Since changing jobs, it’s taken me a few months to feel out my new time and energy levels. It’s been … a lot - but I’m finally settling into a painting rhythm again and I feel like I put in a little effort on social media.
Plus, I finally found what to me is the ideal angle for my timelapse videos (see below)
What this Space is About
The aim here is to explore bi-weekly project updates, general musings, and maybe a little fiction if a figure inspires me.
And of course, some visual-ASMR timelapse videos. Because come on - that’s what we’re really here for.
But before we get to that, let’s meet our current work-in-progress, Utico the Minotaur. Plus I want to talk a little bit about workflow - or in this case art flow.
Meet Utico the Minotaur
When I first started this figure, it was intended as a practice piece; work on some fur (new to me), continue to chip away at my bronze non-metallic metal, and wrap my head around horns.
But as I’ve worked on him, I’ve had fun with every element - even the challenging ones. I’d rather see him on a shelf somewhere than have half completed in a works-in-progress/abandoned bin.
Because, I mean, look at this guy!
Understanding the balance between momentum and enthusiasm
Since my time is more limited these days, I need to be intentional and deliberate in how I put my time into my figures. So I went back and looked at how long I stay engaged with a project compared with how far I can push it close to the finish(ed enough) line.
I dug though my photos and found that 21 painting days (not necessarily calendar days), is about when I pass a threshold from enthuiasm to lack of interest.
So given that, where am I with Utico on paint day 10?
To be honest, I’m in great shape. The only thing left that I haven’t done some detail work on is the haft of the axe, everything else has gotten a fair amount of attention beyond the initial base-coating.
As a slow painter, to be 10 days in and this far in is a great sign.
Here are some comparisons of where I was at 10 days in with a couple of other projects.
Comparisons from Past Figures
Mightystar the Younger at 10 Painting Days
He’s cleverly positioned to hid the fact that I’d done absolutely nothing with his cloak.
Now, I was experimenting with a couple of alternate methods of approaching light and shadows. But even 10 days in, and those were long painting session back when I had my old jobs schedule, I still had to go over most of him again to try to correct things I didn’t like.
I was only happy with his face, the yellow belt, and the scale mail over his leg. Everything else was either barely worked or flawed to the point it needed pretty significant rework.
And that meant pushing out the starting phase and shorting the refinement phase to the point that some elements I simply never worked past the barest of details, like his hair.
So, lesson learned here was paint faster and, if it’s a figure whose destination is the shelf and not the partial bin, minimize the experimenting to something that can be corrected quicker.
Yemi at 10 Painting Days
The 21 day baseline was set with Yemi. Here the pace and progress was even, and the basic layering phase was done early enough that there was plenty of time to futz around with details and dial things in. Even after the full 21 days there’s plenty I could do for further refinement, but that’d be extra pushing, and I’m happy with her current state.
Utico at 10 Painting Days
I’m so happy with where he’s at. Besides the haft of the axe, those vexing-me horns, and the sheath of his sword, most of his elements are in the refining stage. Next steps are going to be minor and each painting session will allow for a ton of progress, even and especially when I’m aiming for subtle shifts.
It’s great. Having a lot of fun, both intrinsically in doing a thing and making progress, but also with what I’m learning and what techniques I’m pushing. That I’m figuring out how to use a new set of paints helps too. As is said, right too for the right job. That holds true with miniature paints too.
Timelapses - Texturing Leather
I was taught to try to approximate the look of textured leather by doing the following:
Basecoat
Tiny Black and white hashes to simulate texture
Glaze over it, bringing higher tones into the highlights and lower tones into the areas in shadow.
Then you do it again a couple of time.
Without further commentary, here are:
The basecoat and hashes:
Followed by the glazing:
Parting Thoughts
Honestly, I think the work (in progress) speaks for itself.
Having fun and challenging oneself can go hand in hand. In this case I’ve been lucky enough to find both with Utico.
With the bonus that he remains ~excellent~ practice for what I envision as my first competition piece: Gilgamesh and the head of the slain Bull of Heaven:
I’m going to assemble him later, as soon as my new very toxic smelling glue is ready.
But that’ll be another post.
And with that, I’m gonna go make some art.
Be well.
Take your time.