Fantasy Comes to The Atlanta Show

Hello! The latest news is that the 34th annual Atlanta Model Figure Show (Feb 18-20, 2011 at the Mariott Century Center) will now feature both Advanced Painters and Advanced Open categories for exhibitors and viewers to enjoy. They've called it Fantasy, but all realms are welcomed including Sci-Fi, Mini's, Anime, Garage Kits, etc. I'm excited about this development for our show and hope it will increase the attendance and enjoyment of the show for military and non-military figure artists. I'd like to say thank you to Atlanta Club member Dr. Dave Wiggins for his efforts to promote the show and the club. On a personal note, it is my blog after all, I'm currently sculpting a 120mm fantasy figure that I hope to display for the first time at the show. Yes, I said figure not bust. We look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta in Feb 2011.

Gone Fishin'????

Hello! I know I haven't been keeping up with my blog as often as I'd like. Part of that is work, getting prepaired for the last APG Show in Gettysburg and perhaps the most pressing reason, the death of my camera. Until I can scrape together the pennies for a new one, looks like text only for the time being. Stay tuned, though. I hope to be back again soon.

Matt

More Progress...Clint

More work done on getting the basics down on this portrait. Slow going, but I'm enjoying the freedom and fiddling that the super sculpey is allowing me for endless tweaking. Getting closer now...A likeness isn't so much about the features as it is how the features meet with and interact with each other and the overall shape of the face. This is a hard lesson to learn and as I proceed to take my lumps thinking I've got it, only to realise later that I was wrong. Anyway, I push on....

Woodland Nymph - Completed

Here are a few pics of a bust I recently painted and displayed at the MFCA show in Valley Forge, PA this past weekend. It was a great show and I enjoyed seeing alot of old friends and meeting some new ones, too. Lynnette was a trooper and made the trip with me. Thanks to Joel Glass and the whole MFCA gang for making us feel at home and putting on a great show.

Portrait Update

More progress being made on roughing in the basic forms...Still much to do.

Arapaho Indian Bust..Coming Soon!

I'm glad to announce the coming release of a bust I sculpted a few years back. It will be available through Massimo Pasquali's new venture, "The Wheel of Time". As I understand, it's an organization to promote and support the figure modelling hobby and they will also offer kits for painters and collectors. I'm proud to say this bust will be one of their first two releases. Here is a link to the organization's web site: http://www.laruotadeltempo.eu/

This lovely example was painted by Massimo. Not bad for an oil painter ;)))

Massimo says the kit can be ordered now by emailing him, but will eventually be orderable from the website.

Thanks for looking and supporting the hobby!

New Portrait Piece. Roughing In the Volumes

Hello! I thought I'd post a few very early pics of a new portrait sculpt still early in the process. This is a very loose period in the process where I'm getting all the volumes and proportions how I like them. I've moved over to using Super Sculpey on this one rather than my usual magic sculpt. The benefit here is that the clay stays workable until I bake the piece. This allows me endless tweaking and adding/subtracting until I'm happy. I really am preferring this method rather than the add-bake-carve method I used with the air drying magic sculpt that has about an hour of working time. The only downside I can see to the sculpey is fine detail work. I have to figure that one out when I get there. This is a subject near to my interest. It will be William Munny (Clint Eastwood) from the classic western "Unforgiven". The pics have "squashed the head a bit, but they're pretty close to the actual head. More to come on this one later as he develops. Thanks for looking!

Update 4-11

Starting to come together now. I've got some ideas for the base that I'll be working on next. ..

Today's Update 3-15

More progress....

Robin Hood

Ok, so maybe I'm a bit behind, but I just learned about a new film from one of my favorite directors, Ridley Scott. This one stars Russell Crowe as Robin Hood and if it's half the movie Gladiator is, it'll be great. It seems promising from what I've read. I believe it's due for release in May 2010. Cate Blanchett is also co-starring. Woohoo!

More Progress...

Here are a few new shots of this bust. Having a great time on this one. I definately have to do more fantasy pieces. I used oils on the flesh to smooth out the acrylic shading and highlighting that I did first. It made for some added depth the the skin and a nice bit of sheen that is more realistic than just the acrylics. I'll need to experiment with this technique on a more human shade. I wasn't sure about the red sleeves, but quite like the effect with the green. Something floral looking about it which sort of suits the subject.

Update....

Here are some shots of the bust with more work done....

Woodland Nymph

Here's a new bust that's finally made it to the bench. It's a wonderful sculpt from Y&S Castings. I bought it some time ago and thought it'd be fun to do something with limitless possibility for colors. The flesh is a violet mix made from Ivory, Violet Red and Deep Green. Again in acrylics so the smooth transitions on the skin are challenging. I plan to add a whole back tattoo and have and interesting burled base to use for her upon which I plan to add some branches and perhaps some vegitation. Excited about this one too. Stay tuned for more updates....

Minstrel Life

Hello! I thought I'd post a pic of a new piece I'm working on in anticipation of hopefully attending the MFCA show in May. It's a 54mm figure from Nocturna. I've decided to set him in a little Renaissance/fantasy environment that I hope will suit the mood of the figure. I plan to add a curtain to the backdrop and to paint in a renaissance inspired woodland piece visible through the curtain. It will be a bit of a departure from my usual, which is why I'm so excited about it. I think I'll sculpt some birds and other details in there as well. Check back for some more updates as he develops. The back drop is being made from sheet plastic. The kit comes with the small stone wall section he's leaning on, but I don't know if that will make it into the final version. I removed his lute from his left hand and will rebuild the neck. I have plans for what will be in his left hand. Something I hope will bring a smile to the viewer. I'm thinking the lute will make a nice addition to the backdrop along with some flowers and other details. Thanks for stopping in. Good to be doing something more creative again.

Czar Nicholas Bust..Finished Sandbagging....

Well, I finally got this one done just in time for the Atlanta Show this past weekend. I'm pleased with how it came out. I like how the eagle on the helmet came out. This was painted with a tip picked up from Phil Kessling some years back. To depict slightly tarnished steel, I added a bit of sap green oil paint to my silver ink as well as a touch of ivory black. I think it gives it some extra oomf!

More Progress on U-Boat Captain....

Taking advantage of the snow and ice outside to get some work done on some figures this weekend. More progress on Gunther...

Matt

75mm Experiment

Here are some pics of something I've been wanting to tackle for a while and never had the time. I'm experimenting with a full figure sculpt in 75mm. This is the roughed in armature that still needs lots of refining. Feedback on him certainly welcomed. The face has the most progress, but also is in process. Stay tuned......

U-Boat Captain..Update

More progress on Gunther....

Czar Nicholas..Update

Here's a pic of some more progress done on this bust. The large scale has been challenging with the acrylics. More smoothing to do and I'm off to Atlanta this weekend for a club meeting and a chance to check on some brass metalizer paints/laquers for the helmet.

U-Boat Captain, 90mm

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's a new painting project that I've just started. This is my forst new piece for 2010 and I'm really happy to be painting this one. It's a 90 mm kit from Andrea and is really well done. This is one of those figures that will really paint up well as the sculpting is really first rate. These are some very early shots of the piece with the face and hands just under way. I'm looking to complete him in time for the Atlanta Show in Feb. Wish me luck! More progress to come. I'm experimenting a bit with a lighter flesh mix than my usual. I like the results so far. On to the pics...