Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 26, 2018 17:35:29 GMT
Thanks Soul! I figured out why I am not using my fancy lighting setup, I turned that entire space into a working area for the modular (air)ship terrain I'm building for the dnd campaign and of course being distracted never got around to fixing it. Gives me something to do Sunday morning I guess. So more crappy images incoming!
Alright so I did the last bit of cleaning of my greenstuff heads. Here is a picture of the parts I will be messing with tonight + Ashlynn parts for anyone not familar with the standard model bits :
The goal for now is to focus on the headswap, and fix and damages to the greenstuff heads. I can't get the greenstuff to focus nicely, so here are some pics of the originals, both are from raging heroes minis (curse them for switching to weird resin). The first one was my first idea, the second one was a cool head in my bits box.
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 26, 2018 18:15:45 GMT
Alright guys, I need opinions as I am at a point in which I might actually go out and make 2-3 Ashlynns haha...
So I have 5 different setups I like. As there isn't enough space per post for all the images I will probably split it up. Sorry for the spam!
_Here is the two variants of what I like to call "Angry Ashlynn". Please look past blue tack, I had trouble getting the metal bits to stick (didn't even bother trying with the flag. also she is a bit high as I am using the tabs just under her feet as pins for the base. I must say, the elevated look really looks good on Angry Ashlynn
The difference is purely the flag. This is my original vision. I feel that without the flag, the focus is much more on Ashlynn, which is important in this head swap as she should be extruding power I think. I want to reposition the sword like it is in the picture as it enhances how everything is pushing away from her center.
What do you guys think? Is there anything you would suggest for me to try with Angry Ashlynn?
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 26, 2018 18:25:25 GMT
Sorry for the spam So I Angry Ashlynn fits everything I wanted with my original idea, so why am I bothering with a second post to fit pics of an alternative. Well hopefully when you see the pics, you well get the same feeling I did. Her card artwork is full of sorrow and mourning, which, when I saw how the pieces fit together on shall we call it 'Mournful Ashlynn", came to me. What do you guys think?
I tried some other poses, but honestly if I go with this head, I'm probably going for the above pic (although I have to figure out how to deal with the low sword and the base). I would like your opinions though, so wanted to include them for completeness sake.
Like I said, I look forward to others thought before I move on to the next step. I might make a second Ashlynn just to get one Angry and one Mournful in (probably use the flag for mournful and the base for angry)...
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Post by Soul Samurai on May 26, 2018 18:34:36 GMT
Is the flag goung to be planted in the ground behind her, strapped to her back, or is she going to be holding it? I feel like you either want the flag raised OR the sword, but not both; if she's raising the flag then the sword will probably look better pointed sideways or downwards?
The flag is impressive, I just wonder if it will take too much attention away from the fire and the hair. Like, the fire and the hair are rising upwards, so you've got vertical lines, but the flag is blowing sideways, so it's creating horizontal lines. I... don't know if that's a problem or not? Like, maybe flip the flag around and go with the other head so both the flag and the hair are being blown in the same direction? Speaking of lines, I would rotate the sword a bit so the lines of the hair and the sword converge (at the moment they seem to diverge, which I think is a little less visually pleasing).
Sorry, I'm basically just vomiting random thoughts and impressions. Both photos you posted look good, the flag version is more impressive while the one without it is more subtle.
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Post by Soul Samurai on May 26, 2018 18:38:36 GMT
Ah, you posted while I was typing; my response was to the "angry Ashlynn" photos.
The sword position in the second set looks better with the flag I think, but the hair is still a bit of a problem (probably more so as it's in the exact opposite direction to the way the flag is blowing without the advantage of being super dramatic).
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 26, 2018 18:52:46 GMT
Good points. Yeah the sword up + flag I am gunna drop as an idea totally, way too much going on there to pull it off. The flag is a bit of issue anyway. My original intent was to take her gun and meld that into the flagpole, but her hand is really unnaturally positioned and I can't imagine actually holding anything large like that, especially a heavy flag. I tried finding a place for it, but it doesn't quite work on this base. I am torn, part of me wants to just make one of each, so the flag and base goes to good use. But I might just have to decide one, at the current time I am leaning towards the mournful one...
EDIT: The hair was originally why I didn't think the mournful it would work at all, but I was surprised by the outcome. With her head down and maybe some custom hair work, I might be able to make it go with gravity instead of opposite the flag. Unfortunately I designed the flag poorly so I can't swap it much right now.
EDIT2: Looking at the picture of the mournful one, I actually realize the issue is the blue tack, it adds about a 1mm jut that is causing the hair to be high and at an angle compared to how it falls if I leave the shoulder out for posing
EDIT3: Does this look a bit better? It sorta cascades around the arm and shoulder if I fit it all together
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Post by fallenexile on May 27, 2018 5:10:56 GMT
My opinion: Sorrowful Ashlynn needs sword down/to the side to kind of go with the lines of her cascading hair. For a flag, you'll want a flag that doesn't look like it's being blown so vigorously, maybe a flag that just droops around the pole instead.
Angry Ashlyn looks good with sword up. And if you're going to add a flag, the wind-whipped flag is definitely the way to go.
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 27, 2018 8:55:46 GMT
Thanks for the input guys. I went and decided to try one of each. The Angry one is using the actual metal bits as all it really is getting is a head swap and the arm positioned differently than standard. Here is it so far, it looks pretty much the same with the blue tack:
I just need to sculpt a neck and drill into the base to attach her (I also did some more flame work on the base, but that'll be visible in one of the final pics when I get my light box dug out of the mess. I am leaving the flag out at this time, but might look back at it after she is based.
On to sad Ashlynn, she is becoming a much more personalize sculpt at this point. Here is a poor pic of the cobbled together parts (most connections etc are missing)
At this point I have done the following: I made a base with elevated stones for a flag to go out of. I agree with Xintas, a more sad droopy flag would add to the overall feeling of the sculpt, but I need to make said flag still. Until the I am using the old flag in the pictures. Later on I shall test fit any and all flags I come up with until I find the perfect match! I made a greenstuff/millput body copy so I could have more freedom with the sculpt. This freedom I used to cut off her left leg and hack at the cloak in order to put in a new leg that plays off the elevated basing. I still need to sculpt a foot. I made a greenstuff/millput gun arm copy, without the gun barrel. This arm fits nicely into the recess that the flag fits it in my dry fitting, so it got glued. I used clay for the sword arm to be able to easily clear up the shoulder to let the hair fall more naturally. I moved the position to cross the figure get it off the ground, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Also the sword probably could use more touching up, or I might even redo the blade part entirely.
Also the hair... its still pretty blow towards her right side even after adjustments, and there are gaps I am not happy with. I am thinking about sculpting the gaps in and using that to force the direction more towards the ground (and to cascade around her shoulder a bit better). Also by getting to properly wrap around the shoulder it should better follow the sword direction which is in conflict currently.
Here are some of the major lines roughly drawn in the figure to hopefully make it a bit clearer (and so I don't forget what I'm doing later). The black are the sword and later flag pole, I want to adjust the hair along the green arrow so it also runs parallel in the black direction. The back arm crosses the figure along the middle white line, parallel to the left leg. The new right leg pose has the lower leg in parallel (bit off in picture but I think that is more of a depth problem. I'll double check on the figure and adjust it a bit if necessary.
Thanks for the feedback guys, and I'd love to hear more if anyone has any!
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Post by Soul Samurai on May 27, 2018 10:29:24 GMT
I respect the decision to build not one, but two custom Ashlynns, and the amount of work you're putting in. I think they're both looking good. I guess the problem is making the flag-carrying Ashlynn distinct enough from her alternate sculpt?
From the sounds of it you made the flag yourself? I'm guessing you used the kind of mold used for bases to press the pattern into a sheet of putty, then shaped it into a flag?
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 27, 2018 13:28:37 GMT
I respect the decision to build not one, but two custom Ashlynns, and the amount of work you're putting in. I think they're both looking good. I guess the problem is making the flag-carrying Ashlynn distinct enough from her alternate sculpt? From the sounds of it you made the flag yourself? I'm guessing you used the kind of mold used for bases to press the pattern into a sheet of putty, then shaped it into a flag? Thanks Soul! Yeah I'm playing on the line of making it similar enough to the alternative sculpt that my sculpt fit's nicely in the 'Ashlynn' range while being significantly different. Currently I am interested in making the lines of the model kinda cross into itself whereas the alt sculpt clearly has them shooting outwards towards her facing. The idea is to make it feel like how when someone is tired, sad or defeated and sorta collapses in on themselves. I am not sure how well it is playing out but we'll see when I get some time to flesh out the model. The flag is indeed a imprint using Green Stuff World's celtic roller
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Post by Azuresun on May 27, 2018 17:45:50 GMT
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Post by Soul Samurai on May 27, 2018 18:47:20 GMT
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Fang
Junior Strategist
Posts: 117
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Post by Fang on May 29, 2018 15:37:14 GMT
My girlfriend has that darksword mini, definitely a neat one. Your conversion looks great with it!
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Post by gobber on May 29, 2018 20:43:32 GMT
Y'all inspired me! Here's my contribution to the pot: Thyra body+ash weapons+statuesque minis headswap (matches my female llaelese exemplars)
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Xintas
Junior Strategist
Posts: 824
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Post by Xintas on May 30, 2018 13:52:21 GMT
I'm loving these! Also, as much as I'd love to be "droopy flag suggester", that was not me. Ironically enough, I'm just catching up on this thread and that was going to be my suggestion though, so great minds think alike?
I'm personally loving mournful Ashlynn. Angry Ashlynn is great, but not really my style (not the mini, just the attitude isn't how I see her).
I'm about to start painting the Ashes one and that will be my second, but I think I might strip the first one I made, do a head swap, and start over. It was one of the first minis I ever painted and it is...not good. The head didn't help, but it's not an excuse.
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