then you could accent the face with whichever color you've chosin a little more elaborately, i don't know buddy i'm so jealous that i don't have my own bad blood to paint up that im goin' crazy lookin at yours so pardon my specifics, just tryin to help man. you got a really cool start

 

[Predatortje]

Look excellent, i'm getting my bad blood kit soon.. so this is a good walktrough! so far!

 

[Justin1]

Yeeeaaahhh, I actually um... started over... again... lol, There's almost no point in me keeping these threads since I chance my mind so much. Sorry if anyone's getting irritated with me, but. I'll be re-restarting the painting hopefully later on tonight, and I'll try to keep you guys posted as I go. Sorry again for being irritating!

 

[REYALS1]

Oooo... I would like to see this finished.

 

[BENSIN]

I'm going to hire someone to follow you around and poke you every where you go, 24/7, 365, until you finish this kit, only THEN will you know my anguish.

 

[BENSIN]

POKE POKE POKE, POKITY POKE!

 

[Justin1]

lol, I'm working on it! Or, at least, I was! Earlier today. Still have black and grey all over my fingernails from repriming. It's so hard to get something even halfway satisfactory, it's so irritating... We can't all be masters like Joe and Mauro,

 

[Justin1]

Well, for anyone foolish enough to actually follow this stuff, I'm back with an update. I made the plunge and bought a TON of Freestyle/Life Tone/whatever you wanna call them paints from KB Magazine, and it's been a learning experience so far. Here's what I've managed to get done in the last week or so of painting. I'm quite happy with where I'm at.

You'll notice right away: no spots! I decided after getting to a certain point, before stripping the kit and starting over, I wanted to go in a different direction. So, no spots. Or hardly any. I hope you guys dig it.

Last couple of shots were poor attempts to try and capture the mottled look of the skin. Ah, well. It's all I could muster with my cell phone!