Saturday, October 25, 2008

Dreadnought's "Sarcophagus" (Forge World)


Hop hop hop,

I continue with some old stuff (2006)...

I've already showed you Dreadnought's legs.
Let's go now for the upper part.
Pictures were still taken after the model was sent back, so you don't see my own version (for instance the skull), and the piece is actually damaged.
Again, I'm gonna fix everything.. one day.
But I thought details were interesting enough to be showed.
It's just the base, multiparts have to be added then, like head, banners, angel, halo...

Based on a resin that I had to renovate a lot, made in Fimo and Milliput...

I also post the concept I've made for it.

Bye!
M.











Thursday, October 23, 2008

What About Brass? (Forge World)


Hello,

today I want to show you part of an old project.
It was made in 2006 for Forge World, resin producer of Games Workshop products.
I've designed and made the Venerable Dark Angel Dreadnought, a big sci-fi robot of the Space Marines Dark Angel army for Warhammer 40K.

The original project was just to design the Dreadnought (using the usual design of the robot and adding D.A. icons) and to sculpt all the details on a resin of a naked one.
I've chosen in first place to give it dynamic, as the usual robots were (very) static. I imagined it in the middle of the battlefield, in motion, fighting the enemy...
So, did I design it.
The studio was pretty happy with my design, so I've started the sculpture part.
Unfortunatelly, I hadn't check the resin they gave me for this work... It was completely unsuable, so I had to entirely sculpt the legs!
(The sarcophage was in a better shape but not so good.)
But it was a great opportunity to make a new kind of work I've never tried till then.

My deception is that the studio actually decided to change some of the stuff I've made (validated on the original design), and sometimes for obscur reason (specially the big skulls... They made some new (ugly) ones...), but directly on my original work... They originally told me that they would do it on a resin cast!

Anyway, why brass?
I use Fimo for the modeling parts, and so I have to bake the model. Then, using plastic card/tubes is not possible.
And I like brass. It's tough enough, and then still easy to work with. And a bit shiny too.
For the legs, I've used brass, guitar strings, Milliput and some resin elements I could work with (after tough cleaning) for the structure and Fimo for all the details. I've added some nail in plastic rod at the end.

Pictures showed here are the model as it is today, damaged by the molding process and the studio work, but I've already changed the skulls by mine. The sword on the right leg is studio made, and I have to say that it's better than mine.
So now I have to clean it, I will do it when I get time...

And I'm proud of the work made on the struture.

MIKH.




















Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Has anyone experienced it? (My Nemesis Got A Name)



Here I am...
Yesterday, I was having a chat with my colleagues about these guys who turn you depressive when you meet them or see their "activity" on the internet...

Let me explain : not talking about these great sculptors, great illustrators, talented people who actually are motivating and inspiring for yourself...
Nope.
I'm talking about those who think they are good and talented in what they do... But they aren't. Definitely.
They can't be professional (at least I hope), but are very active as sculptors, painters, illustrators... Especially on internet, on some forums...

I particularly remember a guy I met during a convention I had to attend as head-sculptor for Rackham years ago.
It's always cool and nice to meet people who like what you're doing (even buy it), and being able to advise them is something I like, hoping to be useful and helpful.

And then, this guy comes on stage.

He showed me a miniature he had entirely sculpted, from an illustration of my good friend Edouard Guiton
Of course, in this kind of case, the work is never perfect, but usually it's interesting, and some parts are nice. Or at least, you can point out obvious weaknesses and work out some basic advice about anatomy, basic technics and tell to focus on it before being more ambitious.

Back to my nemesis now : he came, showed, and then waited for my "judgement".
But to be honest, after a day in a convention, it's not so easy to be diplomat when what you see is just crap. So I gently tried the basics : "okay, interesting... anatomy problems, you should try to work on it before being so ambitious... be careful, a sword is usually straight and the blade .... uh... balanced?... be careful with the proportions..."
He replied on each of my remarks, explaining me why, how, again why, to finish by "you know nothing about it and, whatever, I prefer that like that". Period.

During a long time... Too long time.

And then, when you don't know if you want to kill him or yourself just to end it, he says "I've got another one to show you".
Aaaaarrrrrghhhhh! 
And you're here, standing in the name of your company, you can't reject (or insult) the guy...
Hopefully, some nice person (girl) needs your help, and then saves you.

And few years after, you're watching a forum you regularly contribute to, and discover that this guy is still around, showing things, treating people who'd like to advise him the same way he used with yourself... I know it because I've read his thread, saw his "works". Yes, I'm a bit masochistic.
He replied directly to a post of mine. Sarcastically criticizing a work of one of my best friends.

What shall I do?

M.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Back To Business! (Infinity Seed Soldiers Pics)


Hi all!!!!

It's been a long time since you've seen something new around, isn't it?

Let's start this new era with Infinity new models : Shasvastii Seed Soldiers.

They are two, for the Combined Army, basic soldiers of this army, coming out of some alien eggs on the battlefield, kind of Alien-the-movie-like eggs. They've got some cables in their back hanging out of their armor, symbolizing their origins and connectivity (remember the Neo's red pill and his cabled waking?)...

The poses weren't easy to find as the studio wanted them monobloc (1 piece), and the design was definitely not made for that. But I was pretty happy with the result.
For the second one, I used the same kind of twisted ankles move I did previously with the sniper of this army. The first one is more vicious, like it just got out from his egg and already sneaking on the battlefield...

But eventually the studio ended in separating heads from the bodies, they are now in two parts each.

More rules and gaming details here.

It's about 36 mm scale, made in Fimo.

And the official painted versions by Angel Giraldez.

MIKH.

The first one :










The second one :





Sunday, October 19, 2008

My old blog sucks...

Yeap,

that's why I've changed of course.
But I took the time to link every old posts and pictures, my myspace account being still active.
And then, I just find out that some of the old posts of my myspace blog disappeared!
So, during the next few weeks, I'm gonna have to put all the old pictures in this new space...

The good thing is that I will take new pictures of some of these models, like Plegia and some Infinitys minis...

See you soon around then!
M.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I'm still around!


Hello All,

Doing good?
...Me? Being busy!
Working and working, sculpting and sculpting, and occasionally, refurbushing my new place (a very nice one actually!)...

So, what will you see soon in these pages?


As you know, I'm now working in full time job on HellDorado, miniatures game taking place in Hell. Soon will be released my first models for this collection, and then, I will have a lot of pictures to show you!
But for the moment, you may want to have a look on the first pictures of the next wave, already online, models made by my colleagues Thomas David (Les Déserteurs (Deserters), Le Trappeur Russe (Russian Trapper)) and JAG (Charon).

But I'm still doing freelancing, and some of my latest work for Infinity will be released too. Actually some unofficial pictures are already dragging around on internet, but you'll have to find them by yourself! Do you know the official forum?

Oh... And have you heard about this game... It's online... It's fantasy... World of... Yeap, Warcraft....
Upper Deck is bringing it on table, in plastic prepainted models. More info here.
I've made one model for it, let's just say it's green, big, angry... 's got himself a Hammer and a Name... See who I'm talking about?
It's arriving live soon, pictures of my original work will follow close!

But, as busy as I am, I can have fun too!
Two weeks ago was Café OZ's birthday, Place Blanche, Paris, a great pub where, let's face it, I know some people.
My friend Pierre asked me to make some bodypainting, tribal style, during the night for staff and customers.
I had great time there doing it, and Halloween will follow...







And more things will follow soon, so keep connected!

MIKH.