Monday 11 July 2016

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility..."

"And so a legend is born and a new name is added to the roster..."
This 28mm pre-painted plastic model of Spider-Man is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 067 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Critical Mass range. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the teenage orphan had super strength, spider-like agility, the ability to climb most surfaces, and could shoot spider-webs using wrist-mounted devices. Peter Parker first appeared in the August 1962 issue of “Amazing Fantasy” during the Silver Age of Comic Books, and would be go on to become the “flagship character and company mascot” of “Marvel Comics Group”.

As the majority of the miniature was going to be red, I initially gave Spidey an undercoat of “Vallejo” Heavy Red, and then ‘cut in’ around his costume’s edges with “Citadel” Abaddon Black. Once this was dry I applied some Nuln Oil to the super-hero’s ‘webbed costume’ in order to bring out the sculpt’s finer detail. A couple of times the Shade dried too thick, so it actually took a couple of attempts in order to achieve just the right amount of pooling over the entire figure. The rest of Web-head’s costume was painted using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Blue and “Citadel” Asurmen Blue.
Captain America WIPs - Having now finished the waist stripes and white sleeves, Steve Rogers' head is next
 Having now finished three of the four “Heroclix” models I’ve decided to paint as a result of being inspired by the Avengers Verses X-Men “Dice Masters” Starter Set, I have finally attempted to properly apply my “Winsor & Newton” University Series 000 brush to a figure of Captain America. This miniature has proved a real test of both my patience and skill, and not just because it has required me to try my hand at stripes.

Indeed I foolishly thought I had near enough cracked the red and white waist band on my first attempt, and had actually moved on to tidying up the Sentinel of Liberty’s surrounding blue costume before I realised that my “Wizkids” reference material was horribly wrong, and Captain America’s central stripe should actually have been red not white (as the pre-painted model I was ‘copying’ depicted). As a result I have had to redo the striping more than once.

This, coupled with some awfully odd-shaped arm musculature, which just so happens to be precisely where his blue chainmail should end and his white sleeves begin, has given me more than enough excuse to persistently consider hurling the fiendish figure out of my second floor window…
Sixth Doctor Era WIPs - Early days for Doctor Who, Peri Brown and Mel Bush
In addition to “Heroclix” models however, I have also started work on (yet) another project involving “Doctor Who”. I’ve finally succumbed to the latest edition of the BBC’s Doctor Who Roleplaying Game by “Cubicle Seven”, and though I’m no fan of Peter Capaldi’s dislikeable incarnation of the travelling Time Lord, I am a huge fan of Colin Baker’s short but colourful tenure as the Television Series’ lead; albeit as a result of the numerous “Big Finish” audio plays as opposed to his actual TV stories.

As a result I have also bought the Sixth Doctor Sourcebook, as well as an assortment of miniatures by “Black Tree Design”, and am currently hoping to quickly paint up the pompous time-traveller, along with companions Perpugilliam Brown and Melanie Bush.
Argentina 1946: A Top Secret British Expedition attempt to assassinate the Fuhrer

18 comments:

  1. Spidey looks amazing mate, cracking stuff! Cap is coming along, good attention to detail on the central stripe etc not something I would have worried about so all credit to you...

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    1. Thanks Andy. Sadly its details like the stripes which will quickly grind me down, hence my determination to repaint the blasted waist again... and again... and again...

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    1. Cheers Clint. A cracking pose and rather easy to paint too, imho :-)

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  3. Yip, spidey is great, my favourite superhero

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  4. Spidey has come out really well, Simon.

    If you thought painting stripes on Captain America was hard just wait until you try painting his white star! Or are you going to apply water-slide transfers?

    I never liked Colin Baker as Doctor Who and Melanie had to be one of the most annoying assistants ever. But, Peri! Oh my, I did have quite a crush on her when I first saw her. I still have, to be honest. :-) I have that figure of her but not the other two. And I'm sorry to say, I actually like Peter Capaldi's version of the Doctor. Shall we agree to disagree?

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    1. Cheers Bryan. I'm very happy with Spidey. Captain America's stars are etched into the model. But apart from the shield I do aim to try and use decals tbh. I too wasn't a fan of Colin Baker's TV stories (as a whole). But his audio plays are a different matter entirely, and I strongly recommend several of them. Peter Capaldi is undoubtedly the "World War Z" of "Doctor Who", so we'll certainly agree to disagree my friend :-)

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  5. Spidey has come out really well. And I completely understand about the need to get the stripes in the right place. When I did Super-Soldier, I think I painted in the front and rear stripes first then worked by way around between each one until I was happy with positioning, then went back and tidied up the edges. The star on his chest was raised, so this was just a case of carefully following the lines, although the one on his back was free-hand.

    And more Doctor Who? Excellent! And is the tease at the bottom somehow related or are we finally seeing some lizard headed Nazis in action?

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    1. Thanks Jez. The tease relates to my first game of "Lost Patrol" by "Games Workshop"; although instead of having Space Scouts battle Tyranids, we're beginning a campaign involving Weird War Two, as the Allies desperately try to assassinate Hitler whilst he's hidden within his 1946 Argentine retreat :-)

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  6. Nicely done with Spidey Simon. :)

    Good stuff sir! :)

    As always I am amazed at your volume of output too, and more than a little envious. :)

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    1. Cheers PulpCitizen. Very much appreciated praise by a fellow super-hero buff :-)

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  7. Fabulous work on Peter, certainly one of my favourite sculpts. Worth also doing the extra work on the good Captain, he looks great Simon.

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    1. Thanks Michael. I entirely agree about Captain America... though I've still a far way to travel with my Sentinel of Liberty.

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  8. I do love me some Capaldi. Far more grown up than Tennant and Smith. Pertwee will always be my fav though. :)

    Spidey looks the part and well done on Cap's stripes.

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    1. Cheers Dai. I'm a huge fan of the Pertwee era myself. Glad you like Spidey. Hopefully Cappy's painting will prove just as successful.

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  9. Spidey is a triumph! Caps stripes look excellent (don't know what you were worried about) I too like Colin Baker, but it was when I re-watched his tenure as the Doctor that he grew on me (Peri of course already had!). If you like the audio stuff have you seen these radio 5 plays with Colin....

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009szrh/episodes/player

    They're not bad, not Nicola Bryant though, sorry Bryan.

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Many thanks Roger. The Radio 4 Plays are old "Big Finish" audios, and feature one of his 'new' companions. Peri is in some of these from time to time though if you got through their back catalogue.

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