Creatures from elsewhere

Modeling Subjects Science Fiction
1

When a build has been particularly frustrating that I have to walk away for a bit I find that painting miniatures helps clear the head. It also has the bonus effect of growing my painting skills. [:D] This is a from a project I did back in September.

These miniatures are from the Fantasy Flight game Imperial Assault. A Star Wars themed game. My nieces decided these had to be my next painting project.

unadorned plastic

I have no idea what they are supposed to look like or anything about them. Which means the sky is the limit for what they could be!

I thought a swamplike color scheme would work well. Jumped into the deep end by laying down a lemon yellow base coat followed by a green wash.

lemon yellow base and green wash

So far so good. Perhaps rather frog like.

At some point I started painting color palette ideas on the base of a miniature as a way to look for harmonies and make selection a little easier.

Next up start introducing some of the earth tones.

Mud bath

Hmm, not the color progression I was looking for. Looks more like it fell in the mud. Time to start over.

Stripped it down to plastic with 90% Isopropyl alcohol. Works great on Vallejo Acrylics.

Next attempt, lemon yellow base, green wash and lets try a rust wash from the top instead…

greens with rust wash

Much better! Also get a preview of its brother. His bro was hit with rust wash on the spine, shoulders and head with extra being wiped of so the color would remain in cracks and crevices.

A little more layering with heavily thinned brown, rust wash, & green yields this.

face off

A little bit of rivalry develops as the other keeps photo bombing.

At this point I get the mouth painted with a mix of red/white/gloss medium. I want the glossiness to give an impression of moisture. Then dry brush the shoulders, head, and spine with refractive green and lemon yellow to call out highlights. Seal it all with matt finish.

Add PG to the eyes so they shine and put a satin finish on the spines so they have a slightly wet/crystal look. (yeah that’s lot to happen all at once. Forgot to take pictures)

posing for the camera

The next day I return to find him stalking some prey. [;)]

Snack Time

Will post more on his brother later.

2

Not bad, not bad at all. I have a couple that I should work on between projects. There’s a company that makes fantasy figures that come pre primed. All you have to do is open the package and start. They have giants, dragons, deamons, and if you pickd a aquatic figure most of the time they include a translucent water base or stand.

3

You wouldn’t happen to have their name or a link to their site handy? My stash isn’t drained but I like to keep an eye open for inventive and well detailed models/miniatures.

Painting this figure was pretty much all firsts for me. Most everything else I had done prior were essentially three tone blocks of color. This was a real stretch for me to do.

4

Your creatures look great. The company “Wizkids” has a lot of what Ikar was describing. I’m sorry that I don’t know how to hotlink stuff. Loving your pictures. Thanks.

5

Ha! Hes cool. Looks like mean little dudes. Fun project.

6

Wasn’t there one of those things in Episode II, Attack of the Clones?

In any case, very nice paint work! [Y]

7

Knox,

Thanks for the recommendation and compliment!

Heard of Wizkids way back in the early 2000’s with their prepainted line of clix miniatures. Sounds like it’s time to check them out again. :slight_smile:

8

These guys came as a pair. The initial plan was to paint them in a similar fashion but after doing the first one I thought it woudl be neat to do the second one as if it was from a different biosphere. Decide to make the second one closer to earth tones and leverage all the things I learned from doing the first one.

As mentioned in the first post I started with a rust wash on the spines, head, shoulders, and the top of the legs. Then wiped off the majority of the wash from the head, shoulders and legs.

the start

To create a different modulation of color I then went over the everything but the spines in a thinned purple.

purple beast

It looks odd but most of that was then wiped off with a damp cotton swab like was done before with the rust.

Then covered the entire creature with a thinned coat of buff followed by flesh ending with a very light brown wash to bring out the depth in the fur and spines.

buffed beast

It contrasted nicely with the orange and purple creating a darker look to the fur at the top and muted the rust.

Then went back over the fur and head with a lcoat of light rust wash.rusty beast

This really made the fur and spines pop.

Wanting to keep with the differing ecosystem idea I painted they eyes gold and carefully lined them with thinned red to create some contrast in the eye sockets.

eyes

Looking at pictures of lions mouths I decided this one should have a fleshier pink tone made the claws a slightly off white. Finishd it off with carefully dry brushing highlights in lemon yellow.

fleshy mouth

Some revenge photo bombing going on.

Finally did the same flat coat with satin for the spines and now have a finishe pair of creatures that while the same species, can see they definitely live in different areas.

finished product

Had lots of fun painting the pair and learned quite a bit in the process. Really like the contrast of the two styles.

The white tissue paper is there to help ensure the proper white balance was maintained when photographing.

9

Cool. Yeah nice paint work.

10

Oh those are awesome!!! Great paint work!

I was thinking they reminded me of some of the critters from ‘Knights of the Old Republic’.

Back when I played in a SW RPG we ended up using Dungeons and Dragons monsters since it’s all we had!

11

Ah yes, Star Wars the RPG. It’s possible I had some experience with that. [:D]Star Wars Source Book

12

Great paint job!

These are known as Nexu and they were the creatures from the arena battle in attack of the clones.

Nexu

13

Oh cool, I’ve got a couple of the WEG manuals. Oddly I’ve never played it, we only played the WotC version.

I think I like the WEG version better though.

14

Awesome!! As long as I don’t find them under my bed[:O]

15

They are awesome! Be cool to see them with chain leashes held by some equally scary war lord type dude. Imagination running wild

16

I now have visions of a Frank Frazettaesque diorama. Might be something in the future.

17

These creatures turned out great. You certainly did a wonderful job painting them.