Viking Commission

Well hello, long time no chat. How are you? All good? Great. Its been a while hasn't it? Let me fill you in. 

Just before lockdown I had a referral for a minor operation, nothing serious, but it needed doing. Well, with hospitals being busy and it not being life threatening, it got delayed until this year. So last month my local hospital got in touch, they could fit me in. A week of Covid test, followed by self isolation and then a day visit for the operation and I'm all fixed. This then did however mean a couple of weeks recuperation. No work I hear you cry, plenty of time for painting? Well, sadly no, I couldn't sit upright at a table at all, so no hobbying for yours truly. 

I am definitely recovered now though, so painting has resumed. My first post Op project to be finished is something I was asked to paint for someone else. Not my usual project, a slightly larger scale bust of a viking. This was again printed on an Elegoo Mars msla printer and is a pretty impressive print. The print came out in four parts, body, head, axe and pony tail. 

Previously I have been apprehensive about painting busts and larger scales, thinking I wouldn't know how to paint the larger expanses of colour without it looking dull, but actually there is enough detail in this that it isn't a problem. I mixed up techniques, drybrushing up to highlights only on the hair and beard, inking on the fur and skin. 

The larger scale is actually freeing because I can finally paint eyes without adapting the "stab and hope" technique that I adopt in 28mm scale. Instead I really enjoyed putting detail into the steely gaze and getting his pupils actually looking in a particular direction.

So there he is in all his grizzly, grim faced glory. I might look at painting something else in this scale, it makes a nice change to be able to paint details without having to squint. As the owner said, "It's amazing how much 'life' can be released from a simple lump of plastic...."

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